Line #29 PlayingWith/NeverBeAHero


1	'''Basic Trope''': A DoubleStandard where only superheroes can ''stay'' heroes while anyone else who attempts to become one is discouraged from trying/the attempt ends poorly.
2	* '''Straight''': Major Victory is a FlyingBrick who protects Domino City. His LoveInterest Mary temporarily gains powers of her own and tries to become a hero in her own right, but Major Victory immediately depowers her.
3	* '''Exaggerated''': Major Victory is part of a team known as the Justice Guard. Whenever somebody discovers a new way to gain superpowers, they step in to stop and depower them.
4	* '''Downplayed''': Mary wants to take martial arts lessons so she can defend herself against goons, Major Victory talks her out of it as the BigBad will just send more goons.
5	* '''Justified''':
6	** Mary's temporary powers [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway didn't seem useful enough]] to risk [[SuperPowerMeltdown the]] [[HeroicRROD potential]] [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity side-]][[CharacterDeath effects]].
7	** The Justice Guard learned the hard way that being a hero is a hard life style: the average hero has an extremely short lifespan and the call destroys one's personal life. Therefore they try to dissuade others from repeating their mistake and becoming heroes.
8	* '''Inverted''':
9	** Major Victory wants to become a BattleCouple with Mary, so he tries to arrange for her to get superpowers and encourages her to become a heroine.
10	** The Justice Guard has regular recruitment drives but few people show up because most of the muggles don't want to be heroes.
11	** The Evulz Guild has an uptight recruitment which drives away villains who aren't evil enough.
12	* '''Subverted''': When Mary has a super-powering accident but keeps it a secret because she thinks Major Victory will depower her. Instead, he welcomes her into the Justice Guard.
13	* '''Double Subverted''': However, he then secretly stages a huge fight to convince her of the dangers, leading her right into a depowering trap.
14	* '''Parodied''': "Sorry, Miss Mary, but we've only got ten chairs for the Justice Guard's big meeting table, and they're all taken already. You'll just have to give up those powers and become an ordinary non-super again. Now hold still."
15	* '''Zig Zagged''': How the Justice Guard reacts to a newly-empowered individual depends on the situation. Major Victory refuses to let people he knows, like Mary or [[SecretChaser Chase]], retain powers for fear of compromising his SecretIdentity. Other times, they welcome the newly-empowered into their ranks as young heroes need role models. It comes down more to the Guard's judgement of each individual and the risk versus reward.
16	* '''Averted''': The Justice Guard warmly welcomes anyone who wishes to become a hero into their ranks, providing training, guidance, and offering them the chance to leave if they decide they aren't cut out for the superhero life after all.
17	* '''Enforced''': More heroes mean more (voice) actors and more special effects. The company simply doesn't have the budget so only the core team can be regulars.
18	* '''Lampshaded''':
19	-->'''Mary''': So when exactly did the Justice Guard become the 'Just-Us' Guard?\
20	'''Major Victory''': Wow, NeverHeardTHATOneBefore.
21	* '''Invoked''': The government tells the Justice Guard that no new superbeings are allowed. If they want to keep their own powers, they'll need to depower any new heroes (or villains for that matter.)
22	* '''Exploited''': [[BigBad Emperor Evulz]], knowing that Major Victory will be [[BetterTheDevilYouKnow the only big and familiar threat he needs to worry about and prepare for]], makes schemes purely focused on crippling Major Victory and then completing the rest of his plans in a short timeframe, knowing that his nemesis will take care of other "threats" for him.
23	* '''Defied''': Mary becomes a super hero and keeps Major Victory in the dark. He has no idea that "Admiral Triumpant" is his Love Interest wearing a mask.
24	* '''Discussed''': ???
25	* '''Conversed''': ???
26	* '''Deconstructed''':
27	** Major Victory preventing anyone else from becoming a hero, (super or otherwise), means that he's alone and overworked. Thus, he's more liable to mistakes or {{zerg rush}}es. Conversely, because he never took Mary on as TheApprentice, she doesn't have any help with the crime fighting learning curve.
