What does it take to be a Superhero?

[thepunisher]

Ok, I have an informative speech to o for a class and one of the topics offered was "What does it take to become a SuperHero?"

I figured this was an interesting idea and thought I would unleash it here to guage the many varied responses that come back.

I have a formula that involves Intelligence, Luck and Ability. Those, to me anyway, are the three main components that ALL people have to have in order to become a Super Hero.

I want to know what you guys think.

[Logan]

i voted other. all you really need is money. even if you're not bruce wayne, patrolling really cuts into the time you need to earn a living wage. unless you're independantly wealthy, crimefighting would just earn you a trip to the poor house. will power is the other component. got the will and the money to do it? you can. probably end up dead or in jail, but that's another discussion entirely.

[shoryukenmaster]

Intelligence and ability seem right, but I'm not so sure about luck. How do you feel luck plays into it? The luck of seeing your parents killed? The luck of being an alien or being bitten by a radioactive spider? I guess you have the "luck" of being in the right spot and the right time, but to me that seems to be reaching.

I think the willingness or determination to be a superhero and to help right some wrongs or help people, is more important than luck. You could even venture into morals. What morals would a person need to have to become a superhero? Or do they? I think just using 3 things to make a person a superhero, seems a little constricting.

[thepunisher]

How would that wealth come to you? I had that listed under my luck category. I mean yeah, Bruce Wayne is rich and he was born into that, but would he have been the BAtman had he not been born wealthy and had the money and free time to do as he wished.

Of course you could argue that one could become independently wealthy and therefore that wouldn't count as luck then right?

[thepunisher]

You could even venture into morals. What morals would a person need to have to become a superhero? Or do they? I think just using 3 things to make a person a superhero, seems a little constricting.

I think I was shortsighted when I posted this... I meant for some of these to attributes to be umbrella'd by others, such as morals would fly under the banner of Intelligence. You have to have a semblance of Inttelligence to deem right from wrong.

The luck is both good and bad. As I see it, without the money OR the devastating loss of his parents, Bruce Wayne would not have become the Batman.

I think that being in the right place at the right time is a big component of this SUper Heroing business. It's been proven with Green Lantern. Guy Gardner would have been the first earth GL had Hal Jordan not been in closer proximity right? Luck of being in the right place at the right time. Superman, on his homeworld he would have died or at the very least a normal Kryptonian if he hadn't had the luck of his father being who he was. With theseas my basis for argument I hold luck to an equal place of value along side the other two.

[shoryukenmaster]

I think I was shortsighted when I posted this... I meant for some of these to attributes to be umbrella'd by others, such as morals would fly under the banner of Intelligence. You have to have a semblance of Inttelligence to deem right from wrong.

But intelligence and morals should not fly under the same flag. Deathstroke uses 90% of his brain, yet he's a villain. The list is very long of ultra-intelligent beings that are villains.

I guess you could say luck is just being at the right place at the right time, but to me that's such a small part of what makes these people superheros. Why didn't they turn into villains with their powers? Sure luck may have been what gave them the power, but it's not what makes them use the power for good. Which is how I would define a superhero.

[thepunisher]

But intelligence and morals should not fly under the same flag. Deathstroke uses 90% of his brain, yet he's a villain. The list is very long of ultra-intelligent beings that are villains.

I thought about that too... but there are also villains who are not always seen as mere Super Villains. Tkae Magneto for example. Sure to you and me he is the bad guy, but to some of the mutants he was fighting for, he was a Super Hero. This had to do with his level of intelligence in his beliefs. His Morals led him to do something about the unfair treatment of his people. He fought for their Social and Political freedoms in every encounter. It may not have seemed that way, but at his essence that is what he was doing.

Dr. Doom. Very intelligent Scientist/Mystic. Skewed view of the FF but to the people of Latveria he is like a god to them. He has turned their poor country into a country that is running with the Super powers as far as nations go in the MU.

Darkseid is a despot everywhere he goes, but his people will lay their lives down for him. This is another example of a Highly Evolved creature as far as Intelligence goes. He's a new God and his people revere him as such no matter how foul he is.

I guess a Super hero is also how it is defined by a certain group as well.


I guess you could say luck is just being at the right place at the right time, but to me that's such a small part of what makes these people superheros. Why didn't they turn into villains with their powers? Sure luck may have been what gave them the power, but it's not what makes them use the power for good. Which is how I would define a superhero.
Yeah but without luck to gain their abilities or their drive to do what they do, then what hapens? Are they just normal people witha want to do good but no real actaul ability with which to do that good?

[shoryukenmaster]

Yeah but without luck to gain their abilities or their drive to do what they do, then what hapens? Are they just normal people witha want to do good but no real actaul ability with which to do that good?

Luck doesn't define or create drive. Luck (good or bad) could be attributed to being in that place and that time to spark the initiative, but what about everything that happens from there on out?

