Writing in the Superhero Genre: A Crash Course

 

Overview

The superhero genre has more of a lack of study compared to science fiction and fantasy. One could even argue that the amount of superhero stories and writers that exist are smaller than the amount for fantasy and sci-fi. Thus, I present to you my crash course on superheroes and writing in the genre.

Defining the Genre

To put it bluntly, the superhero genre is identified by the prescence of superhuman(s). Whethor or not they (or at a minimum one) exist determines whether or not it is a superhero story. The story doesn't need to center around an actual hero, though. "Superhero" is just the term for the genre. For example, Deadpool is a popular superhero genre character, but I don't think that anyone would say he's a true hero like Captain America or Superman. A key factor of the superhero genre actually comes from the friction of the existence of superhumans, so no superhumans, no superhero genre.

What is a Superhuman?

A superhuman is a person with something that makes them super. This means that they have a power in most cases, like invisibility. However, there are superhumans like the Winter Soldier, who is enhanced, and Batman, who is technically considered a human but is still a superhero. 

Thus, you need to make your superhuman(s) more powerful than a normal human is. You can go about various ways of doing this, but in the end you'll end up with one of three categories:

1. Human, but did something to bring themselves to the level of superhuman.
2. Superhumans who are enhanced, with bodies pushed to a potential beyond human.
3. Superhumans who have special power(s)

Superpowers

Superpowers come in a really, really broad range. In fact, there are so many that there is an entire wiki dedicated to just the classification and organization of them. If you ever need powers and don't feel like making one up by yourself, you can always look for inspiration here.

Origins

Powers can from a variety of origins. These include but are not limited to:

• Genetic mutation
• Magic
• Bionics, cybernetics, and/or biomechatronics
• Chemicals
• Genetic modification
• Species (think Superhuman and the Inhumans)
• Possession
• Other types of scientific experiments
• Training
• Aliens
• Foreign technology
• Accident (usually traumatic)

Of course, there are many variations of these examples, and you can even combine some as well.

Types

There are also a lot of types of powers. Many powers can be categorized as one type but be caused by different origins depending on the story. For example, electrokinesis/genesis could be caused by having genetic make up similar to an electric eel, or by being born with a lightning affinity. 

In general you will have powers that affect the user, affect the evironment, or affect another person, though.

Laws of Superpowers

• The origin doesn't have to be plausible unless that makes it fit with your story better.
• Determine the definition of your power so you can flex what it does.
• Superhumans will push their powers too far- what are the consequences?
• For that matter, what are the normal side effects?
• No one has perfect control in the beginning, so don't pretend they do.

Settings

Typically, superhero stories take place in cities and/or towns. Big cities, real or fictional, have become synonymous with the superhero image. But a superhero does not need to be limited to a city. Heroics can happen anywhere heroics are needed. In the end, choose the setting that works the best for your story. 

Origin Stories

Origin stories are a fundamental aspect of the superhero genre. The origin story determines how your character became who they are now. Origin stories are usually associated with heroes (and villains to some extent) but characters who are not inherently good or bad also have origin stories. You should assume that every one of your superhuman characters has an origin story, even if it is very mundane and boring. Their origin story will determine a lot of how they act and who they are- even going so far as to make up a major part of their relationship with their power(s).

Secret Identities

Some stories do or do not include secret identities. But if yours is, then there are certain factors to consider. The first is why they have a secret identity. Spider-Man, for instance, keeps his identity a secret to protect his family. Iron Man almost kept his secret because of public relations as Tony Stark. Whatever the reason, it needs to be well-founded and believable. If there is no reason to have a secret identity, then you might as well omit that since it doesn't even make sense in the context of the story.

Another important factor to consider is how they conceal their identity. Superman looks exactly like Clark Kent only without glasses. Don't do a Clark Kent. We now know that there are people who can identify others even if they are wearing a mask over their face (I'm referring to the medical ones), even though the mask makes it more difficult. The better you know someone, the easier it is to identify them. Your face and voice are the most likely to be recognized parts of you, thus masking is smart- but only if you do it right. A mask covering the lower part of your face may look cool, but you still run the risk of giving yourself away. Especially since anyone who looks at you can still see your skin tone, eye color, and hair. So when you design a costume, keep these details in mind as you do so.

Heroes, Villains, and Sidekicks

Heroes, villains, and sidekicks are typical characters thought of when the superhero genre is mentioned. Let's break this down a bit.

Heroes are, well, heroes. They save the day. Civilians often love them because they're always saving everybody (with some exceptions). They do heroic deeds, fight the villain, and protect and the innocent. They practically embody one of the Windrunner ideals from The Stormlight Archive.

I will protect those who cannot protect themselves.

Heroes protect civilians from villains, minions of villains, other civilians, the government, etc. You name it, they've saved someone from it. 

Villains, on the other hand, are those that want to either take over the world or destroy it. Every single villain I know of falls into one of these categories. The hard part is determining their motive. Like any character, they need a good motivation to do what they're trying to do- especially if that's destroying the world. You have to be pretty off your rocker to want to destroy the world because that means you most likely die in the process as well.

Sidekicks are normally kids (tweens or teens) that fight along side an older hero (typically an adult). Robin from DC is a good example of this. He's a kid from the circus who was orphaned and then adopted by a hero (Bruce Wayne AKA Batman). 

The major issue with dealing with sidekicks is that you need to have the sidekick and the hero be compatible. In addition, the sidekick must have a good origin story. Not just any kid should be able to get the attention of a hero. There has to be a specific reason they're good enough. Otherwise, why wouldn't the adult just tell their parents and make them go to school so they're doing safer things than saving the world?

There are more than just heroes, villains, and sidekicks to consider, though. In addition to the typical types of characters there can also be:

• Spies
• Bounty hunters
• Assassins
• Mercenaries
• Military personnel
• Medical personnel
• Vigilantes
• Law enforcement
• And more...

Just so show that each type I mentioned above is possible, I'll list some characters that qualify for these. Black Widow and Hawkeye are both spies and assassins. Deadpool is a bounty hunter/mercenary. Red Hulk was originally military personnel until he broke off. Night Nurse is a nurse who provides medical attention to vigilantes like Daredevil. There are policemen (and women) in every Spider-Man universe. (These are all Marvel examples because that is what I'm familiar with.) Populating your world with more than just the usual types of characters will help to effectively make it feel full and real.

The Ethical Issues

The mere prescence of superhumans causes ethical issues. It is from these ethical issues that the stories in the superhero genre arise from. Conflict will be caused, since you have humans and non-humans. There are many questions you can ask and answer in your story. Things to consider are direct impacts made by superhumans, like collateral damage during superhuman fights. Medical and scientific implications, such as whether or not organ/blood donations would be considered safe or legal. Law enforcement would have to deal with people who can easily overpower them, so how would they approach this? These are just a few things to consider involving in the plot.

Spider-Man's main conflict comes from three sources:

• Fighting villains.
• Taking care of his Aunt May/his cilivian life.
• The general public hates Spider-Man.

This is how Stan Lee got the friction necessary for the fiction. Those sources of conflict are what made the story a story.

Conclusion

In conclusion, wiritng in the superhero genre is a little bit more difficult than you may have assumed. But the good news is, once you know what the superhero genre entails, it's really not harder than any other genre is.