which marvel superhero is most likely to age gracefully?
researchers in australia predicted the long-term health of five avengers characters, and, well, from tumours, depression and dementia, it doesn't look good.
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to get super powers, black panther had to drink a potion made from a special herb — but we performance enhancing drugs are linked to an increased death rate. (marvel studios' avengers: infinity war black panther/t'challa (chadwick boseman), in b/g m'baku (winston duke), captain america (chris evans) and winter soldier (sebastian stan) photo: film frame ©marvel studios 2018)
superheroes take a beating, no question about it. whether they are getting thrown through a building, or getting ready for their next battle, the characters in the marvel cinematic universe are usually worse for wear by the end of the movie. so after more than 25 movies, what would the real-world effects of that level of trauma be on a person? researchers in australia looked into the long-term impact of being a superhero, focusing on the characters iron man, black panther, black widow, the hulk, and spider-man.lead researcher ruth hubbard, masonic chair of geriatric medicine at the university of queensland, first had the idea during a movie marathon. “i am a single mum with three children and last year, during the covid lockdowns, we were looking for things we could do together so we embarked on watching the marvel movies from beginning to end,” hubbard told cnn. soon after, hubbard saw a flyer in the hospital for a presentation she was giving on frailty with pictures of the marvel characters in the future, overweight and discombobulated, which she called both funny and sad.
avengers palliative care
the study, published in the bmj, suggests that marvel superheroes are physically and socially active, optimistic, regularly get their step count, and many of them are highly educated, all of which are associated with a positive aging trajectory. but as for which heroes will age gracefully, and who will end up in the avengers’ palliative care centre, the results are mixed. five of the avengers were given ‘health checks’ that looked into their background and predicted their long term health — assuming they make it to old age, of course. tony stark, or iron man, has all the money in the world to afford the best care money can buy. he is also a “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.” the key word there being genius, which could reduce his risk for dementia, the study reads. there is also a significant amount of shrapnel in stark’s body after an explosion in afghanistan, which he uses an electromagnet to keep away from his heart. he is often exposed to radiation, and has a chronic heart disease. all of this makes his quality of life difficult to predict. t’challa, also known as black panther and the king of the fictional country of wakanda, has the benefit of the most advanced medical technology in the world. a king with that kind of tech will be well taken care of in old age. but t’challa has some health risks of his own. to get his super powers, he had to drink a potion made from a special herb. although no side effects were seen in the 2018 movie, real world performance enhancing drugs are linked to an increased death rate, among many other negative health effects, including liver tumours and circulation problems, according to mayo clinic. natasha romanoff, aka black widow, has no powers other than being a highly trained russian assassin, and no substantial suit to protect her. romanoff was abducted as a child, forced to train as an assassin, and went through a severe amount of childhood trauma. she was forcibly sterilized at a young age, which can result in osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and depression.a monster with a fast heart beat
dr. bruce banner transforms into the hulk as a result of tachycardia, specifically when his heart beats more than 200 times per minute. the hulk regularly experiences anger issues, which can lead to increased inflammation and potentially advance old age. the very thing that gives him his power could be killing him. “that’s my secret, captain,” banner said in the avengers (2012) “i’m always angry.”the youngest hero in the study is peter parker, or spider-man, who is only a teenager. as an orphan, parker is more likely to develop substance abuse issues and eating disorders. though researchers note that his relationships with aunt may and tony stark could mitigate some of these outcomes. his super strength, flexibility, and agility can also reduce his risk for any falls in old age.chris arnold is a toronto-based freelance writer. he can be reached here.don’t miss a thing: sign-up for healthing’s newsletter
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