# What makes a good super heros story? Discussion split from Superman & Lois Show **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comic-books-manga\ **Created:** [March 9, 2021, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-super-heros-story-discussion-split-from-superman-lois-show/937708 "2021-03-09T17:26:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-super-heros-story-discussion-split-from-superman-lois-show/937708/1 "2021-03-09T17:26:52Z")
The best Superman stories concentrate on Clark Kent. The original _Adventures of Superman_ did that – most of the episodes involved Kent dealing with the situation, and only showing up as Superman at the end. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-super-heros-story-discussion-split-from-superman-lois-show/937708/2 "2021-03-09T21:34:24Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > The best Superman stories concentrate on Clark Kent Does this go for all superheroes or just Superman? How does Clark Kent deal with an Darkseid before Superman shows up? > [@Superman and Lois Season 1](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-and-lois-season-1/933031/76): > > I’m watching the show with my boyfriend, who’s a twin, and he likes this aspect. It’s true for him and his identical brother. There was also a scene in _WandaVision_ where the twins talked about how one is cool and the other a weirdo. He liked that too That’s kind of my point, I should have said it better. TV/movie twins are either totally alike or totally different. Granted, my twin experience is limited to two sets, but neither was the polar opposite of the other. (One set, however, was identical guys whose parents named them Shawn and Sean, pronounced Shawn and Seen, of course.) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2021, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-super-heros-story-discussion-split-from-superman-lois-show/937708/3 "2021-03-10T12:25:20Z")
> [@Superman and Lois Season 1](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-and-lois-season-1/933031/77): > > > [@RealityChuck](#): > > > > The best Superman stories concentrate on Clark Kent > > Does this go for all superheroes or just Superman? How does Clark Kent deal with an Darkseid before Superman shows up? He doesn’t. He deals with life with a double identity. He deals with his relationship with Lois. He uses his skill as a reporter to uncover crime created by people who are smart enough to realize not to confront him directly. Once Darkseid shows up, I’m not interested. Fight scenes are silly, boring and tedious to watch. The story is what happens between them. It’s the same with other Superheroes. “Who would win in a fight?” is the bane of Superhero stories. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2021, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-super-heros-story-discussion-split-from-superman-lois-show/937708/4 "2021-03-10T14:40:13Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > Does this go for all superheroes or just Superman? How does Clark Kent deal with an Darkseid before Superman shows up? Um… yes, for most Superheros that is largely true - although I’m not a fan of their personal lines turning into soap operas. The exception would be Superheros that have a detective aspect (in my opinion). Situations where they have to use intellect and cleverness as well as “powers” to solve the problem(s). Or where they have to work around a significant disability - in the case of Daredevil that’s a literal disability. Sure, he has his “radar sense” but he’s still truly blind. If someone says “push the red button” he has no way to know which button is red (this was lampshaded at least once in a Daredevil/Spiderman team up) Touch screens are not something he can use. A clock covered with glass is useless to him, which is most clocks. Everyone can see through a window except him. And so on. When he’s well-written how he deals with that can be as interesting as his relationship with Foggy Nelson, his law partner. The Flash was interesting for years not because of his silly rogue’s gallery but because he had a married life. When well-written, Batman was interesting as a detective and not just a guy with a gadget for every eventuality in his utility belt. The downside, of course, is that given the production schedule of comic books not every book or story is great, or well-written. Sturgeon’s Law. And, of course, Clark Kent doesn’t deal with Darkseid - that’s why the world needs Superman. > [@Superman and Lois Season 1](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-and-lois-season-1/933031/81): > > The opening scene with the bridge was absolutely stupendous. The later fight in the motel against the unexpected metahuman was equally stupendous. Great mixing up of the very large Superman feat and the relatively small. I take it that the meta wasn’t a Kryptonian since he got fried by the heat vision of yet another meta at the end. Which raises the question of why he didn’t get fried by Superman’s heat vision in the first place. I suspect “kryptonite” will be invoked at some point. Or that whoever these meta-humans are, none of them have the full suite of Kryptonian powers and/or have some sort of weakness or limitation. I also liked the balance between small-scale human/family issues and big Superman problems. > [@Superman and Lois