History Main / CelebritySuperhero

[[folder: FanWorks]]

* ''Film/MysteryMen'': {{Parodied|Trope}} with Captain Amazing, a famous CorporateSponsoredSuperhero whose costume has more advertisements on it than a NASCAR racer. [[spoiler:Given that he gets his ArchEnemy set free to bolster his image, he comes across as a NominalHero GloryHound who's in it entirely for fame and fortune.]]
* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse: The Avengers have a bit of this trope. Tony Stark is the most famous, since he was already a tech billionaire before he became a superhero, but the others have their moments. A young boy recognizes Steve Rogers when he visits the Smithsonian's Captain America exhibit in ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'', and two young women ask Thor to pose for a selfie with them in ''Film/ThorRagnarok''.

* ''Literature/VelveteenVs'': The Super Patriots, Inc. specifically sets up their heroes as this, controlling their life down to every last detail to make them more marketable to a general audience. Non-sponsored heroes are subject to this as well -- for example, the titular character has to deal with the paparazzi while out on her first date with fellow hero Tag.

** In ''[[Film/Shazam2019 SHAZAm!]]'', Billy is embraced by the citizens of Philadelphia as the local hero, and becomes a viral sensation due to Freddy's Website/YouTube videos. The film also shows the Justice League are now beloved celebrities, with all of them, even ''Batman'', having merchandise. ([[FreezeFrameBonus Complete with]] Creator/DCComics [[CelebrityParadox branding]]!)

* Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse: In ''Film/{{Aquaman}}'', Arthur is shown to be this after the events of ''Film/JusticeLeague''. He's approached by a bunch of tough guys in the bar, who ask if he's the fish guy they've heard so much about and look like they're about to start a fight... [[BaitAndSwitch then ask if they can have a selfie with him]].
** In ''Film/{{Shazam}}'', Billy is embraced by the citizens of Philadelphia as the local hero, and becomes a viral sensation due to Freddy's Website/YouTube videos. The film also shows the Justice League are now beloved celebrities, with all of them, even ''Batman'', having merchandise. ([[FreezeFrameBonus Complete with]] Creator/DCComics [[CelebrityParadox branding]]!)

* ''Fanfic/TheSecretReturnOfAlexMack'': Alex doesn't have any particular interest in the limelight, but she lets a trusted friend collect and use the intellectual property for "Terawatt" in order to make it harder for others to ''mis''use it. So there is official Terawatt clothing, and merchandise, and a Twitter account, and even Terawatt Barbie.

This trope is when is when the hero is famous. By the nature of going and and saving the city, of course they would be know by everybody and be in the news all the time, but this hero take it a step further. They will give interviews, sign autographs, maybe even get paid to sponsor products. Most of the time in this cases the hero doesn't have a secret identity, and just presents himself as the hero all the time.

See also CorporateSponsoredSuperhero, in which superhero life is what make him/her famous. For cases on the other side of the law, see VillainWithGoodPublicity.

[[quoteright:350:[[Series/TheBoys2019 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/12473158_web1_the_boys_1.jpg]]]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Series/TheBoys2019 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_boys_selfie.jpg]]]]

* In ''ComicBook/{{Youngblood}}'', the series tries to answer the question "[[GenreDeconstruction What if superheroes were real?]]" The answer? They'd basically be reality TV stars. The series is one of the {{Trope Codifier}}s of TheNineties, along with the [[UrExample Fantastic Four]].

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_boys_selfie.jpg]]

!!Examples

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* Creator/DCComics

** ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}''

[[folder:Film - Animated]]
* The title character of Creator/{{Disney}}'s ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'' is the Ancient Greek equivalent of this: a famous, rich and incredibly popular monster slayer with superhuman strength. According to the musical number "Zero to Hero", he's "person of the week in every Greek opinion poll", "they slapped his face on every vase", and "from appearance fees and royalties [he] had cash to burn".

[[folder:Film - Live-Action]]

* ''Literature/WildCards''

* ''Franchise/PowerRangers''

* ''Series/TheBoys2019'': As in the comics, all heroes are this, by nature of being [[CorporateSponsoredSuperhero sponsored by Vought Corporation]]. Unlike the comics, they do actually stop crimes, but only those selected by Vought to look good.

[[folder:Web Video]]

* ''Series/TheBoys2019'': As in the comics, all heroes are this, by nature of being [[CorporateSponsoredHero sponsored by Vought Corporation]]. Unlike the comics, they do actually stop crimes, but only those selected by Vought to look good.

* ''ComicBook/TheBoys'': Official superheroes are funded by Vought Corporation, who keeps them up to their eyeballs in drugs, booze and prostitutes to keep them from using their powers on innocents (it rarely works) and hushing up the (many, ''many'' scandals) the {{Smug Super}}s they produce get up to. As a result, supers are adored like rock stars by the unwitting masses, which allows Vought to make a fortune on merchandise and advertising.

* ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'': Captain Qwark is a FakeUltimateHero who is narcissistically more concerned with getting as much good publicity and endorsement deals than doing what is best for the common good, even being willing to ally with villains (such as Chairman Drek) in order do some EngineeredHeroics. The narrator for a vid comic in [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/RatchetAndClankUpYourArsenal Up Your Arsenal]] even calls him a "A High-profile Celebrity Superhero".

** ''ComicBook/TheOrder'' were half-way between this and CelebrityMasquerade, being a group of existing celebrities who were given artificial superpowers as part of the short-lived [[ComicBook/AvengersTheInitiative Avengers Initiative]] project after the Marvel Universe's ComicBook/CivilWar. Despite their publicity-oriented origin, they ended up as a well-intentioned and quite competent superhero team, until Ezekiel Stane picked them as CListFodder to be [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomped]] as his first major act of supervillainy.

*** Adrian Veidt and Dr. Manhattan became famous doing work for the government, and then developing alternative energy. Other heroes just retire, go insane, or die.
*** The first Silk Spectre was a model who started fighting crime for the publicity, even having her first few fights staged by her manager. Contributing to the second Silk Spectre's, her daughter, jaded bitterness.

* Metro Man of ''Film/{{Megamind}}'', a Superman expy, is a beloved celebrity, who signs autographs and kisses babies when he's not saving people. Although the fame gets too much for him, and the plot is kicked off by him pretending to die.

''Taken Administrivia/UpForGrabs by Basara-kun. Adding all the examples from the thread and I hope to rewrite a bit the description. As always, any help is welcome ;)''

''After the votes on the crown, it's decided this will be splitted into two drafts. This will stay as "superheroes as celebrities". For the "celebrities as secret identity", see my other draft [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/discussion.php?id=ry9eu5f2r5ifisurp7thzp1w Celebrity Masquerade]].''
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