JAFAAC: From Nobody To Nightmare

Although Anakin becoming Darth Vader has become It Was His Sled by now, there’s still nothing to indicate that these two characters are the same person; their appearances are vastly different.

Edited by jandn2014 on Apr 14th 2020 at 10:39:34 AM

Looking through the trope's Image Links page, Buddy Pine/Syndrome would work.

First pic◊ + maybe a crop of this or a screencap?◊

Good idea.

Current better shows the "humble beginnings" and "evil overlord" aspects than the suggestion does. I see the issue with the current, but I thought Star Wars images had some kind of Grandfather Clause?

@2: The fact that he's already wearing a Superhero mask in the first place doesn't really communicate the "nobody" part.

Previous thread.

Swap out the bottom photo with Vader actually doing something destructive or violent.

Such as: [1]◊

The stormtroopers show that he has an army at his command.

Otherwise, keep the current.

Edited by thecarolinabull01 on Apr 15th 2020 at 3:02:20 PM

The context is already there: A sweet, unremarkable kid becomes an evil masked man with a red laser sword.

But if you want an alternative, there is always the Joker.

Edited by eroock on Apr 15th 2020 at 1:23:33 AM

9 (easily the clearest).

I echo the concern raised by Adept, which is that Buddy wearing a superhero mask makes it less clear that he's a "nobody kid" instead of a genuine superhero. In contrast, young Anakin just looks like an ordinary poor boy, which better fits the trope.

Edited by PeabodySam on Apr 15th 2020 at 10:31:15 AM

I prefer the current.

I think the current is stronger on the “nobody”, and I think the context of the page makes it clear they are the same person. Vader is more Obviously Evil as well, so I’d say it’s also stronger on the “nightmare”.

Admittedly, Buddy wearing a mask before turning into Syndrome may not illustrate the trope perfectly with showing the nobody part. I'd still rather find something better than current, though I can go either way for now.

Edited by Piterpicher on Apr 15th 2020 at 5:21:25 PM

I think 9 > current, because it' more obvious that they are the same character.

Still prefer the current to 9. For all we know, the masked kid could have been a Robin-level sidekick or even a hero on his own right. And Vader is more Obviously Evil than Syndrome.

I actually feel like 9 illustrates both parts rather well. Buddy's hero costume on the left looks scruffy and ragged, while the one on the right is clean and sleek, indicating a change in power or status. to 9, pending other suggestions.

9 is good.

9

Golden City Bird put it well. Maybe the superhero mask stops him from seeming like a complete nobody. But he's still obviously a dorky-looking kid in an inferior costume.

There's also Sinestro: Origins◊ and then evil bad guy.◊ You can at least see his face in both pics.

isn't really doing it for me. Aside from the text, there isn't really anything about him that screams unremarkable to me in the first pic, except maybe that he's less muscular than in the second one.

I don't see how 9 has an "unremarkable" character but Sinestro's looks in his origins has a "remarkable" character. Someone dressed like a superhero vs someone dressed in a spacesuit.

Edited by WaterBlap on Apr 24th 2020 at 2:13:59 PM

And that's why I like neither suggestion.

Current is still the best in my opinion, since young Anakin is very clearly a "nobody" and Darth Vader is very clearly a "nightmare". You don't need to squint your eyes to see an amateur superhero costume, or wonder if a sinister-looking purple alien isn't a legitimate threat yet. If people are concerned that it's not clear that Anakin and Vader are the same character, this would be one of the cases where the trope page itself provides some context (since the trope is pretty clearly about just one character, not two).