Boy's hearing loss inspires new superhero

SALEM, N.H. (CNN/WMUR) - A young boy in Salem, N.H. is the inspiration behind a new superhero.

Four-year-old Anthony Smith has no hearing on his right side, hearing loss on his left side and one day decided he didn't want to wear his blue hearing aid to school anymore.

"Basically one day he woke up and I said, 'OK, time to put in your hearing aid' and said 'let's put in blue ear.' We've always called it that. And he said 'No, superheroes don't wear blue ears,'" said his mother Christina D'Allesandro.

D'Allesandro told him superheroes do wear hearing aids and she emailed the experts at Marvel Comics. While Marvel told her that their character Hawkeye did have hearing loss, they went a step further.

Marvel sent Anthony a drawing of a new superhero inspired by the little boy. The character is called The Blue Ear. And soon after that, another sketch arrived showing The Blue Ear and Hawkeye together.

Now Anthony, like The Blue Ear, is proud to wear his hearing aid and to share his special powers.