【明報專訊】This year Chinese martial art master Bruce Lee (李小龍) would be 70 if he lived. Lee was a superstar not only in Chinese communities but also in the West. As early as 1966, he appeared as Kato in a supporting role in The Green Hornet (青蜂俠), an American TV drama. That earned him fame.

A new version of The Green Hornet will be in the cinema by February 2011. It is another film about a superhero fighting crime and winning popular support. In fact, that will not be the Green Hornet's movie debut. He has already appeared in many films. The Green Hornet story dates back to 1936, when a radio programme called The Hornet was first aired. For easier trade-marking, The Hornet was subsequently renamed The Green Hornet.

Needless to say, the Green Hornet is not the only crime-fighting superhero in the world of entertainment. Other well-known superheroes include Batman, Superman and Spiderman. They have their peculiar reasons for fighting crime, but they have a lot in common.

1. Extraordinary power: Spiderman can swing among buildings using his spider web.

2. Secret identity: During daytime, the Green Hornet is an ordinary newspaper publisher, and Superman, a news reporter. Superheroes usually conceal their superhero identities.

3. Costumes: Most superheroes sport their peculiar costumes. For example, Batman is recognisable in his invulnerable black outfit with the bat logo.

4. Sidekicks: Most superheroes have their own assistants. Robin is Batman's and Kato, the Green Hornet's. (Of course, superheroes eclipse their assistants most of the time!)

5. Independent wealth: Superheroes have the money to get on with their crime-fighting activities. For instance, Batman is depicted as a wealthy businessman who calls himself Bruce Wayne and spends a lot of money to develop advanced weapons, which he uses to subdue villains.