> I would blame that motif mostly on the nature of episodic storytelling - books, comics, radio plays, television,etc, than something fundamental about American

> I would blame that motif mostly on the nature of episodic storytelling - books, comics, radio plays, television,etc, than something fundamental about American culture I'd argue that American culture (and culture worldwide) is actually for almost a hundred years mostly formed by movies and movie tropes. > These heroes are all part of their specific communities. None of those heroes are a part of those communities you mention. Only their public personas are. Then they disguise and become those heroes. That concept of staying at the end of the movie would in this regard translate to a hero unveiling his identity and still be the hero. Never happens. Also OP is specifically writing about the _cowboy_-hero. Which is anyway a different category than the super hero. What they have in common though is the loneliness that OP also talks about. Superheros also always complain about that and their urges to reveal who they "really" are.