How to understand the SuperHero Genre

[Alverant]

Re: How to understand the SuperHero Genre

 

I would say the two main differences between fantasy and superhero is the level of civilization and free will is higher with superheroes. Fantasy games struck me as being a bit racist. Orcs, trolls, ogres, etc (as presented in earlier editions of AD&D) are inherently EVIL. Period. There's no chance to change their ways (save for the very rare anomaly a GM throws in just to mix things up). Heck, you can even tell the alignment of a dragon by the color of it's skin. I know things might have changed recently, but this is what I remember when I was playing it 20+ years ago.

 

I assume you read Knights of the Dinner Table. For those who don't in the comic the party is given an orc cub (note it's a "cub" not "child") and the normally moral character insists that it be left out in the woods to die of exposure. This was a baby. It couldn't even talk yet and already the moral center of the party is willing to condemn it to a prolonged death and doesn't even entertain the possibility of raising him with moral values. For me, that's a big turn off to the whole genre.

 

In fantasy heroes killed their enemies because 1) settings were modeled after the Dark Ages and that's what you did 2) there was no real prisons (not that they would do any good anyway since most of the occupants are EVIL by nature) 3) most adventures took place away from civilization and closer to being a war zone. Beating up a tribe of orcs and tying them up is useless because there's no police to take them in, no prison for them to serve time, and no way they're not going to go back to doing what they were doing before.

 

But the superhero setting takes place in a city. A city where everyone is expected to follow the same set of laws and there's a police force there to enforce it. Death is suppose to be a rare event, save for natural causes. Superheroes are expected to protect the citizens from multiple dangers and, being mightier than normal people, are held to a higher standard. In the real world police officers are investigated for any kind of shooting and double that if it's fatal. And with good reason. We don't want our protectors to be our overlords. As a society we accept the notion that lethal force should only be used when lives are at risk. Since they are in a modern city, risk of death does not happen as often as a more primitive rural setting.

 

Now add superheroes to the mix. Any concern people have about cops shooting innocent people goes up for the superpowered. A superhuman killing up normals, like say Viper Agents with blasters, becomes a threat to all because when you take away their padded armor and gun they're a person. A person just like you who can quit the organization and change who they are. Super on super violence is more acceptable since it's among equals. In fantasy Adventurers aren't held up that high.

 

I have to recommend not getting into the comics. For a new person, it's difficult to start reading a comic that's been around for decades. There's just so much back story you have to know (and it often contradicts itself) to get started. Instead go to the movies and TV shows because they begin and the beginning and accessible to everyone. Megamind is a good example of the superhero genre. Apart from property damage, no one got killed or seriously hurt despite the mammoth saw blades, lasers, rockets, etc being fired around and once. Plus (as I'm sure you know from the commercials) it has a villain who becomes a hero. In other words, he changes.

[RexMundi]

Re: How to understand the SuperHero Genre

 

It's easy to understand I think, when you look at the Super Hero Genre, as simply being, EVERY genre, in one place, and often, on the same team.

 

~Rex

[kahuna's bro]

Re: How to understand the SuperHero Genre

 

another genre you might find find interesting is ninja HERO the 6th ed version found in HERO system martial arts

[Lord Liaden]

Re: How to understand the SuperHero Genre

 

I love your post, and I can hear its drumbeat and poetry. However, I do disagree with this part of it. Supers, even masked Super Heroes, are a world wide phenomena. Darna has been published in the Philippines steadily since 1949. Sure, you can point to her roots in Captain Marvel, but she is a true Filipina heroine. Ultraman has been flying since 1966, and he was not the first modern Japanese Superhero. Chinese Wuxia Supers have been exhibiting every sort of Superpower since at least the Tang dynasty, when fantasy started mixing with action adventure. I'm not down playing in any way the importance of the American Superhero story, which added its own elements to the mix. Just pointing out that the roots run deep and the branches spread wide, and that you can find stories of masked heroes fighting evil bandits and corrupt officials almost everywhere, in almost every period.

 

Even masked hereos with Superpowers, though they were rare in Western literature until the American Superhero.

 

Thank you for the compliment. Your observations are all valid, and I never meant to imply that the superhero genre is exclusive to America and American culture. As you point out, that hasn't been true for generations. My mythic reference was meant to imply that the impetus for this kind of story goes far back in the legends of the past, and in many cases modern supers draw upon that same myth and folklore for their subjects and characters. The common yearning for the larger-than-life hero is part of what makes superheroes so compelling IMHO.

 

All I meant was that the concept we recognize today -- colorful costume, code name, incredible powers (or skills beyond what normal people could achieve), with the drive of high idealism -- arose out of the American zeitgeist (with a dash of Canadian inspiration from Joe Shuster, of course).

[assault]

Re: How to understand the SuperHero Genre

 

I have to recommend not getting into the comics. For a new person' date=' it's difficult to start reading a comic that's been around for decades. There's just so much back story you have to know (and it often contradicts itself) to get started.[/quote']

 

I'll dissent from this a bit. Continuity is overrated, and isn't particularly necessary to know.

 

Batman is Batman. Superman is Superman. Spider-Man is Spider-man.

 

All the nonsense that hack writers and editors have pulled on them rarely changes that. Granted, Batman is going through a stupid phase at the moment, and the others have had stupid phases in the past, but the core concepts of the characters are essentially the same as they always were.

 

(Spidey, of course, had a terrible fubar a couple of years ago - but that was really just a lame and clumsy way of resetting the character back to his roots. It's only a problem if you think about it. I almost added "too hard", but realised I really meant "at all".

 

And Batman is Bruce Wayne, whatever nonsense they are coming out with at the moment.)

[Escafarc]

Re: How to understand the SuperHero Genre

 

Since we're talking about this in the context of RPGs track down the trade paperbacks of the classic JLA/JSA team-ups. I think it would give you a feel of the whole "Super-team" and adventure pacing concepts.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: How to understand the SuperHero Genre

 

Does anyone have a homebrew supers adventure that they would be willing to share? I think that possibly seeing how an adventure shakes out might help with my perspective on roleplaying a supers game.

 

If you go to this forum thread, you'll find links to a whole bunch of free Champions adventures online.

[GoldenAge]

Re: How to understand the SuperHero Genre

 

Does anyone have a homebrew supers adventure that they would be willing to share? I think that possibly seeing how an adventure shakes out might help with my perspective on roleplaying a supers game.

 

My adventures tend to be so intertwined with the city and players that there's rarely something tangible to point at as a singular adventure. However, you can certainly visit my Epic City thread and stea... um, borrow whatever you want to broaden your own superhero campaign.

 

(Check my sig for a link to the Epic City thread)