10 Superheroes The World Needs Right Now
3. The Crimson Bolt
Imagine Kick Ass on an indie budget and you’ve got James Gunn’s Super, a virtual guide on how to put aside your shortcomings and mental problems and transform yourself into a hero.
Spurred on by “visions” in which he sees Jesus, demons and a superhero known as Holy Avenger, Frank (Rainn Wilson) becomes The Crimson Bolt and resolves to rescue his wife from the arms of sleazy drug dealer Jacques (Kevin Bacon). Lacking actual powers, Frank fights his enemies off with a wrench before finding a partner called Boltie (Ellen Page), a comic book store employee who turns out to be a violence-loving psychopath.
The movie addresses one of the oldest questions in comic books: how damaged do you have to be to consider dressing up and fighting crime? The answer, at least in Frank’s case, is very damaged indeed, but as it turns out, his actions have positive consequences and he rids the world of a scumbag while allowing a good person to live a full life.