Superheroes: Disaster insurance needed?

[Kal-el]

I was just wondering about this. How many episodes of Batman, Batman Beyond, and Superman have there been were the heroes basically destroyed a portion of a city? In BB it seemed to happen every episode. Superman was constantly smashing through walls, collapsing buildings, tossing broken bridges and such into the bay. I wonder what everyone thinks of this. Is there some kind of insurance for destruction caused by superheroes? Metropolis always looked clean and shiny, but what about all the holes in walls that Supes created? Not every bad guy is out to destroy a city. Do the heroes NEED to cause so much destruction?
Thoughts? Comments? Theories?

[Maxie Zeus]

Good point.

BTAS actually paid a little attention to this, you know. The plot of "Joker's Wild" revolved around insurance fraud.

[Kal-el]

True. Other than that ep, I don't remember anything else. You wonder if the mayor might ask Superman to help rebuild a building he wrecked, or at least patch up a hole he made. Some of the destruction caused would nearly cripple a city. The ep in BB when Shriek was messing with sound so nobody could understand each other...the building that looked like a giant tuning fork was destroyed. Also in BB, the Gotham Museum of Bombs and Planes (or what ever it was) that was the scene for his fight with Curarae (sp?). Almost every artifact in there was destroyed or damaged.

[DR. BELCH]

--notice the insurance agent in the Power Puff Girls ep "Get Back Jojo", who said his job was to issue damage policies to buildings in Townsville? He stressed at the end of his speech that he is a very busy (and I'd imagine wealthy) man. Now that's funny....

[Kal-el]

Imagine an insurance claims agent following Supes, BB, or Batman around the city waiting for them to break stuff and damage buildings. Nothing is safe when these guys go into action...buildings, cars, mailboxes, helicopters. Man, the economy in the animated world must be booming not only with construction projects, but the money to pay for all the repair and rebuilding must be incredible.

[Maxie Zeus]

Originally posted by DR. BELCH
--notice the insurance agent in the Power Puff Girls ep "Get Back Jojo", who said his job was to issue damage policies to buildings in Townsville? He stressed at the end of his speech that he is a very busy (and I'd imagine wealthy) man. Now that's funny....

Excellent!

There was also the PPG ep where they moved to . . . Cityville? . . . where their help was not wanted because of the destruction they caused. That was hysterical.

[Calhoun07]

I suppose in the comic book world, residents can just as easilly take out Superhero and Supervillian insurance on their properties just as we can extend our insurance to cover things like floods and hurricanes

[Kal-el]

I wonder how much the premiums would be? And if you didn't have coverage? Could be bad news.
"I'm sorry sir. Your vehicle oly had coverage for Batman related damage. Superman damage is not covered under your policy."
What a crapper that would be.

Could there be a bat-deductible?

[Calhoun07]

Slightly off topic...

There are alot of insurance policies out now that don't cover acts of war. In this world today, you almost have to wonder if you need it or not!

[Karkull]

You know, Lois Lane's car was totaled at least twice during Superman's animated run. Could you imagine her monthly rate alone?

:(

Yikes.

[Kal-el]

Same thing with Clark's car in "The Late Mr. Kent." It was blown to bits.
Didn't Supes also mistakenly destroy some important piece of artwork in the ep with Myxlplik? Also in the late Mr. Kent, he grabs a missle heading towards his apartment, but when it explodes it starts a fire. He then rips the water tower off of another building to put it out. One building with fire damage and another building with no water. Not to mention the cars he detroyed in numerous episodes, either by smashing into them or using them as a weapon of some kind.

[Good Ol' Batmanuel!]

Originally posted by Kal-el
Not every bad guy is out to destroy a city. Do the heroes NEED to cause so much destruction?


Well, at least when there's a battle, they can use that as an excuse, but what about a guy like The Tick? He's up there ruining buildings on a daily basis without giving it any thought. I guess in his case, 'ignorance' could work...

[Kal-el]

Originally posted by I Hate Batmanuel!


Well, at least when there's a battle, they can use that as an excuse, but what about a guy like The Tick? He's up there ruining buildings on a daily basis without giving it any thought. I guess in his case, 'ignorance' could work...

Ignorance is definitely his bliss.
If there was a superhero in my town, I'd move for fear of getting my house destroyed, car flattened, or having an assortment of good guys and bad guys being flung through my windows or walls or roof.
The problem is, they come in handy when a bridge is falling on me or a plane is about to crash on me or when an asteroid is threatening to flatten my town. Same goes for earthquakes, tidal waves, invasions, etc.

[Calhoun07]

Ah, yes, but if you move, you won't have to worry about these things! If there is one thing I have learned from reading comic books and watching cartoons, earthquakes, tidal waves, invasions, etc. ONLY hit cities where super heroes reside. Nothing bad seems to happen in the rest of the nation.

[Kal-el]

Originally posted by calhoun07
Ah, yes, but if you move, you won't have to worry about these things! If there is one thing I have learned from reading comic books and watching cartoons, earthquakes, tidal waves, invasions, etc. ONLY hit cities where super heroes reside. Nothing bad seems to happen in the rest of the nation.
Good point Cal. Poor Metropolis has been hit by so many things...I have to give high marks to the city for keeping the streets and buildings looking so nice.
Even Gotham gets high marks for cleaning up after Terry damages half the city.
Wonder if each budget the cities pass has to include a section for "Reconstruction as a result of Superhero damage"? Maybe the superhero towns get federal aid?

[Calhoun07]

In the Watchmen, the government made superheroes illegal. I am beginning to understand why!

[Kal-el]

It would be hard to put superheroes in jail if they broke that law. Any of them could escape any normal jail or prison. Imagine Superman using his heat vision to make license plates, or Batman using a batarang to peel potatoes or something.

[Damien Oujia]

If Arkham Asylum could be designed to contain super villians, surely they could come up with something to contain the superheroes.