Superheroine Erotica Fetish Essay

A few thoughts on the superheroine fetish genre

HELLO Heroines, Villains, villainesses, assorted henchmen and other lovely people.

You don't know me... yet, but for now you can call me Eversor. I run the Heroine and Agents twitter account posting small stories with AI pictures mostly within the Superheroine fetish genre.

I also hope to soon begin to publish some more long form written stories within the genre.

Recently a conversation led me to think about what it is that attracted me to the genre in the first place and the specific elements with in it and as that kept running in my mind, I realized I had to get it down in writing or it would never go away, so here is my ruminations on what is attractive to me personal about certain specific elements of the superheroine fetish genre and why, with some thoughts about why it might also apply to the fans of the genre in general.

I am be nature an analytical guy. It just happens to me and I believe thinking about such things also helps me improve as a creator by understanding WHY, I or other might like something. What makes it work. Rather than simply seeing that it does and using it. Gives me better flexibility in writing as I better can utilize certain aspects in new and interesting ways that still hits the same notes.

So in advance my apologies for this to be exactly that. Analytical and a bit dry rather than titillating and exciting, but I hope you still get something out of it, agree or disagree with my points in question.

I'm not going to explain in detail what Superheroine fetish is. I would assume anyone reading this would have a rough estimate at any rate:-), but as a short primer, its is a genre of erotica featuring and focusing on super-heroines or other similar character types getting into fetish situations and getting taken advantage off. (Although the heroine victorious is certainly a part of the genre, most is about the villains winning at least temporarily so that's what we shall be talking about.)

In most stories however within the genre, despite there being some universal constants some of the fetish elements can be broken down into categories and its those categories I'm going to give my thoughts on in this essay.

My tastes:

But before we move on, I guess I should speak a bit to what I'm actually attracted to in this genre from an erotica point of view. Anything stated here is not a knock on any specific fetish element. To each their own and more power to you, but simply what works for me on a personal and analytical level.

I am, in my own (erotic) life and in my fantasies, a dominant. I enjoy taking control, making my partner submit to me and their own desires. Especially if they struggle against such desires. The breaking, the humiliation through fulfillment of their rejected dark sides and weaknesses. Turning their strengths into their defeats.

So, what I look for is to take a powerful character. (A superheroine or other action heroine) The very pinnacle of female strength and power. A towering presence of pride and heroic willpower and reduce her to nothing. To a mere shadow of her former self. And to do it through her own unrecognized, or at least denied, weaknesses and dark desires.

To turn the absolute paragon of power into a mewling, pathetic, broken and tamed toy. And to make her enjoy it to the level that she cant or wont want fight back despite her own heroic desire to do so.

I am a heterosexual male, but I assume this fantasy is not much different from what drives dominant women, or on the flip side, what is making submissives enjoy their play, in their way.

You will notice that I talk about the heroine a lot rather than myself. Its not about my power and strength but hers. That is of course because, its not so much about ME. As in many Sub/Dom cases the dominant is really a tool for the sub, and we get our pleasure from theirs, despite us being the "cruel master" or villain. I don't need to feel powerful or dominant in itself. I take that and my enjoyment in her reluctant, then uncontrolled pleasure experience.

Now, one can argue, probably with fairness, that my reading on myself and the lack of need to feel strong and powerful is over-generous, but remember we are talking about erotic fantasies, stories and scenarios here rather than my (Or anyone's who is sane really) general psychology and life:-)

Also as a final Nota Bene: This is obviously not the be all end all of my erotic fantasies and desires. I have been and have enjoyed being the sub on occasion and I love snuggling, cuddling and slow warm love making as much as anyone, but for the purpose of this essay the focus will be on more this specific subject, in case anyone rejects their desire trying to live out their fantasies about these things because they fear it will wholly consume their erotic life:-)

However with that preamble out of the way: Without any further ado. Lets talk about various fetishes as seen in these types of stories.

Beaten and defeated:

I mention this first, not because it is my favorite fetish, but because, to me, it is the absolute foundation of everything else in a story when we get to the erotica part.

As I will return to again and again in this, my fundamental psycho-sexual attraction to the superheroine fetish genre is power → removal of said power = humiliation and submission, and taking the heroine from her position of power pre-battle to the defeated state, is the beginning and prelude to everything else that might follow after that.

There are many sites and stories that are dedicated almost entirely to the combat and beat down aspects to exclusion of nearly all other fetish elements, proving that it is exactly one of the more fundamental and important parts of the entire genre, stemming from exactly the dynamic mentioned before. Beating down a heroine. Defeating her entirely. Taking away the power and majesty she has in her natural state is the attraction for many.

Personally though, while as said, this is a fundamental element of any good heroine erotica, to me its is not something I look forward to in itself.

While I am a dominant, the nature of inflicting beatings and fights are not really what gets me going. Control, submission, forcing those things, punishments. Those are good. Pure physical beat-downs. Not so much. There is little fascination in that for me as it hardly cuts to the core of what attracts me to the genre. There is to me simply not that much eroticism in it.

