Comments on: How to Do Superhero Gadgets Well

By: Max H.

Max H. — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 22:43:20 +0000

In my superhero world, gadgets usually aren’t given (superheroes are heavily regulated and restricted) unless they can complement the superpower in some way. For example, one guy can secrete acid from his hands, and has a squirt gun that attached to one of his hands and can spray the acid.

By: Blonde Emo

Blonde Emo — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 03:45:08 +0000

Didn’t think of the versitality issue before now. Reminds me of Rorschach shooting a cop with a harpoon grapple gun.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 21:58:53 +0000

The character’s personality is going to be the complete opposite of Batman. Thanks for the help. It really gave me a lot of ideas. Now on to his origin.

By: B. Mac

B. Mac — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 12:33:01 +0000

I think agility would fit the character concept more smoothly than regeneration.*

I’m getting the impression that a stun-gadget like a taser might not fit the story (because it would be too loud), so something like a tranquilizer might work better. (Depending on your preference, it could be administered with a syringe and/or a dart-gun and/or a gas canister thrown like a grenade, etc).

Although stealthy, tranquilizers would still have a few challenges you could use for dramatic effect. For example, they’d have considerably less range than a standard firearm (particularly if he were using syringes). Also, once he has tranquilized someone, you could force him to pick between disposing of the body somewhere or letting another guard stumble across it later.

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One potential concern I’d have is that I think it’d be tricky to come up with a stealth/gadgets/martial arts character without a lot of overlap on Batman. One way to differentiate your character would be to change the character’s personality and/or voice considerably. Another approach would be to significantly change the plot’s tone. For example, Dr. McNinja’s capabilities are pretty similar to Batman’s, but his stories feel totally different than Batman’s because he’s in a straight-up comedy and because he’s dealing with threats as wacky as raptor-riding banditos, Dracula’s secret moon base and Aztec tennis temples of doom.

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*One concern I’d have with regeneration is that it could seriously reduce the dramatic potential of the character trying to sneak in places. I think the most gripping part about a stealth operation is how quickly a single mistake can blow up in the character’s face. If the character can regenerate, I think it will be much harder to challenge him.

By: Nicholas Case

Nicholas Case — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 01:45:55 +0000

Well generally, if this is a human, regeneration wouldn’t make sense. Unless this is the future I would recommend against it unless they (at minimum) are a descendant of an alien race. A hybrid would be better, or a mutant. But it depends on what time it is. If it is in the distant future, go ahead. If it’s in the past or present then don’t do it. It wouldn’t make sense to have high-tech technology in a modern setting. One possibility is that someone from the future travels back in time and deliver the gadgets. Anyways I named a couple of spy weapons and gadgets up there. Hope it helps! Ask me if you need anything else!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:21:54 +0000

My character needs to sneak into places and obtain information or objects. He knows some martial arts. He prefers to use gadgets and techniques that don’t kill. I am considering if I should give him a regeneration ability or superhuman agility/reflexes as well to supplement his combat/stealth skills.

By: Nicholas Case

Nicholas Case — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 02:47:40 +0000

Yeah, B.Mac’s right. Your question was a bit vague. Specify a little more and we’ll be happy to help you.

By: B. Mac

B. Mac — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 01:55:27 +0000

“What gadgets would be good for a stealthy hero?” I think it depends on what you plan on having the hero do. What’s a typical job for him like? (For example, is he sneaking into buildings to steal things and/or download plans, or is he more of a saboteur or assassin?)

By: Nicholas Case

Nicholas Case — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 23:44:58 +0000

WELL…an invisibility cloak, a silent gun, sprinkling dust to reveal hidden alarm trips (Like those read beams in the movies), artificial eye with a bomb concealed within, ect.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 23:21:12 +0000

What gadgets would be good for a stealthy hero?

By: B. Mac

B. Mac — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 07:25:57 +0000

For limitations on an invisible hero, some options include…
–The character can still be discovered with other senses. (For example, he still makes sounds, he’d leave tracks if he walked through rain or snow or mud, etc). A resourceful enemy could use infrared cameras (because he’d still have a heat signature) or dogs (because he’d still give off his usual smells).

–It’d be challenging (but not impossible) for him to get into fortified facilities with well-guarded gates. The best he might be able to do is wait around for the gate to open for an authorized visitor and then follow the visitor as closely as possible without bumping into him.

–In a tight space like a corridor, it’d be harder for an invisible character to avoid a collision with somebody.

–An invisible character would probably have an easier time sneaking into a facility, but actually doing anything at the facility would still be highly difficult. For example, if his mission were to break someone out of a prison or something, he could get in pretty easily, but how’s he gonna get the prisoner out?

–He’d probably be less useful in a straight-up fight, particularly a fight with heavy firepower. If hundreds of rifle rounds have been fired off, it’s possible he’ll get hit by a blind shot, particularly if the battle is taking place in a confined area.

–A fire-themed adversary could probably smoke him out. Fire spreads very quickly and the smoke itself is highly dangerous. Also, the outline of the character’s body might show up in the smoke (a la Hollow Man).

–There may be a time limit on how long his invisibility lasts. Maybe 15 minutes with a 2 hour cooldown? Ideally, long enough to do stuff, but short enough that it might peter out in a tense situation. (I would err on the side of overchallenging the character rather than underchallenging him).

–Under certain circumstances, the invisibility might not function properly. For example, in a rainstorm, you’d be able to make out the impression of his body because the rain starts hitting something transparent.

–He’d be just as vulnerable to booby traps (like tripped alarms or landmines) as anyone else.

By: Nicholas Case

Nicholas Case — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 02:55:14 +0000

The more usless the powers are, the more interesting it is-unless it is so pointless they might as well not have it.

By: Nicholas Case

Nicholas Case — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 02:51:42 +0000

Generally the only thing for a gadget is some laser. But maybe the invisibility turns off at random, or the character can only use if if their happy. Or maybe at the least cliche, they can only use it if no one is watching, it’s pitch black, ect.

By: Phantom

Phantom — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 02:04:50 +0000

What are some good gadgets and weaknesses for a character that can turn invisible.

By: B. Mac

B. Mac — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 11:10:55 +0000

Maybe something like a souped-up smart phone with a bajillion apps. I don't know what would be applicable in your story, but at one point I have a protagonist search for a nuclear radiation leak using a smart-phone as a Geiger counter. The phone also serves as an all-purpose hacking device, a GPS locator, a decrypter, a remote detonator, a ballistics calculator, a bomb defuser, a remote control for a boat, and a hilariously unreliable medical diagnostic device.
Later, he tries to rig up a portable electromagnetic pulse generator, but instead of creating a device that would be able to fry all circuits within a mile for days at a time, he gets a super-weak pulse that can only turn off the lights in a room for three seconds. Disgusted, he gives the pulse generator to Agent Orange, and by the end of the story the protagonists agree that the apparently pathetic device is actually the most dangerous thing he's ever created.