“Steve Rogers Needs a Hug” Hurt/Comfort Fanfiction as an Underworld Journey and the Unmaking/Making of a Hero

Abstract

Superheroes Iron Man (Tony Stark) and Captain America (Steve Rogers) have survived alien invasions, secret organizations and time travel. But can they survive being vulnerable with one another? Hurt/Comfort fanfiction writers think so. Frequently misunderstood for its dark, graphic and often violent themes, Hurt/Comfort fanfiction places popular characters, often stoic, strong and self-reliant men, into situations that force them to be vulnerable, dependent, and caring. Studying the tropes of Hurt/Comfort through a mythic lens, I argue that this storytelling practice may be part of a contemporary manifestation of the underworld descent narrative found in many world mythologies. This dissertation explores how Hurt/Comfort fanfiction is part of underworld descent narratives found in mythology; how it places heroes in situations of pain and suffering that threatens or destroys their sense of self and often, ideals of traditional and heroic masculinity such as an inability to be vulnerable; and how it influences readers, writers and a broader cultural understanding of contemporary masculinity and heroes in popular culture.