This book examines the dominant popular culture convention of the superhero, situated within the most significant global event of the last twenty years. Exploring the explosion of the superhero genre post-9/11, it sheds fresh light on the manner in which American society continues to process the trauma from the terrorist attacks.

Annika Hagley is Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations at Roger Williams University, Rhode Island, USA. Her research interests revolve around the mediation of 9/11 through pop culture lenses, political rhetoric, and decision-making in Congress.

Michael Harrison is Associate Professor of Spanish at San Diego Mesa College, USA. His research has examined superhero iconography in Spanish literature and cultural, political, and social discourses of sexual and gender identity and queer sexual citizenship in comics from Spain.

Introduction 1. The Demons That Haunt Us: Christopher Nolan's Batman and the Faces of Evil 2. The High Price of Freedom: Captain America 3. We Create Our Own Demons: Iron Man 4. Post 9/11 and the Reappearing Women: Wonder Woman 5. A Miracle of Counter Resistance: Post 9/11 Racial Narratives in Black Panther 6. The Marginalized "Other": Mutant Identities in the X-Men Films Conclusion