Indian mythology has many stories and characters that strengthen the growing imagination of children. But children in countries like the US and Japan do not have myths passed down through generations. Where there are no myths, they had to be created. The role of comic books, film culture and the manga-anime tradition in Japan and the supernatural characters in the US became a new way to bridge this gap. Comics took children to mythical lands in places like India and the Arab world, which have a long tradition of listening to fairy tales and mythological stories. Although superhero comic books have existed in Japan since the 18th century – featuring pictures of the characters' deeds and accompanying dialogues – they only appeared in US and Britain in the 1930s.

Superheroes made their debut in the United States at a time when exploited nations around the world were rising up to play their historic roles. The concept of a superhero was adopted by the American comics industry. While there are a lot of superheroes saving the world today, every movie company even has its own parallel universe. But American superheroes were a sci-fi sub-genre and superheroes were born from aliens and laboratories. As genetics became a major event, mutants also became superheroes. As a result, comic books, movies, and toys flooded into American teen market and are still growing.

In the 1990s, when privatization policies were being implemented in India, a superhero serial named Shakthimaan along with mythological serials and cricket was aired on state-owned TV channels on Sundays so that children could also watch it. Shaktimaan was an Indian superhero created by sages from the panchabhootha. Along with these American-Indian superheroes, there were endless books and scientific curiosities floating around. In India, Indrajal comics began in the 1960s with translations of Western comics, but the most popular were the subsequent Amar Chithrakatha. They were not talking about the new generation of superheroes; rather, they were the stories of the evergreen heroes of Indian mythology. For two generations, many people learned Mahabharata and Ramayana not from their grandmothers, but from Amar Chithrakatha comics. Attempts were made in India to create superheroes in the Indian context as imitations of Western superheroes, but they did not materialize.

The golden age of comic books begins with the appearance of superheroes. Historians believe that the success story of the comics began with the appearance of Superman in 1938. Superman is always a symbol of hope and the triumph of justice. Superman, who lives with ordinary people as an undercover journalist named Clark Kent falls in love with Lois Lane, another journalist of the same newspaper. Clark Kent alias Superman who fought the evil forces was acclaimed by the fans with keen interest and love. The opportunity for a large section of society to see themselves through Superman created many storylines. In the sixties and seventies, the popularity of this medium increased with the advent of superheroes such as Spider-Man and Batman, who had more human weaknesses. Films such as Star Trek that mentioned space travel have captured the attention of people who have always been curious about space. Comic characters became a part of life in the US and elsewhere, with a topic that does not tire in normal conversations.

Marvel was the most popular children's comic magazine in Europe that created the character of Spider-Man, who has fans all over the world.  It was created in 1962 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Spider-Man's real name is Peter Parker. Television series and films have also been released based on this character. The first film released in the 21st century in the series was Spiderman, released in 2002, based on the Marvel comics. The film is directed by Sam Raimi and stars Toby Maguire as Peter Parker aka Spider-Man. He also starred in Spider-Man 2, directed by the same Sam Raimi. The film was released in 2004. The third film in the Spider-Man series was released in 2007 and Toby Maguire arrived once again as Peter Parker.

Amazing Spider-Man had 2 releases. The first one in 2012 was directed by Mark Webb and stars Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield in the lead roles. The second part of the film was released in 2014. The 2017 film Spider-Man Homecoming was directed by John Watts. Tom Holland played the role of Spider-Man in the film. Films like Far From Home in 2019 and No Way Home in 2021 all belonged to the same lineup. Each film returned huge financial gain to the producers.

The Avengers are superheroes that Marvel Comics has portrayed in many movies over the last ten years. The Marvel Comics characters received a great response each time they came on screen. The Marvel superheroes and the Avengers have quickly instilled in the audience’s minds. With the advent of Avengers stars on social media and trolls, some people may find themselves watching a game without knowing the story. Who exactly are the Avengers? Avengers is a Hollywood movie franchise starring superheroes such as Thor, Hulk, Captain of America, Iron Man, Natasha Romanoff, Loki, Eric Selvig, Maria Hill, Phil Coulson and Clint Barton. The first film in which the Avengers came together was in 2012, bringing together superheroes who stood apart.

