History Main / Capepunk

* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' takes place in a world where EveryoneIsASuper and explores the way society has been reorganized by the universal presence of superpowers (called "Quirks" InUniverse). People suffer discrimination for having the "wrong" Quirks or being in the rare segment of the population that has no Quirks at all; Quirk usage in public has been outlawed, which has led to the emergence of extremist groups seeking to legalize it; superheroes are a government-regulated occupation that essentially consists of emergency services with Quirk usage being allowed; and it's shown that the appearance of Quirks initially threw the world into such chaos that it reversed societal and scientific progress. The show is less gritty than the usual Capepunk fare and leans more towards {{Reconstruction}} than {{Deconstruction}}, often finding ways to integrate traditional superhero themes and tropes into a more realistic setting.

* ''Film/SkyHigh2005'' takes superheroes, and puts them in a problematic FantasticCasteSystem based on their powers. If you have an unique power that isn't seen as useful, you'll get labeled a {{Sidekick}} that is fully expected to just hand things to the heroes. Meanwhile, the heroes with more impressive powers have been shown to be [[FantasticRacism looking down on the sidekicks]], and even bullying them. Needless to say, none of the sidekicks actually enjoy this, including [[spoiler:Sue[=/=]Gwen, the BigBad of the film, as since her technopathy wasn't seen as useful in TheSeventies as it would be in today's times, she got labeled as a {{Sidekick}}, and became a vengeful supervillain due to her mistreatment.]] However, it becomes a DeconReconSwitch at the end of the film, as the sidekicks manage to save the day, and [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower prove their seemingly-unimpressive superpowers can be quite useful]].

* ''Film/{{Brightburn}}'' is a retelling of the ComicBook/{{Superman}} origin story, except with its SupermanSubstitute Brandon Breyer brought up without the wisdom of the Kents, instead being told all his life that he's "special". The result is a superhero SlasherMovie as Brandon starts to [[AGodAmI see himself as a god]], complete with a costume that resembles a parody of Superman's as designed by a backwoods SerialKiller. [[spoiler:TheStinger also reveals the existence of {{Corrupted Character Cop|y}}ies of ComicBook/WonderWoman, ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}, and ComicBook/TheFlash, as well as a heroic version of Lex Luthor who vows to fight them (and, in an [[WhatCouldHaveBeen unused ending]], the film's pissed-off version of Lana Lang also becoming an ArchEnemy of Brandon after what [[BreakTheCutie he put her through]]).]]

Capepunk stories tend to be either {{Deconstruct|ion}}ive or {{Reconstruct|ion}}ive (or [[DeconReconSwitch both]]) in nature, analyzing what makes these characters tick as well as how they relate to the setting as a whole. Much effort will be put into justifying why people have [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividuals a variety of powers]], are allowed by law enforcement to run willy-nilly, or [[ReedRichardsIsUseless don't change the world overnight]]. By and large, these kinds of works tend to be very satirical in nature, showing why superheroic tropes either won't work in a real life setting or require many AcceptableBreaksFromReality in order to be justified as existing. While many Capepunk stories are cynical, there are just as many stories which cast heroes as standing against the mundanity of the world and leading humanity into the light (or at least trying to).

Stories in this genre are just as likely (if not more) to star original characters as opposed to being part of established superhero franchises. This is for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the writers of popular "mainstream" superhero characters don't want to let them be used in such a way, especially if it means they will be portrayed in a negative light. Another reason is that Capepunk stories are often written by independent comic writers without access to the most popular characters in the genre, leaving them no choice but to use [[{{Expy}} Expies.]] They also may not even be comic books at all, but completely original novels and films.

* ''Literature/TheSupervillainySaga'' is a book series starring a somewhat offbeat fellow, Gary Karkofsky, who finds a magic cloak and decides to become a supervillain. The book Deconstructs the NinetiesAntiHero and UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks by having Gary disgusted by heroes who kill and overly psychopathic villains. It also serves as a DeconReconSwitch because Gary, himself, is a well-written NinetiesAntiHero. The book, notably, treats LighterAndSofter superheroes significantly more sympathetically than most examples of the Capepunk genre.

* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'' takes the {{Sidekick}}s that form the main group and turns them into ChildSoldiers, the SuperTeam is surprisingly incompetent, and the supervillain [[TheConspiracy conspiracy]] are surprisingly {{well intentioned extremist}}s.

* ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'' deals with Superman going rogue after the death of Lois Lane at the hands of the Joker (along with all of Metropolis). Superman proceeds to go insane as a result of these actions but the scary part is the majority of the world is willing to go along with his madness... [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope at least, at first]]. ''VideoGame/Injustice2'', continues on this storyline by having Batman and the others trying to fix the world after Superman's regime, with complications along the way.

** ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'', on the other hand, starts off idealistic but quickly devolves into a deconstruction in the side moments that show that Steve has ''no life'' outside of being Captain America. He has few friends, the love of his life Peggy Carter is now in her 90s and close to death, he has basically no hobbies beyond physical exercise, and he is a SuperSoldier who defines himself by the battles he's fighting. He is sad, and lonely, and even the people that he calls friends are his actual working partners (or become such). [[spoiler:No wonder, then, that at the end of ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', he walks away from it all in order to have a normal life with a younger Peggy Carter, one of the only people he ever truly loved, in an AlternateTimeline.]]

* The game ''TabletopGame/TrinityUniverse'' was built with the idea of superpowers existing in a "realistic" world that is full of FantasticRacism CapeBusters and SmugSuper characters. It even had a period of Pulp adventure before everything completely went to hell, highlighting growing cynicism about heroes.

** As more supervillains crop up, the SuperheroParadox becomes more prevalent. ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' (a rough adaptation of [[ComicBook/CivilWar2006 the comic of the same name]]) tackles it head-on, as the heroes' conflicts have caused inevitable bystander fatalities, which leads to calls [[SuperRegistrationAct for government regulation]] and the heroes themselves are divided on whether this is a good idea or not (and subsequent stories [[HeadInTheSandManagement make clear]] that, [[ObstructiveBureaucrats mostly because bureaucrats are bureaucrats]], [[MugglePower it wasn't]]).

** As more supervillains crop up, the SuperheroParadox becomes more prevalent. ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' (a rough adaptation of [[ComicBook/CivilWar2006 the comic of the same name]]) tackles it head-on, as the heroes' conflicts have caused inevitable bystander fatalities, which leads to calls [[SuperRegistrationAct for government regulation]] and the heroes themselves are divided on whether this is a good idea or not (and subsequent stories make clear that [[HeadInTheSandManagement make clear]] that [[MugglePower it wasn't]]).

** As more supervillains crop up, the SuperheroParadox becomes more prevalent. ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' (a rough adaptation of [[ComicBook/CivilWar2006 the comic of the same name]]) tackles it head-on, as the heroes' conflicts have caused inevitable bystander fatalities, which leads to calls for government regulation and the heroes themselves are divided on whether this is a good idea or not.

* ''Film/TheBatman2022'' takes a page out of ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'', presenting the titular character in a more grounded way. It manages to be even grittier than the aforementioned trilogy, taking a lot of influence from FilmNoir. A younger, less experienced Batman's crusade against crime is well-intentioned but he clearly has a lot of psychological / emotional issues around crime-fighting and his parents' deaths, to the point it completely consumes him. His fixation on dishing out violent revenge is implied to be a way for him to [[SecretlySelfish vent out his own rage and grief]], and even people he helps are [[TheDreaded terrified of him]]. The main villain, Riddler, is presented more as a disturbed serial killer and domestic terrorist, lashing out at the corrupt system that hurt him. Gotham City is corrupt to the core [[spoiler:with Batman discovering even his father was involved in some dodgy stuff that may have contributed to the Wayne murders]]. Batman comes to realize his crime-fighting methods may be [[NiceJobBreakingItHero doing more harm]] [[NotQuiteTheRightThing than good]] [[spoiler:as he actually inspired [[LoonyFan the Riddler and his followers]] to commit violent acts]], [[DeconReconSwitch although]] it also ends with him deciding to try and become not just a figure of terror for criminals but a source of hope for Gotham.
* ''Film/{{Brightburn}}'' is a retelling of the ComicBook/{{Superman}} origin story, except with its SupermanSubstitute Brandon Breyer brought up without the wisdom of the Kents, instead being told all his life that he's "special". The result is a superhero SlasherMovie as Brandon starts to [[AGodAmI see himself as a god]], complete with a costume that resembles a parody of Superman's as designed by a backwoods SerialKiller. [[spoiler:TheStinger also reveals the existence of evil {{Captain Ersatz}}es of ComicBook/WonderWoman, ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}, and Franchise/TheFlash, as well as a heroic version of ComicBook/LexLuthor who vows to fight them (and, in an [[WhatCouldHaveBeen unused ending]], the film's pissed-off version of ComicBook/LanaLang also becoming an ArchEnemy of Brandon after what [[BreakTheCutie he put her through]]).]]

