The Real Story of the Superheroes (Spanish: La verdadera historia de los superhéroes) by Dulce Pinzón is a photographic series made between 2005 and 2010 in Brooklyn, New York, depicting Mexican and Latino immigrant workers dressed as comic book superheroes in their everyday work environments.
The project responds to a cultural moment in the United States when the term "hero" was prominently attached to first responders such as firefighters and police officers in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Pinzón, a Mexican-born photographer and former trade union activist, saw this as an opportunity to question narrow definitions of heroism. She redirected attention to immigrant laborers whose unseen efforts sustain both their home and host countries through remittances and low-wage labor.
By photographing workers in superhero costumes—from Spider-Man to El Santo—Pinzón challenges viewers to reconsider the boundaries between comic-book fantasy and lived reality. Her subjects, whether washing dishes or working construction, are recast as figures of endurance and resilience, complicating cultural narratives around immigration and labor.
Visually, the series comprises 20 color photographs using rich, saturated hues and strong compositional framing. Each image employs tableau-style staging, situating costumed individuals in real-life settings like laundromats or skyscraper scaffolds. Pinzón used a medium format analog camera and portable flash units, emphasizing clarity and physical texture while avoiding digital manipulation.
Widely exhibited and published, The Real Story of the Superheroes became Pinzón's most recognized work. It contributed to her receipt of multiple awards, including a NYFA Fellowship and a Ford Foundation grant, and earned inclusion in major collections such as Mexico City's Museo Universitario de Arte Contemporáneo.
