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Of Superheroes, Remakes, Flashbacks/Forwards/Sideways and more
40hz:
The people concepts tend to be pretty simple.
-TaoPhoenix (November 20, 2014, 09:58 AM)
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True...however...
Where would you classify characters like the modern Batman and Iron Man? Wayne and Stark are both normal humans. Perhaps a lot more technologically sophisticated and wealthy than most people. But their 'super' powers derive mainly from the technology and powered bodysuits they employ. If they have any super power it's their high IQs.
Or Doc Savage? His powers derive mainly from a physical and mental developmental training program that started when he was conceived. No super anything with Doc. The implication is he's just a more 'realized' human potential. And that what he is, you could be too.
Where do these characters fit into the general superhero continuum?
TaoPhoenix:
Besides the tech, I think it's important to figure out the roles of the police when a superhero is around.
I'd think with billion dollar Homeland tech, a vigilante would have a far harder time now than 20+ years ago.
I think that changes things.
I'm not quite sure how.-TaoPhoenix (November 20, 2014, 02:34 PM)
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The Homeland tech is largely irrelevant in this case, as it will - and is - only used for targeting crime/criminals with high political (e.g. vote generating) value. This way they don't have to run the risk of exposing how thoroughly they spying on everyone by accidentally eliminating - or largely denting - crime in general - As that would be bad for "business"..
...
-Stoic Joker (November 20, 2014, 03:08 PM)
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Complex notion there, and I slightly disagree with it. I think too many modern shows have become near-ads for Homeland Tech. Besides the CSI type shows, looks what happened in the Mentalist. CBI - a few desktops, a few DMV lookups, a few other things, then hit the streets. Then that season change recently, and suddenly it's the FBI that wants Jayne, and they play with the Big Toys. So while corrupting the actual practices, they made sure to keep in the "be scared of us" mentality.
wraith808:
Where would you classify characters like the modern Batman and Iron Man? Wayne and Stark are both normal humans. Perhaps a lot more technologically sophisticated and wealthy than most people. But their 'super' powers derive mainly from the technology and powered bodysuits they employ. If they have any super power it's their high IQs.
-40hz (November 20, 2014, 08:38 PM)
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I posted a video that has a funny... but relevant line in it to the silly humor thread. Namely, Drax tells Batman you should be called normal man in a suit that looks vaguely like a bat. And in all truth, as much as I love the Batman as a character, his real superpower is the audience's suspension of disbelief, and a lot of cool. Either that, or he actually does have powers. Because he does a *lot* that a normal human, no matter how well trained, cannot do.
TaoPhoenix:
The people concepts tend to be pretty simple.
-TaoPhoenix (November 20, 2014, 09:58 AM)
--- End quote ---
True...however...
Where would you classify characters like the modern Batman and Iron Man? Wayne and Stark are both normal humans. Perhaps a lot more technologically sophisticated and wealthy than most people. But their 'super' powers derive mainly from the technology and powered bodysuits they employ. If they have any super power it's their high IQs.
Or Doc Savage? His powers derive mainly from a physical and mental developmental training program that started when he was conceived. No super anything with Doc. The implication is he's just a more 'realized' human potential. And that what he is, you could be too.
Where do these characters fit into the general superhero continuum?
-40hz (November 20, 2014, 08:38 PM)
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Batman and IronMan I would put in a different category, to be "addressed later". (I'm not really up on my Doc Savage lore.)
I meant this time around that for "simple-metahuman" heroes, except for Superman who (writer-wise) was struggling with being handed too many powers, nearly everyone else was pretty simple in concept.
Level of control matters. I credit Bryan Singer's Xmen for really refreshing what "fine control" can do. At the bare (non-Jean-Grey) limits of powers, Ian McKellan's Magneto really shows what mastery can do with an ability. (Yank the Cali Bridge off its moorings, or assemble 300k molecules of iron out of someone's blood.)
TaoPhoenix:
Where would you classify characters like the modern Batman and Iron Man? Wayne and Stark are both normal humans. Perhaps a lot more technologically sophisticated and wealthy than most people. But their 'super' powers derive mainly from the technology and powered bodysuits they employ. If they have any super power it's their high IQs.
-40hz (November 20, 2014, 08:38 PM)
--- End quote ---
I posted a video that has a funny... but relevant line in it to the silly humor thread. Namely, Drax tells Batman you should be called normal man in a suit that looks vaguely like a bat. And in all truth, as much as I love the Batman as a character, his real superpower is the audience's suspension of disbelief, and a lot of cool. Either that, or he actually does have powers. Because he does a *lot* that a normal human, no matter how well trained, cannot do.
-wraith808 (November 20, 2014, 09:06 PM)
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He's not a "normal" human. He's closer to a western version of a gifted natural martial arts talent from China etc.
So while his body could "almost make sense" to a doctor in a hospital if he overdoes it, he doesn't exactly have super-powers, not something that he can just whip out and pummel disbelief with. Instead, it's more like "a grown-up prodigy". (For ex, ever seen those types? You play a 3 minute piece of music four times and they can play it note perfect?)
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