28	** Major Victory trying to forcibly depower Mary leads to a LetsYouAndHimFight moment which causes collateral damage and also allows criminals to escape.
29	** While the established superheros have their reasons for why they feel new superheros should give up their powers, the lack of proper communication between them breeds resentment among the newer generations. Feeling that the established heros rejected them, new heros try to strike out on their own while older heroes feel that they pose a danger because they lack proper training. This causes a rift between the two groups.
30	** Major Victory forces civilian Bob to give up the powers he just gained, even though Bob used it to stop a bank robbery. This causes people to question how much of a hero Major Victory really is and creates a rift between Major Victory and the public he protects. Because he made Bob give up his powers, people wonder if he's really interested in protecting the people, or just enjoys the public being powerless because if he's the only one with superpowers, he's the only one who can save them from danger.
31	* '''Reconstructed''':
32	** Major Victory doesn't want anyone fighting crime without the proper preparation. If some young buck wants to follow in his footsteps then they have to pass his TrainingFromHell. When he feels they're ready they can join him on patrol but until then they should leave it to him.
33	** Major Victory doesn't want to expose Mary to the dangers of Super Heroing but appreciates that she wants to help. He offers [[MissionControl different]] [[TheFace non-combat]] [[TheMedic roles]].
34	** The Justice Guard has a MasterApprenticeChain where each established member selects a new hero (whether already superpowered or otherwise) to replace/fill in for them and allows them and only them to be heroes aside from each other. There are many YearsTooEarly boasts and "old people problems" taunts between them, and disagreements or dissent on both sides, but no rift.
35	** Both civilian Bob and the general populace complain about Major Victory taking away the former's superpowers, until Major Victory explains that he's just holding them in reserve. He wants to evaluate Bob's powers to avoid future PowerIncontinence and/or Bob's moral character because WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility. He then says that while he definitely likes the acclaim that comes with being a superhero, he wouldn't mind sharing it if it meant getting a partner that could prevent his untimely death or HeroicFatigue.
36	* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': Mary [[WeirdnessMagnet keeps getting superpowers]] while Major Victory keeps taking them away. Eventually, it's revealed that Mary is supposed to be TheChosenOne, but Major Victory is ScreeningTheCall because he learned during a TimeTravel incident that she's supposed to make a HeroicSacrifice. No superpowers means she won't be called upon to make that sacrifice. ([[YouCantFightFate Hopefully]].)
37	* '''Played For Laughs''': [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain Contrary Mary]] tries one ZanyScheme after another to try and get superpowers, only for Major Victory to launch a CounterZany that takes them away.
38	* '''Played For Drama''':
39	** Major Victory actively squashes anyone else becoming a hero because he's built his self-image around the idea that he's TheOnlyOne capable of defending Domino City. He feels next to useless in his civilian identity; being the city's champion makes him feel like he's accomplishing something ''great'' with his life. After forcibly depowering Mary one times too many, she [[WhatTheHellHero calls him out on this]], sending him into a HeroicBSOD as he confronts the idea that he's been hurting the city by denying it other defenders all this time.
40	** Major Victory prevents Mary from keeping her powers because he doesn't want her to get herself killed trying to fight crime. She's eventually murdered by a thug whom she could have defeated with ease using any of the powers she'd gained in the past.
41	** Major Victory is an [[{{Pride}} elitist]] [[{{Jerkass}} dick]] fond of [[SuperDickery lording his powers over]] {{Muggles}}, [[UnsportsmanlikeGloating shaming them both for accepting their place]] and [[PretenderDiss for ever wanting more]]. By constantly [[TheWorldIsAlwaysDoomed saving the city]], [[AllTakeAndNoGive he both reinforces this image]] and [[BewareTheSuperman functions as its de facto ruler]]. Ergo, any scenario where Mary acquires powers on her own terms [[{{Realpolitik}} would present Major Victory with a very real threat to his monopoly]], which he duly quashes.
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46	%% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:
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Context PlayingWith / NeverBeAHero