Does a hero need superpowers to be super?
What is the definition of a hero? Is it someone who can smash through walls or run faster than the speed of light? Or it is just a regular human being who has the mind and the means to provide an extraordinary service to society? This is the true definition of a hero. But then, what is a superhero? It is not someone with superpowers, (super-speed, super-strength and the like) but rather someone who goes above and beyond the call of duty, putting their own life at risk for the protection of the common good.
Bruce Wayne, also known as the Batman, is by this very definition a superhero. Despite having a traumatic childhood, ha has taken it upon himself to rid the city of Gotham of all crime. At the tender age of eight, Bruce was forced to watch as his parents were murdered in one of the dark alley's of Gotham. He was then raised by the family butler, Alfred Pennyworth, and had to deal with the stress that came from suddenly inheriting his family's vast fortune.
As he grew to adulthood, Bruce took it upon himself to make sure that other children would not have to lose their parents as he did. So, he became the Batman, a 'Dark Knight' who uses his superior intellect, vast resources and physical prowess to take down the scum of the Gotham without taking their lives. Even Superman has been known to fall under the evil intent of the criminal masterminds known as the Joker, Penguin, Clayface and Ra's Al Ghul. And while the 'man of steel' has fallen to these evil genius', Batman has become the only person that these villains fear because they know that he will eventually bring them down. On top of all this, Bruce Wayne has found the time to raise and train two Robins, the eldest going on to become Nightwing, and Batgirl, the daughter of Commissioner Jim Gordon.
While some see Bruce Wayne as nothing more than a billionaire playboy, they have no way of knowing that they only see what he wishes them to see. You see, the Batman is in the unique position of having his true identity be the one that criminals despise and fear. Unlike Superman, an acknowledged superhero whose weakness is known to the whole world, Batman's only "weakness" is his humanity, which seems to be more of a help than a hindrance. Batman has even been known to show Superman a thing or two in the past. So, if an alien with superpowers is called a superhero, how much more of a superhero is the human who can fight crime with just as much success?