I'll be working late Friday, so you'll have to keep yourself busy," Sharon announced last week. "Maybe you could take yourself to a movie."

"Really. It will do you good."

My suspicions began to grow, and take on new meaning.

"I don't know," I said. "It would probably mean I would have to go alone."

What I didn't say -- what I was thinking -- was this: "Iron Man" was opening Thursday, and Friday would be a perfect day to take in the first big superhero movie of the summer.

I know what you are saying: This guy is old; Why would he want to see a movie about a comic book character?

The fact is, lots of men never outgrow comic book heroes. That's why when the last Fantastic Four movie came out, I went to see it with two of my sons-in-law and some grandkids.

True, I fell asleep in the first part of the movie. I fall asleep in most movies. Put me a comfortable chair in a warm room and turn off most of the lights, and the odds are I'll fall asleep.

(Sharon would argue that the same thing happens on an uncomfortable bench in broad daylight but only on Sunday afternoon.)

Still, I enjoyed the Fantastic Four movies, even though the critics didn't. I read those comics regularly.

I didn't read Iron Man, but that didn't mean I wasn't intrigued. I just didn't want my wife to know I was still drawn to this particular fantasy world. So I hemmed and hawed and then checked out movie times on the Internet.

As it turned out, there was a show Friday afternoon that I could make and still be home in time to make dinner, which was my part of this bargain.

So I "reluctantly" agreed to spend early Friday evening at the movies while my wife worked. I'd feel guilty, I said, but if it would make her feel better about leaving me alone, I could make that sacrifice.

Imagine my surprise then to get to the movie theater in American Fork and find the movie was sold out, even though many people were just getting off work.

And I wasn't the only one disappointed. I ran into a neighbor, Chad Hendry, and his son, Chantry. They were also walking out of the theater looking very disappointed. A lot of other old guys were going in, many with kids and grandkids, some with friends.

And while I was disappointed, earlier in the day I had chanced across the information that a screening of the same film was starting in Pleasant Grove in about 30 minutes. I figured I just had time to make that trip.

Me and a group of other old guys were happy to learn that this viewing was not sold out, and me and my popcorn were settled into a comfortable seat well before the previews started.

There we watched teasers for the new Indiana Jones movie, the new Batman movie and the new Incredible Hulk movie. The film, which was excellent by the way, ended with a promise of an Avengers movie in the future. Anticipation was in the air.

The fact is, we don't outgrow good adventure stories, and comic book heroes tend to exemplify the genre, even if the movies don't always live up to the expectation.

That's why I have Superman movies, three Spider-Man movies, and "Batman Begins" in my personal DVD library. It also makes me very popular with the grandkids, many of whom love the Man of Steel as much as I do. As it turns out, Sharon got home from work before I got home from the movie, and dinner was late, too.

I kept expecting her to give me a hard time, but she was actually pretty nice about the whole thing. She seemed to be satisfied just rubbing in the fact that my initial reticence was disingenuous, and was actually thrilled to be heading out with the boys to see a film in which she had no interest.

I hope she'll be that understanding when "The Dark Knight" comes to town.