Silver Age and tragedy

[Powerhouse]

This may sound like a strange post but here I go:

 

Right now, I'm reworking and rewriting some characters for the Sentinels of Justice, my Silver and Bronze Age team. I'm trying rather hard to give it a Silver Age feel and wondering if I need to alter some of the background to lighten things up a bit.

 

Of course, the question becomes: just what is Silver Age? On the one hand, you have some goofy DC stories. On the other hand, you have Spiderman with all of his problems and my personal take that Marvel was never really Silver Age in the first place (kinda a quasi-bronze age before the death of Gwen Stacey made it official).

 

I think that most of the backgrounds are fine but I think that they might need some tailoring. One I'm looking at is my energy blaster with vague shades of GL. Basically he was an AirForce pilot whose wife died in a car accident. He became increasingly reckless both in the cockpit (as a civilian test pilot) and out with his gambling, barfighting, and carousing. Eventually he becomes an astronaut and takes a dangerous interplanetary flight mission. It goes wrong but before he dies, he is rescued by a celestial being who notes the man's deathwish and asks if he wants a reason to LIVE.

 

By answering in the affirmative, he gains his powers and the mission to protect Earth.

 

Too dark for a Silver Age hero?

 

I look foward to comments. Thank you.

[Balabanto]

Re: Silver Age and tragedy

 

That depends on how his transformation changes him. If saving the world is his reason to live, the problem becomes what happens if he fails, or believes that he has failed.

 

Which is VERY interesting. Not dark, just interesting.

[McCoy]

Re: Silver Age and tragedy

 

Too dark for a Silver Age hero?

Not in my opinion.

 

My rule of thumb for Silver Age is stories is those produced under the Comics Code. I realize this is far from a universally recognized standard.

 

As long as the wife's death is off-panel or not too graphic, this would pass CCA review.

[Clonus]

Re: Silver Age and tragedy

 

Too dark for a Silver Age hero?

 

I look foward to comments. Thank you.

 

Not at all. A staple of Silver Age Superman was the old "Hey I can travel in time so why don't I undo my parents deaths" story. He revisited those tragedies in his life more than once and never with a happy ending. Spider-Man's loss of Uncle Ben, Doctor Strange's stint as an alchoholic street person, Steve Trevor's death in 1968...the Silver Age wasn't all sunshine and lollipops. The difference of course is that the Silver Age person isn't going to use their tragedy as an excuse to leave a trail of bodies of deceased walk-ons.

[assault]

Re: Silver Age and tragedy

 

Too dark for a Silver Age hero?

 

As people have pointed out, the Silver Age had its fair share of tragedy.

 

The single darkest title was probably the Doom Patrol, from DC, who were killed off at the end of their run. (Some of them were brought back later - in the "darker" Bronze Age.)

 

Having said that... there doesn't seem to be anything particularly "Silver Age" about the character you described. He's "legitimately Silver Age", without being "distinctively Silver Age", if that distinction is meaningful.

 

It suggests that there is a risk that the game could become Silver Age in name only.

[Powerhouse]

Re: Silver Age and tragedy

 

Having said that... there doesn't seem to be anything particularly "Silver Age" about the character you described. He's "legitimately Silver Age", without being "distinctively Silver Age", if that distinction is meaningful.

 

It suggests that there is a risk that the game could become Silver Age in name only.

 

Good point and something that I worried about. I'm trying to design the characters to invoke the iconic heroes that became popular in the Silver Age (with the notable exceptions of the big three: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman who remained popular after the Golden Age). I hope will have a Silver Age feel and later you can contrast to a more mature take on them in the Bronze Age.

 

To capture the Silver Age, I'm trying to give the characters a more scientific feel (since so many Silver Age heroes go their powers from science, especially radiation) and the more powerful ones have an Achilles Heel.

 

Just for some quick reference, the initial eight are:

 

1. Doctor Atomic: a nuclear powered Superman who faces a great deal of nuclear powered enemies and tends to use alot of science in the stories (including how he deals with his opponents). I hope the emphasis on science and atomic power invokes a silver age feel as well as his true blue super heroing.

 

2. Nighthunter: he's the Bronze Ager of the group. Originally he was just someone inspired by the Golden Age heroes and took up their role. I decide to use that idea for someone else though. Instead, he's the Batman type but with a bow to mimic Green Arrow/Hawkeye. He's serious but also a team player and has a dry wit.

 

3. Athena: shades of Wonder Woman but also Captain Marvel in which a young girl says Athena's prayer and becomes the goddess' avatar. Interestingly though, her background is more Peter Parker since she is bullied and an outcast. It's my hope that this Peter Parker like secret ID also invokes some Silver Age goodness.

 

4. Solaris (working name): the GL analog although he's more a blaster with solar and gravity powers. Fueled by the sun, he is much weaker at night (End reserve that recovers only in sunlight). A serious limit on his powers I hope feels Silver Agey enough. Also, you have another science based heroes and an astronaut to boot. While his initial origin is tragic, this rebirth returns to him the zeal for life and he's quite the swashbuckler.

 

I was considering a type of retcon where you don't find out about his wife's death (and his behavior) until the Bronze Age. Before that, he's just presented as a typical hero.

 

5. Hornet: a cross between Spiderman and Antman: scientist who gains powers from an explosion in the lab. Among his enemies is the Red Scare: communist spy extradonaire. Powers include sticking to walls, super strength, a bio blast, and shrinking.

 

6. Glamour: admittedly, she doesn't feel very silver age but everyone needs a mystic. She's an illusionist from England. Flighty and flirty. An analog for Scarlet Witch and Zatanna.

 

7. Blue Bolt: to be continued but he's a speedster who is inspired by the Golden Age heroes. He needs some work.

 

8. The Stranger: alien shapeshifter who forms the Sentinels of Justice to protect Earth when his own people attack. He has a major weakness to cold due to his malleable structure. A highly noble warrior who is forced to stay on Earth and adapt to its culture- basically inspired by the Vision and Martian Manhunter.

 

I'm hoping that the above, with the emphasis on science, space, Achilles Heels, and general true blue superheroes (all have CvK and play by Silver Age rules except for Nighthunter and even he has the CvK) that it will have a Silver Age feel to it.

 

It's later on when complications start to crop up.

 

Whew, wordy! Anyway thanks to everyone for their advice so far. I hope that you continue to pass on your wisdom in this and other threads- I look foward to them!