"I get by with a little a little help from my friends."
Think about the dark brooding bad ass superheroes. They roam the night. They sit perched atop the rooftops, waiting for the evil to emerge onto the streets in order to deliver the hammer of justice upon them. Besides some poetic inner monologues, these characters have another thing in common: they work best alone.
These characters have trained themselves so much or simply have such great abilities that they can go out there alone and get the job done. They may have to take a few punches once in a while but at the end of the day, they are victorious over the villains.
RazzaTazz brought up the topic of characters needing help. Specifically she mentioned when Nightwing was defeated by Blockbuster (in issue #93). He could have been killed if he didn't get help from someone else.
What happens when those really cool loner villains can't get the job done alone. Some of them take on sidekicks. Others join teams of super-powered individuals. Sometimes it's a matter of upgrading their arsenal to include armor or other high tech gadgets to make things easier for them. When this happens, when these awesome heroes need help, does that make them a little bit less cool? == TEASER == Whether you like him or are tired of him, Batman is the hero that can kick everyone's ass. The common belief is that, with a little prep time, he can defeat anyone. Yet it was one year after his debut that he took on Robin, a kid from the circus, to become his sidekick. Sure, he felt bad for little Dick Grayson having lost his parents but did he really need to turn him into his crimefighting partner? It never really seemed that Batman needed Robin until after the death of Jason Todd. Tim Drake came up with the notion that Batman did, in fact, need a Robin. When Darkseid sent Batman back in time, at the end of the journey, Bruce discovered that he did need others. He accepted that he couldn't and didn't have to go on his mission against evil alone. Is Batman no longer capable of fighting on his own?
What about Wolverine? He's supposed to be the best there is at what he does. How many female sidekicks has he had? Whether it's Kitty Pryde, Jubilee, Armor or even X-23, it seems Wolverine can't stand to be alone. He might be trying to be a father figure to them but his fights usually get pretty bloody and violent. It's not exactly the best place to take an impressionable youth. What about all the teams he's currently on? He's on the X-Men, X-Force and Avengers. What is it that he's best at these days? It could be an evolution of his character but a big part of Wolverine's character has been his lone samurai persona. It looked like he couldn't be tamed enough to be part of the X-Men and now he's part of the team's heart and soul.
What about Hercules? He's the Prince of Power, son of Zeus, the Lion of Olympus. How many times has he recently been saved or assisted by Amadeus Cho? Sure Amadeus is one of the smartest people in the Marvel Universe but he's still a kid...and Hercules is a demigod. What does it say that he's had to rely on a kid for so many of his battles?
There's nothing wrong with asking for help. No one can do it all alone. But what happens to that badass character that needs help? Do they lose some of their cool points or does it strengthen their character and make them a little more human?
" Tony did a great writeup, but my point more so was that if a villain is holding a hero by the neck squeezing the life out of him, then someone comes along to help them, then basically the hero was beat and therefore dead without some intervention. I think in that case it does take something away from the character, especially some one like Dick Grayson who would be second to Bruce in the ability to plan. You usually don't factor some random saviour into your plan when you are making one. "
I think that there should be some kind of story-arc in some comic, any comic that addresses this. So your arch nemesis has you by the throat and there's nothing you can do to stop him? You're seconds away from death and sure to be killed, and WOOSH! Some unknown hero comes out from the woodwork and just happens to save you. Now you both gang up on the villain and call it a day! What luck!
It could be a great story, depending on who can do it. I think it would be great to see a hero struggling with the fact that his nemesis had him and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Of course, as awesome as that would be, would it even be realistic in comic-book terms? There's so many heroes these days that, it's very plausible that there could literally be a hero around every corner. Same thing with villains so that can also work against the heroes, but with as many as there are, and with as many friendships between them and interlinking teams and communication, could it even be possible for heroes to be bested and killed without anyone knowing, or being able to save them in time?
Certain characters a better when they have help or company. Booster Gold is a primary example. He is amazing in Generation Lost, I miss his old friend Ted kord. but Jaime will do for now.
Team books are some of my favorite comics. And I don't mind solo heroes linking up. But one thing that bugs me to no end is kid/teen sidekicks. The very concept is so irredeemably asinine that I find it repugnant on all levels.
I'm not a fan of Morrison's Batman, but that is indeed the truth. Those people are hypocrites, folk. My problem with Morrison's handling of that was having Bruce have that "eurika" moment and saying "I've never been alone" was just well unnecessary and just unnatural to me. Some things are better left unsaid and Batman's understanding of his the importance of his relationships with those around him was more powerful to me when it was unspoken. As somebody else said, Batman's often terse and begrudgingly given "thank you" in the DCAU said all that needed to be said.
"Not necessarily. As stated above, a hero that never encounters adversity is pretty dull.But with darker characters like Batman and Wolverine I've often viewed their sidekicks as a counter balance rather than "help". "
The official rationale for the founding of the Avengers(and all other superhero groups , DC or Marvel by extension) was for them to be available to fight menaces beyond the ability of any ONE hero/heroine to combat). The one man band theory may feed th ego but as with the military or law enforcement in practice is a "non starter"0.
Depends of the character, I guess but I suppose heroes do not disappoint when they need help or prevail with a hand of some "normal" fellow.
For example, the almighty Superman gains a real interest having weaknesses. In the "Superman returns" movie he needs help to defeat Luthor (mind over muscle, he would think about it sometimes...) but above all he shows certain feelings like anger or jealousy. More human so, more... close.
Other but different example, Wolverine would be more sympathetic as a character if he really needs help to prevail. Not particulary in a fight with an oversized or cosmic-like villain (Wolverine vs Thanos... don't event think about it, you heretics !) but when his own abilities are not efficient - Whedon has understood this well in his "Astonishing X-men". And be wrong from time to time is not a weakness...
It adds an element of realism to a character if he has to go to someone for help. If they never look for help then how are we supposed to believe that they can even be defeated!!
Contrary to popular superstition, EVERYBODY needs "a little help from their friends"( or at least allies) from time to time, even superheroes(mythological deities included). I'm currently writing a novel in which Captain America (no less!) not only gets the help of two members of the Russian superhero group, the Winter Guard, but winds up getting his life saved by them! A superhero(individual or team) who considered him/her/itself to be virtually invincible and never to need help would be so dangerously arrogant as to be a danger to themselves, other superheroes and ultimately the world at large( even the Avengers "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" as the media calls them aren't THIS arrogant)!
I think not only some outside help makes the character interesting, if done the right way and in a few ocasions, but also that a cameo is always awesome!! imagine seeing a issue of spiderman fighting some villain and out of nowhere when he starts getting his ass handed, Iron Man shows up? Then after the battle is over he leaves. I think its something that could happen in RL if supers were real. I mean, they all fight the same crime some on the same cities, I think it's bond to happen, so it should happen (and maybe a bit more often than it does)
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