Superhero academic conference world's first

SYDNEY - Holy mackerel, Batman! An Australian university is hosting what it claims is the world's first academic conference on superheroes.

Hundreds of scholars, lecturers and film buffs will descend on Melbourne University today to reflect on the enduring popularity of Batman, Superman and other caped crusaders.

Speakers will argue that Superman was modelled on mythical Greek heroes such as Hercules and that characters like Captain America draw inspiration from Norse legends.

The four-day event, Holy Men in Tights - A Superheroes Conference, has attracted participants from New Zealand, Britain, Singapore, Canada and the United States.

Organisers bridle at suggestions that it is a gathering of uber-geeks, pointing out that the conference has attracted heavyweight academics from Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

"There have been comic conventions before but this is the first time that so many academics have got together to talk about superheroes," said conference organiser Professor Angela Ndalianis, a lecturer in film studies.

"We have classical scholars comparing Odysseus with Batman, and looking at the cross-over between the legend of the Amazons and Xena, Warrior Princess."

The appeal of superheroes peaks during times of political uncertainty or crisis, experts say. Superman and Batman were created in 1938 and 1939 respectively, followed by Captain America in 1941.

The tensions of the Cold War and fears of nuclear annihilation spawned superheroes whose powers derived from accidental encounters with radioactivity, including Spiderman and the Incredible Hulk.

"More recently we've seen a revival in superhero blockbuster films in the wake of the September 11 attacks," Ndalianis said. "There's been Spiderman, Hellboy, The X Men, The Incredibles and The Fantastic Four. They all represent the classic struggle between good and evil."

The conference will hear from nearly 100 speakers, who will analyse the science and physics of superheroes, fan culture and super-villains.

The more obscure papers range from "The Yogi as Spiritual Hero" to "Oy Gevalt!: A Peek at the Development of Jewish Superheroines".

Other topics to be dissected will be a comparison between the superhero worlds created by rival publishers Marvel and DC, and a scrutiny of Arnold Schwarzenegger as an example of a superhero character who has crossed over into real life.

Delegates will even have an opportunity to don their favourite skintight costume and wear their underpants on the outside when the conference winds up with a superheroes ball.

Said Ndalianis: "I'll be going as The Joker."