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Having read some KMC members' attempts at creating their own characters -- and a common response from other members being something like, "It's been done" -- I was curious about the following...

1. Which established (DC, Marvel, etc) character do you find truly (or at least, relatively) unique/original?
2. Why?
3. Is it a good thing or a bad thing (in other words, does the character's uniqueness work, or is it too contrived)?

Originally posted by Mindship
1. Which established (DC, Marvel, etc) character do you find truly (or at least, relatively) unique/original?
2. Why?
3. Is it a good thing or a bad thing (in other words, does the character's uniqueness work, or is it too contrived)?

Sarda the Sage (8-bit Theater)

Because despite holding the position of being the omnipotent "god" of his universe he sees no reason to take the position seriously or even be responsible. In fact he goes so far as to distort a large section of history just to make coffee and completely ignores huge holes in the time stream.

Basicly unlike omnipotents in most series Sarda has no "do not interfere" or "I am an aspect of the universe" or "reality must be protected" clause in his job description. As BM puts it, he's just an omnipotent a$$hole.

The uniqueness works quite well IMO.

Isn't that the little troublemaker in your sig?

I think personality can contribute to a characters uniqueness, not just abilities.

Absolutely. Even if nearly everything else about the character is cliche, a well depicted personality can make the character seem virtually brand new.

Originally posted by Mindship
Absolutely. Even if nearly everything else about the character is cliche, a well depicted personality can make the character seem virtually brand new.

Like Catman ?

Originally posted by grey fox
Like Catman ?
Please, please, no Mark Wahlberg in a Halle Berry costume.

Deadpool and Mr. Immortal are very unique characters imo...

Kindly explain why.

Deadpool is almost an exact copy of Deathstroke, and even has the same creator. Slade ----> Wade. Besides, he's not the first to break the 4th wall.

Well Deadpool mainly for his personality/crude sense of humor. Also because he has breached the "4th wall", and knows he's in a comic... .


Mr. Immortal because he is funny as hell when he fights, and also due to the fact that he is quite possibly the only "truly" immortal character in Marvel.

The Joker.


He's got everything:

Cool design that works perfectly for him and isn't "too busy"
(ie, they didn't decide to just give him an arsenal on his person or something)

Interesting method of killing
(They die poisoned, smiling, and in fear at the same time. Anytime they have an image of someone smiling wider than they possibly can whilst begging for help, that's just awesomely freaky)

You love to hate him
(I think everyone that likes this character laughs at his antics, but at the same time, registers that they probably shouldn't find it funny.)

He's the perfect foil for Batman
(Batman is a strict, dark, hardass that instills fear in others despite protecting people. The Joker is a fun, bright, playful guy who...despite hurting people, in a subtle way instills happiness.)

He's an IMPORTANT foil for Batman
(As Joker's stated numerous times, he'll never flat out kill Batman and Batman will never flat out kill him, cause its way too fun. Without the Joker, the Batman isn't as much of a protector, and without the Batman, the Joker isn't challenged much. They need each other and are at a bit of a sibling rivalry.)

He's sympathetic, though you have no reason to sympathize cause he's so evil
(If you look at him deeply, you can see that he's essentially wanting to make people laugh but since he has a twisted sense of humor, nobody seems to "get the joke". Also, he's like a little kid with ADHD. Any attention is good attention. The Joker wants respect and he gets it through being Batman's #1 foe.)

He has such a clear cut identity, but has no set backstory or even real name
(Everybody knows at least the basics about The Joker, but not even people that have read every single story he's mentioned in know what his real name is. How many villains have been there for decades and haven't been given this treatment? Some of them have even been revised to give them more than one. Look at Luthor lol. Mad scientist, now he's a businessman, now he's a businessman that once was friends with Clark, etc)



There's a lot of unique characters (and even more characters that try to copy from them) but I think The Joker takes the cake here. He's unique in the way that he's absolutely essential and perfectly sculpted. Nothing is forced at all. Its just a natural flow.

