NationStates Jolt Archive

Most superheroes, and even supervillians, begin by some freak accident of nature or act of fate that gives them powers beyond those of normal folks.

Are there any superheroes (or supervillians) who are super by choice?

The only one that I can think of is Superman, but specifically the Smallville version, as the comic book version still retained much of this "forces have acted to put you in this place where you have no choice but to do what you do" mentality.

Batman chose to carry around a bunch of crime fighting gadgets.

The Green Lantern chooses to wear the ring that gives him his super powers.

Many of the super villans actively sought out super powers or devices.

Superman really had no choice for his powers.

None of them really do get them by choice when you add in "act of fate"

Ironman might be argued but would he have been motived if not for his bad heart?

Green Lantern? Nope.

I really can't think of anybody (at the moment. No coffee yet) who didn't wake up someday and said "hey I think I will...."

A lot of superheroes have a scenario where they are given the option to relinquish their super powers, but they ultimately refuse to lose them permanently out of a necessity to do what is right and protect the world/town/universe/laboratory. Is that the same thing?

Off the top of my head...

Captain America somewhat "chose" to be a hero by taking the super soldier serum, but it can be argued that was an 'act of fate'.

Are mutants considered acts of fate? Many of X Men have joined because they wanted to help.

You probably won't find many DC or Marvel characters without an 'act of fate' or strange circumstance in their backstory. Then again, it's for a reason...a hero who didn't have some strange backstory/reason for doing what he does wouldn't be very 'super' most likely.

Superman really had no choice for his powers.

None of them really do get them by choice when you add in "act of fate"

Ironman might be argued but would he have been motived if not for his bad heart?

Green Lantern? Nope.

I really can't think of anybody (at the moment. No coffee yet) who didn't wake up someday and said "hey I think I will...."
What do you mean "Green Lantern? Nope."? The Green Lanterns each were offered their power rings by aliens. They chose to take up the burden of defending earth.

Batman chose to carry around a bunch of crime fighting gadgets.

The Green Lantern chooses to wear the ring that gives him his super powers.

Many of the super villans actively sought out super powers or devices.
Well, my problem with Batman was that, there never was a guy more driven by fate. He and his supervillian The Joker both allowed circumstances to dictate who they were, in terms of the story.

The Green Latern is a good one, though. I'd forgotten about him.

Superman really had no choice for his powers.
But in Smallville, that's the whole dilemma of the current season, so we'll see if he "surrenders to destiny" or chooses a path. I hope it's the latter.

Goku :p

A lot of superheroes have a scenario where they are given the option to relinquish their super powers, but they ultimately refuse to lose them permanently out of a necessity to do what is right and protect the world/town/universe/laboratory. Is that the same thing?
That's just the illusion of choice on the part of the story writers, and the outcome is predictable. If who they feel they are is dictated by circumstances, then the choice is pretty much foregone... you know they will choose to fight simply because they are superheroes.

Off the top of my head...

Captain America somewhat "chose" to be a hero by taking the super soldier serum, but it can be argued that was an 'act of fate'.

Are mutants considered acts of fate? Many of X Men have joined because they wanted to help.

You probably won't find many DC or Marvel characters without an 'act of fate' or strange circumstance in their backstory. Then again, it's for a reason...a hero who didn't have some strange backstory/reason for doing what he does wouldn't be very 'super' most likely.
Okay, I'm not familiar with Captain America, so that could be one. Mutant X joined their group because they have superabilities --they didn't choose to be super.

Yes, I think we can pretty much blame the story-writing genre for the "act of fate" superpower.

The Avengers once had a part-time member named Starfox. Although he was super by birth, being an alien from dunnowhere, he chose to become a super-hero and join the Avengers because "it´s fun".
Captain America could have denied taking the serum - if you dismiss the circumstances, what with a world war going on etc.
And iirc, the Thing once was turned back to a normal human, but then chose to become super again (I think this even made it to the movie).

