Natural 7

Superheroes

Superhero roleplaying games are not something I'm well-versed in. Superheroes, on the other hand, often draw my attention. I like superhero movies and TV shows because they have exciting action, help me develop inspiration for unique encounters, and often make me think about the differences between good and evil.

The only superhero roleplaying games I've heard of are Icons and Masks, and I really only know them by name. I'm aware that Masks is quite popular, and uses a Powered by the Apocalypse system. There are many more superhero games out there. They are probably very fun. Lots of people probably play them.

For today though, let's pretend we are starting completely from scratch.

Core Concepts

This is an opinionated dissection of what superheroes are and what they represent. These opinions are generated by my experience with the Marvel cinematic universe, DC superheroes, The Boys, Invincible, Dispatch, and My Hero Academia.

What makes a superhero, a superhero?

Let's examine these a little closer.

Moral Codes

A moral code because "heroes don't kill people" and without one, what makes them any different from a villain?

Spiderman is a great example of a hero with a strong moral code. They always try to save everyone.

Doctor Strange has a different moral code, preferring a more utilitarian perspective: make the choice that helps the most people across all time.

It's obvious that heroes always try to put themselves before other people. Black Widow is a great example of this at its greatest point: she actually sacrifices herself to save everyone.

The Scarlet Witch realizes she's not being a hero when she allows the evil book of evilness to corrupt her. This turns her from hero to villain, and eventually presents an opportunity for a redemption back to heroism.

Titles, Hero Names

A cool or silly title because that's just how things are.

They're exciting and fun, and in many cases actually help protect what the hero cares about. If every villain knew that Superman was Clark Kent, they would be able to research what Clark Kent cares about most and attack that. Goodbye, Lois Lane.

In an RPG, titles and secret identities are really fun too. See Blades in the Dark and FIST if you need an example of why.

The quality of a title doesn't matter at all. All we care about is who remembers it, and who knows the real face behind the mask.

The more a hero does, the more their title is recognized. This scales from their small community to their nation to their continent to their world and eventually maybe to the galaxy itself. We can think of this renown like Glory in Mythic Bastionland.

Places

Identity matters to a hero, as seen in the hero name and moral code, but so do the places they protect. These are their communities which, love them or hate them, always need protection.

The places a hero cares about might be very small, and they might change over time. Start with a neighborhood or a school. Grow to an entire city or an entire state.

These places might not be strictly geographical locations. A hero from a secret order might wish to protect all their faction's property (hidden bases, dormitories, safe houses, etc).

When these places are put at risk, a hero needs to step in and take charge, otherwise they'll lose something they care about. You can't be a friendly neighborhood Spiderman if your neighborhood doesn't exist anymore.

People

Just like places, people are a huge motivator for superheroes. Their relationships shape their stories, their decisions, and what things villains like to target most. The people a hero cares about are specific and individual loved ones or rivals. In this case, "people" doesn't refer to a group. They aren't a faction. They are the unique individuals that matter to this hero.

For Superman, this is Lois Lane and his parents (adoptive and real).

For Spiderman, this is Aunt May and MJ or Gwen.

For Black Widow this is Hawkeye, Bruce Banner, and her sister.

For Scarlet Witch this is Vision, her children (who don't exist), and her brother.

The people a hero cares about can change over time. They might not always start as your friends. Loki is a key factor in Thor's story, and vice versa, but they mostly sort-of hate each other. Bucky, the Winter Soldier, had a rough go of things, but he is still deeply connected with Captain America.

When a hero takes a stand against any villain, they put themselves at risk and they put everything they care about at risk. It may not be obvious at the time, but it's usually a part of their identity, a place they care about, or a person they love who becomes the critical factor to a compelling villain's plans.

Sometimes heroes lose these things. It tests them. It makes things difficult. It's more devastating (and narratively important) to lose something they care about than to lose their own life.

The Ability to Help People

This is pretty simple. Yes, superheroes often have nifty superpowers, or more likely, a set of richly enhanced gifts (very smart, very good marksman, very good assassin, etc.) which allow them to succeed where a normal person would probably fall short.

Specific superpowers or gifts don't really matter that much. They are a means to an end. A way to solve problems. They give a hero a toolbox which must be mastered. Sometimes those tools are very limited and specific. Often they grow over time and with practice and dedication.

Powers aren't everything though. In my eyes, it really comes down to this: plot armor. If a hero dies, they can't help anyone. They might do something great with their death, and often, heroes risk what they believe is their life for the greater good, but they rarely actually die.

This is important!

Heroes need only die when it is absolutely mission critically their time to go. In every other instance though, heroes should outlast everything else. It takes time, energy, and effort to outlast, and often means sacrificing one of those things they care about, but this is how we shape a good hero into a great one.

It's a vicious cycle that breeds heroic stories.

Final Thoughts

We examined a few key pointers about what I think makes a superhero. I think you could expand this beyond superheroes to what it means to be an intrinsically good hero in anything: you will survive and you will lose things you care about, but you won't lose everything, which means there's still something worth fighting for. Food for thought.

What do you think makes someone a hero?

Things on my radar: