geekosystem

Come on, admit it -- we've all fantasized about having superhuman strength at one point or another. Having the sort of car-tossing, Mjolnir-swinging, evildoers cowering before your might sort of strength we've all seen in comic books may be out of the question, sure, but science is helping us learn more and more about how we get strong, and that understanding could help us get better at getting stronger. In their latest video, AsapSCIENCE explains what it takes to reach that goal, why some people naturally have greater muscle mass than others, and how new technologies could make super strength a reality in the future. You won't even need to be bitten by a radioactive spider.

There are a lot of different ways to conduct a religious sermon. Sometimes a preacher can even make it fun, exciting, and easy to relate to, but few people would expect a Catholic priest to be one of them. Which is why a lot of people have homed in on Father Alvarez in Mexico, who uses the icons of Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man in his weekly mass for children.

Batman just can't catch a break. Not only does the comic book figure have real-life imitators, they seem to constantly be getting themselves in trouble. Mark Wayne Williams, dressed in a Batman outfit, was arrested this weekend after refusing to leave the scene of a crime. This is the second incident where Williams has been arrested in his Batman duds, so it might be time to hang up the cape.

It turns out that reading comic books can be beneficial for the male psyche, making men perform better on tests of strength and even improving the body images of comic book fans. So take that, every guidance counselor, ever! A study conducted by researchers at the University of Buffalo found that, after seeing images of superheroes like Spider-Man and Batman, men performed better on a test of grip strength than they did without seeing the pictures.

You show me a kid who has never wanted to be a superhero, and I'll show you a lying kid. Artist Andy Fairhurst created this series of images featuring silhouettes of child Superheroes and Villains. Amazingly, each picture perfectly encapsulates the mood of the character it portrays. Read on for a gallery!

It's pretty much a sure thing that, at some point or another, you've imagined yourself as a superhero. It's a perfectly geeky way to day dream. What if that's not enough though? What if you need to see it? Firebox can help you out with that by providing you a superhero action figure with your head on it. All you need to do is send them your picture. And some money.

Are you lonely? Looking for a special someone? Are you also ok with tights-wearing crime fighters or amoral megalomaniacs bent on world domination and/or life of crime? Friends, SuperHarmony is the site for you. And let's face it, it's been a long time coming. Some of these guys and gals have been doing the whole lone-wolf thing since the '40s. After sixty years of the isolation that comes with responsibility, or a life of meaningless sex that only serves to inflate your established sense of power and superiority over other humans, these folks deserve some down time. Time to "chillax." It's great to see tools like this finally emerging in the information age, bringing real happiness to some really super people. And superheroes and villains aren't the only ignored demographic finally finding love, as SeaCaptainDate plows the uncharted waters of the final dating frontier.

Here are some things that appear in this video:

• A nerf gun bong
• A joke about the Google Street View van delivered by a giant robot
• Surprisingly good special effects for a film with a budget of $300
• Ninjas

They had us at "No." "F***ing." "Balls." (Lazy Teenage Superheroes via Bit Rebels.)

The following infographic is a surprisingly comprehensive look at movies with superheroes in them, including some movies that we would like forget entirely, or at the very least, forget that they were ever associated with superheroes. Speaking of forgettable, here's our advice on Green Hornet: if you can get someone else to pay, go see it.  Otherwise, feel free to wait for the Netflix.  It's fun, but not that fun. But we digress: Superheroes and numbers...

If I can't be upfront here, then where can I be.  I was not looking forward to The Cape.  As I said to Robert on Friday: "Oh.  I guess I should watch The Cape this weekend."  It's not that I thought it was going to be bad... Actually, that's a lie.  I thought it was going to be mediocre.  When you consume so much powerless-superhero media that you have decided that writing stories about them is basically what you want to do for a living, you get wary of other interpretations of the same archetype.  What if their idea isn't as cool as the one in your head?  Worse, what if their idea is better?!  What if the show is actually not bad, but isn't any more innovative or original than the comics that were published ten years ago, so everyone you know will be unable to understand why you don't like it I mean come on I thought you loved superheroes? (In a nutshell, this last bit is why I could never be convinced to watch Heroes, The Cape's predecessor in NBC's lineup.) But I watched The Cape.  Partly because I am professionally obligated.  But also because I owed The Cape a look for the same reason that I owed Hancock a look: the show is something I have been eagerly waiting for since superheroes started making a comeback in the mainstream consciousness.

We can't imagine a single aspect of our lives where we wouldn't want to follow the example set by Frank Castle. Scans_Daily has a roundup of great comic book based de/motivational posters, four more of our favorites after the jump.

French photographer Sacha Goldberger noticed his 91-year-old grandmother Frederika was feeling depressed, so he did what any good grandson would do to cheer her up: Photograph her as a superhero.

During World War II, Frederika saved the lives of ten Jewish people by hiding them from Nazis. She was eventually forced to illegally flee Hungary by the Communist regime, or be killed. She's lived a fairly trying and incredible life and her grandson felt a woman like that shouldn't have to deal with loneliness and depression.

A couple more pictures from their photo shoot:

Target's name is something of a self-fulfilling prophecy these days. Just to make sure that everyone has beef with them, the retailer has levied a snide, mocking blow at, of all people, moms who take the time to make charming homemade costumes for their kids instead of buying a cheap licensed knock off at some big box store.

Psychologist Sharon Lamb thinks that todays superheroes send the wrong messages to young boys.

There is a big difference in the movie superhero of today and the comic book superhero of yesterday... Today’s superhero is too much like an action hero who participates in non-stop violence; he’s aggressive, sarcastic and rarely speaks to the virtue of doing good for humanity. When not in superhero costume, these men, like Ironman[sic], exploit women, flaunt bling and convey their manhood with high-powered guns.

The comic book heroes of the past did fight criminals, she said, "but these were heroes boys could look up to and learn from because outside of their costumes, they were real people with real problems and many vulnerabilities," she said.

In response to her statement, you could ask "Have superheroes really changed over time?" (Yes, everything does.) "Is there something about movies that requires superheroes to become more violent?" (No, they're just as violent if not more in current comics.) and even "Why is it a problem that superheroes are no longer clear cut examples of heroism?" (Who knows.)

But all of those questions allow Dr. Lamb to stand unopposed on one fundamental assertion: that all superheroes are for children.

Sony Entertainment, Warner Bros. Games, and DC Comics decided that Comic Con would be an excellent place to unveil the full cinematic trailer for its upcoming MMO title DC Universe Online.

It's impressive. And yet... not as impressive as I wish it was.