Pulptober 2024 Day 11: Moon Knight/Feats of Courage, Feet of Clay
"Random bullshit, go!"
In his first appearance, Moon Knight was a villain. Or at least, playing the role of a villain. Jack Russell, reluctant star of Werewolf By Night, was being pursued by an evil cabal of rich people who wanted to harness lycanthropy to make themselves even more rich and powerful. According to the story Marc Spector tells in that first issue, he's a mercenary who was hired and given his costume and silver weaponry by the conspiracy for the purpose of hunting and capturing the werewolf.
Of course, he's telling this story to Jack shortly before the full moon rises and turns the protagonist into his monster form, which is kind of weird, And also after capturing Jack for the Committee, he's nagged by also captive women to not be so evil in a fashion that's a little too easy.
So it's not difficult to buy the retcon that he'd already been Moon Knight, and his friend Frenchie had infiltrated the Committee to trick them into making mercenary Marc Spector into Moon Knight with stuff Frenchie just happened to have lying around somehow.
The mercenary part turns out to be real, he's done some awful things for among other groups, the CIA, but a "religious experience" in an Egyptian tomb got him connected to the moon god Khonshu, and he chose to become a masked adventurer, fighting on the side of mostly good.
He borrowed the idea of multiple secret identities from the Shadow, with Steven Grant as his Lamont Cranston and Jake Locksley as his Moe Shrevnitz. These fellows eventually became full on alternate personalities as Moon Knight's mental instability was turned into a major theme.
Moon Knight's been up and down the power scale, from just a guy with special training in a fancy costume, to full on moon god avatar, depending on the writer. He generally means well, but has severe personal issues.
Here's a look at a magazine issue that has Moon Knight as a central character before a lot of his character development kicked in:
Comic Book Review: Marvel Preview #16 & 21 by various creators Marvel Preview was a black & white comic book magazine distributed through ne
And a review of a book about the Red Jackal, a pastiche of Moon Knight if he were an actual pulp character:
Book Review: Enter the Jackal by Jonathan W. Sweet As you may have noticed by now, I’m a fan of the pulps. But I’m certainly not the most en
Welcome to Good & Evil: A Study of Heroes & Villains. I’m discussing different forms of heroic and villainous characters, different types of protagonists and antagonists, and providing examples of them each from various sources. We’ve covered the basic building blocks of the “Hero” and “Villain” archetypes, so now, let’s start getting a bit more complex. Today’s topic: Flawed Heroes.
To begin with, it must be said that the phrase “Flawed Heroes” is somewhat unspecific. On a technical level, most heroic protagonists worth their salt have flaws of some kind: if they didn’t, there would really be no conflict or tension. After all, if they were completely perfect, the story would be over quite quickly. However, the specific flaws we’re speaking of are internal ones: less physical and more mental or emotional. While simple Heroes are essentially role model figures who will always make the right choice, no matter what, Flawed Heroes are characters who either will EVENTUALLY make the right choice, or else will always make the right choice, but not always for the right reasons or in the right way. They have personal issues that they need to tackle, lessons they need to learn, or simply go about things in a way that might not always be the most agreeable.
The most classical example of the Flawed Hero, I would say, is Sherlock Holmes. From the books on through virtually every noteworthy incarnation, Holmes is the quintessential Flawed Hero. He is the tenacious detective who will always bring justice to those who deserve it, and he will, in the end, always catch the right target. However, he won’t always be NICE when he goes about it: Holmes is mercurial, antisocial, obsessive, rude, arrogant, eccentric (if not, indeed, half-mad), and has an addiction to drugs, among other less-than-savory habits and traits. While he also generally avoids bloodshed, he’s not above allowing people to die, or even - if absolutely necessary - killing them himself, provided it is the only way to bring a case to a happy close. However, therein lies Holmes’ integrity: despite his many, MANY unhealthy and unpleasant behaviors, he is a person who - deep down - values life and morality. He will always try to bring a case to a non-lethal close, always try to do what is best for everyone involved, and will never ignore anyone who has a problem worth his time. Holmes is not a perfect person…but he is a good man, even if he doesn’t recognize it, himself.
A similar situation can be found in the central character of the BBC sci-fi series “Doctor Who,” the time-travelling alien known only as The Doctor. The Doctor has been played by many actors over the decades, and each incarnation differs from the last in some greater or lesser degree. However, one thing that all the Doctors have in common are these three facts: all of them are a pack of weirdos, all of them have egos, and all of them have the propensity to do morally questionable things in the name of a good cause. While some versions of the Doctor are nicer than others, for lack of a better way of putting it, none of them are perfect people without flaws or personal issues. However, regardless of their faults and troubles, each Doctor consistently proves to be well-meaning, and values fairness and kindness. To paraphrase a line from the show, the Doctor may not always ACT like a good person, but he (or she, in number 13’s case) will always TRY to be.
If Superman is the quintessential Hero of DC Comics, then I would argue Batman, a.k.a. Bruce Wayne, is the quintessential FLAWED Hero for the same company. Much like Superman, Batman has been reimagined and reinvented numerous times, and some versions sway to different areas of the scale (Adam West’s Caped Crusader is more of a classic Hero, while Michael Keaton’s Dark Knight is more of an Anti-Hero), but at his core, I think Batman stands as a character who is pretty uch heroic, but still has problems. Disregarding his lack of conventional superpowers, Bruce Wayne has several issues as a person: he’s obsessive, depressive, cynical, and at times curt or even cold. While he typically abhors outright murder, he has fewer problems maiming or just scaring the daylights out of criminals who encounter him, and the zealous, at times militaristic passion he has when warring on crime can, at times, seem overwhelming. However, at his heart, Bruce Wayne is not only a good man, but a man many wish they could be: he is charitable, much more caring than he lets on, and while his methods are unorthodox, he is rarely truly cruel or callous. Bruce Wayne has issues, but he is not in any way a villainous figure. He stands as a beacon of goodness in a dark world…he’s just not always the easiest beacon to get along with.
