Superheroes + High fantasy how could it work?

Warlord was a pretty pulpy fantasy adventure comic with mixed magic and modern tech. Then there was the recent Demon Knights which took place in a medieval fantasy setting. Wonder Woman can fit some of the time (there's even a comic where she gets sent to Nehwon. Actually, it seems that superheroes fit better in a Sword and Sorcery setting than a standard High Fantasy setting, but there's absolutely no reason why it shouldn't work.

I'm pretty sure there was a D&D 3.5E prestige class that was basically fantasy Batman.

I've actually thought about a medieval fantasy setting with Green Lantern Corps expies before.

edited 5th Jun '14 2:00:05 PM by supergod

For we shall slay evil with logic...

I am just a bit confused.

High Fantasy settings can easily have heroes, important, powerful characters with absurdly effective abilities that the rest do not have. They can have little to no political power.

What makes a superhero a superhero? The tights? The cape? Flying?

Because the dedication to justice, villainy, background, zany powers, possessing mooks, masked vigilanterism and everything can already be found on a High Fantasy setting. High Fantasy settings also have guilds or agrupations of certain skills or interests.

So...I do not understand what makes a "superhero" different from what one could describe in a High Fantasy setting as "An important, powerful NPC"...or do you just mean grabbing a superhero set in a modern time and putting him or her at some high fantasy setting?

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes

I guess it's how its written. High fantasy usually doesn't have as much focus on individual heroics compared to sword and sorcery/heroic fantasy. Though if people have no problem imagining superhero space operas, there's no reason superhero high fantasy can't work, especially if your view is something like Skyrim, which is high fantasy that does focus on heroics.

edited 5th Jun '14 2:53:49 PM by supergod

For we shall slay evil with logic...

I know, I am not saying that it is not possible.

I am just confused as to what makes a "Superhero" a "Superhero in a High Fantasy Setting" as opposed to a "Wizard", or "Rogue", who can be very heroic, and have the same motivations and stories as a Superhero. Minus, like, the modern things. I am not sure what the OP intends, which is why I ask.

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes

Ah, I wan't saying you were saying that. I was actually agreeing with you, but explaining why I think some people may find it doesn't fit.

Modern superheroes being transported to high fantasy settings should also not be a problem. Any time an Avenger visits Asgard, you pretty much have that.

edited 5th Jun '14 2:56:46 PM by supergod

For we shall slay evil with logic...

Yeah, there is no problem with time travel, or alternate dimension travel.

There is just this nagging question in the back of my head which wonders if the alternate dimension thing was what the OP was specifically asking about, or if he has something else in mind, cuz the Alternate dimension thing has been done before and it works...

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes

Ooh, I like that idea.

Bite my shiny metal ass.

Sorrry for the late reply but yeah my "complaint" or rather issue I want to fix is that usually the "fantasy place" is usually just a portal to another world Narnia style or some other places on the backside and that makes it it loses part of it's charm as it is just usually used as a generic fantasy world to serve the plot of the day but it doesn't feel like a truly living place you want to explore and interact.

For example

1. witch has a portal to meridian and winx has a similar concept I think.
2. The avengers has portal to asgard
3. Sabrina the teenage witch (not a superhero but still)) has a "witch world" which is a medieval setting.
4. Gargoyles has a portal to avalon
5. Justice league has a medieval place in the center of the earth but it wasn't that interesting imo (nobody talks about it)
6. Teen titans used a "portal to the past" once
7. Danny phantom had ghost mediaval place.

I mainly want to advert the "we have a mediaeval world in the closet trope" because I think it just registers in most cases to the audience as the "generic fantasy world the heroes sometimes go" rather than an interesting world to explore like that of skyrim and LOTR that you want to learn all about it.

edited 9th Jun '14 1:36:46 AM by fallenlegend

Make your hearth shine through the darkest night; let it transform hate into kindness, evil into justice, and loneliness into love.

Given the discussion that has taken place regarding how easily superheroes can work in a fantasy setting, why not just leave out the Earth-like "home world"? Use a fantasy world that has native superheroes, rather than starting off on Earth and transporting Earth superheroes to another world.

The only real stumbling-block that I see is the potential problem of allowing oneself to become too focussed on the desire to have superheroes, and thus not paying the setting itself sufficient attention.

In other worlds, develop your setting like any other fantasy setting, but with superheroes rather than wizards and warriors.

edited 9th Jun '14 9:53:32 AM by ArsThaumaturgis

My Games & Writing

So all you want to avoid is the portal? You could make it a One-Way Trip.

Again I must question what is it that you think makes a superhero a superhero, though. The tights, capes and spandex? A car?

edited 9th Jun '14 10:12:09 AM by Aszur

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes

Yeah. You seem to be looking for something in particular, otherwise Skyrim and the like would be ideal. Is it an aesthetic thing you're looking for, or something about the tropes only superhero stories explore?

edited 10th Jun '14 5:00:51 AM by Nadir

Working on a manga. With pictures! All feedback welcome!

Than you guys for the help I just wanted to apologize for my lack of responses lately but I think you have helped me a lot

For me a superhero is a character that uses his extraordinary abilities to fight evil... which pretty much would apply to every knight character ever.But with some exemptions most should be supe human like for the world to mean "super".

Mostly avoid I have a superhero fantasy world in my closet but I like the idea of adverting that and using a world like that instead.

thank you all!.

Make your hearth shine through the darkest night; let it transform hate into kindness, evil into justice, and loneliness into love.

From the world of role playing games there is Exalted, which is a fantasy setting where the characters are superhero/godling powerful. Several years ago there was an RPG called Crusade. I don't know if it was ever released but it was more straight up fantasy but again, the characters were superheroic in their power level. Third suggestion is to look at an RPG like Champions/Fantasy Hero or GURPS and its supplements. There is also Palladium fantasy and superhero games. Those would give you and idea of how the fantasy and superhero genres would interact.

Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you are probably right.