What is the purpose of being a hero?

I chose the last one as a joke

"Why do you do this?"

"Because I hate them."

"... I thought it was to protect us."

-Punisher Max

Its to help people, inspire hope and do the right thing, even when its hard.

Doing what needs to be done, acting above the law and conventional morals

Personally I believe "hero" is completely based on perspective like Good and Evil.

To show that there is still good in the world. They lead by example. They are the silent guardians. The watchful protectors. The Dark Knight. Damn, I screwed it up.

First you get the money.

Then you get the power.

Then you get the women.

Honestly, it depends on what the hero chooses to stand for. Not all doctors choose the profession for the same reason, not all police join the force for the same reason, and not all superheroes become superheroes for the same reason. So I don't think there is, or can be, a singular purpose as to what a hero is suppose to do, because that purpose is resolved and devised by each individual.

For example, the top three choices can easily be slotted to Superman, Batman, and then Wonder Woman. They're all great heroes in their own right, but all stand for different things, fight for different battles and strive for different goals. They align often enough, sure, but they aren't all heroes for the same reason. But that doesn't make any one of their purpose as heroes any lesser for it.

So, tl dr; the purpose of a hero depends on what they're fighting for

True Words Indeed (begins the slow clap)

There's no true 'way of a hero' to follow. All heroes have their unique code that they believe in even if I don't agree with it. All of these have arguments whether they're right or wrong (even ruling the world).

You forgot that option.

For the b!tches.

TO RULE THE WORLD MUHAHAHA