Elements of making your own superhero can be boiled down to a pattern. The fun thing about this pattern for creating a superhero is that it leaves room for originality and unpredictability. To help you see what I mean, think of s film or book in which a superhero was born. For this post, let’s use Spiderman (a.k.a. Peter Parker) as an example.
The story opens on a “normal” day in the life of student/jr. reporter Peter Parker, but then he is bitten by a radioactive spider. But those three elements are not the spark that creates Spiderman. It’s tragedy. He loses his Uncle Ben. In the original Marvel Comic version, Ben was killed by a villain known as The Burglar. This part of the story has transformed and been reimagined in a multiplicity of Spiderman renderings, but each version holds one thing in common. Peter feels guilty and responsible. It motivates him to help others and to try to do the right thing.
4 Point pattern for creating a superhero
- Normal day/Ordinary character
- An event
- Tragic backstory that sparks the birth
- Stand for something
Now that you see this four-point pattern, think of other superheroes. Superman: Normal Kryptonian baby boy (Krypton has a red sun). His parents love him but his planet is doomed. The “event” -- they send him to Earth and the planet Krypton explodes. Later details suggested that under Earth’s yellow sun his Kryptonian cells absorb solar energy giving him superhuman powers. But such details were not in the original 1939 Superman #1. In fact, details were scant. Clark was initially turned over to an “orphan asylum” and adopted. His super-human strength is revealed, but all these details have many versions. The same hold true for his tragic backstory which most often is tied to the death of his earthly parent(s). What did he stand for? That too, has evolved. The current motto is “truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.”
In the "normal" aspect of life, we introduce the character and develop them enough for readers to get to know them. We see them bullied, lonely, hurt, emotionally struggling, etc. This aspect should be something readers can relate to. It makes the story hit closer to home.
The "event" changes some aspect of that normal life, and "backstory" works as a springboard that ushers in a superpower of some sort. How it is used will depend on the superhero’s ethics. Like Superman had a rule to never use his power to kill. Spiderman had the same rule when taking down his enemies until another personal tragedy hit him. But that is another story which shows that there is room in this pattern for characters to evolve and keep things unpredictable.
Today’s writing prompt:
Use the four-point Superhero pattern to create a superhero and then write a scene to introduce them.
- Show a normal day/ordinary character. This will give an idea to what they do, who they know, and their relationships.
- An event (self-explanatory). This may be something big, like some type of trauma that makes them lose their memory and wake up as “someone else.” Or, like Spiderman, it can be something almost imperceptible like a spider bite.
- Tragic backstory that sparks the birth (motivation) to use their newly acquired power. Often this has to do with loss of family but it’s up to you. It’s your superhero.
- Stand for something. (What makes them a hero?)
Have fun and happy writing.