Season 1](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-and-lois-season-1/933031/81): > > In a show involving teenagers, it’s inevitable that we get plotlines about teenage angst. I’ll give the writers credit that they don’t seem to dragging out said angst and actually advancing their storyline. I like the rapport between the twin brothers. Jonathan, especially, is quite supportive of his brother’s change of lifestyle. I think the teen angst is at a level that makes the show interesting but doesn’t overwhelm it. It’s normal, but serious, teen angst (which in the case of Sarah gets very serious) which is being folded into the overall storyline. Yes, clearly Jordan and Sarah are going to be an “item”, but for once it’s the nerdy, dark-haired introvert getting a girl instead of the blond-haired blue-eyed jock. I also think they’re doing a decent job of balancing sibling rivalry with the fact the twins do love and care for one another. They fight among themselves, but they’ll join ranks against a threat from outside the family. Jonathan doesn’t say he loves his brother, but his sacrifices for him show that he does. Which makes the apparent lack of relationship between Lois and her father glaring in contrast. Sure, there’s probably off-scene stuff, but I’d like to see those two interacting as family. Maybe dad getting pissed about moving the family to Smallville and arguing with his daughter about that, because clearly dad has some concerns about his daughter’s choice of husband. Maybe it will be Lois that tells her dad that Jordan is displaying powers and they thought dealing with this at a farm would be easier/better than doing so in Metropolis. We’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2021, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-super-heros-story-discussion-split-from-superman-lois-show/937708/5 "2021-03-10T16:24:32Z")
> [@Superman and Lois Season 1](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-and-lois-season-1/933031/77): > > > [@RealityChuck](#): > > > > The best Superman stories concentrate on Clark Kent > > Does this go for all superheroes or just Superman? I still remember getting frustrated by Overpowered Superman as a kid, and was excited when Spider-Man came along… “Hey, here’s a guy with problems!” So I was pretty psyched as we walked out of the first Tobey McGuire Spider-Man movie. My kid turned to me and said “You’re just jazzed that it was pretty much The Peter Parker Movie.” Smart kid. I loved the scenes with him trying to figure out his powers (c’mon, who didn’t smile at the cafeteria tray stuck to webbing? And his surprise at avoiding a bully’s punches). Much more intriguing than any fight scene. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2021, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-super-heros-story-discussion-split-from-superman-lois-show/937708/6 "2021-03-10T21:16:33Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > He doesn’t. He deals with life with a double identity. He deals with his relationship with Lois. He uses his skill as a reporter to uncover crime created by people who are smart enough to realize not to confront him directly. I am totally unfamiliar with DC characters including Superman but what happens then? Does he call the police? Publish a story? Or does Superman capture them? Is there even a main police officer in Superman books? > [@RealityChuck](#): > > Once Darkseid shows up, I’m not interested. Fight scenes are silly, boring and tedious to watch. The story is what happens between them. > > It’s the same with other Superheroes. “Who would win in a fight?” is the bane of Superhero stories I think you don’t get the audience for superhero stories. If you stripped out all the villains and have Clark Kent reporting on white collar crime while arguing with Lois about what kind of drapes to have in the living room, I think readership would die down in a hurry. People do indeed turn to comics to see who would win in a fight. This is a bit like how you don’t understand that Alien was a horror movie set in space, but you go on and on about how it’s a terrible scifi movie. > [@Superman and Lois Season 1](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-and-lois-season-1/933031/84): > > in the case of Daredevil that’s a literal disability. Sure, he has his “radar sense” but he’s still truly blind That may be true in some versions but the latest tv version(the only one I know) his vision is like looking thru a night vision scope, He sees everything, just in different colors. Foggy even gets a little pissed when he finds out. > [@Superman and Lois Season 1](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-and-lois-season-1/933031/84): > > The Flash was interesting for years not because of his silly rogue’s gallery but because he had a married life. When well-written, Batman was interesting as a detective and not just a guy with a gadget for every eventuality in his utility belt I’ll pass on the Flash because I know nothing about him. However, Batman doing detective work did not stop him from beating the crap out of people all the time. Nor does his utility belt have much stiff in it, only 4 that I can think of. There is no bat shark repellent or bat jetpack or bat parachute. > [@Superman and Lois Season 1](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-and-lois-season-1/933031/84): > > And, of