Superheroes turn out to be villains after all . . .

But today's tough-guy superheroes are sending out the wrong message to susceptible young boys, it is claimed.

The "macho" role models in comic books and films may be damaging the social skills of teenagers.

"There is a big difference in the movie superhero of today and the comic book superhero of yesterday," said psychologist Professor Sharon Lamb, from the University of Massachusetts in Boston in the United States.

"Today's superhero is too much like an action hero who participates in non-stop violence; he's aggressive, sarcastic, and rarely speaks to the virtue of doing good for humanity.

"When not in superhero costume, these men, like Ironman, exploit women, flaunt bling and convey their manhood with high-powered guns."

The superhero's flip side – the "slacker" – was equally dangerous, she maintained.

Slackers are individuals who revel in underachievement and "save face" by not even trying.

The archetype slacker is Jeff Bridges' character "The Dude" in the film The Big Lebowski.

"In today's media, superheroes and slackers are the only two options boys have," said Prof Lamb.

To investigate how the media and marketing industry packaged masculinity to boys, Prof Lamb surveyed 674 youngsters aged four to 18 and spoke to sales staff in shopping centres.

She concluded that adolescent boys were being sold a "narrow version of masculinity".

Teaching boys to see through the false images could help, she told an American Psychological Association's conference in San Diego, California.