History Characters / Superbook2011

* RichGenius: The family is shown living in a very impressive house with a sizable backyard, swimming pool, and tree-house, and also enjoy the luxury of a personal robot servant in Gizmo, which is seems to be an uncommon privilege in the show's universe. Their wealth may be due to Professor Quantum's scientific fame and know-how.

* AllGuitarsAreStratocasters: In "A Giant Adventure," Todd rocks a blue-and-white Stratocaster while trying out to become the school band's guitarist.

* GoodParents: According to the show at least; both of them are depicted as kind, patient, reasonable, and they clearly care about their son's well-being. They do act more harshly towards Chris on occasion, but this always shown as right inn the end.

* CantTakeAnythingWithYou: One of Superbook's usual rules is that it doesn't allow the kids to take any technology from the present back with them into Bible times, except of course for Gizmo; any other tech is removed from them during the warp to the past and given back when they're returned home. Technology isn't the only thing to get this restriction, as in different episodes camping backpacks the kids are wearing, a plate of cookies that Joy's carrying from the Quantums' kitchen, and a box of pizza that the kids have purchased are taken from them and later given back at the end of the respective adventures (all of those items are too obviously anachronistic to Bible times, after all). However, there are times when Superbook will make an exception to this rule if the items in question are important to the episode's moral dilemma. In "Revelation," Chris gets to carry a digital picture-frame of himself and his parents since it's part of the episode's dilemma where he's certain they'll never forgive him for his latest bad antic; while in "Elisha and the Syrians," Joy gets to take her cell-phone with her because it's a key element of her current moral dilemma of whether to upload an unflattering video about another girl as revenge for said girl having done the same to her; and in "The Fiery Furnace," Chris gets to carry his cell-phone since it's part of his moral dilemma about whether to use a test cheat-sheet he'd downloaded earlier.

* NoMouth: Capable of speaking, but doesn't have the visible tools for it. Not that Superbook talks all that often anyway.

* GoodParents: Both of them are kind, patient, reasonable, and they clearly care about Chris's well-being. At the same time, they're not afraid to scold or punish him when he's done something wrong.

* RichGenius: Thanks to Professor Quantum's scientific fame and know-how, the family can afford to live in a very impressive house with several satellite dishes on the roof, plus they have a sizable backyard with a swimming pool and a tree-house.

* BrightIsNotGood: Pearce's jacket may be bright orange, but his character is anything ''but'' light-hearted.

* TokenBlackFriend: Averted, actually. While Ellie is the only significant black character in the kids' peer-circle, her ethnicity is never commented on, and she's shown to have her own life and activities independent of them.
* TokenMinority: While the TokenBlackFriend trope above is averted in-universe, it can't be denied that Ellie is one of only two recurring non-white characters in the kids' peer-group (the other being Jia Wei, whose name indicates Chinese heritage) and one of only two recurring black characters in general (the other being Pastor Aaron). Presumably, this was in response to questions on the series' website about why there wasn't more ethnic diversity in the cast (which admittedly ''was'' pretty glaring in earlier seasons).
* TurnToReligion: While Ellie's first appearance in "Nicodemus" establishes that she has questions about the Bible and Christianity, her next appearance in "Baptized!" sees her deciding to join Chris and Joy in baptism after getting a fresh spiritual perspective [[spoiler:aided by her joining in on the episodic Superbook trip]].

* AsTheGoodBookSays: One of the few modern-day characters to do this. It makes sense for him since he's a pastor.
* FriendToAllChildren: After all, when you work with young people, this is pretty necessary.

* NiceGuy: Yes.

* ScaryBlackMan: Oh, ''so'' averted. Pastor Aaron is a tall and strapping figure, but also calm, gentle and approachable.

* TokenMinority: He's the only recurring adult character who's non-white, plus he's one of three recurring non-white characters overall (the other two being Jia Wei and Ellie).

