Pablo Greene's Readers Share their Definition of Superhero Fetish
Earlier, this month I shared with you my definition of superhero fetish. I also asked fans, readers and subscribers of my Muscle & Spandex newsletter, to share their own definitions of superhero fetish. Today I am proud to publish three of the best ones we received. Enjoy. — Pablo Greene
Adonisnick
For those of us who are into bondage, Superhero Fetish is essentially the modern version of [the game] cowboys and indians.
The ideal superhero fetish [scene] should encompass the gamut that includes the capture and torments of the heroes, culminating with the ultimate fate of the arch-villain and his/her henchmen getting captured. Tops can be either the villain or the hero. Bottoms can also be either. Superhero fetish should encompass a complete story arc, that means both the a cliffhanger and a climax as necessary to the ultimate experience.
Spandexandy
I will turn 50 this year, so my influence was TV and comic books, which were expensive imports from the USA. I occasionally got a hold of these from my cousins in Minnesota. So the first time I noticed [ther erotic aspect of superheroes] would have been the Adam West and Burt Ward in the Batman TV series. At the time I was about 10 years old. What caught me eye in childhood is something not sure about, but as I got older, it was the costumes that Batman, Robin, the Riddler and other villains wore. As I entered my 20’s, the scenarios of superheroes being caught and tied up certainly got my attention.
The arrival Tim Burton's Batman film in 1989 revived my interest in the genre. Yes the films in the series got silly later on, but the costumes kept me interested, as I discovered rubber/latex/neoprene. I was drawn to the costumes/fabrics as fetish, and yes the materials, feel of it against the skin and how it looks and moves over the skin had, and still have a huge appeal for me. As I grew older and less afraid I did more exploring, I discovered BDSM and erotic books, and as a result I became more aware of the power play, dominance, control aspects of the stories. However the arrival of a Kindle was an opening of my mind. I discovered Pablo Green’s four How to Kill a Superhero novels. As I read and enjoyed them, more books and authors came into view. I discovered a world of people who had similar likes. Yes, this sounds slow compared to lot of young people but I was on dial up internet until my 20's and broadband only be came an option in late 20's.
Superhero fetish for me combines fetish of costume, materials, masks, hidden identities, being able to stand up and do things you would never be able to do as you. There is the power play the victim who eventually gets the upper hand and reverses the roles. I don't like to use the term good versus bad, but when right eventually wins, it gives us hope. The darker bondage/pain fantasies from novels go to levels beyond anything i have experienced or want to experience. To me, there is a difference between fantasy and reality. Superhero Fetish is something I enjoy. It is both escapist and fantastical, but also erotic and forbidden. It can be dark but rewarding.
Superhero fetish is part of me and always has been. My life would be much worse off without it.
Johnny Gayzmonic
Superhero fetish for me is about exploring both the trappings and tropes of what makes and breaks a superhero. It's not just the skin-tight spandex or the muscles. It's not just the headstrong confidence or love of danger. Although most of that is enough. It's about how to bring the hero down. How to show he's vulnerable and human. I often joke that I know I'm kinky because I only like Superman when he's in peril. There's a thrill to seeing the most extraordinary individuals brought down a level, to have power over the most powerful. But it's in that vulnerability that we also find power, because to admit you have a weakness is itself a form of strength. We want to be the hero, but we do that by dominating the hero and exploiting his weakness. Because if a superhero is as vulnerable as the rest of us, that means we can all be superheroes.
This Month In Spandex: July Edition
This is a preview of the new photo set Tonatiuh, God of the Sun, coming later this month to my Patreon. Credit: Cesar Torres, all rights reserved.
The month of July contains many surprises for my amazing readers, fans and Patreon subscribers! This is what you can expect to drop:
Stickers are Shipping
New subscribers who joined my Patreon or upgraded tiers in June will get their exclusive 4”x4” laptop sticker. Stickers begin to ship this week.
