What’s one thing almost every superhero has in common? A “perfect” body made up of toned muscles and zero fat.
Recovery.org, an organization that offers resources for people with mental health and/or substance abuse issues, is making those “perfect” bodies a little more realistic by “reverse photoshopping” illustrations of some of the most iconic superheroes. According to Recovery.org, “reverse photoshop” simply means reimagining what superheroes would look like “if their bodies matched the body of the average viewer” in the U.S.
The project features 10 illustrations of comic book superheroes such as Superman, Spiderman, Gamora, the Black Widow, Aquaman and the Black Panther. Each illustration includes a before and after of the character. The image on the left is what the superhero usually looks like: for male superheroes that means six-pack abs and massive biceps; and for women that means an illogically tiny waist, perfectly-feminine muscles and, of course, huge breasts. The image on the right looks similar to the original character, but a bit more realistic.
A spokesperson for Recovery.org told HuffPost that the organization focused on superheroes because they are role models for so many young kids.
“With new releases every summer, we can see how these films positively affect their younger audiences. But, it’s hard to have such positive takeaways when the bodies represented on film don’t mirror what a typical body looks like,” the spokesperson told HuffPost. “This especially rings true for a younger audience considering research has found that some children are struggling with body image by the time they reach kindergarten. We conducted this project to see how our favorite heroes might change if their bodies were a bit more realistic, and hopefully more relatable.”
Scroll below to see 10 superheroes who look a little more like, well, normal people.
