The offbeat hero Tick, is considering joining the Justly Compensated League of Superheroes. Tick is envious of the League’s “waterfront” headquarters afforded to the group because they are making money doing hero work. The idea of being compensated financially for hero work seems like a violation of the hero code to Tick’s sidekick Arthur, but the Tick is already thinking about how the money might be spent.
The hero code raises an interesting question for superheroes. In any other walk of life, people can use their human capital to improve themselves. The hero code implicitly forbids accepting money for doing good deeds. Should heroes be allowed to make money from their hero work? Why shouldn’t they be allowed to use their resources like anyone else in a system of free enterprise?
This raises another pertinent question. How would a hero collect their fee? If you wait to get paid before saving someone, that could look like extortion. If you wait to save a town or the planet before entering the fight, it could take too much time to negotiate with hold outs. Meanwhile, the villains are wreaking havoc. If you wait until after you save the day to collect, then there will be free riders. Hero work is effectively non-excludable. It is also non-rival in consumption, which makes hero work a public good. If heroes are providing public goods, charging someone for their services might be a waste of time.
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