Now, while a good punch, low-blow, cunt-buster etc can be very effective in a story, and defeating a heroine or other powerful character of course is significant and quite tantalizing, I also feel that a heroine is not to be daunted by a physical defeat as such. Their inherent heroic spirit and pride should be greater than to fall to a single defeat. If not, how can the later helplessness and humiliation matter that much after all.

Its a setback. And again important for what is coming, but in itself it should matter fairly little except as a setup for further development, unless the character in question have been set up as someone for whom the very act of being defeated is the ultimate humiliation, in which case it can absolutely work.

I use this in my stories. I want it in stories I read. A good fight and defeat scene is fun to write.

Action scenes are a quick way of getting the pulse going and it is of course almost a necessity for an action heroine and gets to show her off at her strongest. Powerful. Supreme. Dominant even until the inevitable defeat, but in the end only for that and then to get the plot moving to to the next stage.

Bondage:

While bondage and restraints are a significant and almost universal part of much fetish in general and the superheroine/action heroine genre in specific, much needed and much loved, especially in visual representation, it is for me again a setup. A tool. A means to an end rather than a fetish element that gets me hot and bothered.

This is an interesting one because in other contexts bondage absolutely ARE that for me. Watching a sexy woman wiggle and struggle against her bonds and sweat runs down her body and... ahem... sorry about that slight detour.

Despite my fondness for bondage in general, as I said, its not an independent enjoyment for me in superheroine stories and for the same reason as mentioned above under fighting/beat downs. Bondage should simply not do enough to a heroines self esteem and pride. Frustrating. Angering. And of course worrying what the villain might do while she is restrained, but the bondage itself should really not be that big a worry for an action heroine.

A damsel in distress? Sure.

Hell. A heroine that has her personality built up the right way? Could be. It would absolutely be possible to set up a character where being fettered was either entirely demoralizing or sexually enticing, and that could then make it an individually worthwhile moment, but I feel the risk to either make the character too weak (From a heroic pride and will perspective) or simply a slut is too great. There are room for those stories. I've read them, especially the heroine as simply a wanton slut with powers version, and they can be very good, but its simply not what I look for in my heroine stories. Those kinds of personalities seem to fit better another character than a superheroine in my mind and fantasy.

It feels more like just "regular" porn than the somewhat distinct and identifiable genre SH/AH erotica is.

Now this as I said does not mean bondage should not be there. Far from it. Unless a story is set up to feature blackmailed or mind controlled compliance, bondage is almost inevitable and needed. It sets up the heroine at the villains mercy. Her power has been reduced if not removed. A good written scene where she struggles again the fetters, frustrated and ever more angry, even perhaps near hysterical, as she realizes she is a helpless capture, defenseless against whatever might be coming is an incredible erotic set-up and helps establish exactly what is going to happen next that will truly break her; her chest heaving and panic beginning to seep into her mind and eyes and.... Sorry. Almost got away from me there again.

Even without the internal or even external struggle it is such a good tool to set up the next phase of her degradation, but as I said; to be a stand alone element that works for me, and I think for the genre in general, the scene needs absolutely superb writing or a very specific set up, and those things are so fairly rare, that I shall consider bondage, like the defeat and physical beating itself a supporting aspect rather than a primary fetish element.

Mind control:

Mind control is another sub genre that I'm not too keen on. It is quite popular in the genre. Some years ago a rather popular site hipcomix.com was almost entirely focused on mind control stories. (That can have changed, is should probably go take a look. The artist quality was great, just the subject was not my cup of tea at least then). I can see the attraction for some. Either mind-control is a fetish for them in itself or they can see it as the ultimate removal of a heroines power, but in my mind it just doesn't work.

As I said, in my tastes, and I believe in many, if not most SH/AH fetishists mind, the ultimate basic aspect of the genre and the underpinning of everything in it, is the power removal. The change from all-powerful to entirely powerless and tamed through various experiences and that simply only works as long as the heroine has agency. Leaving aside her pride, drive or any such virtues she, at the very least, needs to maintain agency. Simply because you clearly can only take power away from someone with agency to use or personify that power, and mind control is the ULTIMATE removal of agency.

Even when a heroine is tied up, being used sexually; forced to surrender mind and body to the villain, there is agency as small as it might be. Fighting against surrendering in her mind even if her body must. Not allowing herself to accept a certain physical reaction to whatever stimuli despite utter helplessness. The agency might be small and seemingly inconsequential but it is there.

Even if a permanent bad ending or temporary situation have the heroine be broken totally beyond her ability to resist even in the smallest way in her own mind, it is the result of the combined experiences she has suffered/enjoyed rather than the single magical snap of either hypnosis, mind control machines, magic or telepathic powers.

Can such stories be good? Of course. And if they are your jam? Please! Write them. Read them. Smear them generously over your metaphorical erotic bagel, (another analogy that might have gotten away from me) but to me, it is a cheat. A bypass of the thing that truly makes the story and the fetish itself and I don't think I have ever truly enjoyed a mind control story within the SH/AH context on an erotic or sexual level.

Now, this does naturally not mean mind control can not be useful. A superheroine's young sidekick mind controlled and used against her mentor. A family member or love interest serving the same purpose. Even the heroine herself AFTER every other experience is a valid and useful tool for a story that wishes to use it. But it should be, to me, be limited to that. Either on supporting characters or a finishing tool after the harder work with other means.

