Super (2010)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
An ordinary man becomes a masked superhero who uses extreme violence to compensate for his lack of superpowers while trying to rescue his wife.
The story
Frank Darbo, a devoutly religious short-order cook, leads a disappointing life until he experiences a vision where he is told by a figure from a Christian network TV show that God has chosen him for a special purpose. Believing he is destined to become a superhero, Frank creates the persona of the 'Crimson Bolt.' Lacking actual superpowers, he uses a pipe wrench to deal with various injustices, ranging from thieves to people cutting in line. As the Crimson Bolt, he becomes a media sensation, initially viewed as a violent psychopath before the criminal backgrounds of his victims are revealed, leading to a growing public appreciation for his actions.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Frank Darbo, a devoutly religious short-order cook, believes he is chosen by God to become a superhero after a vision involving the 'Holy Avenger.' He adopts the persona of the 'Crimson Bolt' and, despite lacking superpowers, uses a pipe wrench to violently punish criminals. He eventually finds a 'sidekick' in Libby, a mentally unstable comic book store employee who becomes 'Boltie.' After a series of violent encounters, including a moment where Libby rapes Frank while they are in costume, Frank decides to rescue his wife, Sarah, from a drug lord named Jacques. During a raid on Jacques' ranch, Libby is killed, and Frank is shot but survives thanks to a bulletproof vest. He eventually kills Jacques and takes Sarah home. Months later, Sarah leaves him again to live a sober life and start a family. Frank remains alone, content with his memories of his time as a hero and his life with Libby.
- First release year
- 2010
- Runtime (minutes)
- 96
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- James Gunn
- Writers
- James Gunn · writer
- Cast and characters
- Rainn Wilson · Frank Darbo / The Crimson Bolt; Elliot Page · Libby / Boltie; Liv Tyler · Sarah Helgeland; Kevin Bacon · Jacques; Nathan Fillion · The Holy Avenger; Michael Rooker · Abe; Gregg Henry · Det. John Felkner; Andre Royo · Hamilton
- Genres
- black comedy; superhero; action; drama
- Themes
- faith; violence; superhero tropes
- Tone and mood
- dark comedy; violent; unconventional
- Setting
- A contemporary American town, including a local diner, a comic book store, and a drug lord's ranch.
- Premise and plot tags
- superhero; vigilante; dark comedy
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics who debated its moral ambiguity and violence while praising its acting and tone. It was considered a box office failure due to a limited release but has since been regarded as a cult classic for its unconventional approach to the superhero genre.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 50% · scale: percentage · review count: 127; Metacritic · score: 50 · scale: 100 · review count: 27
- Production trivia
- The comic book store in the film is a real store named ComicSmash.; The character 'The Holy Avenger' is based on the actual Christian superhero series Bibleman.; The film shares a universe with the superhero horror film Brightburn.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…