New Photo Sets Drop This Month
For my first photo shoot this month, I am doing a new and intense bondage shoot! But there’s a twist! This time, Patreon subscribers get to choose what superhero or villain gets tied or does the tying. All subscribers will be encouraged to post their suggestions of what the cosplay and bondage shoot should be! And the subscribers in the Mega Photo tier will be the judges of all the suggestions. That photo set will drop July 26 at my Patreon, and it will be available to all the tiers. The Mega Photo tiers and above will get 2-3 bonus shots, as well.
Check out the brand new teaser I posted above! I will be releasing a new photo set called Tonatiuh, God of the Sun. In this set, I will guide you into my world of Aztec mythology and introduce you to the sun god Tonatiuh as I mash him up with the gay superhero Apollo from DC Comics! This new photo set extends the ideas that I developed in the How to Kill a Superhero books. I think you will love them. This photo set drops July 31 on my Patreon.
My Short Film
I’ll be posting excerpts from the script of the short film I am working on! Look for that to drop on July 12
New YouTube Episodes
This month on my YouTube I’ll be focusing on livestreams. This gives me some space and time to focus on the writing of my film script, but it lets me stay in touch with you and all the queeroes. Here are the times and dates for streams this month:
July 9 at 5 PM Central. Topic: The DC gay superhero Apollo and the making of the Tonatiuh Photo Set
July 16, at 5 PM Central: Fan Q&A
July 23 at 5 pm Central Topic TBD
July 30 at 5 pm Central Topic TBD
Real Stories of Superhero Fetish: Captain Europe
Photo by Taco Smith
I am very excited to bring you a special installment of Real Stories of Superhero Fetish. This past February, the first ever superero-fetish cagetogy in the Fetish Europe contest at Antwerp Leather Pride kicked off. Three nominees competed, and Captain Europe, won. I recently had a chance to ask him about the origins of his superhero fetish, and how the superhero fetish community functions in Europe. He lives in Belgium. -Pablo Greene
Q&A: Captain Europe, Mr. Superhero Fetish 2017
Captain Europe, welcome. Tell us a bit about yourself.
My official name is Captain Europe - I came up with the idea, name and suit in 2006. There is now another Captain Europe who does the political/social public appearances - he's inherited my old Twitter handle @captain_europe, whilst I have kept the old account and renamed it @JusticeLeagueEU.
How long have you been part of the leather and fetish communities?
Hard to say. I’ve liked lycra and spandex for as long as I can remember, but in the early days of exploring my sexuality, I was living in a rural area and didn’t have much money, so I wasn’t meaningfully part of a “community”. The few leather bars we have here in Belgium are a bit hardcore – I am not sure whether superheroes are welcome. I’ve been to a few events over in the UK. I ride a motorcycle, but I got into that more out of necessity than a love for leather.
Can you tell us when and how your superhero fetish started?
Like many people in this community, I grew up watching the old 1960s Batman series with all of its homoerotic ambiguity. Then, as a young adult, I got into wrestling; there’s a bit of overlap there with the superhero thing, with the spandex, the fighting, the struggling and so on. I modelled briefly for Eye of the Cyclone in the mid-2000s. Captain Europe was initially an idea for a carnival costume – I wanted to do something original – rather than a fetish thing, but then took on a life of its own – I started being asked to do public appearances at political, social and charity events. The fetish side of things was thus pretty much put on hold, as I am not one for mixing business and pleasure (though I have to say being Captain Europe was great fun). Last year I retired from public appearances; there is now a new, younger Captain Europe who looks after that side of things – I have to say he is doing a very good job so far.
What made you decide to enter the contest for Mr. Superhero Fetish EU?
It came to my attention via social media and I thought, yeah, why not? As one of the few Belgium-based real life superheroes, it would be rude not to.’ Now I am retired from the serious side of it, I can have some fun!
Do you think superhero fetish has the recognition it deserves? Why?
I’m not sure I’d say it ‘deserves' recognition – that sounds a bit entitled. When I introduce people to the idea, they are sometimes puzzled, and then it clicks when I mention the Batman and Robin thing. So I would say that there are probably many hundreds of people out there who are missing out on a lot of fun by not exploring superhero fetish
Tell us about your fetish for superhero gear and costumes.
