In an age where local governments and politicians everywhere are trying to attract businesses – potential employers – to their cities, boroughs, counties, townships, states, countries and what have you, I was struck by a thought: why isn’t anyone trying to offer enticements to super heroes to get them to move to a new city?
Think about it. What if Chicago was able to convince Spider Man to move to the City of Big Shoulders? Might the scary level of gun violence be reduced? What if Thor and the other Avengers were recruited by Los Angeles to deal with that city’s crime problems?
Super heroes don’t effect payroll and they don’t require a pension. From what I gather, most of them aren’t even union!
What sort of incentives might work? Maybe a promise to have a local police force that respects and cooperates with them. Maybe a “free meal” card so that they can eat at local establishments whenever they are in uniform.
How would resident super heroes feel about their city trying to entice other super heroes? Would they start to fight against the “invading” hero? Would they turn evil towards an ungrateful city?
Good question! Would those local heros feel like it was some sort of “hero gentrification process”?
Ha-ha!
What about the cities which the hero leaves? Would the hero become a “villain” in the eyes of the city which so loved and adored the hero before? Given what happens when sports all stars switch teams and cities, I suspect so.