Well, superpowers don't look nearly so good stretched over those lovely superhero quads.
And the thing is, I like my evil like I like my men: evil. You know, straight up, black hat, tied to the train tracks, soon my electro-ray will destroy metropolis BAD.
Buffy ,'Sleeper'
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Discussion of Buffy and Angel comics, books, and more. Please don't get into spoilery details in the first week of release.
amych - May 10, 2004 2:45:58 pm PDT #2489 of 10000
Now let us crush something soft and watch it fountain blood. That is a girlish thing to want to do, yes?
Gris - May 10, 2004 2:46:51 pm PDT #2490 of 10000
Hey. New board.
no visible means of support
Spirit gum. Clearly. That stuff is awesome.
P.M. Marc - May 10, 2004 2:52:03 pm PDT #2491 of 10000
So come, my friends, be not afraid/We are so lightly here/It is in love that we are made; In love we disappear
Well, superpowers don't look nearly so good stretched over those lovely superhero quads.
Two words for you:
Clark/Bruce.
IJS.
Volans - May 10, 2004 2:56:58 pm PDT #2492 of 10000
move out and draw fire
How are you defining superpowers?
As what makes the hero a superhero. Be it being a brick, or shooting energy bolts, or being really fast, or squirting sticky goo out of your wrists, or being bugfuck insane.
Mmm, yeah, tights. Good point.
amych - May 10, 2004 2:57:00 pm PDT #2493 of 10000
Now let us crush something soft and watch it fountain blood. That is a girlish thing to want to do, yes?
(plei just made my day lalalalalala)
amych - May 10, 2004 2:59:00 pm PDT #2494 of 10000
Now let us crush something soft and watch it fountain blood. That is a girlish thing to want to do, yes?
As what makes the hero a superhero. Be it being a brick, or shooting energy bolts, or being really fast, or squirting sticky goo out of your wrists, or being bugfuck insane.
But being bugfuck insane (why yes, I am assuming Batman here. Don't I always?) is very specifically posited as not a superpower -- powers aren't just what makes a hero a hero, they're something supernatural or extranatural. The whole premise of the batverse is that it's the mission, not the being-from-some-weird-planet, that makes the hero.
Actually, I think the mission belongs on your list.
Volans - May 10, 2004 3:06:14 pm PDT #2495 of 10000
move out and draw fire
I was wondering how to express what I think you're saying with "the mission." Batman's I get (and I was kind of joking about insanity as a superpower, but that's a whole 'nother thesis), and Wonder Woman's is canon. But what's the mission of, say, The Flash? Does every superhero have a mission? Can they have a default setting of "stop bad guys?"
Save the world?
amych - May 10, 2004 3:07:06 pm PDT #2496 of 10000
Now let us crush something soft and watch it fountain blood. That is a girlish thing to want to do, yes?
Save the world?
A lot.
§ ita § - May 10, 2004 5:28:41 pm PDT #2497 of 10000
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
I don't think every superhero has a mission. Or not always at the beginning of their run.
Is Constantine a superhero? Timothy Hunter? Morpheus?
Essentially, I think they have to be able to do something I can't. That something may be Earth-abnormal (Supes, Hawkwoman), mystical (Dr. Strange), scientific (Spiderman, Cyborg), or bugfuck insane with large pockets. Or really bright.
If they can't do something above and beyond, then we're in a different genre. But superpowers leave out the Batmen, Robins and Punishers of this world.
amych - May 10, 2004 5:33:21 pm PDT #2498 of 10000
Now let us crush something soft and watch it fountain blood. That is a girlish thing to want to do, yes?
If they can't do something above and beyond, then we're in a different genre.
Where does the line fall? Is it just something that you personally can't do, or something none of us can reasonably do? Or just something none of us (taking "us" as some standard that some mythical "most people" would do) would?
If Bats is insane and angry and on a mission, and Spider Jerusalem is insane and angry and on a mission, why do we all more or less agree that the former is a superhero and the latter is just a smart snarky guy who hates the gummint; kinda like a really angry Buffista, maybe, say Victor or MM?
(Yeah, I know I was the one arguing for the mission before. Maybe it is about tights. So sue me. I'm two glasses of wine too late to be consistent.)