History SoYouWantTo / WriteASuperheroComic

What ''sort'' of powers do you characters have? Are they active all the time, or is there a sort of [[HenshinHero on/off switch between their regular persona and their hero persona, with only the hero one superpowered]]? And where do these powers come from? Magic is certainly a possibility, but may turn away a good chunk of your audience for various reasons (religion, sci-fi leanings, etc.). ComicBook/XMen managed to HandWave it as science, letting us get past the initial hurdle of ''why'' they had powers (let alone how the powers managed to work... Seriously, genetic ability to ''[[ComicBook/{{Storm}} control the wind]]''!? Enlighten us, [[Creator/StanLee O wise one]]; [[RuleOfCool how the hell does that work?]]) and just move on to the storytelling.

As discussed below, an increasing tendency has been to examine the DarkerAndEdgier aspects of the superhero mythos. Whilst it's a valid approach to take, do not make the mistake of assuming that it's automatically more interesting or original than the more traditional approach to the superhero; an entire period of superhero comics is called UsefulNotes/{{the Dark Age|of Comic Books}} precisely ''because'' almost every superhero comic being published had to be DarkerAndEdgier, so a lot of it's been done before. And not necessarily that well; with superhero comics, it's quite easy when shooting for 'adult and mature' to end up in '[[RatedMForMoney adolescent and immature]]' instead. Violence, sex and cursing aren't automatically more grown-up or interesting than the alternatives, so keep this in mind. Also consider that some characters are more suited to being made darker than others; what works for Batman might not necessarily work for Superman. And keep in mind that it doesn't hurt to add a little idealism into a DarkerAndEdgier trope and not make it grim dark for the sake of it or else it could risk having your story reach TooBleakStoppedCaring levels.

In recent years, it has become common to present a [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism more cynical take]] on the superhero, reversing the traditional ComesGreatResponsibility image of the hero to present the opposite; selfish, reckless, irresponsible and egotistical "heroes" who are only considered heroes because they are, on the surface at least, on the side of law and order. See NinetiesAntiHero. Alternatively, the hero might be just as well-meaning as the traditional hero, but despite their best efforts usually ends up doing more harm than good. They may also be presented as government, military or corporate stooges who aim only to keep a repressive status quo in place, and have no particular interest in whether the innocent live or die as long as the goals of their organization are met. Any of these can lead to a BewareTheSuperman situation where the world is actually ''worse'', not better, for having superhumans around; the villains would be bad enough, but the heroes are in many cases just as bad. Keep in mind however that this theme, whilst initially a subversion of ComesGreatResponsibility, has been used a lot since the mid-eighties (so much so that the proliferation of these types of stories in the mid-eighties and nineties was common enough to see that era named UsefulNotes/{{the Dark Age|of Comic Books}}), and so isn't necessarily fresh or original by itself; a fresh spin on it couldn't hurt.

Much of the work of Creator/RobLiefeld tends to be criticized as being representative of many of the faults of UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks - poor art, ludicrously over-muscular and over-macho characters and dialogue, poor plotting and an overly-adolescent idea of 'maturity'. His work is often considered a good example of what to avoid.

Also, a major asset to superhero fantasy is ''[[GenreRoulette subgenre flexibility]]''; most superhero characters can be put into ''any'' subgenre setting and make it work. This arose over the decades with writers, who needed to make the monthly deadlines, have put superheroes in a wide variety of fantasy/science fiction tropes so often that you'd expect them to work. For instance, name another fantasy genre that can shift settings and dramatic tones so completely from story to story that reader would accept. For instance, one publishing year period for the classic 1980s ''[[ComicBook/TeenTitans New Teen Titans]]'' comic book series by Creator/MarvWolfman and Creator/GeorgePerez had the team fight a supervillain's cult, then go off into outer space for a SpaceOpera story, and then return for a gritty, and relatively down to earth, FilmNoir story about runaways, without having to justify the change.

