My Hero Academia: The Manga's American Heroes Are More Important Than You Think - Screen Rant

dokdokder.blogspot.com

The world of My Hero Academia is a fascinating one, but the manga rarely turns its attention to the American heroes and history that helped establish the laws of superheroics in the first place. While nearly all the action occurs in Tokyo, mangaka Kohei Horikoshi has paid homage to the birthplace of superhero comics by making the US a surprisingly important place in the history of quirk development. While details are only dropped here or there, these facts come together to paint a picture of just what life in America is like in the age of Quirks and heroes.

As Quirks began to manifest across the world, society became chaotic very quickly. Some who gained powers turned to selfish motivations, using them to steal or harm others. Those who saw this injustice and began to take action on their own were the first heroes, although since the laws hadn't been set yet, they were actually vigilantes. The first of these vigilantes emerged in the US, and problems quickly arose. The government couldn't allow individuals to enforce justice without any supervision, but vigilantes became popular quickly, so simply arresting them wasn't an option. Rhode Island became the first state in the US, and first place in the world, to create an official Professional Hero licensing system. Only seven of the nearly 200 active vigilantes in the state at the time were drafted as Pro Heroes, with the rest forced to retire or face the repercussions. While legal debates regarding whether quirk use falls under second amendment rights have persisted to the modern-day, using quirks in public without a hero license became illegal in America. The hero rankings also emerged in the US, as part of an effort to keep heroes publicly accountable, and this system became a model used worldwide.

Continue scrolling to keep reading Click the button below to start this article in quick view.

Professional heroes in the US face a lot of the same issues as modern celebrities, with scandals and rumors and lawsuits always following them. Since the moral integrity of a hero is far more important than that of a movie star; affairs, womanizing, and other scandals can easily end careers in My Hero Academia. As such, American heroes can come across as vain, as they tend to be more concerned with their image. Some American heroes, like Captain Celebrity from My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, have left the country to get a fresh start away from these controversies. American villains are also more likely to be dangerous; while the quirk-enhancing drug Trigger has been the main problem substance in My Hero Academia, it's been stated that Quirk-manipulating drugs are far more effective and easily found in the US, offering villains an easy way to power up.

Aside from Captain Celebrity, who was once the #1 hero in the US and is a fairly major character in Vigilantes, a few other American heroes have shown up in the franchise. In the first movie, My Hero Academia: Two Heroes, All Might performs some hero duties while studying abroad in the US, and ends up briefly running into American heroes Electoplant (who recently appeared in silhouette in the manga) and Cow Lady, who operated in California at the time. Hero support gear development and manufacturing is a major industry in the US, with figures such as David Shield, who created All Might's gear, and later his daughter Melissa, designer of Endeavor's new outfit, held in high regard. There's even a U.A. student, Pony Tsunotori of Class 1-B, who is said to have come from America.

With the situation in Japan deteriorating in the most recent chapters of the manga, support from abroad, including these American heroes, is in desperate need. Fans may have the opportunity to learn more about what quirks and hero culture are like in the US as this help arrives, and the world of My Hero Academia becomes that much bigger.

Next: My Hero Academia Finally Settles A Common “One For All” Debate

Marvel's New Hulk/Wolverine Combo Fixes the Last Version's Big Mistake

Related Topics

About The Author

Carlyle Edmundson (28 Articles Published)

Carlyle Edmundson is a news and features writer with an affinity for science fiction and fantasy. He graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a BS in Film Studies and is glad that it's relevant to his work. A lifelong fan of anime and manga, he has attended dozens of conventions over the years and may or may not have cosplayed at them. He is also the author of the Dystopian Detective series, available from most places ebooks are sold.