Goku :p
He never chose his path. His path got chosen for him firstly by everyone else using him to look for Dragon Balls, then through a series of unlikely events that simply forced his hand.

That's just the illusion of choice on the part of the story writers, and the outcome is predictable. If who they feel they are is dictated by circumstances, then the choice is pretty much foregone... you know they will choose to fight simply because they are superheroes.
Whether or not the conclusion is foregone to us doesn't mean it wasn't a decision made by the character.

Goku :p
LOL!

I had to look that one up.

Yes, I do think Goku would fit the bill. :D

Whether or not the conclusion is foregone to us doesn't mean it wasn't a decision made by the character.
Well, I think it does. But then, since I've been on this board, I've found that some people define what a choice (and free will) is differently.

And iirc, the Thing once was turned back to a normal human, but then chose to become super again (I think this even made it to the movie).
Wow, you know that's a good example. I saw the movie just last month on DVD.

He never chose his path. His path got chosen for him firstly by everyone else using him to look for Dragon Balls, then through a series of unlikely events that simply forced his hand.
Hm... I guess I'd have to learn the story line.

What do you mean "Green Lantern? Nope."? The Green Lanterns each were offered their power rings by aliens. They chose to take up the burden of defending earth.

In the normal sense yes. They look for a good person to take on the ring.

Hal Jordan's case was transported by the dying Abin Sur(just remembered his name) who gave him his ring.

Remember that Hal screwed off with his new powers and tried to woo a woman.

He didn't start off by wanting to be a superhero.

Well, I think it does. But then, since I've been on this board, I've found that some people define what a choice (and free will) is differently.
Well it makes sense to at least be consistent! It's no good saying "His choice was one that plot necessitated him making" for one character and saying "That's a good example of a character making a choice" for another.

In the normal sense yes. They look for a good person to take on the ring.

Hal Jordan's case was transported by the dying Abin Sur(just remembered his name) who gave him his ring.

Remember that Hal screwed off with his new powers and tried to woo a woman.

He didn't start off by wanting to be a superhero.
Yeah, true. He did accept the ring though. He chose to be super if not a hero at first.

Goku :p
except that he's a sayan, so he's kind of like Superman he was super whether he wanted to be or not, no choice really.

Well it makes sense to at least be consistent! It's no good saying "His choice was one that plot necessitated him making" for one character and saying "That's a good example of a character making a choice" for another.
Are you referring to Batman and The Thing? I'm sorry if I was inconsistent.

Batman was driven by his passions, by hatred, revenge, fear... Every single "dark" emotion a person can allow to control them. The dark emotions are "dark" because they are things we surrender to, as opposed to the "light" of honour, courage, bravery and self-sacrifice. We (good folk) follow the light by choice.

The dicotomy of dark and light handed down from (I believe) Summeria is ingrained in our language and ways of thinking about ourselves. It takes no choice to surrender to "baser instincts", but to follow them by choice is the epitomy of "evil".

I suppose in the end Batman is such a hero as I'm looking for.

What about Guardian from Alpha Flight? I don't seem to remember that he originally became a super-hero out of anything but his own choice.

Or the Thunderbolts. They were super-villains who chose to become super-heroes to further some nefarious scheme and I know that they had someone join them early on who definitely chose to become a super-hero (she was a whiny, annoying little girl, but still.)

Edit: Nope, I was wrong. Her name was Jolt and she was experimented on by some villains and gained super powers. Fate conspired, yet again.

It does seem that Guardian basically chose to become a hero, though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guardian_%28Marvel_Comics%29

Well it makes sense to at least be consistent! It's no good saying "His choice was one that plot necessitated him making" for one character and saying "That's a good example of a character making a choice" for another.
I think I see what your complaint is, here; but I regarded these two lines as branches of the thread. In one branch, we began talking about a scenario devised by the writers, and in the other we retained the context of talking about the characters and their circumstances. I'm sorry that I created confusion.

Only in the former is the conclusion foregone, you're right.

except that he's a sayan, so he's kind of like Superman he was super whether he wanted to be or not, no choice really.