The Joker isn't unique, but he is original. What I mean is many characters are based off of him but they came afterwards.

Originally posted by Mindship
Isn't that the little troublemaker in your sig?

Indeed.

I like the characterization of Sarda because it diverges so far from the norm of what omnipotent characters are like.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
Indeed.

I like the characterization of Sarda because it diverges so far from the norm of what omnipotent characters are like.

He's a realistic interpretation. If I had Omnipotence i'd certainly dick around with it ...

Gambit: His powers are unique, his back-story is unique, and he's the only one in comics with that crappy, unrealistic accent.

Originally posted by Darth Macabre
Gambit: His powers are unique, his back-story is unique, and he's the only one in comics with that crappy, unrealistic accent.

And everyone hates him.

Originally posted by grey fox
And everyone hates him. Not everyone.

Originally posted by Darth Macabre
Not everyone.

Just those who aren't dead before Gambit was created or those in a coma, hate him

........and I reckon there are one or two coma patients who hate him as well

EDIT : As for Original characters I think a good choice would be Batman and Spider-man and it's partly what attributes to their success. Batman feels like he should be a bad guy for using fear and intimidation and Spidey was a hero who was interesting not just for the fight scenes but his day to day life

Yeah, Spidey's a good one. So's Ben Grimm. He's kind of like the movie/show M*A*S*H*: comedy in the face of tragedy. The guy does have a lot of heart.

I have a question about The Joker.

For those of you that believe he really is insane and doesn't realize what he is doing is wrong and just wants to make people laugh. Then why does he get so pissed when people laugh at him?

Cause they're laughing at him not with him...

Originally posted by Superherovandal
Cause they're laughing at him not with him... Well the he needs to take his own advice and learn how to take a joke!

Joker isn't that insane.


Jason already wtf pwned him in that regard when he held him captive.

jack hawksmoor (very original and unique)

Yeah. Of all the thinks I've thought of for people to control, "city" was never on that list. Now I wish I had his powers.

Wolverine was probably one of the most original characters in comics. Unbreakable bones, healing and knives always there to use. That was never done before but has been done constantly afterwards.

Maybe Venom, not lookwise, but powers wise, yes.

Hellboy. The Mask.

Not a whole lot out there, really. It's like the thread I made about original powers and no one was able to create any original powers that had useful functions in a superhero's life.

Originally posted by Solidus Snake
jack hawksmoor (very original and unique) Indeed. Imagine him on Trantor. This is a planet from Isaac Asimov's classic "Foundation" series. It is the center of the galactic empire and a world basically covered by one giant city.

-------------------------------------

Let me try a different angle with the thread question: for which characters does their uniqueness Not work, and why? In other words, which characters are too contrived?

I know. Basically what I'm wondering overall is: what does the future hold for comics? Is it just going to be the same old stuff rehashed over and over, or is there still room for original and viable characters?

Superman --> complex,unique,classic and the biggest symbol in comics ever

At the time, his story was pretty unique.

They waste ALL the good powers on mutants.

Secondly uniqueness can sometimes be the downfall of a character, let us not forget the 'originality' behind this horrible thing.....

http://www.newkadia.com/Covers/L/N/NFL%20SuperPro/nflsuperpro1.jpg

Originally posted by Rewmac
Superman --> complex,unique,classic and the biggest symbol in comics ever

Joking, yes? Moreso than probably any comic character that's survived into the modern era, Superman has influences that stem back before comics and indeed before the printed word. His power set (relatively speaking, since it's gained in hyperbole since original incarnations) and story has been around as long as myth.

Originally posted by Rewmac
Wolverine --> complex,unique,classic and the biggest symbol in comics ever

Fixed. 313

Originally posted by grey fox
They waste ALL the good powers on mutants.

Secondly uniqueness can sometimes be the downfall of a character, let us not forget the 'originality' behind this horrible thing.....

http://www.newkadia.com/Covers/L/N/NFL%20SuperPro/nflsuperpro1.jpg

I have that comic...

