shaxper
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Posts: 22,871
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Post by shaxper on Jul 20, 2014 13:01:13 GMT -5
 It's a standard trapping of the genre that a superhero generally has super powers, but does the specific nature of those powers actually affect our enjoyment of the character? When I think about the majority of the most successful and well-loved superheroes out there, it's the stories, characterizations, consequences, determination, and resourcefulness that tend to matter most -- not the weapons they brought to the fight. So how often can a superhero's success and entertainment value be tied to the specific powers and weapons he/she has? Could Superman be just as super with a rocket pack and laser gun? Could Tony Stark be as endearing with Captain America's super serum and shield instead of a suit of armor? Can you tell a good Thor story without Mjolnir? What are your thoughts? |
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jul 20, 2014 13:09:49 GMT -5
The older you get, the less important super-abilities are with your heroic fiction choices. Its a sign of maturity. You can still get a kick out of them but you're stroking your inner child
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Post by The Captain on Jul 20, 2014 13:17:26 GMT -5
Tony Stark/Iron Man works because of the dynamic of the man who is frail without his armor but super within it. The super serum would heal his heart, making him a genius futurist/weapons designer who also has amazing strength, speed, and durability; it would be too much positive in his ledger with only the alcoholism as a drawback (which might be cured by the serum as well).
As for Thor, I think you could tell good stories without Mjolnir. He's a warrior first and foremost, so while he might not be able to call down thunder and lightning, he could still sling an axe or sword.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2014 13:27:44 GMT -5
When creating a character it doesn't matter. Some are just flashy costumed crime fighters with no powers. Some have fancy gadgets, some don't even have that. Just fighting skills or a ton of guns.
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Post by gothos on Jul 20, 2014 14:31:10 GMT -5
The older you get, the less important super-abilities are with your heroic fiction choices. Its a sign of maturity. You can still get a kick out of them but you're stroking your inner child Disagree; I think the whole idea of "powers far beyond those of ordinary mortals" is a fundamental aspect of the way the superhero genre invokes the sense of wonder. That feeling was always my primary reason for reading the genre, anyway. That doesn't mean that a phenomenally skilled mortal hero, be it Batman or the Bruce Lee character in ENTER THE DRAGON, can't evoke wonder. But it's a different level of wonder. |
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,871
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Post by shaxper on Jul 20, 2014 15:04:21 GMT -5
The older you get, the less important super-abilities are with your heroic fiction choices. Its a sign of maturity. You can still get a kick out of them but you're stroking your inner child Disagree; I think the whole idea of "powers far beyond those of ordinary mortals" is a fundamental aspect of the way the superhero genre invokes the sense of wonder. That feeling was always my primary reason for reading the genre, anyway. That doesn't mean that a phenomenally skilled mortal hero, be it Batman or the Bruce Lee character in ENTER THE DRAGON, can't evoke wonder. But it's a different level of wonder. Right, but the question isn't whether or not superheroes need powers, but rather whether or not it really matters which powers they have. |
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Jul 20, 2014 16:12:42 GMT -5
Good question - I've actually been thinking about this lately. I think they do some, but not allll that much. The story beats and emotional stakes in a Pre-Crisis Superman or Batman story aren't all that different. But they can affect tone and genre: Science Fiction stories were easier to do with PC Supes who could fly off to other galaxies, but the Superman vs. Luthor stuff in the Byrne revamp (which was essentially a battle for territory) read better with a less powerful protagonist. So, at least in that case, the degree of power mattered to how the stories worked.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2014 16:31:25 GMT -5
Could Superman be just as super with a rocket pack and laser gun? Nope, what's so super about that? The 'Super' in Superman is about the man of steel, not the man of accessories. The rocket pack and laser gun are for employees of S.H.I.E.L.D. For many heroes, their superpowers are inherent and are a major part of defining who they are when in costumed-mode. What would Flash be without his speed? or Daredevil without his radar-sense? Or Spider-Man without his spider-traits? Definitely not the characters we know. |
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Post by Randle-El on Jul 20, 2014 16:47:44 GMT -5
I think it can matter, especially if the power is lame. Some of the b-list X-men have this problem... Skin, *cough* *cough*.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2014 16:48:29 GMT -5
Could Superman be just as super with a rocket pack and laser gun? Nope, what's so super about that? The 'Super' in Superman is about the man of steel, not the man of accessories. The rocket pack and laser gun are for employees of S.H.I.E.L.D. For many heroes, their superpowers are inherent and are a major part of defining who they are when in costumed-mode. What would Flash be without his speed? or Daredevil without his radar-sense? Or Spider-Man without his spider-traits? Definitely not the characters we know. That's because those characters were created around their powers. Does the next sidekick introduced in the Spiderman Universe have to have superpowers? Does the next new member of the Justice League need to have superpowers? |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Jul 20, 2014 19:10:01 GMT -5
Tony Stark/Iron Man works because of the dynamic of the man who is frail without his armor but super within it. The super serum would heal his heart, making him a genius futurist/weapons designer who also has amazing strength, speed, and durability; it would be too much positive in his ledger with only the alcoholism as a drawback (which might be cured by the serum as well). As for Thor, I think you could tell good stories without Mjolnir. He's a warrior first and foremost, so while he might not be able to call down thunder and lightning, he could still sling an axe or sword. Funny you should say that about Thor as that was just the kind of story that Jason Aaron told on his Thor run and it was fantastic. Nope, what's so super about that? The 'Super' in Superman is about the man of steel, not the man of accessories. The rocket pack and laser gun are for employees of S.H.I.E.L.D. For many heroes, their superpowers are inherent and are a major part of defining who they are when in costumed-mode. What would Flash be without his speed? or Daredevil without his radar-sense? Or Spider-Man without his spider-traits? Definitely not the characters we know. That's because those characters were created around their powers. Does the next sidekick introduced in the Spiderman Universe have to have superpowers? Does the next new member of the Justice League need to have superpowers? Truer words could not be said, I had written like a paragraph that said what you said but you said it in three sentences so I decided to axe my response. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2014 19:17:28 GMT -5
Does the next new member of the Justice League need to have superpowers? If not superpowers, then definitely something else that compensates for it. Otherwise Commissioner Gordon could join. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2014 19:22:46 GMT -5
It depends on the character, but for the most part I believe super powers are important. It's the driving force behind as to why most of us picked up a comic in the first place. I wanted to see larger-than-life heroes with powers way beyond anything I could ever possibly achieve. As I got older, the story became more important. But it all started with the super powers.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2014 19:23:14 GMT -5
Does the next new member of the Justice League need to have superpowers? If not superpowers, then definitely something else that compensates for it. Otherwise Commissioner Gordon could join. Then how did Snapper Carr become a member?  -M |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2014 19:24:53 GMT -5
If not superpowers, then definitely something else that compensates for it. Otherwise Commissioner Gordon could join. Then how did Snapper Carr become a member? -M More like a mascot  |
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