I've been a little upset since Friday because of something I saw.

[marzipanni]

16. I may be doing something akin to dream analysis

but it sounds like your son wants to to grow up have some power against bad stuff. The superhero theme that runs through everything from comic books to videogames appeals to kids because it gives them hope of standing up to scary stuff. The world is a big crazy place that "even" we, as adults, can be overwhelmed by.
I like the thought that human psyches were never meant to deal with the bad news from the whole wide world (or the world wide web); we could deal with the illness, accidents, death, local natural disasters, in our own communities, but having access to these things from the whole planet is depressing.

Doing what we can with the small battles as you do, taking the mentally ill to a place where they can hopefully begin to heal or receive treatment, is helping your own community, and the life enhancing intention affects the world. I hope your son will see that small acts that affect his world in a positive way may spead outward and make war, and other strife, less likely.