* InsufferableGenius: When it comes to the [[MagicVersusScience science vs. religion debate]], he'll rub the whole idea of "if science can't prove it, it doesn't exist" in the face of anyone who holds religious beliefs to a [[ExaggeratedTrope ridiculous extent]]. It shows up most prominently when he confronts Chris over quietly reciting a prayer as he prepares for a timed space-mission simulation.f

A famous astronaut and deep-space explorer who spearheads the space-themed camp that Chris, Joy and Gizmo attend in the two-part episode "Paul and the Unknown God."
* AgentScully: His stance toward religion. "If we can't demonstrate it scientifically, it's not real."[[note]]Ironically, the TropeNamer herself had a Christian upbringing and was a woman of religious faith.[[/note]]

* BrokenPedestal: He turns out to be a downplayed and justified example. While Chris starts Part One being excited to be working alongside the space-explorer, he's left visibly troubled after Conrad mocks his belief in God in front of the other space-camp attendees. The discussion between the two outlines that Conrad's stance is because he doesn't believe in any deity, having seen no evidence of such in his years of space exploration. This trope is further played with at the end of Part Two in that, while Chris still respects Conrad for his achievements, he's disappointed that the older man hasn't been convinced by Chris and Joy's virtual presentation on how science and religion don't have to be mutually exclusive. [[spoiler:Conrad might be on the way to becoming a RebuiltPedestal, though, if Part Two's final shot of him sitting alone and contemplating the ramifications of the kids' presentation is any indication (it's left ambiguous whether he'll change his stance, though)]].

* HollywoodAtheist: A downplayed example, as he doesn't believe in anything that doesn't have scientific evidence to back it up. His argument is that, in all his years as a space explorer, he's looked into the deepest part of space and seen no evidence of any deities' existence, so therefore he dismisses the idea of God or gods as "fairy tales."
* InsufferableGenius: When it comes to the [[MagicVersusScience science vs. religion debate]], he'll rub the whole idea of "if science can't prove it, it doesn't exist" in the face of anyone who professes religious belief. It shows up most prominently when he confronts Chris over saying a (quick and quiet) prayer during a space-mission simulation with a time-limit for its completion.

* WomenAreWiser: A mild example, as "Jesus in the Wilderness" has her revealing to Joy that, despite her and Joseph's [[AdultFear natural worry about having accidentally left Jesus behind and then finding him again after searching for three days]], she at least understands how important Jesus's obedience to God is compared even to obedience to them as His earthly parents. We say "mild" because the episode doesn't delve into Joseph's view on the matter following the incident (neither did the Bible, remember).

* BigBad: Just like in the original scripture, the whole problem of sin, and a lot of the misfortunes in this show's Bible stories by extension, can be traced back to him.

* TheCorrupter: Yes, he is this. He doesn't limit himself to just the Bible characters, either; on at least three occasions he's tried to coerce Chris into joining forces with him or to otherwise be disobedient or rebellious against his parents or God in some way.

* DealWithTheDevil: Oh, quite naturally. He attempts this with Chris twice, first in "In the Beginning" (where he invokes an image of Chris flying freely with a jet-pack while saying that the kids can be masters of their own destiny as long as they follow him) and again in "Revelation" (where he offers Chris the opportunity to eat a mystical fruit as a way of ridding himself of the guilt he feels over his latest bad choice), and of course there's the famous series of temptations put to Jesus in "Jesus in the Wilderness." In all three episodes, the recipients reject him, much to his visible displeasure.

** To God, like in scripture, in that while God is the BigGood, Satan is the BigBad. It's also present in how they relate to humans; God desires a genuine relationship with humans, while Satan will pretend to be their friend in order to further his own ends.
** To Jesus, again like in scripture, concerning their respective roles as mentors to humans. Focusing specifically on the disciples, Jesus tends to mentor Peter as a future leader of the apostles, guiding him in the right way and encouraging him to grow as a follower of God's will and to strengthen the brethren; conversely, Satan is the one who directs Judas to betray Jesus, and Jesus also notes at one point that Satan wants to sift Peter like wheat.

* RedIsHeroic: His robe is striped in two different shades of red in "Let My People Go," and a single red shade in subsequent appearances. The striped version is similar to the red robe Charlton Heston wore when he played Moses in ''Film/TheTenCommandments''.

