How to Create a Superhero for Free

Comic book fans delight in the exploits of their favorite superheroes, and the more creative-minded among them may wish to try their hand at creating a superhero of their own. Video games such as City of Heroes and tabletop role-playing games such as Champions provide formal systems for players to design their own superheroes, but you can come up with a superhero concept for free, using nothing more than your imagination, paper and pencil.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Develop a general idea for a superhero. This includes his name, his basic personality, the precise sort of super powers he has and any weaknesses or vulnerabilities he may possess. The last part is just as important as the others, for a superhero's weakness helps make him more human. Stay away from omnipotent heroes who can do anything. Instead, make the abilities focused and specific: it helps lend your character a better sense of personality.

2. Write down a back story for your hero. Who was he before he gained his powers? What did he do with his powers after he got them? What made him decide to start battling evil with them? Pay particular attention to the circumstances under which he gained his powers: it provides a certain necessary logic to the character. You back story should also include a more fully developed personality for your hero, defining who he is away from his costume and how he interacts with those around him.

3. Draw a picture of your superhero. Determine his overall body type and facial features, and design a costume that fits his powers and personality. In some cases, the costume may actually be a part of his powers, like Batman's utility belt or SpiderMan's web shooters. You can draw the picture yourself if you have the knack, or use online engines such as HeroMachine to do it for you (see Resources).

4. Give your hero a supporting cast: a sidekick, a significant other, a mother or whatever works best for him. Supporting cast members help further define the hero's world, while providing good story ideas that go beyond thwarting robberies or stopping natural disasters.

5. Develop a rogues gallery for your hero. Good villains make for great stories, and your superhero will be pretty boring without challenges that test him to the limit. Develop your villains the same way you develop your hero: with a back story, motivations, specific powers and weaknesses, and even a costume designed the same way your hero's was. The rogues gallery puts the final touches on your hero, leaving him ready to step into whatever four-color universe you see fit to place him.

Tips & Warnings

• When developing a superhero, stick with a unified theme. His name, his powers and his outfit should all have a certain symmetry to them, as should his overall personality and the way he goes about battling injustice. That doesn't mean limiting him to a few bland one-dimensional traits--he should be fleshed out and well-developed--but unity of theme helps preserve his essence.
• Stay away from cliche. We all have favorite superheroes from the comics and movies, but if your own superhero adheres too closely to them, he'll just look like a crude knock-off. Think of ways to go against convention and to develop a truly original superhero, not just a carbon copy.

Resources

• HeroMachine