Superheroes–whether they are aliens, humans, or mutants–all have to die sometime. It’s nature. The body, human or otherwise, can only take so much stress before it finally gives out or in some cases people simply grow old. One must realize that while your mild mannered alter-ego will die or grow old at some point your hero, or at least the symbol that they embody, will never die.

Superheroes tend to be very much like the mythical phoenix that would burn up, die, then be born again from its ashes. Somehow superheroes seem to find this way of coming back to life or being reborn despite being mere men, typically. From what I have gathered there are at least five different ways of what can happen to your hero:

• Someone takes on their persona
  • Because they die(Captain America)
  • Or they grow old (Batman)
• They are reborn (Elektra)
• On few occasions they can’t die (The Mighty Thor)
• Something beyond keeps them going on despite life or death (Ghost Rider)
• They split into other entities (Superman)

How your hero dies is up to you, but at the same time the hero must have an epic and earth shattering death. A typical human being dies of things like heart disease or, at best, if the person was very brave they could die saving people from a burning car leaking gasoline. Superheroes don’t “go down” like that. That is child’s play for a superhero. If the situation is compounded it would be more like a hero’s death.

The hero is not human, it is an ideal that lives on. The human behind the mask does die, but what the hero stands for and stands up for continues to live on. The world continues to live in turmoil and we have a back up hero, someone that picks up the torch in place of the original hero. The public may or may not know of the death of the original “whatever-man,” but there will still be peril and someone needs to help. That’s why the hero never dies. You may think of it as a new adventure or even a transformation.

Let’s get out our notebooks and writing utensils because it’s time to write!

1. Take your character, know them, know their powers and ask yourself if they would die because of their weaknesses or because they are still human?
2. Choose one then plan accordingly.
3. Then you may want to ask yourself how is this going to “go down?”Is this some strategic plan? An accident? Do they die in battle? That is entirely for you to decide.
4. When the character dies there will definitely be some form of response from the community, which should be compared to how people treated your hero throughout the story.
5. You may have some secret post mortem story if you like to make things a bit more interesting.
6. Finally you must ask yourself “Is this it for the symbol too?” Then you may either let the symbol die or you may carry it on with someone new, but either way you must provide some closure for the death of the former hero.

Remember: Death doesn’t always end everything, sometimes it simply delays it

Whoever you are, whatever you do, you have a confidant that you can run to whenever you need to get anything off of your chest. Again No man is an island. Whether we talk about emotional dilemmas or problem solving we all need someone to bounce ideas off of. Not every man has all the answers, which is also why confidants are needed, to share knowledge as well as guilt. Almost every hero has a confidant, but the relation of the confidant to the hero tends to be different all the time or, in some cases, the amount of confidants is different. The hero’s confidant can be many things :

• an employee like Alfred Pennyworth(Batman)
• a loved one like Mary Jane (Spider-Man)
• a friend like Cassidy (Preacher)
• a mentor type person like Whistler (Blade)
• or a figment of the hero’s imagination like the memory of Shelly (The Crow)

In certain cases, like Batman, you may have multiple confidants or colleagues to chat with. Batman has his butler Alfred Pennyworth, his side kick Robin, his colleague Nightwing (a later version of Robin), and another sidekick Batgirl.

There are a few important aspects as to writing a confidant or members of the inner circle. The obvious is to think of who, but the less obvious is to think of how/why. The how/why, or how/why it comes up, usually happens either by choice-coming out with the truth-or by accident-which can involve the confidant finding you injured or unmasked.

Beyond that there is the even less obvious, which is how does this information effect this person and what will they do with it. Not every confidant is Lois Lane, they don’t all keep secrets. A great example of a bad confidant would be Karen Page, who sells Daredevil’s secret identity, for a drug fix, in the Daredevil comics.

Ok, now get out your notebook and a writing utensil, it’s time to brainstorm.

1. Imagine you happen upon an actual superhero on the street battered and beaten. You take him or her home. You take care of them as best as you can, but their mask happens to fall off. It happens to be someone you know. They tell you everything. How do you react?
2. Now that you know, will your friend talk to you in costume from now on, out of costume only, or in both forms?
3. Does this put you in danger in any way?
4. Take into account your normal life style and choices, is there any way that you would end up giving away this secret?

Remember: Knowledge can be good or bad depending on how it is used.

