HCC: High Concept Challenge # 14: Surprisingly Awesome Animal Hero
Tom Russell
profitable, recognizable, and ubiquitous of all long-underwear
characters, it's sometimes hard to see what a truly weird idea it was
in 1962. Supposedly, publisher Martin Goodman gave Lee a list of a
reasons why the public wouldn't be interested in the character-- not
least among them being the fact that spiders are gross, not to mention
easily-dispatched via a well-timed rolled-up newspaper. But Lee (and
Ditko) saw potential in the character, his powers, and his possible
mystique that Goodman couldn't, and they proved him wrong. The
challenge, this time around, is to pull of a similar feat.
Start with what would on its face be a terrible choice of an animal
for a hero's powers to emulate-- an angler fish, a chipmunk, a paper
nautilus, whatever, the worst or the silliest thing you can think of--
and show us how awesome and effective that hero and his or her powers
can really be. If "drawing on all the powers of the mighty koala"
causes the reader to smirk and titter, write the Super Drop Bear story
that'll wipe that smirk right off their face. Now, two wrinkles to
this challenge:
1. Let's avoid Superfriends-Style Aquamen. That is, heroes whose
powers are so limited as to only be useful in very specific
situations, or whose powers make them the laughingstock of other
heroes. Make a character who has the potential to be awesome most of
the time, and show us but one particularly cool example of that
awesomeness; make "awesomeness" the rule, rather than the exception.
2. No origin stories.
Well, ladies and gents, there it is: choose an animal, gives it powers
(or mechanically-reproduced abilities) to your hero, and surprise your
readers with their awesomeness. The deadline will be November 6th--
four weeks on the dot hopefully avoiding the need for a one-week
extension.
And, go!
==Tom
Scott Eiler
> Well, ladies and gents, there it is: choose an animal, gives it powers
> (or mechanically-reproduced abilities) to your hero, and surprise your
> readers with their awesomeness. The deadline will be November 6th--
> four weeks on the dot hopefully avoiding the need for a one-week
> extension.
Please believe me when I say: my latest story involves a cargo ship
sinking in Alaska, I've been waiting for this plot challenge to fill
in some excitement, and Nell the Waitress already got salmon powers
off-panel. I may have to bring in Kristi the Animal Girl too.
http://www.eilertech.com/stories/ :
neverwas.htm
2010/waitress.htm
2010/sinking.htm
Phantasm
> 1. Let's avoid Superfriends-Style Aquamen. That is, heroes whose
> powers are so limited as to only be useful in very specific
> situations, or whose powers make them the laughingstock of other
> heroes. Make a character who has the potential to be awesome most of
> the time, and show us but one particularly cool example of that
> awesomeness; make "awesomeness" the rule, rather than the exception.
> 2. No origin stories.
>
> Well, ladies and gents, there it is: choose an animal, gives it powers
> (or mechanically-reproduced abilities) to your hero, and surprise your
> readers with their awesomeness. The deadline will be November 6th--
> four weeks on the dot hopefully avoiding the need for a one-week
> extension.
>
> And, go!
>
> ==Tom
Too bad the Walrus is already taken... a minor Marvel villain with the
proportionate speed, strength, agility, and intelligence of a walrus.
Yes, that means he's weaker than a walrus (but still pretty strong).
Scott Eiler
> Too bad the Walrus is already taken... a minor Marvel villain with the
> proportionate speed, strength, agility, and intelligence of a walrus.
> Yes, that means he's weaker than a walrus (but still pretty strong).
Well, he's not taken in your universe, is he? But I think you'll have
to tap into the full awesomeness of walrushood if you're going to meet
this challenge. Goo goo ga joob.