Irony is the most powerful force in the universe. Irony depends on the audience being able to recognize the opposition between what is obvious on the surface and what is known, but not apparent. Irony is what makes humans special. Slapstick hits the reptilian brain - it's physiological - but only conscious human intelligence can produce irony. My favorite superhero would be Irony Man. His superpower would be: "to make observations that reveal insight into human nature, especially poigniant in consideration of facts known only to the audience."