Superheroes Celebrate 50th Anniversary!

En español |  American superheroes had a banner year in 1963. "The Amazing Spider-Man" comic book hit newsstands in the spring, and the original X-Men (Professor Xavier, Angel, Beast, Cyclops, Iceman, Marvel Girl aka Phoenix) and Avengers (Iron Man, Ant-Man, Thor, Hulk) debuted that autumn. Captain America joined the latter group a few months later.

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Now that they're 50-plus or fast approaching it, these classic heroes — who qualify for their very own AARP membership — might want to start thinking about an encore career. How can they channel their talents into a Second Act? We have a few ideas.

Angel

Real Name: Warren Worthington III
Skills & Experience: Sprouting wings to fly and carry to safety those in harm's way.
Encore Career: Create Mercy Deliveries, a service to transport wounded war victims to hospitals.

Beast

Real Name: Hank McCoy
Skills & Experience: Superhuman strength, flexibility, endurance and sensory abilities; can secrete pheromones to attract females.
Encore Career: Spend serious time in wild parks and zoos, encouraging mating rituals among endangered species.

Captain America

Real Name: Steve Rogers
Skills & Experience: Physically perfect human specimen powered by "super soldier serum"; classic American hero symbolizing freedom.
Encore Career: You're 72 and a World War II vet. You're due the leadership role you've always deserved. Head up an Avenger All-Star USO Tour and fire up the troops with your inexhaustible patriotism.

Cyclops

Real Name: Scott Summers
Skills & Experience: Ability to project a destructive, laser-like force from eyes.
Encore Career: Train your gaze on eliminating evil. Targets will vary in size, form and scope.

Iceman

Real Name: Bobby Drake
Skills & Experience: Lowering body temperature enough to freeze any nearby moisture into weapons.
Encore Career: Stall the rise of the oceans worldwide by harnessing your sub-zero powers to reverse glacial melting in the Arctic.

Marvel Girl aka Phoenix

Real Name: Rachel Summers
Skills & Experience: Projecting thoughts into others; levitation.
Encore Career: Run for Congress and use your psychic prowess to broker unprecedented bipartisan collaboration across the aisle.


Next page: More crusaders, more recareering options. »

Professor Xavier

Real Name: Charles Francis Xavier
Skills & Experience: Likely the world's most powerful telepath, can read minds, transport thoughts into others; founder of the X-Men; mutant-rights activist.
Encore Career: Lead a United Nations committee to protect and recognize the rights of persecuted minorities.

Ant-Man aka Yellowjacket

Real Name: Henry Pym
Skills & Experience: The brilliant scientist created "Pym Particles" that allow him to shrink to the size of an insect and then return to his normal size.
Encore Career: Work on new and revolutionary uses for nanotechnology, providing hands-on assistance yourself.

The Hulk

Real Name: Bruce Banner
Skills & Experience: When stressed, transforming into the ultimate destruction machine.
Encore Career: Design and sell Green Buddha, your line of ultra-ultra-ultra stretchy yoga clothes targeted to a young crowd. Encourage sedentary teens that log too much electronic time to get up and move, lest they make you angry.

Iron Man

Real Name: Tony Stark
Skills & Experience: Genius IQ, master engineering skills, enemy-blasting suit of armor.
Encore Career: Become the union rep, and the face, for American steel workers, dedicated to revitalizing U.S. manufacturing industry. Give air shows to pump up the membership.

Spider-Man

Real Name: Peter Parker
Skills & Experience: Web-slinging abilities, agile building-to-building travel.
Encore Career: Become a webmaster. Naturally!

Thor

Real Name: Thor Odinson
Skills & Experience: Superhuman strength, injury resistance, wielding his all-powerful hammer.
Encore Career: Go into construction and hammer in the morning, hammer in the evening, all over this land.

Have your own ideas about how these superheroes should recareer? Share your suggestions here by posting a comment below. Or tweet them to us at #Next4heroes.

Source: Marvel.com | Images courtesy of Marvel Entertainment

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