DO superheroes help with real-life problems in comic books?

[James]

Like if I wrote comic books, Id have batman and iron man donating millions to world hunger and disease research like cancer and leprosy. Superman could stop wars in africa and middle east. Thor could stop hurricanes and earth quakes.

[TJanssen411]

Id have batman and iron man donating millions to world hunger and disease research like cancer and leprosy.

-- it is frequently stated that they do these things... "Billionaire, Playboy Philanthropist" isn't just a good sound bite... #3 means he gives to worthy Causes... and in DKR it was stated that before Wayne Enterprises lost money on the Fuel cell/plot device/Bomb that X% of the profits went to Orphans and other charities

Superman could stop wars in africa and middle east. ...
-- Stopping war in the Middle East would be a 28 hour a Day Job... Like Dennis Miller once said the only solution over there is to remember... Sand and Heat Make Glass... when its done it should look like Superman's dad's Place on Krypton and there are too many civilians and World Laws to prevent Superman from taking that action

Thor could stop hurricanes and earth quakes
-- Thor lives in Asgard, and drops by to help the neighbors here on MidGard there is only so much he can do on short notice that such incidents occur

[Hector]

They do do these things, its just will they're not really exciting so it happens off panel. I mean while they do participate in helping with everyday issues and respond to natural disasters. They are just not as interesting or as important as fighting off super villains or alien invasions.

And don't get me wrong this type of heroism should be showcased more often, but when put into context with greater stories its just not very necessary. Also these are comic books, writers and editors usually don't like to bring in realism into stories.

[Bradley P]

People say it happens, but it's not there on the panel, on the page. Not really.

A lot of it depends on the specific character though--you have Tony Stark _saying_ he donates millions here, and you have Bruce Wayne over there showing up at a charity event in a panel or two. It's not much though because it's not the sort of thing you'd _expect_ to sell comic books.

Really, people either expect saving lives--catching people when they fall, rescuing people from burning buildings--or they expect LOTS of whoopass. Those sorts of things tend to lend themselves to the visual medium. You really don't see comic-book writers do much about social justice unless it's _immediately and flagrantly_ made political (on the rare occasion DC has, for example, made Green Arrow live up to the full Robin Hood Mythos).

It does make me wonder sometimes how a social worker, school counselor or therapist with super-powers would even work. How could such a person NOT end up a "well-intentioned villain" or a martyr (sacrificing him or herself) trying to do the right thing in a comic-book setting that has all the markings of a war zone?

There are ways to do it--but not in the mainstream of comic books these days. You have to look in weird places to see the idea at work.