There is already a thread on Superheroes tropes and clichés, I thought I'd start an opposite thread on what would you like to see more of in superhero genre? this could include villains, henchmen, sidekicks, girlfriends, origin stories, etc... Begin!
There is this trope called “voodoo shark.” I guess in one of the later Jaws movies, the shark seeks out the heroes under the direction of a voodoo priest. The voodoo is never directly addressed, but if you think about it, is much more worrying than the shark. For example, the implication of Ghost Rider is that there is a hell, people go there, and it’s possible to make a pact with the devil. There is a lot of that in super hero fiction. That’s on top of things unaccounted for. Why doesn’t the US military force stark to hand over its technology and start equipping all special forces with superhero level power? Why doesn’t Iron Man make a Captain America shield for Thor and the Hulk? If an alien race can build a capital ship to attack New York, where are their other ships? If a goo made in a lab can turn turtles into super soldiers, how long until all people are mutant super soldiers? A week? A month? So, I guess what I’m saying is that I like it best when the super heroes powers and origin take all that into account, and the effect on the world is explored. If that means the powers come from magic lost an age ago and can’t be replaced, fine. That’s better than me scratching my head wondering why we’re bothering with the Avengers when the US Navy Seals could be outfitted with power armor.
Slightly off tangent, but I'd like to see more competent cops to back up the superhero. I mean, when you consider the entrance exams and on-going training, the last thing a bunch of cops are going to do is have a nine cop-car pile up that hinders the superhero so that he has to save the cops as well as the rest of the world. More superheroes like Deadpool. Even after he got his "powers" and was practically indestructible, he still had that fear of rejection that kept him away from the one person he really loved, Vanessa.
Saving people. Really, that's the defining characteristic of a superhero for me--yes, they fight villains and destroy threats, but that's just a sideshow, that just makes them....super-fighters, or super-wrestlers or something like that. The moments I like the best in superhero stories are where they turn up at a desperate moment and put themselves at risk to save people, measuring success in terms of lives saved rather than villains defeated. Not for glory or praise (or at least, not entirely), but because someone needed to do something, they could and they did. Related to that, I like the inspiring hero. Someone who doesn't just do their own thing, they (intentionally or otherwise) remind people of their own capability for courage and nobility. One of the best Superman moments ever is one where he doesn't use his powers or fight a world-threatening menace, he just stops a woman from throwing herself off a building by reminding her "You're stronger than you think you are." I think those two are the essence of the superhero, and the reason it's survived so many excesses, cynical deconstructions, and dark and gritty remakes.
What I want to see in a superhero is pretty much done with One Punch Man. I'm not sure if I can mention specifics without giving spoilers, but it's refreshing having a superhero who doesn't struggle to beat up the bad guys. In the bonus chapters in the Manga you get to see more of his softer side, which shows that he genuinely cares about other people, too. It's fun being able to both laugh at and root for him at the same time.
First thing I thought of when you said that: I can get the police force being caught off balance if superpowered crime is something new, but they should at least learn over time. The tight organization and long reaching influence of the Italian mafia was initially very difficult for American law enforcement to deal with, but new tactics and legal tools like RICO helped tear them apart. The same should be true here. Personally, I want to see more sensible outfits/costumes/armor. Unless they're outright immune to normal weapons, characters shouldn't be wading into a fight with tons of exposed skin. This has been getting better lately. One other thing I'd like to see more of is heroes whose personal lives aren't in complete shambles. Who are allowed at least little bit of happiness. Sure, personal struggles make great drama, but laying it on too thick is draining and tiresome. I recall something about DC having an editorial mandate at some point that none of their characters could have a happy personal life. That just strikes me as unnecessarily, unrealistically bleak.
That's what Superman is best known for and probably why he's the first person most people think of when you say 'superhero'. Zooming around, saving people from stuff and occasionally having to stuff Lex Luthor back in jail. I'll be honest and declare now that I've never been a fan of the genre and that, to me, it looks like most superheroes are just big, strong guys with a gimmick and terrible dress-sense who spend most of their time smacking about similarly weirdly-dressed nutcases, but I've always been a bit more keen on Superman, at least as he's portrayed the '70s films, anyway. I always liked the idea that here was this creature, an alien from a high-G world whose biology made him godlike on the planet where he found himself, and he chooses to use his power a certain way because he's a nice guy. There's no tortured backstory and unending quest for vengeance (lookin' at you, Bruce) or anything like that, he just chooses to be this force for good because it's obvious to him that it's what he should do and he never even considers doing anything else.
Conan. Conan as the superhero, clone Conan as the villain, tiny Conans as the henchmen, army of clones as sideckicks, and as the girlfriends, too.