* YellowSashOfPower: As the resident hall monitor, Jia Wei frequently enforces the school rules and keeps a pinpoint-accurate note of every student's infractions; his record on the two protagonists when they're late for school in one episode shows that it's Joy's first infraction, so she gets off with just a warning, but Chris gets put at risk for detention since it's his third time being late. However, the trope is deconstructed in that Jia Wei's insistence on following the rules so stringently has made him so unpopular with the other students that none of them will even eat lunch with him, and his knowledge of his pariah status bothers him immensely. At the same time, Chris--who initially resents Jia Wei's authority--comes to acknowledge that the guy's just doing his appointed job of maintaining order and doing it well, and that he himself can choose to be friendly to Jia Wei instead of ostracizing him.

* HumanMomNonhumanDad: Of course. His mother is the very human Mary, and His Father is the very heavenly and divine God. Joseph is His legal adopted father on Earth.

* BigRedDevil: Satan's default appearance throughout the series, as shown at right, is based on the typical cultural interpretation as exemplified by this trope; he sports red skin, bat-like wings, horns, and flames for hair, in addition to wearing [[DarkIsEvil black armor]]. However, he can [[{{Shapeshifting}} change his look as needed]], including taking on his previous WingedHumanoid look from before his fall from Heaven (back when he was known as Lucifer), or assuming a normal human guise if he needs to blend in with mortals.

* PoweredArmor: He makes his entry in Part One wearing one of these (pictured above). [[spoiler:Though it turns out to actually be his droid QBIT disguised as him, giving the kids a little show before the actual Conrad appears to welcome them properly]]. The suit grants flight abilities via RocketBoots, and Conrad is also revealed to have worn a similar outfit during his past missions as a deep-space astronaut. With the kind of show this is, however, he likely doesn't have any of the offense-based abilities wielded by a certain armored Avenger.

* BrokenPedestal: He turns out to be a downplayed and justified example. While Chris starts Part One being excited to be working alongside the space-explorer, he's left visibly troubled after Conrad mocks his belief in God. The discussion between the two outlines that Conrad's stance is because he doesn't believe in any deity, having seen no evidence of such in his years of space exploration. This trope is further played with at the end of Part Two in that, while Chris still respects Conrad for his achievements, he's disappointed that the older man hasn't been convinced by Chris and Joy's virtual presentation on how science and religion don't have to be mutually exclusive. [[spoiler:Conrad might be on the way to becoming a RebuiltPedestal, though, if Part Two's final shot of him sitting alone and contemplating the ramifications of the kids' presentation is any indication (it's left ambiguous whether he'll change his stance, though)]].

* PoweredArmor: He makes his entry in Part One wearing one of these (pictured above), which gives him flight abilities via RocketBoots. With the kind of show this is, however, he likely doesn't have any of the offense-based abilities wielded by a certain armored Avenger. [[spoiler:It's not the real Conrad, though--it's actually his robot droid QBIT making a very realistic holographic presentation to impress the kids before the actual Conrad shows up to welcome them properly]].
* RobotBuddy: Has one in QBIT, an artificial intelligence droid assistant.

* HardLight: [[spoiler:As of "Paul and the Unknown God, Part 2," he gets a system upgrade that lets him (somewhat imperfectly) emulate humanoid figures using this]].

---'''Voiced by:''' Garry Chalk

---> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/SamuelVincent

--> '''Chris:''' News at 10--ketchup packs go missing from the pizza shop. Yeah, let's break the story wide open.

--> '''Commander Conrad:''' Like your father, I suspect you've got science built into your DNA, Chris.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Oftentimes selfish, craves stardom at others' expense, rebellious...but he truly does care about Joy, Gizmo, and his family.

--> '''Chris:''' Okay, prison. This trip certainly can't get any worse.
--> ''(a huge prisoner comes out of the darkness behind them and grabs Chris and Joy by their shoulders)''
--> '''Joy:''' [[OhCrap And then it did]].

---> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/ShannonChanKent

--> '''Gizmo:''' ''(to Chris)'' Statistically, it appears your plan to get Joseph back to his brothers will not work unless they just happen to show up in Egypt on their own.
--> '''Chris:''' Yeah? And the day that happens, I'll shave my head and dress like an Egyptian.
--> '''Judah:''' ''(arriving with the rest of the brothers)'' Excuse me, I am Judah. My brothers and I have traveled here from Canaan.
--> '''Joy:''' ...I'll see if I can borrow Joseph's razor.

