How to Make a Superhero

Superpowers

Think about accidental or "nuclear" superpowers. Some characters have "nuclear" powers, which means that they've come in contact with some kind of substance that has given them super-human powers. This was especially popular during the 1940s in the "Golden Age" of comics when nuclear technology was on the rise. Daredevil, Spiderman, Hulk, Flash, and Dr. Manhattan are good examples of these kinds of powers.

Think about powers from other worlds. Some characters have "alien" powers. Here, objects or abilities have been given to your hero from other worlds. These stories and powers tend to be expansive and intergalactic, giving your hero the ability to fly between worlds and do things that break all the rules of being a human. Sometimes these heroes will even look like aliens, or be transformed in some way. Superman, Silver Surfer, and Green Lantern are examples of this kind of hero.

Think about mutation abilities. Some superhero characters have superpowers that arose from other "natural" circumstances which resulted in powers that are beyond those of regular humans. Genetic manipulation, evolution, and other factors might play into these kinds of powers. Magic might also be an important part of these abilities. All of the X-Men, Captain America, John Constantine (Hellblazer), and Aquaman are good examples of this kind of character, who gained or learned their powers biologically.

Consider giving your hero no powers. In some comic books, the heroes might not have any superpowers at all. Iron Man, Hawkeye, and Batman are characters with no actual superpowers, other than their smarts and sweet gear. While these characters are often independently wealthy enough to pay for all the sweet armor and gadgets they use, it adds a unique humanity to the characters.

Think outside the box. Most of the traditional superpowers have all been divided up already. Start thinking of unique, creative worlds in which strange things might be considered superpowers. Who says your Superhero's power can't be that they have a key for an arm and live in a world that is a hallway of locked doors? In general, new superheroes are rarely people who fly around with capes and have a name that ends in "man."

Character Development

Think of an origin story. All superheroes come from somewhere. The background story of superheroes gives us a lot of information about those heroes. Who would Superman be without the destruction of Krypton? Who would Batman be without the death of his rich parents? Where does your hero come from? Who were/are your hero's parents? How did your hero gain powers or were they born with them? What does your hero do for a living? What was your character scared of as a child? Who are your character's friends? What does your character want? Does your character have any allies?

Come up with a look for your character. Now comes the fun part. A superhero's look and uniform are the things that will set them apart from all the other heroes. Superheroes have to look cool, and ready to do battle with evil. Think of a few colors and specific clothing items that will mark your character. Let the uniform match the abilities. If your superhero has Superman-like abilities, they probably won't need much in the way of protective gear or fancy gadgets. Many characters wear masks to help protect their secret identity. In general, capes are Golden/Silver age traits for a hero, but it's still possible to get away with one. Come up with a symbol. What mark or badge will your character have to let people recognize them instantly? Think of Superman's S and the symbol on Green Lantern's ring. Some comic book heroes don't always have full uniforms, just little things that help you identify them. Think of Wolverine's hair and sideburns.

Come up with your character's secret identity. Just as important to the story of a good superhero is their alter-ego or secret identity. A superhero is cool, but the alter-ego is where your superhero comes to life. What does your hero do when they're not swooping in to save the day? Who are they as real people? That's where great characters are made. Good superheroes need to struggle. Clark Kent is a perfect alter-ego for Superman because he can't do anything right. And the Kryptonian named Kal-El would probably struggle to get everything right on his new Earth home. In some cases, your hero's secret identity might come from the origin story. Maybe your character is a trash collector who gets superpowers after discovering some radioactive waste in the garbage. His/her secret identity might be his/her original job, collecting garbage.

Give your superhero some flaws. Superheroes aren't all good. Good heroes and good stories contain tension, which you can only get if your hero has something to struggle against. Character flaws are an essential part of any good character, superheroes included. What does your character want? What keeps your character from getting what they want? What is your superhero afraid of? What makes your superhero angry? What is your superheroes weakness?

Come up with a good name. Now that you've got a series of good traits, abilities, and flaws built up for your character, it's time to pick an iconic name. Superheroes should have memorable names that will make for good titles for comic books. Pick one that matches your character's backstory and powers. Not all superheroes need to have names that end with "man." John Constantine, Swamp Thing, and Wolverine are all great examples of superheroes that have different sorts of names.

World Building & Plot

Come up with a world for your hero. Superman needs Metropolis. Tank Girl needs the post-apocalyptic version of Australia that she rides around in. In what world does your Superhero live? What are the dangers and the threats that this world poses to your hero? To regular people? Good stories come from the place your hero lives. What are the problems in your world? Your nuclear garbage collector might be right at home in Brooklyn. But, the story might be more interesting if s/he's picking up garbage on Mars Outpost 7, where food and water are in short supply, gangs run the streets, and trash is plentiful. Get creative.

Make an arch-enemy for your superhero. Who does your superhero have to fight against? A group of enemies? Or a single, arch-nemesis who plans evil in your hero's town? From the Joker to Doctor Octopus to Magneto, good villains are just as important to a comic book story as a superhero. Think of opposites. If your superhero is a nuclear-powered garbage collector, maybe his arch-nemesis would be the evil surgeon, who lives in an incredibly sterile lab and never goes outside. But he plans crimes from inside the secret laboratory. Enemies don't necessarily have to be people. Every Batman doesn't necessarily need a specific Joker to do battle with.

Find some supporting characters. Superhero stories need more than just heroes and villains. There need to be some regular people in the middle of the action, to help give the story some stakes. Commissioner Gordon, Pa Kent, April O'Neil, and Uncle Ben are all examples of great characters who motivate and influence superhero characters in comics. Do they have any family members/siblings? Think about a love interest for your superhero. Will your hero be able to share their secret identity with their love? Will their love get in the middle of the conflict? There's all kinds of places you can go with a superhero lover.

Find a good conflict. What brings your superhero and his arch-nemesis together? What happens to cause drama and tension in your world? Depending on how you've answered all of the following prompts, you can do any number of different things to find a conflict for telling a good superhero story. What must your hero do, specifically, to stop the evil from happening? What's within your garbage collector's power to keep the evil surgeon from taking over Mars Outpost 7? Think about what your hero's arch-nemesis wants. What makes them evil? Lex Luthor, one of Superman's big enemies, was a greedy businessman always on the lookout for ways to earn a buck. The Joker finds humor in crime and violence, where Batman seeks to defend those who have injustice done to them.

Don't kill off any main characters yet. One of the great things about coming up with comic book-style superheroes is that you don't have to "end" the stories. Keep them going into the future. Comic books are serialized, which means they just keep going and going, into the future, for as long as you want. Batman stories have been told since the 40s. Think of ways to add more layers to your superhero stories, like an onion, instead of just starting them and ending them.

Bring your character to life. Superheroes make great character for comic books, movie scripts, and even fan-fiction short stories. If you want to bring your character to life outside of your imagination, start writing down your stories so other people can experience your hero in action. Check out the following articles for more information about writing superhero stories: Make a Comic Book Write a Comic Book Write a Movie Script Write a Superhero Story