Batman, cause he isn't super human, but a mortal being and knows his limitations, but can take out the Justice League member by member if he has to.
I would like superheroes with a backstory that doesn't involve a love (or lust) interest of any kind. I would also like to see some without a tragic backstory. Nearly all of them either have lost their parents or a loved one or they have a love interest to protect. Why the hell can't they be superheroes just because they want to beat some people up or because they think it's the right thing to do? And when they do start out that way, they develop a love (or lust) interest in their journeys. Like, no. Just stop. I just want a superhero who wants to beat people up and keeps their pants on.
Did someone mention Lex Luther? I loved Lex Luther in Smallville. I would jump his bones any day . Sorry, I am way off topic ....
I would like to see more interesting super hero teams and team dynamics than most super hero stories depict. there are exceptions. I also like it when the hero and his companions seem like they have real personalities and real lives going on in addition to their derring do. just so long as it doesn't take up too much of the story and unbalance it. I also love really good villians. A Hero isn't anything without a good inspiring villain or two.
Quoting myself to update this point at little. Having done lots of recent research for a novel idea, it seems DC themselves realized this and are moving toward a lighter, more balanced approach in their Rebirth branding. That's something I want to see more of: an acknowledgment that a degree of happiness is possible. Things may not be sunshine and roses, but they don't have to be all doom and gloom either. All the copycats of the big deconstructions seem to have missed that last part.
Gas man he carries around a special container of gasoline and can detect when people are in. Need of gasoline for their vehicles then he fills up the vehicles gas tank. The special container never runs out when it gets low it automatically refills itself.
They tried in Iron Man 2. Even after they legally obligated him to, he refused, so they broke into his house, but since he's, you know, Iron Man, they were only able to get one suit (the Iron Patriot). He doesn't have any more of the vibranium that the shield is made of. Not sure what the capital ship thing is referring to, and I have no idea why not the turtles thing, Im sure some TMNT fan will explain it soon.
Forgot to answer the actual question. I'd like to see more henchman with powers. In most stuff they just make 'em regular old criminals with guns or something, why don't the villains share there tech? Or if they have actual powers, lots of the villains get powers in a lab. Just share the wealth my bud. I liked how they did this in Spiderman: Homecoming.
Let. A hero. Die! For good! I'm pretty tired of seeing major heroes die, only to be brought back by something. Hell, Marvel even makes fun of it themselves when Howard the Duck says: "Again? This isn't possible! Almost nobody dies more than once! It's a short list! Me... Jean Grey, Iron Man, Captain America, Bucky, Thor, Ms. Marvel, Colossus, Punisher, Hawkeye, Star-Lord, Drax the Destroyer... Mr. Fantastic, The Thing, the Human Torch, the original Human Torch, Psylocke, Quasar, Swordsman, Hercules, Professor X, Havok, Magik, Banshee, Elektra... Nightcrawler, Moon Knight, Brother Voodoo, Wonder Man, Guardian, Vindicator, Puck, Corsair, Sentry, Shaman, Cannonball, Jack of Hearts, Black Goliath... And I'm starting to suspect Wolverine..." Please, for the love of God, let your characters die for good every once in a while so that it has at least a little emotional impact when it happens in the future.
On that note, permanent changes to the status quo in general. Heroes who die. Villains who die. Characters who retire. Characters who get married. Characters who become parents. Villains who reform. Heroes who turn antihero or outright villain. Sidekicks who graduate. Villains who stay in locked up in prison or an asylum for a respectable amount of time. Characters who age. There's little more frustrating than when writers have the opportunity to shake up the status quo forever but don't take it (looking at you, Batman #50) or aren't allowed to take it by editors/publishers (DC vetoing Batwoman's marriage to Maggie Sawyer because of their now defunct anti-marriage mandate). I'd imagine this attachment to the way things are is tied to the nature of comics, as superhero movies and prose are more willing to change things.
A superhero who's power is to heal people, except every time he/she does it, a tiny part of him/her dies. So whenever he/she has the opportunity to "save" someone, he/she has to decide if the life he/she saves, is actually worth losing a part of himself/herself for. People know of this power and bring their poorly, sick, and dying kids to his/her door, how can the superhero refuse to help? But what happens when the superhero realises that he/she has healed too many people and is them self, dying ... do they run away? refuse to save any more? carry on until they eventually die? What do they do???
I've actually seen this before. In an episode of Grimm, the 'monster of the week' is a guy that can heal or sicken people, but healing people drains him. He keeps on healing to the end because he used to mainly sicken people and wants to make up for it.