Batman is a normal person with the will to do good, and I believe with or without his money he would still do it. He may not be as high tech or regarded as one of the top dawgs out there, but he would still do it. I wish I had better examples than this, but I'm at work right now and typing between my boss walking back and forth. ;)

I think it's the more what they do with it then if they have a power or not.

[dfbovey]

Ability plus the character to do something good with it.

Ability sums it up, because every hero needs something to fight evil with. Whether it be technology, some kind of power, brains... whatever.

But there has to be a drive to use that for the good of humanity.

I wonder, has there ever been a book about a character that had superhero type ability... but didn't use if for anything? Didn't have the desire to fight crime... doesn't want to hurt anybody. Maybe he's lazy and plays videogames all day? What if it was some strung out pot head that was bitten by a radioactive spider instead of Peter Parker?

[thepunisher]

I wonder, has there ever been a book about a character that had superhero type ability... but didn't use if for anything? Didn't have the desire to fight crime... doesn't want to hurt anybody. Maybe he's lazy and plays videogames all day? What if it was some strung out pot head that was bitten by a radioactive spider instead of Peter Parker?

Wasn't that book called Major Bummer?


Shoryukenmaster-you too!?! I have a catalog idea i'm supposed to present in about an hour and I'm not even half way through. Good thing they're just looking for a general direction in design and conceot. Not a fleshed out piece.

I think that drive/initiative falls under the category of intelligence. Let me clarify here. Intelligence as I am using it is not your typical Run of the mill genius level intellect ala Reed Richards, Tony Stark and such.

In my definition it's more than that. Every human being has an intellectual capacity, it's the reasoning factors of said intelligence that are able to recongnize the fact that they have been given a gift or a great opportunity to do something with these newfound abilities and/or powers and they are going to set out to do somehting that they deem is good.

I believe that SuperHeroes have the intellectual capacity (reasoning) to be something more than a SuperVillain and use their power for the good of all mankind instead of for selfish reasons.

[Logan]

dude, we aren't mind readers.. and saying after the fact that your definitions of the words used aren't the same as everyone elses is kind of lame. either use the words the same way the general public does or make a less confusing poll imo.

[thepunisher]

dude, we aren't mind readers.. and saying after the fact that your definitions of the words used aren't the same as everyone elses is kind of lame. either use the words the same way the general public does or make a less confusing poll imo.

Sorry If I didn't clarify and I'm not trying to make it seem like you guys are wrong. I'm just giving you what I think in my thought processes. You guys are giving me your thought processes and that's good.

I'm trying to generalize these terms. Not be overly specific. You're right, I should have made a more clear statement about I meant about what. I'm not asking you to be mind readers... I'm just wanting your thoughts on this.

Trust me, all this does help and I appreciate everything you guys are writing here. Everytime I see what you've written it makes me think more on what I wrote and then a response comes forward to flesh out the ideas some more.

[F!]

Pouches. Lots and lots of pouches.

[Jared Lee]

You mean a successful super hero right?
I mean, some people consider Deadpool a super hero (I don't).

Really I think a superhero is a person with extraordinary abilities helping keep the a large popluation safe from extraordinary circumstance.

I think a crime fighter is more of a localized hero. They are genraly located in a one town and take down thugs. Crime fighters dont need to need super powers. The hero just needs the ability, skills, and b@lls to get the job done.

Still people get a crime figher and a superhero mixed up all the time.

[lawfulwuss]

I'm probably too late, but I'm tripping up over your words too

If this is for a class, I'm guessing what you present just has to be well thought out, and it's a "there is no wrong answer" kind of deal.

In that case, take this into account. What is, by definition, a super hero?

Is it the example we see in comic-books? Or can there be real life super heroes? I mean, I must've seen at least 30 comics with someone looking at a fireman and I see the same line: "Now there's a real hero".

Does the recognition of others make them super heroes?

The punisher is always referred to as a vigilante. But he's got this own book where he fights crime, is he a super hero?

Sometimes you get the storylines where the villain does something noble, or helpful ... in that instance, are they now super heroes?

So before you can definitively say what is the essential quality of a super hero, maybe you should take some time to think of what essentially a super hero is.

I know this wasn't helpful in the least, but sometimes I just can't help stirring up stuff .... hehe maybe I'm a super hero!!!

[Deth]

I say Other.

you need a marketable emblem.

you also need a catchy name.

oh oh and a car that ends with mobile like the Reapermobile or something like that.

[bindlestitch]

You have to wear your underware outside your pants.
You have to "use your powers for good."

[josh_da_man27]

I think ability and motivation sums up what it takes to be a superhero. One could have the ability to fly, the ability to buy highly technical equipment, the ability to think more creatively or analytically than others, the ability to persuade people to do things a certain way, etc. These qualities would be useless without motivation. I guess I can't find a way to classify luck under ability or motivation, however, I have read a quote that explained that luck is merely preparation meeting opportunity.

I think that even regular people can be superheroes in their hometowns or areas where they live. If anyone is interested in becoming a member of a real person superhero society, check out my website at:
http://mdls.bravehost.com/