SALEM, N.H. — Anthony Smith is more than a 6-year-old boy who loves video games and superheroes.

He’s an inspiration to thousands of children around the world who, like Anthony, have a hearing impairment.

The young boy with the big smile has endured numerous operations.

He’s also inspired a division of Marvel Comics to create a new comic book and two hearing-impaired superheroes in recognition of Anthony and his courageous battle with a rare genetic disorder.

The first 150,000 copies of “Sound Effects” are being released this week by Marvel Custom Solutions and The Children’s Hearing Institute in New York.

The two teamed up to produce a comic book for children in grades 3 to 7 that teaches them about hearing loss, bullying and how everyone is different, according to Marvel creative director Bill Rosemann. The book features the already popular hero Iron Man and introduces Blue Ear, a hero with hearing aids and Sapheara, a hero with cochlear implants.

“There is so much demand for this comic and a need for more information on hearing loss,” Rosemann said Monday.

It was all inspired by Anthony, he said.

Anthony, the grandson of longtime New Hampshire state Sen. Lou D’Allesandro, D-Manchester, has mosaic trisomy 22. It left Anthony with limited hearing and other health complications, including a hole in his heart.

So, when a self-conscious Anthony told his mother two years ago he didn’t want to wear his blue hearing aid — nicknamed “Blue Ear,” Christina D’Allesandro was a little worried.

It was the first time Anthony acknowledged he was a little different than other children, D’Allesandro said.

“He said, ‘Mommy, superheroes don’t wear Blue Ears,” D’Allesandro said. “He sounded sad.”

To make Anthony feel better, his mother told him that superheroes wear hearing aids just like anybody else, but she didn’t know for sure.

She contacted Marvel and spoke to Rosemann, who sent the family a 1980s comic book cover of the character Hawkeye of the Avengers. Hawkeye wore a hearing aid after injuring his ear.

He also sent a specially designed cover drawing of Anthony as a superhero named Blue Ear, who helps people when he hears they are in trouble, thanks to his “special listening device.”

The first-grader also has his own Blue Ear costume, which he proudly wears, his mother said.

Rosemann and illustrators Nelson Ribeiro and Manny Mederos also sent a drawing of Blue Ear and Hawkeye together. It changed Anthony’s perspective on hearing loss and made him a much more confident child, his mother said.

An educational poster featuring Blue Ear was developed, and Anthony and his family got a chance to go to New York to meet the Marvel staff. D’Allesandro and her husband, Kevin Smith, have an older son, Dominic, 8.

“It was really great to meet Anthony,” Rosemann said. “He and his mom are the real superheroes.”

Since then, Anthony has become a celebrity of sorts, making several television appearances. He was also the grand marshal of Salem’s holiday parade last year.

In that time, Rosemann said, he has been inundated with requests from around the world, asking when Marvel was going to release a new comic book.

That’s when Marvel teamed up with The Children’s Hearing Institute to design a publication that could help teach children about hearing loss and why bullying is intolerable, according to Melissa Willis, the institute’s executive director.

They also created a female superhero with hearing loss, Sapheara, who has cochlear implants.

Ever since a release party for the comic Oct. 18, Willis said she’s received emails from around the world. The 150,000 copies of the comic and a teacher’s guide are being distributed to children in New York City schools, she said.

One goal is to teach youngsters to protect their hearing in age where many children constantly turn up the volume on their iPods, Rosemann said.

“Now, we are able to bring the message about hearing loss and bullying to so many more people and hopefully hearing loss in others,” he said.

It hasn’t been decided how many copies or editions of the comic will be circulated, Rosemann said.

Anthony and his mother were ecstatic to receive their copy of the comic last week.

“We’re excited,” D’Allesandro said. “He really loved it.”

D’Allesandro said she hopes the comic teaches valuable lessons to other children as well.

“This has been so empowering for him,” she said. “It’s made him a much more confident kid.”

Lou D’Allesandro is pleased as well and proud of his grandson.

“He’s done so many things for the hearing impaired,” the senator said. “He’s a strong little fellow.”

Anthony is just happy to star in his own comic book.

“It’s awesome,” he said.

This story was provided by The Eagle-Tribune.