So by now you should have a general idea of how your character should look like, now comes the part you all have been waiting for: the super powers. Just remember that someone doesn’t need super powers in order to be a hero. Not everyone has pyrokinesis or is able to teleport. Batman, Iron-man and The Punisher don’t have super powers yet they are still super heroes in comic books.

For now let us say you want someone with a super power. You have any idea you can choose, but you must keep in mind the villain of the tale when creating the power of the superhero. Thinking of the power is interesting because it is difficult because it also has to deal with the back story (which we will discuss in an upcoming blog) the hero as well as the message you wish to get across.

But not every super hero can be the wielder of “awesomeness power” because it can get old quickly. The villain must have a greater power than the hero because it makes it more of an accomplishment when the hero saves the day. A good idea is to think of the villains superpower that can exploit weaknesses in the hero as well. For example, Electro can electrocute Spider-Man, but Spider-Man can manage to find away to take down Electro, whether it be with water or some other way.

When thinking up a power for your super hero there are two ways you may want to go about it. You may want to look at lists of powers that well known comic book heroes already have and revamp them, contour them to your character. That way is fine if you are for keeping an open mind on almost any power there is. If you are sick of outlandish powers you may want to look at powers that have been supposedly documented in real life. Or if you wish to go for a more whimsical route you can always make characters with ridiculous, unnecessary powers (i.e. whose ability is to shoot hot dogs from his wrists). The importance of choosing the superpower also sets the feel for the story as well. If you want a more human type character, you emphasize a rather weak power instead of an extreme power. The power should allow for the reader to see past it to see the humanity of the hero as well. Mind you not all heroes have super powers, take Batman or Punisher for example, they are mere humans with weapons and technology.

Now get out your pencil and notebook, it’s brainstorming time!

1. Create a list of superpowers you would like your character to have.
2. Take the one you like the most and research it. Is/are there any other heroes with the same powers?
3. Now test out “your power” by defying it and setting parameters to it. (I.e. If you can teleport, how far can you teleport each time?)
4. Now walk on out to some where public and imagine you have your power with all of your set parameters. How does it work for you if you were a hero? How will their powers apply in this real world setting?

Remember: Have fun, but don’t imagine yourself into a wall.