Prominent muscles and a dominant appearance are considered typically male “heroic traits”. They can open up spaces for agency, which can be validating and freeing.
Since the at least the 1950s, a muscular male physique has been part of the identity of many homosexual men. The embodying of secondary heroic traits in ancient Greece had a double effect: as protective mimicry against the questioning of gay masculinity; and reproductive mimicry in the search for sexual partners.

The half-naked Supermen by illustrator Tom of Finland have become role models and symbols of an ideal gay body.

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It is not only heroes themselves who are invested with agency. To an almost larger degree, agency rests with those who tell their stories. It matters in this context whose story is (not) being told and how this is done. The agency of those telling a story has an effect on those who listen to it.

The classical figure of Antigone exists in a variety of narratives, and there are various later interpretations, translations and continuations of the old texts. Today, Antigone is interpreted as a reinforcing role model in the fight for human rights, against suppression and social inequality.

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In the theatres of guerrilla warfare, “the Kalashnikov” since the mid-1950s, has become a symbol of the underdog’s agency and absolute will to fight against a militarily superior army. This effect could be further augmented when allegedly weak women posed with the assault rifle. The weapon, being an iconic piece of equipment, heroised them – even without any individual proof of military capabilities.

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Physical acts of violence and heroic deeds are both expressions of agency. They are manifestations of power that intervene in the course of events and people’s lives, often producing victims. These transgressions have to be legitimised. Violence and heroism thus exist in a tense relationship to one another: violence can, for instance, be legitimised as heroic violence.

In heroic acts of violence, the qualities of courage, determination, combat and dedication are combined. These acts disrupt the everyday, transcend social boundaries, and both fascinate and frighten us with their suddenness and energy. Both the exercise and the self-determined, active enduring of physical violence are powerful catalysts for heroic narratives.

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