Like The Beatles said “All you need is love.” It is a typical human emotion. Dating when you are an average Joe can be difficult especially when both people have conflicting schedules. Having jobs that clash can put a strain on the relationship enough, but when you add a crime-fighting alter ego, whether or not you have super powers, it can put an even greater strain due to the running out all the time. Think as if you are in a relationship and your significant other is always late to everything, forgets about you multiple times, or is always running out to be with their friends. Would you become suspicious, maybe even follow them? You might suspect them of cheating or not caring about you. The point is that no man is an island and we all want love, so a man with super powers should invariably be the same way. The girlfriend or wife tend to be the anchor for the superhero, someone to come home to and relax with, even if they do have problems. Spider-Man may be the hero to the greater Manhattan area, but when he takes of his mask and goes home Peter Parker needs to be Mary Jane’s hero.

Think of your relationships in terms of your character though. Can he or she have a long lasting relationship (like Spider-Man) or a series of small relationships (like Daredevil)? Maybe they stay single (like The Crow)? Are they are in a series of situations with the same person that they care about, but somehow things don’t always mesh quite right? Is it physically feasible for your character to date this other person? Can they be honest with who they date about who they are or must the keep it a secret? Does the person your character is dating know about your characters secret life? How did they figure it out? What does your character learn from his or her relationships? Do they help make your character who he or she is?

Some of you may be saying right now “Hey, man, you sound like such a girl. This is soap opera stuff! This isn’t in comic books.” You would be half-right, it is a lot like a soap opera, but it is in comic books ever since they started. In the beginning it would be simplistic story lines with Superman rushing off to save Lois Lane so they could live happily ever after. That was how significant others in comic books were portrayed for a long time, damsel in distress. However, after a while a few new story lines emerged in comics such as Daredevil and Spider-Man that changed the role of the girlfriend in comic books. Daredevil ended up holding his girlfriend, Elektra, in his arms as she died. Spider-Man ended up losing his first girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, in a rather mysterious way too, yet it has an enormous effect on Spider-Man

Ok, now let’s get to writing. Pull out your writing utensil and a notebook or notepad.

1. Think about your day. Plot out your schedule (this includes work, class, and time with your girlfriend)
2. View your schedule and look how busy it looks.
3. Now research the newspaper for stories that involve robberies, accidents, and/or deaths. When did they take place? How far away were you? If you could have been there what would it have cut into in your schedule?
4. Now think about a few of the people you might consider dating currently. How do you get along with them? Are there things they do that annoy you? Could you maintain a normal relationship with them now with your current schedule? Think about how much time you spend with them and plot that out too.
5. Now look over the schedule. How could you manage going about both lives? Do you think you could be honest or would you lie? Plan this out, this sort of drama may seem like a soap opera, but it makes a good story line.

Remember: Some of Shakespeare’s best works was his tragedy. Work with that.

For every character there needs to be a back story. Each back story is different, but is usually powerful and filled with emotion. In the situations of heroes, as well as villains, something powerful has to happen, something life altering. For heroes with super powers, the back story usually also shows how they came into their powers and/or how they tried to hone their powers.

Typical back stories of most characters include the death of a loved one or friend. Such examples include Batman, The Punisher, Spider-Man, The Crow, Ghost Rider, etc. While the death of the loved one is a strong example, it has to be by someone and not by accident or old age. Being murdered usually is a good motivator in allowing someone to pursue the option of being a hero.Usually around when the hero discovers their power, on occasion the hero will screw around with his or her power and, as a result, someone they care for will get hurt. This creates a paradigm shift, making them realize that their power is needed for the greater good, without the loss they generally become villains . The paradigm shift creates an inner turmoil necessary allowing the hero to fight. In the case of Batman he has a compulsion to fight for good because his parents died, but, contrary to the movies, he never discovered who the murderer was so he keeps fighting thinking the next person he fights is their killer. In a manner of speaking, crime fighting is almost cathartic for him. In certain occasions it can also lead to villainy, but we will get more into that when we cover personas.

When people come into powers there are at least three different categories as to how they receive their power. Even silly heroes have a back story.

