well I'm trying, there a theory called authority theory, by Max Weber's.
Then there are the rules for rulers

The Dictator's Handbook, by Bruce Bueno De Mesquita & Alastair Smith.
And the video rules for rulers based of the book.

This should help figuring out power structures. Wich may not be exactly what your looking for but it may be a good start for how a such a world may exist interested of devolve in to caos

We live in a world where a handful of people (somewhere between 8 and 25, depending on who is counting) have more wealth than 1/2 of the world's population. So, god-like power... maybe not imaginary.

I'm not sure what you are looking for. Don't know what you already know. Don't know how much time you have. But... maybe the philosopher Nietzsche...

These two books deal with power over people in the ancient world. I haven't read them; one of them is on my shelf waiting to be read (the second one).

The Roman Guide to Slave Management: A Treatise by Nobleman Marcus Sidonius Falx 1st Edition
by Jerry Toner (Author), Mary Beard (Foreword) (it is what it is about, but Marcus Faix is a fake name)

Slaves and Masters in the Roman Empire: A Study in Social Control 1st Edition
by K. R. Bradley (Author)

Two contemporary books which discuss the power structure... They are both good discussions of the real world; whether they will tell you much about comic book super heroes, hmmm, maybe not.

The Power Elite by C. Wright Mills - deals with the military, corporate, and political elite of the US in the 1950s

The Higher Circles : The Governing Class in America: G. William Domhoff

More to the point might be these, I found on Amazon

Review of How to Read Superhero Comics and Why by Geoff Klock -- on Goodreads, one review said "This book has a number of very interesting things to say about superhero comics. However, in this work, Klock had his head stuck significantly up Harold Bloom's arse, and fails to stray far from Bloom's theoretical framework." So... maybe yes, maybe no.

Our Gods Wear Spandex: The Secret History of Comic Book Heroes Paperback – November 1, 2007
by Chris Knowles (Author), Joseph Michael Linsner (Illustrator) (This one at least sounds interesting)

Mutants and Mystics: Science Fiction, Superhero Comics, and the Paranormal Paperback – December 21, 2015 by Jeffrey J. Kripal (Author)

Kingdom Come Paperback – September 30, 2008
by Mark Waid (Author), Alex Ross (Illustrator) The Amazon blurb says... "Set in the not so distant future, the DC Universe is spinning inexorably out of control. The new generation of heroes has lost their moral compass, becoming just as reckless and violent as the villains they fight. With Batman retired, Superman in a self-imposed exile and the rest of the Justice League nowhere to be found, it seems that all hope is lost."

Good luck. This should be an interesting project.

but add in the possibility that the philanthropist could likely kill the bus driver if the mood ever strook him, and the driver know there would never be any consequences to the philanthropist — Alfa

I like how you talk as if this kind of possibility doesn't exist or never existed. A bus driver in North Korea today knows if King Jong-un wanted him dead, he'd be dead and he knows there'd be 0 consequences for King Jong-un.