** The ''Film/IronMan'' movies used real-life science to justify many of the figure's traditional gadgets. Likewise, the films serve as deconstructions of many UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror tropes as well as the kind of attention such a figure would garner. The third one also portrayed Tony Stark [[ShellShockedVeteran dealing with PTSD]] from the literally world-changing events of ''Film/TheAvengers2012''.

** As more supervillains crop up, the SuperheroParadox becomes more prevalent. ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' (a rough adaptation of [[ComicBook/CivilWar the comic of the same name]]) tackles it head-on, as the heroes' conflicts have caused inevitable bystander fatalities, which leads to calls for government regulation and the heroes themselves are divided on whether this is a good idea or not.

* {{Masquerade}}: The existence of super-powered beings can be a closely-guarded secret within the story’s universe.

* NominalHero: A character who advances a heroic cause, but doesn't have any heroic motivations.

* SuperSupremacist: A supervillain who believes that superpowers makes them superior to everyone else.

* HurtingHero: ''Being'' good doesn't always ''feel'' good.

* ''Film/SkyHigh2005'' takes superheroes, and puts them in a problematic FantasticCasteSystem based on their powers. If you have an unique power that isn't seen as useful, you'll get labeled a {{Sidekick}} that is fully expected to just hand things to the heroes. Meanwhile, the heroes with more impressive powers have been shown to be [[FantasticRacism looking down on the sidekicks]], and even bullying them. Needless to say, none of the sidekicks actually enjoy this, including [[spoiler:Sue[=/=]Gwen, the BigBad of the film, as since her technopathy wasn't seen as useful in TheSeventies as it would be in today's times, she got labeled as a {{Sidekick}}, and became a vengeful supervillain due to her mistreatment.]] However, it becomes a DeconReconSwitch at the end of the film, as the sidekicks manage to save the day, and [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower prove their seemingly-unimpressive superpowers can be quite useful]].

* ''Literature/PleaseDontTellMyParentsImASupervillain'' and its sequel ''Literature/PleaseDontTellMyParentsIBlewUpTheMoon'' are LighterAndSofter examples of this trope. Both novels attempt to show how supervillains and superheroes are able to handle their feuds and rivalries. Both prefer to follow rules for each other's protection than going all out. Those supervillains who cross the line are killed by the superheroes' [[PlausibleDeniability deniable executioner]], keeping things reasonably civil. There is a prequel story, ''Literature/IDidNOTGiveThatSpiderSuperhumanIntelligence'', which shows how this system came about in the first place.