• Science
  • Accidental (I.e. Spider-Man)
  • Intentional (I.e. Captain America)
• Magic
  • Object (I.e. Green Lantern)
  • Ethereal (I.e. Ghost Rider)
  • Folk-Lore/Unknown (I.e. The Crow)
• Birth
  • Human with genetic mutation(I.e. X-Men)
  • Alien on other planet (I.e. Martian Man-Hunter)
  • Alien on Earth from another planet (I.e. Superman)
  • Non-Human/Non-Alien being (I.e. Thor)

All are well and good, as long as a decent back story is thought up. A few ways to go about this are interesting. Depending on where you go you may use either your notebook or notepad and a pencil. This can either be done at home, but can be better done in public.

1. Go out to a public setting
2. Look at everyone surrounding you, but more importantly look at people having fights or disagreements
3. Focus on what they are saying and amplify it in order to apply it to the setting. (mind you, not all disagreements are worth writing about)

If you decide to staying at home:

1. Pour over old high school year books while listening to music you listened to you back then, allowing yourself to feel as you did back then
2. Imagine explaining yourself to someone as if you had the power your character does.

Remember: Having power is difficult have and can be difficult to explain. Work slowly, but thoughtfully.

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.

Now that you’re comfortable describing someone I want you to think about what your character might look like. Let’s say that your best friend is the person you want to be your character. This is where we hit a wall. You may say “Hey I want to make the hero of my story look and act exactly like my friend, and I don’t want any trouble.” That’s fine, that is your decision, but there is a price to pay. When using someone’s likeness for an intellectual property, such as creating a character for a comic strip, you run into the issue of likeness rights. Likeness rights involve the author to pay a fee to the person whose likeness they use.

So now that you have lost the idea of what your main character is like and are on a rampage due to likeness rights It would be best to introduce you to Jigsaw Man. Jigsaw Man, as I refer to it, is a person you may create from various people. For the Jigsaw Man you may use your notepad, your pencil and some free time.

1. First you should go to a very public, yet free, setting. The best place would have to be the mall
2. Walk through several of the stores as you normally would, window shop, but also keep a close eye on the patrons around you. Keep them in mind. You could also sit around the food court or on the benches in the mall and watch those around you.
3. Periodically take notes on something about someone that catches your eye. For example, if you see a tall skinny man wearing one red shoe, you would make note of his shoe if it intrigued you (not that he was skinny).
4. Return home and review your notes from the mall.
5. Now mix and matches notes to describe one person.
6. Now you have a a unique character.

Say you don’t feel up to making a human character. That is fine, make a monster or a space alien. It’s pretty simplistic to do so, but instead of making them look human, look more towards insects and reptiles. Try mixing and matching monsters you already know of to create a Jigsaw Monster. Keep in mind using too many features for a monster can make it seem unrealistic.

Remember: When you do this, don’t make it too obvious where your ideas came from.

Hey everyone. So now that everyone that isn’t our key demographic has stopped reading this blog we are going to continue on with trying to write. Now I understand that it is difficult to come up with a description of a new character off the cuff considering how there are so many good characters out there already, but thing of the characters that aren’t made. Everyone in your life is essentially a character in the grand scheme of things.
Now let’s test your writing skills. I want you to pick someone you know that you think is an interesting character and I want you to write about them. Wait, I see that you are clicking on Microsoft Word, yeah. No. Put that away. Pick up a notebook, a pencil, a thesaurus and a dictionary.

Now, instead of starting off with a superhero, we will begin with describing a real person first. I know that if you’re a really good writer, right about now you are groaning and saying “What is this? Why do I got to do this? I thing this is ridiculous!” Some of you out there who are not great at writing may be thinking this could be insanely difficult. Just remember that saying practice makes perfect. That is partly true for writing, but I would like to interject editing makes amazing.

Now lets get started on this:

1. Describe someone close to you. Include: physical appearance/features, others’ impressions, personality, and be sure to write something about them that jumps out at you.
   1. Write them in your own words
   2. Go back over your own words and search for descriptive words that are overly used (i.e. fat, skinny, happy, sad, etc.)
   3. Use your thesaurus to look up a better sounding word to replace the over used word with
   4. Look up the better sounding word in the dictionary to make sure it fits
   5. Change the word if it works, but look up a new one if it doesn’t
2. When finished put notebook away
3. Twenty-Four hours later reread your description
4. Ask yourself “Is this really who I say it is?”
5. Show this to people who know the individual described. What do they think?
6. Look at it again. Are you satisfied? Why? Why not?

Do you feel comfortable writing people? Try writing someone else, someone you feel strongly towards (hate, lust, etc.) and see if you described them. Practice, practice, practice.