Inspired by one of the best threads ever produced on SDMB, a thread about syndromes or cliches that most sitcoms use, I got to thinking that there are also a lot of consistent writing devices in superhero stories.
What are the syndromes or conventions that all too many superhero writers fall back on?
I offer the first batch:
Convenient Lack of Super Speed- An encounter when character with super speed fails to use his powers just because the actual application of the hero’s powers would eliminate drama or intrigue.
Example: When the Flash, who moves so fast that everyone seems frozen in time, gets punched or negotiates with a hostage taker because he has a gun to the head of an innocent bystander.
I Think We Have to Fight First- The notion that heroes have to fight before they can team up.
Example: Every team up comic ever written.
When Did You Train?- The idea every non-powered character is a master of martial arts and/or an Olympic Class Athlete; despite the fact that they have jobs, school, and subplots to divert their attentions.
Example: Robin (Tim Drake) went from a kid who had taken some karate classes to Batman Part Two in a few issues.
If Only You Knew …
The hero will have at least one “normal” friend or acquaintance who is abnormally obsessed with the hero’s exploits, constantly talking about him to the hero’s (and, presumably, reader’s) quiet amusement. Examples: Flash Thompson’s devotion to Spider-Man; Jonah Jameson’s antipathy toward Spider-Man; and the creme de la creme, Lois Lane’s crush on Superman.
You Know, He’s Really Not So Bad
Characters originally introduced as villains eventually become heroes, even (or especially) former murderers. Examples: The Punisher, Rogue.
The Where The Hell is Child Protective Services? Syndrome: Exemplified by any number of child/teen sidekicks from the past and teenage heroes today.
The I’m a Genius, I Know Everything About Everything Syndrome: If someone’s really intelligent, they are automatically expert in all areas of scientific endeavour. Reed Richards is the prototypical example.
Are they just selfish, or do they have no sense of marketing?: A super will never share his technology or magic with others. No matter how advanced or useful the technology, it will remained confined to the super and perhaps a few advanced labs or secret government agencies. No one will think to sell the stuff he makes. The evil will use it to steal or attempt world domination. The good will use it themselves to fight the evil. Example: Most comic universes
Bruce Lee Syndrome: Even when outnumbered and outgunned, someone practiced in martial arts will always win. Always. Unless the plot demands otherwise. Examples: Most unpowered superheroes.
Worf Syndrome: The supposed badass will get his ass kicked by the villain de jour to demonstrate how much of a threat he is. Examples: Superman, the Hulk.
The I’m Always Prepared Syndrome–A super-hero’s utility belt will always have the exact tools he needs to defeat the bad guys. This has become a real cliche: Batman if he’s prepared.
A subset of the I’m a Genius, I Know Everything About Everything Syndrome: But Nobody Likes Me Syndrome: Said super-genius will maybe have one friend, but the rest of the group can’t stand him.
The Rich People – Is There Anything They Can’t Do? Syndrome: if the hero is rich, they have ample time to devote to martial arts training, detective work, mastery of every scientific discipline, escape artistry, inventing, practicing medicine, running multi-billion dollar corporations, and gallivanting around town in their secret identities, as well as patrolling every night and serving on superhero teams. See Batman, Green Arrow, Dr. Mid-Nite, Blue Beetle (before he lost his fortune and company), Booster Gold, Golden Age Sandman, Golden Age Hourman, Golden Age Starman, Golden Age Green Lantern, Iron Man, and to a lesser extent, Professor X and Lex Luthor.
There was a great example addressing this in an old issue of Marvel Two-In-One involving the original Spider-Woman. She had the power of immunity to all poisons or harmful radiation, which she sacrificed to save the life of Giant-Man (the Bill Foster version). Afterwards she made some comment to the Thing about how the doctors told her she might have had the cure for cancer as part of her powers and could’ve relieved untold suffering.
Now IIRC she has all her original powers back. I wonder if she ever thinks back to that day.
The Anita Bryant Syndrome–All superheroes have to recruit teenaged sidekicks, sinch none of them ever gets laid, married, or pregnant (gets someone else pregnant). So named because Mrs. Bryant stated “I know that homosexuals can’t have children, so they have to recruit children to fill their ranks.”
Picking on Someone Your Own Size
With very rare exceptions, superheros only encounter and fight villains who are their rough equal in power and ability. When this rule is broken, it is always in the villains’ favor (Daredevil fighting the Hulk, Spider-Man fighting Firelord); one never sees, say, Thor fighting Bullseye.
Corollary:
On Any Given Sunday
Any character can fight and defeat any other character if the plot demands it, regardless of whether the outcome makes sense given a character’s established abilities. Example: Spider-Man can handily defeat all of the X-Men at once in Secret Wars, but was beaten by Wolverine solo in a subsequent encounter.
The sister syndrome: Crappy Supervillian Travel Guide- Where Supervillians seem to travel to cities with heroes that can easily defeat them instead of ones where they’d be more effective.
Example- It would seem that the Parasite would have better luck in Gotham City where there is a non-powered guardian of the city.
The Big Evil Doppelganger Syndrome: occasionally heroes will get an arch-enemy who has very similar powers or abilities, and possibly even a twisted version of their origin. However, instead of fighting to a standstill, the doppelganger will have an advantage: additional powers, perhaps being smarter, perhaps crazier, almost always being bigger and stronger, and will usually have a killer instinct the hero lacks.
Spider-Man v. Venom, Carnage
Wolverine v. Sabretooth
Batman v. Bane, Ra’s Al Ghul, Prometheus, the Wraith, Lex Luthor (and I also want to count Deathstroke, even though they rarely tangle)
Flash v. Reverse-Flash, Zoom
Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) v. Sinestro
Superman v. Bizarro
How could you forget the classic Thor vs Locus matchup? The Norse God of Thunder was about three seconds away from having his ass handed to him by a mathematician who could manifest pink geometric shapes.
The You Always Hurt the One You Love Syndrome: significant others, friends, and family members turn against the superhero.
Green Lantern (Hal) v. Star Sapphire (girlfriend)
Spider-Man v. Green Goblin II (best friend)
Flash (Wally) v. Zoom II (friend)
Aquaman v. Ocean Master (brother)
Cyclops v. Goblyn Queen (ex-wife)
Daredevil v. Elektra (lover)
the temporary demotion / promotion: Every hero who has their own series will be waylaid, injured or temporarily dead, leaving a minor character to fill-in and assume that hero’s public identity for a long-term storyarc. Inevitably though, the original hero will get better and re-assume the mantle.
Superman - killed and replaced by Eradicator, Superboy, Steel (Iron John) and the Cyborg Superman.
Batman - crippled by Bane, replaced by Azrael.
Wonder Woman - replaced twice, once by Artemis, then later (while temporarily dead) by her mother (THAT had to stir up some weird freudian nightmares!)
Green Lantern - This seems to be the driving theme of the series in the past few decades.
Flash - Wally West seems to be the only fill-in hero to ever hold onto the top spot permanently.
Spider-Man - clones. 'Nuff said.
Captain America - USAgent. 'Nuff said.
Iron-Man - alcoholic Tony Stark. 'Nuff said.
Thor - I know he was replaced, but I don’t know how the story played out.
I didn’t coin the phrase, but I think it fits here:
Women In the RefrigeratorSyndrome- The overwhlemingly violent treatment of female characters in comics.
Examples: Named for Kyle Rayner’s girlfriend who was killed by Major Force and stuffed into a fridge for him to discover. Also includes crippling Batgirl, killing off Supergirl in a bllody fight and all sorts of damsels in distress who wind up dead to create comic book drama.