villains, heroes, metaorigins

[marycatelli]

One thing most metaorigins don't explain. . . .

Why do so many superpowered characters go into crime-fighting or crime committing?  Especially when they could easily get more money, and do more good at the same time, by using their powers for other, legal purposes.

It would be hard to do with powers being handed out randomly, triggered by some metaorigin factor, but perhaps it could be influenced by personality.  Still, the sort of impulsive thrill-seeker who would resort to crime for the quickness of work, or perhaps the excitement, and the sort of person who would selflessly fight crime (albeit possibly also for the thrill) are not the same type.

If the powers were handed out, it would probably need to one for the villains, and that from a nasty source, and one for the heroes, at least moderately good.  Perhaps it can justify itself by saying that it is only counteracting the other source.  Hmmm. . . if someone appealed to it for all the other good it could do, perhaps it will justify itself by saying the person making the appeal could be doing more good by other means, too.  Still, it is going to be hard to pull off.

Comments

[conuly]

Alternatively, the vast majority of superpowered individuals either a. don't particularly use their powers for any purpose b. use them for conventional purposes - they use their fire powers to get their barbecue going, they use their flight powers to trim the branches on their trees, they use superspeed to do deliveries really fast or c. have more or less useless powers. And so we don't hear about them unless the story is a subversion of some sort.

[marycatelli]

You'd expect to see them occasionally. The superheroes have a picnic, the catering company has a guy who starts the BBQ with powers, a superhero's flying patrol and sees a flying guy and hesitates a second before seeing he's the groundskeeper, a superhero gets slapped with a nuisance suit, and the process server is a speedster especially if the superhero is known to have a bad temper.

Local color, in fact.

It's who you hear about

[vakkotaur]

Jow Shmoe using X-ray vision to diagnosis disease might not be headline news in such a world. Interest story, maybe. Joe Bloe stopping Superbaddy.. that's front page.

Re: It's who you hear about

[marycatelli]

Yes, but there would be a background current where every now and again such superpower use is seen. Especially if the non-crime-related use is anywhere near on par the level of non-crime-related jobs to crime-related ones.

Especially X-ray vision in the hospital. Heroes often end up in hospitals.