How Super is your Hero?

Ok, I’ll begin by saying - how awesome is my photo for this blog?  The moment I saw it, the wheels started turning.  Slow, curious, that’s-the-hottest-picture-I’ve-seen-since-Chris-Hemsworth wheels.  I couldn’t help it . . . there is just something about this photo that appeals to both my nerdy side and the swooning romantic that exist somewhere among the many facets of my inner female psyche. 

Best part . . . this is a photo of a guy I know, Darrell.  I batted my eyelashes and promised hoards of swooning women if he let me use it for my blog.  Oddly enough, he laughed.  I’m not so sure he believed me.  I swooned.  That’s one swooning woman anyway and since I have hoards of female characters rattling around in my mind, I think that would count as multiple swoons.  So there.  Oh . . . and I will be using Darrell later as an example, but first . . .

Back to the topic - Superheroes.

I admit, I’ve been on a superhero kick since Ironman came out.  Let's face it, Tony Stark/Ironman is a well written character.  But what does Tony have to do with his alter ego?  Well, what any man would really.  You see, the other day I came across an article (while hanging out waiting for an appointment) about men and superheroes.  According to Cosmo, the superhero a man tends to prefer says a lot about him.  I didn’t get to finish the article (yes, I contemplated asking the receptionist if I could take it with me, but I opted against it solely on the principle of being caught with a Cosmo in my possession), but it did spark a question or two.  I’ve never been one to scour the pages of Cosmo for advice on men – pretty sure Cosmo can’t help with the issues most of us have with men anyway – but I think they were on to something here. 

What can a guy’s preference for heroes tell us about him?

Let’s take Darrell, for example (yes, I will likely hear about this from Darrell later).  I happen to know for a fact that Superman is, indeed, Darrell’s favorite superhero.  So, what does that say about Darrell? 

Well . . . since Superman is the archetypical “nice guy” and a guy who  digs the Man of Steel usually has the same traits, it says that Darrell is most likely loyal, steadfast and inclined to believe that people are essentially good.  He’ll be there, ready to save the day if needed.  Oh . . . and he probably has a thing for women with a penchant for curiosity who love to write (I could be a Lois Lane, no problem).

So, while I may not need Darrell to save me from a burning building any time soon (although this is me – there’s no telling what I could get into and be in need of rescuing from) it does give me some insight into what makes him tick, maybe even tock. 

If he were more of a Batman kinda guy, I’d tend to think he would be a bit of a loner, prone to not letting people get too close to him and therefore only date superficial Barbie types who couldn’t hold a meaningful conversation if someone spoke for them. 

The Hulk?  Hmmm . . . maybe he lets his emotions get the better of him (or he’s just bi-polar . . . it could go either way).

My point is this.  If you want to delve a little deeper into the character you are writing – hero or not – try thinking about which superhero would be his (or her) alter ego.  Whom would he/she mimic if push came to shove?  (You could also turn the tables and use the super villain thought process on your antagonist)

I’d love to hear what superhero YOU would choose as your alter ego!  Or, you could just comment on Darrell’s photo.  After all . . . I did promise him swooning.

 

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