If the NPC heroes are that good, there is absolutely no point to being in the roleplay, because you've equated 'not big-league superheroes and already in the league' with 'cannon fodder C-listers'. If there are [i]that many[/i] vastly more powerful, skilled, experienced heroes, [i]there is no reason for the PC's to exist[/i]. They would never be asked to deal with anything more than petty crime, because next to the NPC's they'll just get in the way.