How to Deconstruct a Super Hero

In this discussion, I will tell you how to take apart a super hero, whether he be the super-strong Superman, the dark Batman, or the often comical Spider Man. What makes a super hero tick? What is a origin story? Read on...

The first important super hero of the 20^th century would have to be Superman. He isn't as popular as Batman or Spider Man, but this character provided the thesis for which all other heroes came. If not for Superman there might not have been a Batman or Spider Man.

Superman had an origin story: He was from Krypton. He could leap tall buildings and punch out a tank, so there were his abilities. He had a cause, often saving Lois or Metropolis. In other words, that's what made him a super hero. And he had villains like Lex Luthor and Doomsday. He brushed with death many times as well, a key thing for a super hero. As you can see, I just broke deconstructed Superman: I told you his origin, his abilities, his cause, and his villains. If you ever want to create a super hero, you will need all these aspects. There are other things, like having a loved one (Spider Man had Mary Jane), or perhaps having a key reason for fighting bad guys (like Spider Man losing his uncle).

To deconstruct a super hero, find out what makes him or her tick. Ask the questions you think the reader would ask. By dissecting a super hero in such a way, you come to an understanding of character that isn't just interesting, but can help you in creating your own.

There are other ways of deconstructing a super hero. Read any issue of a major comic book, and besides the bad guys and sprawling art, you will find a writer whose toying with story ideas. It can be the conflicts found in a comic like "Watchmen" or "The Dark Knight Returns," or the questions on society you might see in a graphic novel like "Maus."

The key in deconstructing a super hero is to read not just one issues, but a few. Story arcs of a comic book often have cliffhangers and, in order to write about a hero, you need to find the resolution to the story.