* ExtracurricularEnthusiast: Chess club, Girls' Leadership club, Girls' Service club, overseer of the school's recycling activities, various types of community and church outreach, soccer practice, cello practice...However, it's deconstructed in "Nebuchadnezzar's Dream," where Joy is overwhelmed to the point of panic by numerous projects and activities that are overlapping with one another, and Chris's suggestion to blow off one or two of them only gets her more agitated.

* OnlySaneMan: She kind of has to be the sanest of the trio, what with Chris and Gizmo being, well, Chris and Gizmo...unless, of course, she's the one facing the episode's conflict, in which case some of her rationality drops a little.

---> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/CathyWeseluck

* CloudCuckooLander: Gizmo has a rather...excitable imagination.

--> '''Gizmo:''' Quick! Both of you under me! I'll protect you!
--> '''Joy:''' But, Gizmo, that's brave!
--> '''Chris:''' And you aren't brave!
--> '''Gizmo:''' It is the end of the world! Do you think this is a good time to mention my shortcomings?!

* {{Hammerspace}}: Related to the DoAnythingRobot trope above, Gizmo is ''somehow'' able to store things inside himself in such a way that really can't be explained any other way aside from this trope. The stuff he's been shown to hold within himself include, but are not limited to: Chris's guitar, a wide variety of clothes for him to change into at a moment's notice, a mechanical parrot, an anvil, a blender, a multitude of stop-signs, over two dozen basketballs, a fire extinguisher, a strobe-light...and that's just from his chest cavity and without counting the many other gadgets he's got installed otherwise.

---> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/ColinMurdock

--> '''Superbook:''' I am taking you to see such things that, if you searched all of history from the time God created people on the earth until now, and searched from one end of the heavens to the other, you would know nothing as great as this has ever been seen or heard before.

---> '''Voiced by:''' Jan Rabson and Creator/NicoleOliver

---> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/CathyWeseluck

--> '''Todd:''' Science fair is for losers!

---> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/BrianDrummond

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He may be acerbic, but as Joy (and later Chris) observes, he's not necessarily a bad person--just someone who was caught up in bad cirucmstances.

--> '''Jason:''' ''(bitterly)'' You don't know a thing about who I am or where I come from.

---> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/ColinMurdock and Creator/CathyWeseluck

---> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/KathleenBarr

---> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/MichaelAdamthwaite

--> '''Gizmo:''' Why do the words "maniac" and "insane" not worry you? Can't you see that this Pearce person is violent?

---> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/AndreaLibman

---> '''Voiced by:''' James Higuchi

--> '''Chris:''' Jia Wei, since when do hall monitors have full video surveillance?
--> '''Jia Wei:''' Since I introduced the principal to the value of backup evidence for every single school infraction.

---> '''Voiced by:''' Doran Bell

---> '''Voiced by:''' Maxine Miller

---> '''Voiced by:''' Erin Matthews

---> '''Voiced by:''' Giles Panton

---> '''Voiced by:''' Clay St. Thomas

* BrokenPedestal: He turns out to be a downplayed and justified example. While Chris starts Part One being excited to be working alongside the space-explorer, he's left visibly troubled after Conrad mocks his belief in God. The discussion between the two outlines that Conrad's stance is because he doesn't believe in any diety, having seen no evidence of such in his years of space exploration. This trope is further played with at the end of Part Two in that, while Chris still respects Conrad for his achievements, he's disappointed that the older man hasn't been convinced by Chris and Joy's virtual presentation on how science and religion don't have to be mutually exclusive. [[spoiler:Conrad might be on the way to becoming a RebuiltPedestal, though, if Part Two's final shot of him sitting alone and contemplating the ramifications of the kids' presentation is any indication (it's left ambiguous whether he'll change his stance, though)]].

---> '''Voiced by:''' Jim Conrad

** The first example happens in "In the Beginning" right when Adam and Eve are compelled to leave Eden following their sin of eating the ForbiddenFruit. As Chris, Joy and Gizmo prepare to chase after them, the trio's suddenly confronted by a lion which, earlier, had been shown as quite non-aggressive, but now wants to eat them. The kids start running for their lives, the lion chases after them and is closing in...and then, from the stormy sky above, a lightning bolt strikes a tree and sets it on fire, causing it to fall right in the lion's path to make the big cat give up the chase. While there are instances of lightning flashing from the clouds above prior to this moment, this particular lightning bolt is the ''only'' one that strikes from heaven to earth, indicating that God had a hand in the kids' rescue.

--> '''Gizmo:''' Hey! That sped up my sort-system-scan. ''(waves skyward)'' Thank you!

** "The Fiery Furnace" has Nebuchadnezzar, in threatening the three faithful Hebrews for refusing to bow down to his image, boldly asking who is their God that will deliver them from his fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego remain faithful to God, they get thrown in the furnace for their faithfulness...and then God proceeds to make the furnace's seven-times-increased heat of utter insignificance.

---> '''Voiced by:''' Noel Johansen

--> '''Jesus:''' My Father's house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations! But ''you'' have turned it into a den of THIEVES! ''(cracks the whip and flings the tables away)''

* CompellingVoice: If he's banishing demons, or rebuking a storm, they ''obey''. On a more kindly note, he'll combine this with his HealingHands to banish sickness and provide hope to the sick person in the process.
* CoolSword: He's the one who meets Joshua prior to the attack on Jericho in "Rahab and the Walls of Jericho," and he's carrying a sword that's glowing with light (along with the rest of Himself).

--> '''Peter:''' ''(pointing out a herd of pigs)'' Rabbi, we must find a way around those swine. Such creatures are unclean and dangerous.
--> ''(ungodly sounds come up from behind the group)''
--> '''Jesus:''' ''(looking back knowingly)'' No. There is something else...

--> '''Jesus:''' Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.
* FriendToAllChildren: When the kids meet Jesus for the first time (from their chronological perspective, anyway) in "Miracles of Jesus," one of the first things he does is to offer them something to eat. At different points throughout the series thereafter, whenever they meet Him, He's a caring mentor who gives them direct or indirect lessons to apply to their personal situations back home. [[spoiler:And as He demonstrates in "Revelation," threatening to harm children who believe in Him will have [[HolyHandGrenade very dire consequences]] for the one giving the threat]].

--> '''Chris:''' Yeah, we don't jump, right, Jesus? People jump for us.
--> '''Jesus:''' ''(sighs)'' Have I shown you nothing, Chris?

---> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/BrianDobson

--> '''Michael:''' [[EstablishingCharacterMoment Do not be afraid. No harm will come to you here]].

* LightIsGood: An angel, blond hair, wears white and gold armor, has light-based powers...yes, he qualifies.

--> '''Joy:''' Why did he do this?
--> '''Michael:''' He ''thought'' he could be like God.

---> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/PaulDobson

--> '''Satan:''' Agony. Such a pleasing sound.

--> '''Satan:''' And now the outlook is cloudy...with a chance of ''fire!''

--> '''Lucifer:''' I am God's greatest work. And I shall ascend above all of creation!

---> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/RichardNewman

---> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/AlessandroJuliani (as child David and young adult David), Michael Donovan (as old David)

---> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/MichaelDobson

---> '''Voiced by:''' Garry Chalk

---> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/MichaelDobson

---> '''Voiced by:''' Teryl Rothery

--> '''Elizabeth:''' God has blessed you above all women, and your Child is blessed.

---> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/BrianDrummond

* GreatEscape: "Peter's Escape" is all about how Peter gets out of prison despite being chained to two guards, with two more stationed just outside his cell, and with several doors and gates between him and freedom--only, like in Scripture, it's an angel who helps him escape while keeping things stealthy. Amusingly, outside the prison the kids are plotting their own means of getting Peter out, although Gizmo has deduced that the only way they'd be able to do so...is by using a tank (which obviously doesn't exist in that time period).

--> '''Gizmo:''' Peter denied Jesus three times...so Jesus is ''restoring'' him three times.

---> '''Voiced by:''' Various

---> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/BrianDobson

--> '''Ananias:''' There is none more relentless to see our light extinguished than Saul of Tarsus.

* BadassBeard: Just look at it--it's right there for all to see!

* OneSteveLimit: Averted. There are two Simons and two Judases within this group alone, plus Philip shares his name with one of the seven deacons of the early Christian church, the same one who baptizes the Ethiopian eunuch in "Philip."

* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Choleric.

* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Phlegmatic.

* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Sanguine.

* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Melancholic.