Create a Believable Super Hero
Superman flies. Batman fights. Spider-Man slings. Comic book characters do many things that are believable, in one sense, and many things that are far from believable on the other hand. Can a man take a bullet to the chest and walk it off? Can a man pick up a car, fly around with it, then change into a suit and pretend to be normal? Writing comic books is a fun trade, but it can be tough developing a different kind of character—the believable one. What do you study? What heroes are believable? And how can you create a believable super hero? This guide will explain in detail all the easiest methods—if writing is ever easy—to do just that.
Instructions
1. Think of Batman:
The first step is to think of the most believable hero of them all, the man of the night called Batman. Bruce Wayne puts on a costume at night to fight crime. He becomes a crime fighter. He fights evil. He fights insane villains. Just like many of his villains, he has no special powers, which is a different take on the modern super hero. Batman is far more believable than a boy from Krypton who can fly, pick up trains and take missiles to the chest and walk away. If Batman is shot, he gets hurt.
He also thinks much like a normal person. It’s not out of the question for a boy to decide to fight crime after witnessing his parents’ murder, is it? That is what makes him believable.
So think of the characteristics of Batman—his flaws and weaknesses—when you are developing your super hero.
2. Make them different:
Make your heroes different, because true characters are unique in their own way. For example, they can be rich or poor, while most of the world is in between those two extremes. Make them deal with relationships in a different way. Why would a man who puts on a mask be a normal person? Why would a girl who uses a jet pack to fly around deal with society in a normal way? Your job as a comic book writer is to find all the unique traits of your heroes, because when they appear human, they are real and different at the same time.
3. Give them vices:
Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man, likes his alcohol; he’s an alcoholic who constantly battles the desire to drink. That is a vice. Some super heroes even smoke cigarettes, or maybe they take different dates out to restaurants every day. Again, we are making them believable by giving them realistic vices. No one is perfect.
4. Put them in the real world:
Lastly, to make an example of a non-realistic hero, why did Superman have to leave Krypton in the first place? Well, besides the obvious point of the planet was exploding, real characters are more interesting when they are walking here on earth. That is why so many characters will stay here. Batman fights in Gotham (a fictional city that is very real). Spider-Man battles crime in New York. It’s easier to relate to problems in the real world than ones on Krypton or in a distant galaxy. That isn’t to say a story can’t be in another world, like “Star Wars,” but the super hero in the familiar world usually appeals more to readers. They can relate.