The other genre-defining team was DC's response to Claremont's X-Men - Marv Wolfman and George Perez's ''[[ComicBook/TeenTitans New Teen Titans]]''. Once again, the basic premise sounds as cheesy as the X-Men's seemed - it's just a team of sidekicks and adolescent neophytes. And hey, there's a reason the Silver Age Teen Titans isn't generally regarded as one of DC's greatest books. But here, Wolfman makes a wonderful new team of his own that works due to great character creation and interaction. Dick Grayson as Robin, and eventually Nightwing (a change in name and costume that was badly needed) is Batman's estranged sidekick, still living in Batman's shadow and dealing with his drive to do too much. He's involved with Starfire, an alien beauty who is simultaneously socially naive and a trained warrior. Cyborg is best friends with Changeling, though they're almost complete opposites; a tough-minded, working-class hero befriending a young, obnoxious prankster. Raven is your angst-ridden heroine taking on others' pains, while Wally West is secretly infatuated with her. Even Kid Flash and Wonder Girl are treated wonderfully - both are more solid and experienced heroes, but cope with relationships and identity ("Who is Donna Troy?", for example, is a fabulous issue, showcasing her and Dick Grayson's deep friendship)

In particular, the work of Creator/StanLee and his collaborators at Marvel, especially Creator/JackKirby and Creator/SteveDitko, in the 1960s is widely credited for creating the ideas of superheroes (and villains) with more than one dimension, and for spearheading a lot of what we take for granted in modern superhero comics. Twenty years later, ''ComicBook/TheNewTeenTitans'' proved DC's earliest really successful emulation of style with a youth oriented style that proved so influential that DC decided to revise all of Franchise/TheDCU towards it in ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths''.

Nothing can sap a story's energy faster than a weak or boring antagonist. When you create a villain, you should always have a hero in mind, or at least match him/her up with the right one. Remember to stay in concept: Batman inhabits dark urban Gotham, Captain America must continue to face national threats and treat basic ethical dilemmas, while the ComicBook/FantasticFour, essentially scientific explorers, face dimensional and intergalactic enemies. Here are a few villain types that seem to work well with any given character:

In one way or another, we've enjoyed stories about superheroes for centuries; tales about men and women blessed with extraordinary powers and abilities using those gifts to champion the innocent and battle the forces of darkness have circulated throughout mythology and literature since ancient times. However, the idea of what we today think of as the superhero has its origins in the [[TwoFistedTales pulp magazines and comic strips]] of the 1930s, and its genesis with the 1938 debut of {{Franchise/Superman}}, who over eighty years later remains in regular publication as a comic book as well as the subject of cartoons, films, television shows and more besides. Since then, armies of superheroes and supervillains have been created in the pages of comic books (where they dominate and practically define the medium) and on the big and small screens, and they show no sign of disappearing any time soon.

Well, for superheroes, you generally need [[StockSuperpowersIndex superpowers]] -- although of course Franchise/{{Batman}} [[BadassNormal got around without them]]. But then, some might say that his CrazyPrepared abilities, superhuman level of [[CrimefightingWithCash easily accessible monetary wealth]], and alleged [[AdoredByTheNetwork company favouritism]] are superpowers in and of themselves... At very least, then, we can say that you need characters who have abilities that are above and beyond those of most average people -- even BadassNormal superheroes such as Batman and ComicBook/IronMan still have such abilities as near-genius level deductive insight, martial arts skills and engineering genius that sets them apart from everyday civilians.

What is the scope of your hero's powers? ComicBook/{{Superman}}, for example, is your typical hero-god type, who seems to have it all. Then you have your human hero, your ComicBook/{{Batman}}, ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}}, etc. In between the hero-god type and the human hero are a wide variety of options. You could have your power specialist, like ComicBook/TheFlash or [[Comicbook/TheIncredibleHulk The Hulk]], or your all purpose type who is not exactly a powerhouse in and of himself, but is able to make a wide variety of powerful things happen, like ComicBook/DoctorStrange and his spells, or ComicBook/GreenLantern and his ring.

Oh, and don't forget weaknesses. Only [[Franchise/{{Superman}} one superhero]] ever got away with being the best at everything, and even then he had [[SuperDickery trouble]] with the writing. Also, when looking at weaknesses, you don't automatically have to go with a KryptoniteFactor. Many characters do well with a LogicalWeakness or, as mentioned below, the lack of a RequiredSecondaryPower [[note]]Both of which can be great opportunities to show off how clever your villain is when they exploit them.[[/note]]. And many superheroes, though possessing powers, are of a low enough tier or possess obvious enough weaknesses that they don't need special weaknesses. The barely superhuman Captain America is an obvious example, but even powerful characters like Storm, who can call lightning down on you but will still fall to a gunshot, don't need special weaknesses.

