From: Jeffrey Fabijanic (jeff@primordialsoft.com)
Date: Thu Apr 15 1999 - 09:33:43 MDT
I can't believe that after lurking for months, *this* is the message that
inspired me to send something to the list again. Oh well, better arrested
development than no development at all ;P ...
From: Anders Sandberg wrote:
>The problem is that most of the superheros just "get" these nifty
>powers - fall into nuclear reactors, are born mutated or some spacegod
>decides to give them superpowers. The IMHO most interesting category
>are the "self-made" superheroes, people who start out normal but make
>themselves something more.
Actually, many of the most enduringly popular superheroes fall into the
category you mention. Spiderman, IronMan, Batman, even (debatably) the
Hulk. And of course, one of my personal favorites - Arthur (aka "That
bunny-moth guy"). Almost all *my* created superhero-rpg characters were
"self-made", but that probably has to do with the fact that I did most of
my Champions and GURPS (How could you guys have neglected to mention that
system!) playing while at MIT. The idea of building a powered suit or
modifying one's genetic structure at will came naturally, because you saw
people working on similar projects all the time.
>They might not be particularly realistic
>(ever noticed that science is almost never done by teams, and that
>even the most amazing discoveries never percolate into the market?)
>but they are great symbols for self-improvement.
Actually, the Marvel/DC universes are filled with the technology of Iron
Man's original-alter-ego (Drake Industries) and the Fantastic Four's
corporation, for example. But since the writers want to immerse the reader
in a close analog of the actual world, they have to downplay the ubiquity
of this stuff.
Also, although the tales of the Legion of Superheroes are placed centuries
hence, they do group science/engineering and make the results of such work
available to the population at large. There was(is?) a group of MIT
engineers/scientists that called themselves the LoSH and volunteered their
services to do things like help create technology implementation plans for
public schools and the like.
****
It is interesting to note that many of the people with whom I played
supe-rpgs in college are now involved in creating *real-world* super-powers
for humans (usually, however, in the form of improved tools/processes
through advanced engineering). I myself, seem to have been subliminally
most influenced by Star Trek, as I now make part of my living (such as it
is) designing and building tricorder-like devices (aka mobile CCS
(computing/communication/sensing)).
| Jeffrey Fabijanic, Designer The Future exists,
| Primordial Software first in Imagination,
| "Software of the First Order" then in Will,
| Boston, MA * (617) 983-1369 and finally in Reality.
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