Who Wants to Create a Superhero?

You say you want to a revolution in the world of superheroes so you want to create the next Dr. Obsidian? Hey, didn't I see your audition tape on Who Wants to be a Superhero? Prior to creating and writing your superhero's origins edition, you must consider a few things. For instance, what kind of superhero do you want your guy to be? Did he achieve his amazing powers as a result of being an alien, or was he a human being who had some sort of encounter with strange forces such as radiation? Or will your superhero follow the Batman mode and use not superpowers, but superior intelligence?

The science fiction superhero requires that he or she be endowed with non-human abilities. That doesn't necessarily mean being able to fly or having great strength. Anything that humans can't normally do is fair game, especially if your hero is an alien life form. Flying, telekinesis, superior strength, and the like have all been done to death. You'll want to make your hero stand out from the rest. Look around and see what abilities would be benefit a crime-fighter and be innovative. Which brings us to the next question: Why does he want to fight crime on this planet? If he's from here, that's easy, but what if he's an alien? What drives that sense of justice? And don't just use the easy path of specifically coming to Earth to battle the bad guys. How he got here is another thing to consider, but it is more important to determine why he chooses to be a hero. (The Silver Surfer's story is the best explanation in the annals of alien superheroes, but that doesn't necessarily mean yours can't be better.) Perhaps he met Flash Gordon and was told he could be the greatest athlete in history on Earth. But when he got here he was approached by organized crime types looking to cash in on him. The results of that meeting could ignite his sense of justice. Or, maybe your hero replaced an existing earthbound athlete by duplicating his appearance and when questions are raised about he went from hitting 25 home runs a year to 73 home runs a year things begin to unravel when he refuses to be tested for steroids.

The Batman route requires a bit more creativity because you have to adequately explain how your hero can have so much time to devote to bettering herself mentally and physically. That's why Batman is a millionaire in real life. These self-made superheroes tend to be rich loners and that is wealth of opportunity in itself. Why are they loners or antisocial? You can develop all kinds of back story there. The nagging problem is that if they are rich, they are probably well-known and if they are well-known they are probably expected to lead normal lives. You have to find a credible way to allow your self-made hero to never be suspected of leading a double life. That means they will on occasion have to inhabit their real life persona at a time when they desperately need to switch into superhero mode. How do you handle that?

When creating a superhero that is pure fantasy and inhabits a world you created the possibilities expand. Your hero's powers are almost unlimited, but even within a world of your own making readers will still cling to logical reality they recognize. As outrageous as superhero plots can get, there is always a line that can be crossed. Readers will give more leeway in your fantasy world than the real world, but if you indulge too greatly in the fantastic and outrageous you are likely to lose most of them. One example would the superhero that seems capable of getting a new power just when he needs it, but never uses it again. Magic is a tricky device. A little goes a long way; too much eye of newt spoils the stew.