Spandex (unlike, say, leather) is a very sensual material, and the superhero dynamic feeds the imagination. Taken together, those two things make a winning combination for role play.
Photo by Taco Smith
Are you single? Or do you have a romantic sidekick?
Romantic yes, sidekick no. My husband tolerates the superhero thing rather than approving of it, so the less said about that the better. Someone did ask whether the new Captain Europe was my boyfriend – the answer is no. I am sure he will find someone much better; he’s just a good friend and partner in crimefighting.
Please describe the experience of the weekend of the superhero fetish competition in Antwerp.
It was good fun. The Antwerp Leather Pride organizers, the site staff, the contest organisers, the judges and the other contestants were all fantastic. The contest itself was also an experience: escaping from bondage, being spanked (ouch!) to test our resilience (I passed that test, as the spanker’s hand gave out before I did), and saying a few words about ourselves. It was nice that the judges appreciated the serious side of what I said – championing diversity in all its meanings, and defending truth and justice in a post-truth era. Being a superhero is not just about having muscles and looking pretty – it’s about values, too. The rest of the weekend – I was at the Pride on the Friday and the Sunday, as I had long-standing social and family engagements on the Saturday – was more relaxed. I had the opportunity to meet and talk – in various languages – to some great people.
Now that you won the title, what do you plan to do for the next year?
Just as I thought I was retired from being Captain Europe, here I am thrust into a new public role. I’ll visit as many Pride events around Europe as time and finances permit. As well as being a mascot for superhero fetish, I will continue to champion the values I mentioned above. At a time when reactionary forces are awakening around the world, perhaps our hard-won rights need a superhero to defend them…
Do you wear superhero gear to leather bars? How else do you display your superhero fetish?
I’ve been a couple of times to the Eagle in Manchester, where Captain Europe was surprisingly well received, and to Central Station in London. Last night I was at a Carnival party (the original purpose of the suit) at a gay bar in central Brussels. Other than that, as I say, the fetish aspect has been on hold for a while – I’ll see what next year brings.
Superhero fetish is becoming very popular in America. Do you think the same will happen in the EU? Why or why not?
I really don’t know. Some in France have dismissed superheroes as an American thing, which is not true at all – Japan has Ultraman, France itself has (or had) Superdupont, Mexico has its own superheroes, and there is even a Captain Britain, though he seems to be resting at the moment. There seems to be a small superhero/spandex fetish scene emerging in the UK, and I know of a few people in France and Germany who are into it. Perhaps the title will get the scene some publicity, get us to critical mass and cause the scene to grow. Perhaps it won’t. I’m a superhero, not a fortune teller. That said, any Europeans reading this are welcome to get in touch.
Are you more of a superhero or a villain?
Definitely a superhero, though some Euroskeptics have disagreed quite vociferously.
Who are the superheroes or villains who inspire you most as a person, and why?
Batman. He doesn’t actually have any super powers, so he uses ingenuity rather than brute force to overcome evil. In real life, however, I am more like Peter Parker than Bruce Wayne. Like Peter in Spider-Man 2, I used to deliver pizzas for a living; I have a motorbike (just the one), not a fleet of classic/exotic cars; and I live in a modest (albeit more comfortable than Peter’s) upstairs flat, not a mansion with a well-equipped cellar.
If you would like more stories of superhero fetish delivered to your inbox, please join our newsletter below:
Real Stories of Superhero Fetish: The Sidekink
My superhero fetish began, like many in our community, from an early love of comic books. I was born in 1986 at the height of the George Perez run at DC and Marvel. As it turned out, my father and uncle were avid collectors of Captain America, The Avengers, Tales of the Teen Titans, and of course the Crisis on Infinite Earths storylines. Even before I learned to read, I devoured the artwork of these comics: the dramatic poses, and the expressive faces of anguish, despair, joy and heroism. These were the comics I would learn to read from and I never went anywhere without a copy from my dad’s collection.