course, Clark Kent doesn’t deal with Darkseid - that’s why the world needs Superman. That’s what I said. **Reality Chuck** said it was best when Clark Kent handled the stories. I wanted to know how he was handling it until Superman was needed. > [@Superman and Lois Season 1](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superman-and-lois-season-1/933031/85): > > I loved the scenes with him trying to figure out his powers (c’mon, who didn’t smile at the cafeteria tray stuck to webbing? And his surprise at avoiding a bully’s punches). Much more intriguing than any fight scene. Does this mean every superhero movie has to be an origin story so we can see people learning their powers over and over again? Because that would get old fast. We need less origin stories, I think the vast majority of the audience knows the origin story already. If you must have a origin in the movie, do it as a short flashback while the superhero does a voiceover description. What Spider-Man needs is better writers who can actually write witty remarks for him to say while fighting, a staple of Spidey stories. Maybe actors who aren’t going thru puberty so they don’t have the screechy high pitched voice. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2021, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-super-heros-story-discussion-split-from-superman-lois-show/937708/7 "2021-03-10T21:46:55Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > That may be true in some versions but the latest tv version(the only one I know) his vision is like looking thru a night vision scope, He sees everything, just in different colors. Foggy even gets a little pissed when he finds out. Ehhh… to me it was pretty plain that it still wasn’t real vision. At best, he’d be considered functionally “very low vision/highly impaired” even if not totally blind, as in “no light perception at all”. He still couldn’t pick “the red object” out of a collection of objects. He still can’t get anything from a flat screen. He still can’t see through windows. He’s still very much handicapped visually. > [@mordecaiB](#): > > However, Batman doing detective work did not stop him from beating the crap out of people all the time. Nor does his utility belt have much stiff in it, only 4 that I can think of. There is no bat shark repellent or bat jetpack or bat parachute. Hell, Batman used to shoot and kill people in the really old days. And how much and what he has in the utility belt various a lot with the era, writer, and story. The point being he’s crazy-prepared for anything. Hell, he’s even known to have a stash of kryptonite in most continuities. And the “bat parachute” is his cape, silly. Which sometimes is also the “bat hang-glider”. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-super-heros-story-discussion-split-from-superman-lois-show/937708/8 "2021-03-11T13:06:13Z")
Thanks to @What_Exit for splitting this out. I think it’s a topic worthy of separate discussion. > [@digs](#): > > So I was pretty psyched as we walked out of the first Tobey McGuire Spider-Man movie. My kid turned to me and said “You’re just jazzed that it was pretty much The Peter Parker Movie.” > > Smart kid. I loved the scenes with him trying to figure out his powers (c’mon, who didn’t smile at the cafeteria tray stuck to webbing? And his surprise at avoiding a bully’s punches). Much more intriguing than any fight scene. I think the Spider-Man movies illustrate what many of us mean are trying to say. This century we have seen three distinct Spider-Mans (Spider-Men?) with three different approaches to the character. The Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies cast Tobey Maguire in the title role. As @digs has said, he made for a great Peter Parker. I wouldn’t be surprised if the casting director specifically looked for someone who could play Peter with the Spider-Man aspect being secondary. Still important, but secondary. The stories concentrated on how being Spidey impacted Peter’s life, juggling between home and school/work, love and friendship. These movies were quite successful, liked by both critics and fans. The second set of movies (_Amazing Spider-Man_) had Andrew Garfield in the title role. He was a great Spider-Man, getting delivery of all the Spidey quips right, but fell completely flat as Peter Parker. Among other problems, he’s much too good-looking to be believable as Peter. I personally couldn’t tell you what Peter’s personal problems were, if he even had any problems. This set of movies were much more poorly received than the first set. The third, current set of MCU Spider-Man movies has Tom Holland playing Spidey/Peter. Peter is back to being a high school kid, with high school problems as well as larger Spider-Man problems. Tom Holland is completely believable as an unsure high schooler as well as a Spider-Man not entirely comfortable with his powers nor the problems he’s being asked to confront. It’s the MCU, so of course the movies have made a bajillion dollars, but the movies work really well in and of themselves. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-super-heros-story-discussion-split-from-superman-lois-show/937708/9 "2021-03-11T14:32:19Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > > [@RealityChuck](#): > > > > He doesn’t. He deals with life with a double identity. He deals with his relationship with Lois. He uses his skill as a reporter to uncover crime created by people who are smart enough to realize not to confront him directly. > > I am totally unfamiliar with DC characters including Superman but what happens then? Does he call the police? Publish a story? Or does Superman capture them? Is there even a main police officer in Superman books? Superman will capture them and take them to jail. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > Once Darkseid shows up, I’m not interested. Fight scenes are silly, boring and tedious to watch. The story is what happens between them. > > It’s the same with other Superheroes. “Who would win in a fight?” is the bane of Superhero stories > [@](#): > > I think you don’t get the audience for superhero stories. If you stripped out all the villains and have Clark Kent reporting on white collar crime while arguing with Lois about what kind of drapes to have in the living room, I think readership would die down in a hurry. People do indeed turn to comics to see who would win in a fight. This is a bit like how you don’t understand that Alien was a horror movie set in space, but you go on and on about how it’s a terrible scifi movie. I understand it’s a horror movie set in space. But I prefer my movies – horror included – to have intelligent characters trying to deal with a situation, not a bunch of idiots running around showing less intelligence than headless chickens. _Alien_ is just a contrived excuse for jump scares . Trying to excuse it by calling it a horror movie is tantamount to saying all horror movies are stupid, too. But for Superhero movies, the best deal with issues without fighting. I haven’t seen it, but people are raving about _Wandavision._ How many fight scenes does it show? ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-super-heros-story-discussion-split-from-superman-lois-show/937708/10 "2021-03-11T15:36:09Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > But for Superhero movies, the best deal with issues without fighting. I haven’t seen it, but people are raving about _Wandavision._ How many fight scenes does it show? Just the one. It was resolved by not fighting. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-super-heros-story-discussion-split-from-superman-lois-show/937708/11 "2021-03-11T15:53:51Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > I am totally unfamiliar with DC characters including Superman but what happens then? Does he call the police? Publish a story? Or does Superman capture them? > [@RealityChuck](#): > > Superman will capture them and take them to jail Then Clark Kent will publish the story. Supes isn’t above a little self-promotion. 🙂 (Lois: “Clark, it’s funny how you scoop me every time Superman shows up.”) > [@](#): > > Is there even a main police officer in Superman books? Not in the comics, but TV’s _The Adventures of Superman_ starring George Reeves had Inspector Bill Henderson as a recurring character. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-super-heros-story-discussion-split-from-superman-lois-show/937708/12 "2021-03-11T16:58:14Z")
Darkseid I’m glad I was unaware of this character. Sadly, like Thanos, he’ll be making an apprearance in the movie franchise. Another overpowered villian that can’t be stopped, until he can. This to me sums up all the reasons I don’t read the comics: > While Darkseid is a deity and immortal, having lived for several hundred thousand years, he is not invincible and has been killed on several occasions. Baron Munchausen: And that was only one of the many occasions on which I met my death, an experience which I don’t hesitate strongly to recommend. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-super-heros-story-discussion-split-from-superman-lois-show/937708/13 "2021-03-11T19:03:09Z")
I like what the MCU does, they make stories starring super heroes not ABOUT super heroes. They’ve obviously made plenty of normal super hero stories, but also heist movies starring super heroes, space adventures starring super heroes, spy thrillers starring super heroes, action comedies starring super heroes, all the way up to whatever Wandavision was. There are almost always guys and gals punching each other, but it’s all part of a grander story in a multitude of genres. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-super-heros-story-discussion-split-from-superman-lois-show/937708/14 "2021-03-11T19:23:44Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > Nor does his utility belt have much stiff in it, only 4 that I can think of. There is no bat shark repellent or bat jetpack or bat parachute. According to [fandom.com](https://batman.fandom.com/wiki/Utility_Belt), these are just some of the things he has carried in his utility belt. Note the second to last. > Batarangs: throwing weapons > > Bat-Darts: tranquilizer darts > > Bat-Bolas: > > Bat Stungun: > > Flamethrower: > > Flash-Bang Grenades: > > Tear-Gas Pellets: > > EMP Grenade: > > Acetylene Torch: > > Bat-Cuffs: Bat-shaped handcuffs > > Bat-Heater: A small bat-shaped tool used for heating objects or melting ice. > > Batlight: A standard flashlight > > Line Launcher: A device that shoots steel cables out from both sides. > > Batrope: > > Bat-Saw: > > Cryptographic Sequencer: Used to remotely access secure computer terminals > > Collapsible Bat-Sword: A sword similar to lightsabers > > Grapple Gun/Bat-Grapple: A projectile meant for use in scaling large surfaces. > > Bat Bombs: > > Lock Pick: > > Master Bat-Key: A master skeleton key. > > Night Vision Bat-Goggles: Infrared Goggles > > Bat-Gas Mask: A mouth-covering utility that can filter out hazardous particles. > > Rebreather: > > Thermite Grenades: > > Evidence Bags: bags for carrying crime scene evidence. > > Fingerprint Dusting Kit: > > Bat-Tracer: Used as a tracking device > > Communications Devices: An earbug or handheld system used for communication with others. > > Cryo Capsules: Small pill-like capsules containing a cryonic acid > > Explosive Gel Gun: > > Energy Deflector: > > First-Aid Kit: > > Kryptonite Ring: > > Bat-Camera: > > Micro-Cassette Recorder: > > Micro-Processor Power Source: > > Miniaturized Bat-Toolkit: A smaller, useful toolkit. > > Miniaturized Smoke Grenades/Pellets: > > Minicam and Recorder: > > Oceanic Repellent Batsprays: A non-lethal chemical spray used to repel oceanic creatures, notably sharks. > > Ultrasonic Bat-Beacon/Batcall: An electronic device that puts out high frequency calls to attract near-by bats. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-super-heros-story-discussion-split-from-superman-lois-show/937708/15 "2021-03-11T19:50:19Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Superman will capture them and take them to jail. So to you a good comic would have Clark driving around town questioning people for 24 pages and then turn up as Superman to capture people in the final panel. Again, you choose not to understand why people read comics. If this was such a popular idea, believe me the comic companies would be putting out Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne comics instead of Superman and Batman. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > I understand it’s a horror movie set in space. But I prefer my movies – horror included – to have intelligent characters trying to deal with a situation, not a bunch of idiots running around showing less intelligence than headless chickens. _Alien_ is just a contrived excuse for jump scares . Trying to excuse it by calling it a horror movie is tantamount to saying all horror movies are stupid, too. This shows you don’t understand horror movies either. Many horror movies are stupid, that doesn’t mean they aren’t fun to watch. Nobody watches a horror movie and think it will be up for an Oscar. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > But for Superhero movies, the best deal with issues without fighting. I haven’t seen it, but people are raving about _Wandavision._ How many fight scenes does it show? Wanda vision does indeed have fights in it. It ends with a spectacular fight between various characters. Not to mention the horror aspect of the whole town being mind controlled while at the same time being aware that it’s happening. > [@markn\_1](#): > > According to [fandom.com](https://batman.fandom.com/wiki/Utility_Belt), these are just some of the things he has carried in his utility belt. Note the second to last. I’d wager that most of those were one time use, I wouldn’t be surprised if most Batman fans have ever heard of those. Usually it’s just batarang, smoke bombs, cuffs, bolo and that gun that magically shoots ropes all over Gotham. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-super-heros-story-discussion-split-from-superman-lois-show/937708/16 "2021-03-11T20:18:46Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > This shows you don’t understand horror movies either. He doesn’t understand Alien, either. His biggest “fault” with the movie is that Ash let Kane onboard instead of leaving him outside, or at least quaranteening him, thereby dooming them all to stupid horror movie deaths one by one. Completely forgetting that acquiring a xenomorph was Ash’s main job on board, crew expendable. “All other priorities rescinded”. It’s right there in plain text. It actually benefits the Company’s plan if everyone dies. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-super-heros-story-discussion-split-from-superman-lois-show/937708/17 "2021-03-11T20:50:54Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > > [@RealityChuck](#): > > > > Superman will capture them and take them to jail. > > So to you a good comic would have Clark driving around town questioning people for 24 pages and then turn up as Superman to capture people in the final panel. Again, you choose not to understand why people read comics. If this was such a popular idea, believe me the comic companies would be putting out Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne comics instead of Superman and Batman. It works if the mystery is intriguing and cleverly wroght. Detective fiction manages to do it. And there’s nothing wrong with it being some super powered villain: it’s best when it doesn’t devolve into a fight scene. The key to Superman is to _avoid_ fight scenes, but rather have a clever supervillain challenge him. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > I understand it’s a horror movie set in space. But I prefer my movies – horror included – to have intelligent characters trying to deal with a situation, not a bunch of idiots running around showing less intelligence than headless chickens. _Alien_ is just a contrived excuse for jump scares . Trying to excuse it by calling it a horror movie is tantamount to saying all horror movies are stupid, too. > > > [@](#): > > > > This shows you don’t understand horror movies either. Many horror movies are stupid, that doesn’t mean they aren’t fun to watch. Nobody watches a horror movie and think it will be up for an Oscar. I don’t care about an Oscar-worthy performance, but I don’t want to see stupid people doing stupid things and especially people doing them for no other reason than set up random scares. There’s no fun in being startled (since most modern horror movies are startling, not scary) and they’re too formulaic. Basically they are contemptuous of the audience. There are bad movies, but you seem to be saying that they are deliberately bad. _Alien_ aspires to be good, and shouldn’t get a pass because it’s horror. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > But for Superhero movies, the best deal with issues without fighting. I haven’t seen it, but people are raving about _Wandavision._ How many fight scenes does it show? > [@](#): > > Wanda vision does indeed have fights in it. It ends with a spectacular fight between various characters. Not to mention the horror aspect of the whole town being mind controlled while at the same time being aware that it’s happening. The mind control is a smart way to do horror, and the show doesn’t have to have a fight scene in every episode to be good. Someone also pointed out here that the solution was avoiding a fight. I prefer a superhero to outsmart the villain instead of punching him out. There were many flaws in _Dr. Strange_ but it did have one of the best Marvel endings because Strange wins by being clever. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-super-heros-story-discussion-split-from-superman-lois-show/937708/18 "2021-03-11T21:06:37Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Detective fiction manages to do it. And there’s nothing wrong with it being some super powered villain: it’s best when it doesn’t devolve into a fight scene. I feel the same way about ballet. It’s really great until they start in with all that dancing. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-super-heros-story-discussion-split-from-superman-lois-show/937708/19 "2021-03-11T21:13:06Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Detective fiction manages to do it There are detective fiction comics? Other than one offs or limited series I can’t think of any popular ones. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > The key to Superman is to _avoid_ fight scenes, but rather have a clever supervillain challenge him. Pretty much the entire comic reading universe disagrees with you. If those stories are so great where are all the issues of Clark Kent, Reporter At Large? Again, you don’t seem to understand why people read comic books. You may not like them but you are totally wrong on what the comic book readers want. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > I don’t care about an Oscar-worthy performance, but I don’t want to see stupid people doing stupid things and especially people doing them for no other reason than set up random scares. > > There’s no fun in being startled (since most modern horror movies are startling, not scary) Why would you even watch a horror then? That’s exactly what most of them are. And really, as an adult you have been scared at a horror movie? I can’t imagine a horror movie that would actually scare me. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > _Alien_ aspires to be good, and shouldn’t get a pass because it’s horror. Again, you don’t understand horror movies. _Alien_ was a good horror movie. Just because you don’t like something does not mean it’s bad. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > There were many flaws in _Dr. Strange_ but it did have one of the best Marvel endings because Strange wins by being clever I may have to let you have this one. Dr. Strange was the only marvel movie I skipped when I binge watched all the MCU movies last year. However, the fact that it had Bandersnatch in it makes me think the whole movie was probably bad. Just my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-super-heros-story-discussion-split-from-superman-lois-show/937708/20 "2021-03-11T21:20:49Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Is there even a main police officer in Superman books? > > Not in the comics, but TV’s _The Adventures of Superman_ starring George Reeves had Inspector Bill Henderson as a recurring character. While [Bill Henderson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inspector_Henderson) originated in radio’s _The Adventure’s of Superman_, and didn’t show up in the comics until a couple of decades later, he is actually also a character in the comics (he’s currently the Metropolis Police Commissioner). More recently, [Maggie Sawyer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maggie_Sawyer) is a supporting character that has appeared in various Superman and Superman-adjacent properties - and she actually originated in the comics. Her prominence has risen and fallen a few times over the years; she was probably most prominent in the late '90s, when she was a major supporting character on _Superman: The Animated Series._ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-good-super-heros-story-discussion-split-from-superman-lois-show/937708.md?page=2)