* ''Literature/SuperPowereds'' deals with a world with three categories of people: {{Muggles}}, Supers, and Powereds. The first two are self-explanatory. Powereds are people with superpowers, except, unlike Supers, they're unable to control them. They tend to be treated as second-class citizens and seen as potential threats by both normal humans and Supers. While this is justified in some cases, it still leaves Powereds feeling bitter. Another reason why Supers look down on Powereds is that they're all aware that only an accident of birth kept them from becoming Powereds instead of Supers (3/4 of people with superpowers are Powereds). The novels are focused on a group of Powereds, who volunteer to be guinea pigs for an experimental procedure to turn them into Supers. Each of the teens have their own reason for undergoing the procedure and entering the Hero Certification Program at Lander University. [[spoiler:Later on, they find out that one potential future, foreseen by a clairvoyant, has all Powereds becoming Supers, resulting in a three-way global war between the three categories. Additionally, former Powereds are, on average, more powerful than those, who were born Supers]]. The spin-off ''Literature/{{Corpies}}'' shows a different side of this world with [[CorporateSponsoredSuperhero PEERS]], who aren't certified Heroes, but who use their powers to help with disaster recovery.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'' touches on this, as once-active superheroes were forced to retire due to lawsuits over damages caused by their fights. It also takes a look at the thought that would have to go into superhero costumes to ensure they're effective. (''[[CapeSnag "No capes!"]]'') The movie as a whole deals with what it means to be "special", both in terms of superpowers and in the mundane sense.

* ''The Prodigies'', a 2011 French-British computer-animated science fiction film features group of five super-powered teens who after being being violently assaulted starting plotting their revenge against the world, and a sitxh superpowered teen must gather and stop them.

"Capepunk" refers to the subgenre of superhero fiction which deals with superheroism in a [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome "realistic"]] manner. This sort of storytelling often comes with the greater freedom to allow creators to deconstruct traditional superhero tropes. To be Capepunk, your story can't just be about superheroes. It has to be about why they put on the cape and whether or not putting it on is worthwhile.

* ''Film/{{Chronicle}}'', the poster for which provides the page image, asks what would happen if a group of ordinary teenage boys got superpowers. They initially use their newfound powers of [[MindOverMatter telekinesis]] and [[FlyingBrick flight]] for an assortment of silly (and [[PowerPerversionPotential horny]]) hijinks until they [[AccidentalMurder accidentally get someone killed]], [[spoiler:at which point Andrew, the troubled one of the group, goes JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope and becomes the superpowered equivalent of a [[SpreeKiller mass shooter]]]].

* Phillip Wylie's ''Literature/{{Gladiator}}'' could count as an UrExample -- centered on a man who was experimented on by his father before he was born and given SuperStrength and NighInvulnerability as a result, he struggles to hide his powers and find ways of trying to use them for a good purpose. And he [[spoiler:dies by what is [[BoltOfDivineRetribution implied to be a ticked-off God]] when he [[RageAgainstTheHeavens roars at the heavens about his inability to make any change]].]]

* Phillip Wylie's ''Literature/{{Gladiator}}'' could count as an UrExample -- centered on a man who was experimented on by his father before he was born and given SuperStrength and NighInvulnerability as a result, he struggles to hide his powers and find ways of trying to use them for a good purpose.

* The Cadmus arc of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' deals with the United States government trying to develop countermeasures against the Justice League going rogue. What makes this arc so effective is that it draws from the extensive history of both ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' and ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' plus the show's own past to illustrate ''why'' the Justice League would be so terrifying to quote-unquote normal people.
* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'' takes the {{Sidekick}}s that form the main group and turns them into ChildSoldiers, the SuperTeam is surprisingly incompetent, and the supervillain [[TheConspiracy conspiracy]] are surprisingly {{Well Intentioned Extremist}}s.
* ''WesternAnimation/KidCosmic''

!! Common tropes to be found in Capepunk stories are:

* {{Antihero}}: A hero who lacks the proper traits of The Hero.

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]

[[folder:Film-Animation]]
* ''The Prodigies'', a 2011 French-British computer-animated science fiction film features group of five super-powered teens who after being being violently assaulted starting plotting their revenge against the world, and a sitxh superpowered teen must gather and stop them.

[[folder:Film-Live Action]]

** The deconstruction continues when it is revealed that [[spoiler:powers are intelligent and deliberately choose hosts who will go out and get involved in fights and conflicts with other super powered people. Moreover, they subtly nudge people into doing so, and can actively cause problems for those who refuse to do so, with tragic results]].