Reading those early comics, I was continuously drawn to the sidekicks: Robin, Superboy, Bucky, Kid Flash and even Wonder Girl. While other boys latched on to the mega-popular heroes like Superman, Batman and Wolverine, I developed an appreciation for the not-so-famous heroes – the ones they never really made action figures or Halloween costumes for. As a scrawny, short, uncoordinated kid, the sidekick role fit me and gave me someone to emulate when my bigger cousins played the big superheroes.
While Batman was lugged down by his utility belt and massive cowl and cape, Robin was flexible, athletic, and somewhat vulnerable in his pixie shorts. Though he was continuously captured, he wasn’t a dream-boy in distress. There was strength in his captivity; even his torture at the hands of villains like Brother Blood and Deathstroke was an act of endurance. He never gave in, and George Perez displayed that and the boy wonder’s physique so well in the comics.
These were the comics I re-read feverishly for backstories and roleplay fantasies as I developed my superhero fetish. Acting out battles and struggles of the hero excited me. As I grew into my sexuality, I sought any type of gear that would recreate the leotards and costumes of my favorite heroes. Joining the high school swim team gave me access to speedos and spandex for the first time. On one particularly bumpy bus ride from a swim meet I felt myself go hard and actually cum while nestled in the tight wet spandex…It was amazing. I also struggled with guilt for my sexuality; despite being liberal Catholics, my family was still prudish, and there was no mention of homosexuality or even masturbation in my house. So I was left to hear about these from others and that instilled in me a lot of doubt and fear for my burgeoning sexual desires. I always punished myself after I mastubated, and when I finally quit the swim team, I threw away my speedos for fear that I would “sin” again. Luckily that period was short-lived; my later years of high school led me to theatre and dance, where gay sex wasn’t just tolerated but actually talked about. That saved me a good deal of hand wringing when I finally came out.
A Fetish Begins
My fetish for superheroes though didn’t start until we finally got internet access in my home at the tender age of 17. Once I had steady access to the computer I was on it like crazy, looking up gay and bi erotica (at the time I identified as bi). I found the staples of gay online porn: twink videos from companies like Sean Cody, hairless, usually white, guys in jeans that get naked two minutes into the scene – and then bone for hours. Oh sure the guys were hot and got me hard, but none of these fully interested me, and eventually I found them quite boring. The clothes went off too soon, and handsome though the guys were, they couldn’t hold my attention.
Then, randomly on a yahoo group devoted to gay superhero fans I found a picture where a young hero was chained up with a look of ecstasy and pain writhing on his face. He wore a yellow suit that highlighted his bulge and the villain wrapped him up in rope.
The watermark on that image led me to the Hard Heroes web site, and I found that even if it was just a teaser image, I was more aroused than I ever was watching hours of gay porn. Over time I found other producers of hero-inspired fetish like Eye of the Cyclone, BGEast and more. Here I was thinking my love for tights and superheroes and bondage was unique, but a whole niche market of gay porn was made for it, so I knew I wasn’t entirely alone. Unlike the other porn I viewed, these seemed to have more story to them; the spandex stayed on longer which was a bonus. There was a power exchange and a storyline, regardless of how cheesy. It wasn’t just about fucking and moaning.
The Sidekink is Born
After I turned 18 I finally began exploring my fetish in person rather than worshipping from afar. I joined fetish websites like GearFetish, Recon and Gearplay, Spandex Party etc. I joined club after club, yahoo group after yahoo group, in an attempt to meet others like me, to even just chat about spandex, superheroes and anything related to it. Sadly every person I met online was always so far away and in big cities like New York, San Francisco, Chicago. Those were the places where guys into superheroes lived, those were placed I needed to be but could not get to. I was a sidekick in search of a guiding hero. So for years I settled for chat roleplay and taking pics in my first gear, like speedos and swim jammers.
After a few years online I finally found someone who liked tights and bondage and, most importantly, lived locally. I didn’t have a superhero suit at the time but I did have a good collection of speedos. We met up to talk about playing together and it was just so amazing to finally chat in person with someone who was into it. He showed me his drawings of Spiderman, with him all tied up and gagged, and I remember getting an instant hard on. The scene we played was simple. I would go out and get ice, wearing a speedo under my clothes. I would get back to the room and he’d “jump” me, knock me out and tie me up. It was a rocky start but once he had me stripped to my speedo and bound I was having the time of my life. I wanted to experience it more and more.
