Thinking of writing a Hancock like super heroine

[Akisa]

So after watching Hancock I started to get the idea of making a super heroine story just set in a different universe. As far as the world or for herself is concerned she is only one with super powers (though North Korea does claim to have an army of them, though their evidence of their super hero footage is just mostly movie effects (like cgi, wire effects etc)).

As like in Hancock many people and news media paint her as a menace because of mostly collateral damage (similar to Hancock).

I was thinking of making it like a slice of life as she goes into the Airforce (though with super powers), just as a war is starting to kick off.

I'm wondering how should have media react to the news, or some other ideas I should probably include. Also does this sound like an interesting premise for a story?

[The Fury]

The only part of Hancock I've actually seen is the trailer. Though my impression is that Hancock is a lazy but awesomely powerful (anti)hero until he starts to clean up his act. Also that the collateral damage he causes is largely due to him not giving a crap. Please correct me if this is wrong.

Is there a reason she opts to enlist in the Airforce rather than being a vigilante in the typical superhero idiom? Somehow I don't get the impression that she has a Captain America-like desire to serve her country. Is it to clean up her image?

[ThinkMinty]

I'm wondering how should have media react to the news, or some other ideas I should probably include. Also does this sound like an interesting premise for a story?

Include other metahumans. You want there to be obstacles for her to face other than mook waves. Robo-suits and fancy technology mitigate this to an extent, but you really want other superbeings around so something can pose a threat to her personal safety. You can have her be the only flying brick, while other superbeings exist with any other power or powers besides that.

She's going to be useful as a recon/fighter/skirmisher more than a bomber, and a flying brick fills the role of search-and-rescue like no other.

So, how well-equipped are her vision powers? She's going to be given something that allows her to know altitude, distance, etc like a regular pilot would, and she's probably going to wear goggles to keep bugs out of her eyes. They're still itchy and messy even if your eyes are invulnerable. She would be instructed and drilled in how regular airplanes are supposed to behave, so that she can develop counter-strategies.

Normally supers don't do much with firearms, but I imagine you included the military angle so you could have 'em. Since she has high strength, she can handle carrying high-caliber firearms, which she'll want to be able to shoot down enemy aircraft; a flying brick is about the only person for whom a fifty cal handgun becomes a practical weapon.

She just needs to strafe the cockpit and lob a couple of close-range shots at the pilot, or disable an engine or two on a UAV. She can also provide light-cavalry support for ground troops by making a target out of herself and providing support fire while they go for a flank.

I could go on all night, but I shouldn't.


The only part of Hancock I've actually seen is the trailer. Though my impression is that Hancock is a lazy but awesomely powerful (anti)hero until he starts to clean up his act. Also that the collateral damage he causes is largely due to him not giving a crap. Please correct me if this is wrong.

This is the good part of the plot of Hancock, yes.


Is there a reason she opts to enlist in the Airforce rather than being a vigilante in the typical superhero idiom? Somehow I don't get the impression that she has a Captain America-like desire to serve her country. Is it to clean up her image?

It's kinda like you saw the movie. Hancock serves some time for the property damage, and hires a PR guy to help him clean his act up so people don't hate him. The movie gets up its own ass with how the PR guy's wife is another one of him, and then it turns out they're both angels rather than metahumans, and it goes from solidly funny capepunk to wanky, self-important angelporn pretty fast. Hancock gets a cool character arc about understanding that he can't just rip the world apart to save the day, the PR guy is interesting...then it all goes to **** because someone had to throw angels into it with no warning about halfway through. There was so much potential, and they piss it all away for vaguely spiritual pablum that I've never heard anyone say anything nice about.

So...yeah, OP. Don't change genres out of nowhere.

[Grinner]

Hancock...He had basically the same complement of superpowers as Superman, right?

I have to question the military angle as well, but on a more intradiegetic level.

The U.S. military heavily emphasizes teamwork. An entity like our heroine thus puts the military in an awkward position. She's sufficiently different that she's not going to fit in and will disrupt the military social order. Yes, her talents present unique tactical advantages, but the question is if they're enough to overlook the drawbacks of recruiting her.

Also, the purpose of a soldier is not to protect his country or whatever; his purpose is to follow orders. Thus, the heroine might find herself ordered to do things she may not particularly relish, including endangering civilians in the pursuit of some other goal. Unlike most airmen, sailors, soldiers, etc, she has the option to say no. After all, who's going to stop her? This is one of the drawbacks of recruiting her.

If you're sufficiently attached to this concept, you could totally spin what I've pointed out into plot points. It just might be a bit onerous.

[Lethologica]

What about your character do you see as a parallel with Hancock?
What sort of conflicts do you envision for your character and her environment?

[ThinkMinty]

Hancock...He had basically the same complement of superpowers as Superman, right?

I have to question the military angle as well, but on a more intradiegetic level.

The U.S. military heavily emphasizes teamwork. An entity like our heroine thus puts the military in an awkward position. She's sufficiently different that she's not going to fit in and will disrupt the military social order. Yes, her talents present unique tactical advantages, but the question is if they're enough to overlook the drawbacks of recruiting her.

Also, the purpose of a soldier is not to protect his country or whatever; his purpose is to follow orders. Thus, the heroine might find herself ordered to do things she may not particularly relish, including endangering civilians in the pursuit of some other goal. Unlike most airmen, sailors, soldiers, etc, she has the option to say no. After all, who's going to stop her? This is one of the drawbacks of recruiting her.

If you're sufficiently attached to this concept, you could totally spin what I've pointed out into plot points. It just might be a bit onerous.

An genre savvy fictional military isn't going to actively piss off their first recruited super. They'd put her on ethical missions first and foremost for a while unless she was already enough of a tool that she'd carry out a massacre if asked to. I'm not the OP, that's just my two cp on that.