Help Develop a Story... Please

Darkwing wrote:
All righty, I've tried to convince myself not to do this, but seems I want to see where this will go even though I know it'll go nowhere.

Anyways, I kinda created this character (loosely) but he lacks a story, plot, beginning middle end, that sorta thing, so I figured maybe some of you guys could help hash this out. So here's what i got (mind you, this is a sorta superhero/vigilante type thingy.

His name is the Night. Wherever there is darkness, Night will fall. There is no alternate persona to this dark and hidden character, he is simply the Night. The Night has the ability to see in the dark (really well I might add, better than daylight, but his day vision isn't impaired) but he also has one other unique ability, he can integrate materials and elements into his body by simply touching them and "absorbing" them. Therefore his fists can be hard as diamonds and his skin tough as steel. Because of this, he has laced into his costume his most commonly used materials so that they can be at his disposal when he needs them. Though he's not invincible, this can give him the appearance of invincibility by making his skin like steel when need be. Of course how long the material lasts in his body depends on how much is absorbed/integrated. The Night's costume is fairly standard clothing. I'm thinking basic, nothing fancy and no spandex or any of that foolishness.

So there's something about the character, now he needs a plot preferably something beyond "there is a bad guy and they fight."

Kati wrote:Well, are these kinds of abilities common? What's his background? What caused him to be the person he is? Parents and family can have a profound effect on a person's story, as well as a lack of them.

Darkwing wrote:No, these abilities are unnatural. It's modern day and everything is as we know it, except there's a guy with these bizarre abilities. Like I said, he has no alternate persona, so in all manner of speaking, he isn't real, so no family, no friends, no identity. As for how he came to be how he is, I'm not sure, it's like he's always been this way and he's never known any other name than the Night

Korvar wrote:Makes me think of Black Sabbath's Iron Man.

for some reason 'scientists' altered his body/make up to do something, and it went terribly wrong.

could be in his previous existance his 'body' is wanted for what ever went wrong, but he has no knowledge of his past.

Initial plot was just survival. (that is what got him to where he currently is)
Then it gets interesting, does he become a 'good guy' type, or a 'bad guy' type.
His capabilities allow him to go either way, or even be real grey in his motivations.

Based on your description, he has learned to use his abilities.

Now it is interesting that you mention his skin can be as tough as steel, but is it just as rigid?
And for that matter, could he absorb his way through a steel vault wall/door? (criminal aspect)

so to develop your plot, you need to decide
does he serve the Light?
does he serve the Dark?
or is he somewhere in between?

To develop a plot you do need to know his motivations.

Run4 wrote:How about saying he's some kinda experiment (say NSA or the Navy or some such because everyone uses the CIA or the Army), to infuse someone with these abilities, but he was pretty much atomized. So the structure has always been Night, but bases its appearance based on the Test Subject. So it has a feeling that it was something, and is trying to find that, but because it has no other memories and say that the test subject was a homeless person or someone else who wouldn't be missed, there's no records on him.

So with no identity, it's really trying to define itself, assuming this Superhero persona in an attempt to become what it sees as something unique that people will like. It wants to be someone, and people have friends and people who like them. Thus the desire to save people, rather than breaking down and going berserk.

The ideal Nemesis is something that is essentially the opposite side of the same coin. Instead of trying to become someone that's loved, it just wants recognition, people to say "hey, it's that guy!" without realising that it wants actual company. So it spirals out of control like a child's mind with abilities an adult's brain couldn't handle having thrust on it. Love and Hate.

Darkwing wrote:Oooh, some real interesting ideas there Run and Korvar, however, I think for sake of originality, it would be good to stay away from man made/experimental thingy. Alien IMO is out of the question as that's just Superman.

What about playing up more of the supernatural side, for instance pulling some from Run's ideas, if he wasn't anybody in particular, but perhaps fragmented "ghosts" of people who have died so he's somebody and he is physical, but the body was perhaps a corpse or something that all of these fragmented consciousness came together in. Though again, that does beg the question of where these powers came from.

I really like the identity hunting thing. He's a good guy, but closer to the in between. He fights bad guys if you will, but he's not nice about it. And dealing with things like mercy and compassion are tough at best for him. So instead of apprehending criminal and putting the criminal in the police's care, he simply kills them.

But again, I definitely like all these things about defining his identity, the big question will be "who is he?" probably more-so than "what is he?" Of course we may never have to reveal that, I mean look at Halo's Master Chief, who is he? Nobody knows. Where did he come from, why is he so special above the other Spartans, what did he do to get to the rank of Master Chief? All questions we'd really like to know, but like the ending to Inception, if you know, you become disappointed. There's always fun in not knowing because it leaves it up to the speculation of the audience. So in essence, our character is searching for an identity, maybe he finds it, maybe he doesn't, but we'll never know what it is.
Now on the topic of conflict, inner conflict is always very good, but he does need something external. Something that will ultimately define him and make him the "superhero" but not something so cliche. I mean it's probably gonna be a supervillain of some sort (maybe the opportunity for a Jekyll vs Hyde type conflict) but it's gonna be something elevated above the usual routine of crime because crime has been overdone to pieces. I mean so has supervillains, but we may have to go that route. Not sure though, thoughts?

Darkwing wrote:Oh and forgot Kor As for rigidity, I'm thinking it depends on how much is absorbed. Like if absorbed a lot, his fist could probably turn to literal steel shaped like his fist. Of course he can absorb a lot of different things, but primarily elements and the like (maybe even fire, could be an interesting revelation for the character to find out he can absorb fire). I like the idea of morphing through objects, however, he would have to retain some element of human to him, or at least enough to remain human, so he could probably merge with the steel, except his human elements probably wouldn't make it through and then he'd be left as a puddle of flesh on the floor. OH! Perhaps his brain cannot under any circumstance absorb anything. Except maybe electricity, make him super smart and aware, hmmm, possibilities.

Korvar wrote:Have you read any of John Ringo's Polseen series? - When the Devil Dances.

In one he has a Captain Anne Elgars that suffered a massive head wound.
An Alien Medical procedures was used on her when the 'reconstructed' her personality by implanting skills and knowledge from multiple individuals to replace what she had lost. The 'sources' were all highly skilled military types, both male and female.


Was driving her nuts as she integrated the skills.

Darkwing wrote:Interesting concept, but I would like to keep aliens out of it. Looks like experiment of some kind may be the only route for his origin, but pulling some from previous ideas, what if he was truly and utterly dead before being experimented on. That would explain his lack of identity. Basically he was dead long enough for brain functions to stop and therefore he's nobody, so to him and to everyone, he is simply the Night.

Darkwing wrote:So now the big question, what is the conflict of the story? What is the villain, what is the fight?