SpandexLatexOrLeather? Spandex has been done to death; so have tights and body suits. Do you want to go with CivvieSpandex, for a mixture, or maybe even dump the body suit altogether? Are you going to go for actual crunchy armor, ''{{sentai}}''-style? Is this a form of PoweredArmor? Is it going to be futuristic, or is it going to be old-school metal armor? ComicBook/TheMightyThor wore the latter. The choices really depend on the flavor of both the character and the setting -- Comicbook/{{Batgirl}} wearing MagicalGirlWarrior FrillsOfJustice would just be weird.

Spider-Man faced this kind of antagonist in the form of Venom and then Carnage. Hulk has an even better example in Maestro, a future incarnation of himself. And most of Batman's antagonists can be read as mild variations on himself, as if to show that a mere hair's breadth separates him from a villain like the Joker (which was Moore's point in ''Comicbook/TheKillingJoke'').

For a great {{Deconstruction}} of the Superhero genre as a whole, there are none better than ''Comicbook/{{Watchmen}},'' ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'', and ''Comicbook/KingdomCome''. However, remember that their dark tone is balanced with a degree of sober intelligence and a mature sense of redemption or tragedy at the end. Without that deeper feel, any superficial emulation will feel like a despicable despoilment of characters who deserve better.

But, if you do read the deconstruction, be sure to also read the {{Reconstruction}} to avoid setting your story in TooBleakStoppedCaring territory. ''ComicBook/AstroCity,'' ''Comicbook/{{Justice}}'', and ''ComicBook/{{Marvels}}'' are good ones.

Now, my minions! You have what you need, now go to the studios of DC and Marvel and take over the writing staff! Make Franchise/{{Superman}} as weak as a baby! Make Franchise/{{Batman}} afraid to leave his home! Force the ComicBook/XMen to go back into hiding! Force Franchise/SpiderMan to make a [[DealWithTheDevil deal with Mephisto]] to undo everything that has been done since the Silver Age! (What do you mean, [[Creator/JoeQuesada they]] [[WriterOnBoard already]] [[ComicBook/OneMoreDay did that?]])

''(see also: SoYouWantTo/WriteAFiveManBand)''

Speaking of new media, the {{Franchise/DCAU}} as a whole is an excellent job of transporting comic book characters into WesternAnimation while ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'' is the best example of how the Marvel characters get such treatment. In addition, Creator/{{Disney}}'s ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', created by Creator/GregWeisman, is a superb original creation that can show you how Shakespearean literature and medieval history can provide a wealth of material when use in conjunction with the conventions of the genre. Just remember to confine yourself to the first two seasons that were first-run syndication, avoid ''The Goliath Chronicles'' episodes and read Weisman's SLG comics that replaced them as canon.

The animated WesternAnimation/BigHero6 and its sequel animated TV show Big Hero 6: The Series is also a pretty lighthearted take on superheroes, with [[CloudCuckooLander Fred]] adding a dose of Genre Savvy.

Is there any kind of SuperRegistrationAct in effect? How do the heroes feel about it, or the prospect if it happen? While American superheroes have traditionally been individualists opposed to any kind of government regulation, [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2016-04-29/all-might-vs-superman-how-our-heroes-are-different/.101590 this article]] points out that in Japanese superhero series such as ''Manga/OnePunchMan'' and ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'', superheroes seem to be in agreement that they should be regulated and anyone opposed to that is crazy.

In one way or another, we've enjoyed stories about superheroes for centuries; tales about men and women blessed with extraordinary powers and abilities using those gifts to champion the innocent and battle the forces of darkness have circulated throughout mythology and literature since ancient times. However, the idea of what we today think of as the superhero has its origins in the [[TwoFistedTales pulp magazines and comic strips]] of the 1930s, and its genesis with the 1938 debut of {{Franchise/Superman}}, who over seventy years later remains in regular publication as a comic book as well as the subject of cartoons, films, television shows and more besides. Since then, armies of superheroes and supervillains have been created in the pages of comic books (where they dominate and practically define the medium) and on the big and small screens, and they show no sign of disappearing any time soon.