Are realistic superheros possible?

Do you think a superhero is possible in a modern realistic setting?

Forget for the moment blatant disregard for the laws of physics and continuity. While most of the really powerful stuff is right out, I think that some lesser superpowers are within the realm of plausibility, with special training and conditioning, or cybernetics, or genetic engineering.

The main problem I can see is turning a superpowered individual into an actual superhero.

A) How can someone with superpowers avoid media attention? Nowadays you need all sorts of immunization and health records signed by doctors to do anything important. The only thing I can think of is a secret government program, but that has issues of it's own. If the power source is less remarkable, like being an ex military or something, it's easy to blend in but much harder to justify superhuman feats.

B) Why on earth would someone who has superpowers actually become a superhero? I think the first half of Kick Ass covered this pretty well.

Have you read Watchmen? It deals with a lot of the things you're discussing, and I think that if you read it, you will find it informative. It basically answers your question: "Yes, but they will be not be healthy." (Actual quote: "Why are so few of us left alive, active and without personality disorders?")

I'm gonna go with no.

I tried writing a setting like that once, and made most of the heroes government-recognized (and often government-made), functioning as an auxiliary of sorts to the police and the military. It's a living!

A few of them, however, I wrote as responses to supervillains. I was writing it so the crazier a super gets, the more powerful they get, and when there's someone who's so afraid of germs that he uses his powers to purge the life from anything and anyone near him, someone who can fight back against him can and probably will try to stop him by any means necessary. When that one threat's down, others may surface, and the new heroes may get used to the vigilante lifestyle (though if they themselves are relatively sane, they'll have to rely on a less direct form of superheroing.)

Well if you wanted you could handwave mind-reading and minor telekinesis away as 'psychics', but, no, you're not going to get supermen, spidermen or x-men.

Well, if they are in a force, like the policemen, it might not be so unrealistic.

Do you think a superhero is possible in a modern realistic setting?

The main issue is what you consider a superpower. Obviously, those heroes with outright supernatural powers are out (unless "realism" is a definition which allows for "it was nanomachines"), but you've still got your tech heroes with super-resources and super-genius (eg Iron Man) and your heroes who are just exceptional normal people (eg Batman). Then again, it's often pointed out that the whole point of Batman is he isn't a superhero, so again, what would you consider the definition to be?

This goes on to your points: if someone's simply well-trained and super-resourceful, they could probably manage to hide themselves and bribe anyone who discovered them or convince them they were doing good. Or kill them, if you're going for something darker. As for motive, some people really are that selfless. Why do you think people volunteer to clear minefields on the other side of the world, or fight until the last breath in their body to save others without giving a damn for their own safety? Modern cynicism might say everyone is ultimately in it for themselves, but history has a rather different opinion about that.

edited 5th Oct '10 3:18:19 AM by Evilest_Tim

I think the main thing to be sure of is the scale of what your hero can do.

"B) Why on earth would someone who has superpowers actually become a superhero? I think the first half of Kick Ass covered this pretty well. "

Well that's where the super villains come from.

Superheros would probably end up being a special squad of the police, called in for more serious situations. A secret identity vigilante type would not be readily tolerated - at best they'd be pressuring him to join the police force.

Well when you say in today's world what do you really mean? Do you mean right here and right now? No need for us to know anything more about the world at hand or something just a little bit more than our world with a small need for us to use a little bit of imagination?

With the cracking of the human genome and gene splicing and genetic engineering who defines what is and what is not possible in the realm of human abilities. Add in the applications of nano machine and the science that allows the possibilities are increased. Include a genius with a great imagination and where does it end and how far can it go?

Also does psychic phenomena really exist? Can any of the extraordinary things we hear about and chose to believe or not really and truly exist? On what level?

As far as training goes what if someone like Bruce Lee had wanted to be a crime fighter instead of a movie star? Many of the things he could do were above and beyond those of normal humanity. what of other martial artists with more training that have been able to do more than what he did?

I believe that, yes 'super' heroes can exist. It just depends on how super you want them to be and how hard you are willing to work to make it work.

You forgot C: superpowers don't exist.

Justifying where a magical power like that can come from is the biggest issue. If it came from science, why is it not repeatable? If the hero is not a human, why are his form and powers so human-like?

edited 5th Oct '10 4:18:14 PM by Vree

The only reasons I can think of something not being repeatable are either

• Cost / Lack of resources
• Serious side effects make it unethical to continue
• Mad scientists experiment on themselves and don't tell anyone else

Of course, Mad Scientists aren't likely to become costumed vigilantes.

edited 5th Oct '10 6:44:34 PM by storyyeller

Here's a Reddit AMA of a guy who's seriously considered becoming a vigilante, a la Kick-Ass: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/dn4df/i_am_a_20_year_old_male_seriously_concidering/

Note that most of the responders either don't approve, or have serious reservations.

Just a nice look into the psychology behind someone of a potential "superhero," and the inherent dangers/problems that the movies and comics never bring up.

That's only if you want to come up with a realistic vigilante character, though. If you really want to do straight-up superheroes, I second everyone else's suggestions: a government-sanctioned force would be most realistic.

I can think of better reasons to get shot for.

That was a pretty interesting thread.

It has a good point about the gratuitous martial arts of typical superheros. It's much more plausible to take enemies down from a range before they even know you're there.

For example in Kick Ass, they could have just waited until the bad guy was out driving and then used the bazooka. Real Life unfortunately doesn't follow the Rule of Cool.

edited 6th Oct '10 8:08:37 AM by storyyeller

I was thinking something akin to screwed up Punisher style people would be "super" heroes, at least they think they are super heroes. Everyone else would just see a crazy guy murdering criminals.

If you wanted to include superpowers that's quite a bit harder. One time things might be alien artifacts, making it non-replicable.

also, @ the OP. Would vigilantes count? How would you describe a super hero anyhow?

Just because they don't sport a cape and tights doesn't mean they don't kick ass.

edited 6th Oct '10 7:06:09 PM by Carbonpillow