I was young, it had Spiderman in it, I was naive, ok, ok, I have no excuse...

Wolverine and Spiderman.

Come on, mention characters that are even CLOSE to similiar to their designs and powersets?

Originally posted by Vesternebel
Wolverine and Spiderman.

Come on, mention characters that are even CLOSE to similiar to their designs and powersets?

Except, ya know, the animals they're based on.

...

When I think of originality, I'm talking about all outside sources and influences, not just other comic characters.

So in that sense, it becomes a LOT harder to fin a truly original character. I'd co-sign Hawksmoor though.

Originally posted by Endless Mike
Except for some kind of cat... or something


Like a badly drawn, evil, telepathic cat fear

Originally posted by Vesternebel
Wolverine and Spiderman.

Come on, mention characters that are even CLOSE to similiar to their designs and powersets?
Werewolves and Shelob.

Originally posted by Swanky-Tuna
Werewolves and Shelob.

GIYGAS FROM EARTHBOUND!
No doubt, you will never find one with similiar story or looks!

Oh boy...

The Shrike!

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
The Shrike!
Hell yeah.

Time manipulating robot thing with 100% of his body made razor sharp to the point you can't touch any part of his body without being sliced open.

Originally posted by long pig
Hell yeah.

Time manipulating robot thing with 100% of his body made razor sharp to the point you can't touch any part of his body without being sliced open.

Molten Man ?

Optimus Prime ?

Originally posted by grey fox
Molten Man ?

Optimus Prime ?

Are either of them the incarntion of doom capable of manipulating time and space on a whim as well as weilding technology that can grant similar powers to others?

Have either of them comitted genocide using nothing but MA?

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
Are either of them the incarntion of doom capable of manipulating time and space on a whim as well as weilding technology that can grant similar powers to others?

Have either of them comitted genocide using nothing but MA?

You mean he slaughtered over 100+ people with his MA skills or something like a single karate chop caused a death-wave thing ?

Originally posted by grey fox
You mean he slaughtered over 100+ people with his MA skills or something like a single karate chop caused a death-wave thing ?

I mean he's appeared on planets and just started walking around at superspeed (more like Zoom actually) and killing people.

I suppose I don't really mean with just MA, more like hand to hand. It's not like he shoots planet sized death beams.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
I mean he's appeared on planets and just started walking around at superspeed (more like Zoom actually) and killing people.

I suppose I don't really mean with just MA, more like hand to hand. It's not like he shoots planet sized death beams.

And also gone up into space and torn apart orbiting spaceships.

Heh heh . . . that was pretty cool.

Don't forget the tree that puts you in an eternal state of torture.

And pulling thousands of copies of itself from alternate timelines

Or blitzing a person who had time stopped

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
Or blitzing a person who had time stopped

But does it have.....the touch? 313 'Till all are one.'

Originally posted by TricksterPriest
But does it have.....the touch? 313 'Till all are one.'

In a manner of speaking.

It is the source of pseudo-organic devices called cruciforms that bind with a host and bring them back after they die using whats left of the body and the surrounding matter because everything is basicly the same.

On a much of Eva level however the Shrike is powered by entities from within the VoidThatBinds (IIRC) which is described as love and the conciousness of the universe.

I can't believe you guys didn't say my man The Punisher. He is a pioneer in comic history. One of the first anti-hero's, because of him comics could become darker and hero's where not black and white, they were not just good guys that save people and take guys to prison. With the Punisher people don't know whether to root for him or not, since he murder's people.

Time to state the obvious: the Silver Surfer, especially when he first appeared in 1966. Why? Because what you saw was what you got: no spandex, no costume, no secret identity, just a visually simple yet stunning manifestation of power. Plus he flies standing up.

"In all the universe, there'll never be another like the Silver Surfer!"
-- Reed Richards (and we all know how smart he is).

letahlwaveysilversurfer banger