The characters

Tony Stark is a rich man with a keen interest in scientific experiments. Tony builds a new shield after injuring his chest in an attempt to snatch the shield he made. With that shield, Tony Stark is helping the military and civilians in the name Ironman. Tony Stark's Ironman was instrumental in building a team of superheroes called the Avengers. Ironman is played by Robert Downey Jr.

Thor is the god of lightning in North German mythology. Thor's weapon is a hammer that no one else can lift. Thor came to earth to study human values. According to legend, Asgard was the kingdom of Thor. Thor helps to counter attacks on humanity. Actor Chris Hemsworth brings Thor to the screen.

Captain America is a superhero character who underwent some special drug tests during World War II. Captain of America Steve Rogers is a soldier who smashes his opponents with unbreakable armor and immense speed. Captain of America is played by Chris Ivan.

Hulk was born the son of a scientist father after modifying his DNA as part of an experiment to build superhuman soldiers. Bruce Banner, the Hulk, is a character who, when provoked, turns into a green terror. Hulk, a scientist in nanotechnology assists the US military. The Hulk smashes everything in sight with a giant look of rage. The Hulk is commonly known as the Bruce Banner. The character is played by Mark Ruffalo.

Natasha Romanoff is the Marvel character named Black Widow, who specializes in Russian espionage and eventually becomes an American spy. Natasha Romanoff is currently a member of the Shield spy agency and she is a character with extraordinary fighting skills, though not with supernatural powers. Natasha is looking forward to a great fight with the Avengers in the coming attacks on America and the Earth. Natasha is played by Scarlett Johansson.

Clint Barton is the best archer in the spy organization Shield. Clint continues to refine the arrows with the help of technology in various ways. Clint is not a superhero, though he is an expert fighter with extraordinary flexibility. Jeremy Renner plays Clint Barton.

Loki is Thor's evil brother. Loki's attempts to bring the earth and the universe under his control are dangerous to everyone. Over time, Loki realizes his mistakes and joins hands with Avengers. Loki is played by Thomas William Hiddleston.

Thanos is the Avengers' rival who is going to acquire Infinity Stone to make anything he thinks possible and real. Thanos, who believes that population growth in the universe is a danger to his country, is active in efforts to eliminate human. Thanos' character is played by Josh Brolin.

The history of superhero movies began in 2008 with Iron Man. The next film in the series was The Incredible Hulk. The story of Thor, the god of lightning was made in 2011. In 2012, the first movie of Avengers, which brings together all the superheroes, came out. As the characters were accepted by the audience, so did the Avengers team. In 2015, the second part of Avengers arrived. Twenty superheroes come together in Infinity War, the third installment of Avengers. These superheroes were fighting against Thanos, the most powerful villain in the world of Marvel Comics.

It is in this context that we need to watch the movie 'Minnal Murali' which has recently started streaming on the OTT platform. Although the materials for the production of Minnal Murali were borrowed from Western comics, the success of the film was due to the fact that the superhero and his surroundings were unique. Contrary to what heroes like Superman and Spider-Man, who wore robes and special body-hugging costumes, Murali performed heroic deeds mostly in folded lungies and shirts. While other superheroes try to save the world, Minnal Murali fights for his village of Kurukkanmoola. Minnal Murali's soul is that of Western comics. But the person is a Keralite. It is this locality that has made Minnal Murali so popular. The film opens a new avenue to take Indians to the magical world of comics.

A mixed world of superhero status was also active here. That was the mainstream here, and even American superheroes could not break it. It remains to be seen what kind of superheroes will come here and what their world defense policies will be.