But he did constantly strife to become stronger, even if there was no clear and present danger (loving that term). It might be argued that it is inherent with who he is, but at several times in the storyline, he could simply have laid back and let others fight - as he did in the end.

Most superheroes, and even supervillians, begin by some freak accident of nature or act of fate that gives them powers beyond those of normal folks.

Are there any superheroes (or supervillians) who are super by choice?

The only one that I can think of is Superman, but specifically the Smallville version, as the comic book version still retained much of this "forces have acted to put you in this place where you have no choice but to do what you do" mentality.Batman.
He has no super powers, but he does what he does because he wants to.

The thing is, just like in real life and in politics (which is not any more real than TV is,) those who actively strive for power beyond the normal scope are usually the least deserving and have the worst motives. In real life, power corrupts, and those who seek power are usually pretty corrupt to begin with.

That is why greatness is almost always thrust upon someone. Both in real life and in good literature.

Or, to put it another way, the only people qualified to wield great power are those who see that great power as a great burden.

Or, even more succinctly: Great power is a means, not an end.

Deathstroke the terminator for DC, and Deadpool for Marvel. Both choose to be tested on by the government and got incredibly badass because of it.

Green Goblin - Norman Osbourne chose to take the serum stuff (assuming the film is faithful to the comic).

Green Lanterns (collectively) work too. They all, as has been pointed out several times already, chose to take the rings.

Most superheroes, and even supervillians, begin by some freak accident of nature or act of fate that gives them powers beyond those of normal folks.

Are there any superheroes (or supervillians) who are super by choice?




I would still argue for Batman. I suppose you could call his parents death "an act of fate", but in the new movie he chooses to undergo the training of Raz al-Ghoul (yeah I'm not even gonna try to spell that right), and then chooses to spend his nearly infinite bank acounts on spiffy crime fighting gadgets. He could've simply let his parents rest in peace after their killer died, but instead he chose to pursue the life of a hero.

Batman. He had no superpowers, but wanted to avenge his dead parents by fighting crime. He made a concious decision to gain super-powers by good, consistent goal-setting

I think it's usually part of the superhero trope that the hero-to-be is thrust into the incomprehensible world, usually either as an orphan or abandoned by his/her parents, with abilities that they do not understand. It's a good question... I think they're not supposed to be able to chose. All that power has to feel like a curse... however, don't many supervillains chose to have their power? They kind of curse themselves, especially the science-y supervillains who do the my-invention-is-brilliant-but-I'm-the-only-one-willing-to-put-on-this-brain-warping-squid-suit-or-whatever thing. The idea, I think, is the old principle that people who want power ought not to have it.

I have two related questions about superheroes.

1. Which superheroes have both biological parents as a part of their lives?

2. Did any superheroes start out in a novel (rather than a comic or TV show)?

What I find odd is that how come most Super-Villains appear after the Super Hero becomes 'Super'. Would they have existed if it were not for the Super Heroes?

What I find odd is that how come most Super-Villains appear after the Super Hero becomes 'Super'. Would they have existed if it were not for the Super Heroes?
Not necesarily, Magneto was around before the X-men for example. They really seem to sort of form around the same time independently for what ever reason in whatever way, radiation, aliens, mad science, robotics, gene engineering, mutation magic, training, ect, ect.

Not necesarily, Magneto was around before the X-men for example. They really seem to sort of form around the same time independently for what ever reason in whatever way, radiation, aliens, mad science, robotics, gene engineering, mutation magic, training, ect, ect.

I said 'most', not all.

What about the Punisher? He's kind of along the same lines as Batman I guess....

Are there any superheroes (or supervillians) who are super by choice?You're not a big fan of Mystery Men, are you?

I took this quiz (http://www.seabreezecomputers.com/superhero/) last night and got "Spider-Man" as my result.

I took this quiz (http://www.seabreezecomputers.com/superhero/) last night and got "Spider-Man" as my result.

Mine said Green Lantern.

Mine said Green Lantern.
95% Spiderman.