Unfortunately the kink scene in my home town was non-existent and so it usually fell to the errant traveler to tie me up. I eventually added more kinks to my profile like wrestling, kidnap roleplay…but superheroes always remained at the back of my mind. I would cyber with folks or chat about fantasies. Sometimes they would share with me pics of their own adventures, each one feeding my desire. I am always indebted to those guys for helping me to figure out my fetish and teaching me from afar.
My first superhero suit was a gift given to me by a gentleman who was flying through my hometown. We were getting together to wrestle at first but I told him about my superhero fetish and that I always wanted to try it out. When I met him, he surprised me by giving me my first superhero suit. It was a green and yellow leotard from spandexman.com but it was amazing, it was real! It had the bright colors the gloves, the boots. I finally had something that I could pretend to be a hero in. This wasn’t a wrestling outfit or athletic gear, this was an-honest-to-goodness heroic uniform.
That first OC hero was named Diode and I loved that suit so much. I took photos in it detailing the young hero’s fight against intruders and they were among my first photo sets to grace my profiles on gearfetish.
I loved setting up the tripod and digital camera and taking action shots of me as a superhero, attacking, reeling and lying spread eagle on the floor. I have since added more suits to my arsenal and hope to add plenty more. I have also added more experiences to my superhero fetish. To date I have played as Spiderman getting bound, Robin kidnapped, Nightwing interrogated and Superboy wrestled into submission. My biggest achievement came this year in the form of a movie that wedded all my fetishes. In 2015 I was approached by Kevin who ran Bondage Jeopardy, and we began collaborating on a superhero bondage story for his website. Once we had a script I saved up and flew up to Portland where we spent two whirlwind days filming “Shadowknight”. It was a rush to see myself getting tied up and as a superhero and not be the camera operator as well.
It feels like my superhero fetish took a long time to blossom, and I still feel like a novice despite being active in the community for 12 years since I started really exploring it. I enjoy being the superhero/sidekick who gets kidnapped, tied up, molested and beaten. Examining it as the sex nerd I am, I believe I most enjoy it for the juxtaposition and role reversal. The hero is strong, valiant, virtuous in the mythical comics. In these kinky scenes that dynamic is flipped on its head and he is now vulnerable, worshipped, erotic and a person to be desired.
When I see myself in spandex, tied up and gagged, I imagine taking part in those one-on-one talks with villains, as they try to corrupt, destroy, tease, tantalize and arouse the hero. When I wear those suits I feel more confident in my sexuality and my sexual desirability than I ever do wearing regular clothes. I feel heroic and strong, even when I’m being subdued by nefarious traps and plots. I feel more sexually attractive than I do at clubs and bars or even the gym…They give me a power I don’t normally have in real life. Being touched in those suits feels more electric, more sensuous. My inner negative thoughts – about my body, about if I’m good enough for a man, about my desirability – they melt away.
In a way my superhero fetish ties in to my view that kink is a playful activity. Dressing up as heroes is an element of play that we did as kids, and it’s the same way for kink. Leather and BDSM rules about masters and slaves begin to lose me as they leech into everyday life. It becomes about order and not about fun. While I have and do enjoy bondage and master/sub play as well, I still just see all kink as putting on a costume and playing make-believe with your friends. Superhero fetish to me is about playing with characters, situations and scenes and then, when it’s over putting the suit away and waiting for another adventure to begin. Each play is like a self-contained comic book with a hot steamy ejaculatory ending.
In a way this understanding of my superhero fetish inspired the pun in my blog name…The Sidekink. The sidekick has always drawn me to him and I identified most clearly with them. I have something of a baby face, so people always assume I’m younger than I am so the sidekick role fits, plus I always feel awkward playing the macho hero, especially since I am not very macho. Sidekicks are willing to learn, willing to work together; their egos aren’t as fragile should something go wrong or should they be captured (which they almost always are).