Forced sex:

Now we are getting into it. Forced sexual encounters. Molestation. Non consensual sex.

Another one of the stables of the genre. In a lot of ways you might call this one of the lfoundations most stories within the genre is built upon.

While this like like all the other elements so far is also its own genre without relevance to Superheroines, it is one of my most appreciated elements if written correctly.

Both because sex naturally cuts to the very heart of erotica, but mostly because it is a true demonstration of the elemental nature of what I enjoy abut the genre. The complete removal of the heroines power.

Sex is now fortunately in society something entirely (at least in theory) under the individuals supreme and sole control. No one decides when you have sex, who you have sex with and how you do it except for yourself.

Now, of course that's oversimplifying as most sex is naturally a cooperation between people, but from a theoretical personal liberty and rights perspective that's how it works and its a good thing compared to the alternative.

HOWEVER: This also means that losing that control is one of the ultimate examples of powerlessness. Of having power taken away and being reduced to something less than human. Just a piece of meat. No one to be considered worthy of any kind of respect and consideration. And if the heroine then finds herself enjoying it? Not just having her body taken. One of the greatest insults and violations possible... but realizing that is something she truly enjoy. Desires. Even secretly or unconsciously wishes for?

Not only is that a truly exciting thing to me personally, but it hits right to the core of a heroines very being.

A superheroine is the very paragon of good. Strong, powerful, virtuous, self controlled. Most often incredibly beautiful, sexy and desirable. All of this is part of the concept of the character archetype and improves her innate strength. Women wants to be her and men wants her, but cannot approach as the power inherent in a heroine is so great that is is daunting for any mere mortal to a near divine level.

(Of course a heroine can easily have a normal human love interest but I'm speaking to the conceptual point here.)

So, to have not just her body taken at will with all the loss of power and dignity that comes with that, but also having her very essence defiled into depravity by her own dark desires and reaction to the defilement hits right in the heart of superheroine erotica genre as I, and most, seem to enjoy it.

Another option is of course to not have the heroine enjoy it at all. To be a pure exercise in defilement and the suffering and the trauma that would come from actual sexual assault in women. Either entirely throughout the story or in certain in-story encounters.

That is in its own way almost as powerful. It hits even harder in some ways against the core of a heroine. Truly destroying her essence of power and virtue. Rendering her entirely less than worth human consideration, and for some stories and some characters it is clearly a better tool to achieve its purpose than the involuntary enjoyment. Especially in "bad end" stories or the more realistic psycho-sexual constructed ones.

It does however then have the risk of veering into something TOO real for the readership, unless they are looking for that rather emotionally traumatic and sexually sadistic experience and so take them out of the erotica itself.

Again, nothing wrong with this way of going with things, but to me personally the story needs to be very well written and constructed for me to get enjoyment out of it since, it risks to me to veer into something more real and less fantasy and that requires a more sex-sadistic and selfish psychological reaction than what is appealing to me.

I've read these stories. I've enjoyed some of them from very good authors, heck I've even used the concept myself in my short picture tales and certain set ups and scenarios almost demand this aspect, but I probably don't have the personal desire towards inflicting actual trauma, for it to be my primary interest and fantasy.

If it does you? Perfectly fine and a completely valid aspect of the genre, but I feel it needs to be used very carefully.

Now, this does not mean that forced sex is a needed aspect of a superheroine story. It is one of the most powerful and widely used tool in any SH/AH creators arsenal and with how much of an elemental drive sex is to the enormously overwhelming majority of humanity, it makes perfect sense, however in the end it is but a tool. A very powerful tool and as I said one of my absolute favorites, but there are other ways of achieving the same result and sex does have the danger of being either a crutch for a writer who has no other ideas or being simply badly written. Those two often combine by the way.

One danger is that the sex scenes simply become to mechanically descriptive. There is a need to say what is happening of course, but it can easily go too far. That's not even a heroine aspect of course but an erotica issue in general. Sex is not the mechanics, but the emotions, senses and responses it provokes. Too much focus on mechanical aspects simply makes the story drag and takes the reader out of the erotica. Same with purple prose.

As anyone reading this will have realized, I'm liable to write my way into sentence cul-de-sac's, but when I do proper heroine writing, rather than analytical ramblings, I try to keep things short and to the point. Too many flowery sentences and synonyms again simply breaks erotic engagement.

But like I said, these are general erotica writing pitfalls.

More specifically to the genre, is that too much focus on the sex will take focus away from the fact that it is a heroine story. In this genre sex is not a goal in itself but needs to serve a purpose for the story and the genre, and its too easy to get so caught up in the sex that you forget that the audience is there for THE HEROINE. Not the "Tap A into slot B" elements as such.

Its a fine line too walk. Sex is such an elemental part of the genre and is such a powerful tool that using it almost cannot be wrong... but using is BADLY can absolutely be.

In the end, for it to work for me, it simply have to be remembered WHY the sex is there and what it is supposed to do, and it will be the most powerful and important part of the story and what really gets me coming back to an author or a tale.