Iron Man and the War on Terror

Since starting my Junior theme, I've put away my customary recreational reading in favor of reading books about superheroes and comic books. The most fascinating of these books, War, Politics, and Superheroes: Ethics and Propaganda in Comics and Film, starts with a statement about the connection between the recent resurgence in the popularity of superheroes and 9/11. Paraphrasing Mark Millar (Kick-Ass creator), author Marc DiPaolo notes that "Superhero stories are at their most popular and evocative when they respond to particularly turbulent political times, especially those marred by war and social unrest" (1).

Ever since 9/11, the United States has been in a terrorist frenzy. Our generation has grown up with increasingly strict TSA guidelines and a deep seated hatred of Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban. Superheros have responded to these Perilous Times by altering their origin stories and enemies to better fit the current view of the battle between the "good guys" and the "bad guys". 

When Iron Man was first published in 1963, Tony Stark was injured in Vietnam. The 2008 Iron Man movie has changed the setting to Afghanistan, where he is kidnapped by a terrorist group called the Ten Rings. They torture him until he agrees to build them a "weapon of mass destruction".

The Iron Man movie was incredibly successful. Why? The Ten Rings were an obvious reference to the Taliban, against whom Americans wanted revenge justice. Tony Stark's escape and the subsequent killing of his captors satisfied our thirst for blood sense of rightousness. 

Do you think that there is a connection between the current popularity of superheroes and 9/11? I'm interested in your responses.