When I was first starting out, Robin and Superboy were my heroes of choice. They were young and fresh, full of pep and even a bit cocky as they went against a villain. Now that I am 30, I tend to associate more with Nightwing, Arsenal and Spiderman. They are heroes who have struck out from under their teacher’s shadow, left childhood behind, but who still acknowledge that they need help. At this point in my kink life I have been around for a while but there is still a lot that I need to experience and learn. Who knows if, as I go into mid-age, whether the older heroes will speak to me but it’s something I’m willing to entertain.
I have also begun blending my superhero fetish (something previously kept hidden and to myself) and a more outward kinky persona. My Tumblr blog has definitely helped with that as I have exposed myself in multiple ways to the wider world. Kink and geekiness have blended on that blog and I have met people who blur that line between fan admiration and kinkster and they to date are very good friends I can’t wait to meet in person. I have also started to bring the costumes out of the closet and into the wider world, as an amateur cosplayer. I look at superhero fetish as the sexy, erotic side of fandom; for those wanting to bring the geek into the sheets as well as into the streets. In that respect, Paul Charles, The Gay Comic Geek and Pablo Greene, author of How to Kill a Superhero, have been incredible sources of inspiration for me.
Superhero play brings me back to those old George Pereze drawings of Robin/Nightwing defiantly enduring torture and bondage at the hands of Brother Blood and Deathstroke. A part of me always wondered what would happen if he gave in. What if the reason Deathstroke kept targeting Nightwing was because he desired the young Grayson as an equal to challenge him? What if the reason Kraven hunted Spiderman so much, was because the lithe form in a tight spandex suit aroused in him a lust that he needed to fill? What if heroes embraced the tight spandex and had lingering glances in the locker rooms of the Halls of Justice? I like to play with these ideas and for this reason superheroes will always be that grand fetish I don’t think I will ever give up. I’d like to think that 30, 40 years down the line, I will still nbe that person that puts on his costume and has adventure after adventure, hopefully with some great friends I meet along the way.
In Memory of Michael Johnson from Bastard Ropes
Michael Johnson, also known as Action Bastard
I first heard the voice of Action Bastard (Michael Johnson) on an episode of The Ropecast, my favorite podcast dedicated to rope bondage. I had listened to dozens of great episodes hosted by Graydancer before, but this time around the guest’s unusual voice filled my head inside my earbuds. The man who called himself Action Bastard fired off quips at lightning speed, and he showed a passion for making rope and educating people that I hadn’t heard much before. He made ropes and had started his company Bastard Ropes.
I did something unusual that day. I reached out to Action Bastard and asked him if he would be interested in selling his rope through my web site for my book series How to Kill a Superhero. I gave him copies of my books, and two weeks later, after he read them, he contacted me. Not only did he say yes, but I learned he was so into superhero fetish. I felt like I had run into a long-lost brother. He came up with unusual color combinations and we even decided to call the models Super Villain Rope when I listed it in my web store.
Over time, our relationship developed. We mostly talked on the phone, but we did meet in person a few times. The last time I saw him alive, we drank tequila in a Lower-East-Side joint and talked about doing some rope demos together with me and some models in superhero gear while some twisted fucker (Bastard) tied us and walked the viewers on YouTube through an educational rope demo in Gowanus in Brooklyn. Sadly, that project never came to be, but in my imagination and in my heart, I can imagine just how much fun and creativity Action Bastard would have brought to the project.
A few weeks ago, I was trying to contact Michael, and when he didn’t reply to my calls and texts, I was puzzled. I learned through his Facebook page that he had taken his own life. I was, and am still mournful. Because that’s what I remember the most about this brilliant man. His personality overflowed with humor, wit and love. And not only was he a clever businessman, he was a generous human being. I am sorry for any personal troubles he may have experienced, and I send him all the compassion I can muster. All humans go through pain and suffering, and as I think about Mike, the Bastard, I know he made many of us happy with his love, his humor and his artistry in making rope.
Pablo Greene
Chicago