The co-existence of superheroes, psychotherapy and psychotherapists in comic books is a curious one. The suspension of rational thought necessary to appreciate the limitless expanses of the superhero universe is counterintuitive to the orderly, precise and contained world of logic and empiricism that undergirds the science of psychotherapy. The study of human behavior relies upon finally honed scientific methods; however, it is often that very same science that either twists the plot, betrays the reader or perverts the protagonist in superhero tales. And while psychotherapy focuses on the ordinary within us, superheroism is about the extraordinary among us. Yet, superheroes and psychotherapy have grown up together in a troubled culture that has continually looked simultaneously to the heavens and the couch for salvation.
In the beginning of the superhero comic era, psychologists and psychiatrists dwelt in the shadows, working either as silent creators or consultants. To name a few; William Moulton Marston created the lie detector and Wonder Woman, Lauretta Bender advocated for the therapeutic use of superheroes at the 1954 Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency and moral vigilante and psychiatrist Frederic Wertham accused Batman of pedophilia and homosexuality.
Interestingly; however, psychotherapists have emerged from the shadows over the last several decades to appear as integral characters in superhero stories-sometimes as companions, occasionally as narrators, oftentimes as helpers, but once in a while as villains, every bit as dangerous as the real thing. 
Why we might ask, do superheroes need psychotherapists, and what does their inclusion in superhero stories tell us about ourselves. Think about it for a moment! Superheroes are intriguing characters...they can fly, travel through time, move mountains, change shape, alter the weather and cheat death. But can anyone truly appreciate the kind of responsibility these caped crusaders have to shoulder on a daily basis. Their tasks range from the more mundane re-routing of a speeding train in order to save a school bus to changing history in order to save entire civilizations. In the course of a day, they must shield us from bullets, radiation, vile and unimaginable creatures as well as from the evil machinations of megalomaniacal ne'r-do-wells?
What is it about superherodom that accentuates, rather than mitigates vulnerability? Simply, to be ‘super' is to face unrelenting enemies wishing only to upset the status quo. To constantly protect a secret identity is to be forever denied the peace that comes with stability and consistency; to be reified is to always worry about acceptance and the ‘fall from grace'; and to constantly have to make choices is to live in fear of making the wrong ones.
In addition, the dual natures of superheroes lend themselves to unobtainable romantic relationships that activate their unresolved childhood Oedipal or Electra complexes. Clearly then, the glow of superheroism is forever tarnished by the loneliness, fragmentation, fallibility, and self doubt that marks the existential legacy of humankind. Is there anyone who would therefore deny these tormented heroes their time on the couch with the best psychotherapists that superherodom can buy?
And so, to the rescue has come a small contngent of brave and selfless saviors, armed only with their graduate degrees, clinical training, couches and scratch-pads as well as their deep and abiding compassion for these flawed saviors. In the wildly popular recent superhero tale entitled The Watchmen after the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, we were re-introduced to the classical poet Virgil's expression, quis custodiet ipsos custodes (who guards the guardians or who watches the watchmen?). It is the supehero shrink who rises to this challenge of watching over the superheroes who watch over us (in comics, at least). Among this pantheon of super-saviors is Dr. Malcom Long who treats Rorschach in the Watchmen, Dr. Angela Lipscombe who tries to heal Bruce Banner's shattered psyche and finally, Dr. Blink, Superhero Shrink, written by John Kovalic.
Sure the appearance of psychotherapists in superhero comics may very well seem like a marketing gimmick or a cheapening of the profession, but in reality, they serve a very important purpose for not only the superhero, but for all of us. These stories of psychotherapists hard at work in the psychic trenches of our favorite superheroes provide a glimpse into our own fragile selves, and on an even larger scale, societal vulnerability...with the underscored message that there is hope for all.
For as high as they fly and as far as they may fall, superheroes ultimately rise to face the enemies of society and demons within their own psyches. But they cannot do it alone; and if the likes of Batman, Spiderman, The Green Goblin, Vermin, Green Arrow, members of the X-Factor and The Incredible Hulk need a helping hand from a therapist once in a while, don't we?! 
This post is an excerpt from an upcoming article in publication with the Journal of Popular Culture, entitled "Superheroes on the Couch: Exploring Our Limits". You may also want to read Dr. Norman Holland's post entitled "Why Don't We Doubt Spider Man's Existence" on his PT blog called "This is Your Brain on Culture."
