BOWLING GREEN, OHIO –

Marvel Comics revolutionized the superhero genre in the 1960s with comic book characters such as Spider-Man, Thor, Iron-Man and The Hulk. Colorfully costumed adventurers who fought criminals and alien monsters primarily on the streets of New York City, and who, despite their incredible superpowers, struggled with personal and social problems. Stan Lee, the architect of the Marvel Universe, routinely addressed readers as "true believers."

Almost 60 years later the same Marvel characters are making true believers of us all. The success of Marvel feature films over the last decade has moved superheroes from just an obsession of comic book fan-boys to an international phenomenon. The superhero blockbuster trend shows no signs of slowing down, with upcoming releases of "Thor: The Dark World," "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," "X-Men: Days of Future Past" and dozens of other planned films, including the much-anticipated sequel to "The Avengers," and new television series such as "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Superheroes are everywhere, from shirts to toys to exhibitions like The Marvel Super Heroes 4-D experience at the Madame Tussauds wax museum in central London.

The current dominance of superhero films at the box office can be attributed to a number of factors. The usual plot of an otherwise ordinary human gaining fantastic powers so that he (unfortunately rarely a "she") can vanquish his enemies and be adored by the masses will always be an appealing fantasy. Likewise, the metaphorical saving of major cities, be they New York, Metropolis or Gotham, is a comforting tale in a post-9/11 world. But the main reason that superhero films have become so popular in this millennium is because they can make us believe in the hero and in the spectacular action. Thanks to incredible advances in special effects, especially seamless incorporation of CGI images, live action superheroes finally look believable.