While Batman, The Doctor and Sherlock Holmes are relatively “static” in their flaws - by which I mean, they are characters where the issues are constant pretty much from beginning to end - a very common pattern with Flawed Heroes is their tendency to evolve and become True Heroes. Very often, these protagonists will start off as people who do not make the right choices, but - after facing various trials and learning various lessons - they ultimately DO make the right decision at the most crucial point in the story, and thus prove their mettle, becoming a Real Hero as they overcome temptation. Sometimes they will be presented these temptations over and over again, but they will - inevitably - either resist or at least take something away from these roads that should not be traveled. I can think of no finer example of this type of character than my personal favorite superhero, Spider-Man.
Spider-Man (and I’m specifically talking Peter Parker here) has an origin story that fits this idea to a tea: when he first gains his incredible abilities, helping people out is the last thing on his mind. He instead goes out to seek selfish pleasure and material gain, and it’s indicated in some versions that, if he had continued on this path, he might have become a villain rather than a hero, over time. However, when personal tragedy strikes because of something Peter did or did not do, he learns that “with great power comes great responsibility”: his actions and inactions have consequences, and those with power and prestige should do what they can to help the less fortunate. Even after learning this harsh lesson, Peter still makes mistakes - some more dreadful than others - but this isn’t because he’s an idiot or because he’s a bad person. It’s simply because he’s a human being, and he always does his best to make sure the mistakes of his past do not become his follies in the future. It may take Spidey a little time to reach the right decision, but he will get there, one way or another.
A rare but interesting twist on this formula, which has popped up more often in recent years, is the Flawed Hero who does not realize they ARE flawed..and for that matter, neither does the audience! These sort of “twist flawed heroes” are intriguing because they make us question our ethics and ideals just as much as the characters do. A great example of this is Judy Hopps, the main character in Disney’s Zootopia. Judy, at first glance, seems to be a pretty straightforward hero: she’s optimistic, determined, and joins the police department largely out of a genuine desire to help people and do good. So, where does the flaw come in? Well, Judy comes to realize that she has a fundamental problem with her perception of the world: it’s very black and white, with one group of animals - the predators - always being seen as evil, and the other group - the prey - being seen as inherently good. Over the course of the film, she realizes this bias in herself, and when it causes trouble for not only her life but the lives of others, she comes to understand the fallacy in her line of thought, and begins to re-evaluate her entire view of the world around her. The audience learns from Judy’s journey just as much as she does, which makes her a particularly relatable protagonist.
Flawed Heroes, on the whole, achieve the same basic goal and function as more typical Heroes, but have a different way of going about it. Instead of being characters we want to be like or wish to become, they are characters who more accurately show us the good humanity is truly capable of. People aren’t perfect, we all have our own foibles and fancies, and we all have lessons we have to learn at some point along the way. This does not mean we cannot do great or wonderful things, nor does it mean we should give up on believing such things are possible. By showing us the humanity that lies under the surface of a hero’s journey, Flawed Heroes tell us that, no matter what we’ve done or what we’ve been, we, too, can overcome the toughest obstacles not only against the world around us, but within our own souls. They are still figures of hope...they just have to work a little harder to make that hope a reality.
Flashy, vibrant and with a stunning soundtrack, Disney's Hercules is definitely eye-catching - but how close is it to the original myths?
Disney films tend to be bright, colourful, heart-wrenching, and accompanied by a killer soundtrack that you will be humming in the shower for the rest of your life. Sadly, one thing that Disney films do not tend to be is accurate to the source material. Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ does not end with Ariel married to the prince. Victor Hugo’s novel ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ does not end with an attempted burning and a miraculous rescue. And the story of Hercules is not nearly as happy as the Disney movie would imply.
The film is certainly dynamic, and incorporates Greek mythology in a very interesting way, with many little nods to time that it is set in (for example, the alignment of the planets only shows the six planets that the Ancient Greeks were aware of.) The character design is admittedly brilliant – in particular the sinister Fates, squabbling over their one eye, works really well. The inclusion of the five muses as a Greek Chorus (a staple of Greek theatre) was also a nice touch. However, while these little nods to the original material are certainly nice...
🍰: What's something your OC counts as unforgivable?
Thank you for asking (and sorry it's taken me so long to respond)!
Neither Malady nor Talia are able to forgive those who harm the people they love. It's admittedly not necessarily a good quality and can be quite situational and (at times) absolutely hypocritical but it is what it is--even when the target of their disdain is themselves.
The stranger rolled into town at dawn, his cart rumbling through the gap in Trinity’s towering fence.
Abel squinted at the sun’s orange glare as it rose over the rooftops. “Come on, Pip.” He patted his thigh as a brindle-furred dog looked up at him and ran in a tight circle, her tail wagging. He passed huddled shacks as people gravitated towards the arrival.
Abel followed the gently sloping…
Being John McClane: Translating Die Hard trilogy into a 90's videogame
By Neil Merrett
Die Hard Trilogy, released on Sony PlayStation in 1996, developed by Fox Interactive and Acclaim Studios London
Die Hard Trilogy on the PlayStation and Sega Saturn was able to give the players a 3D skyscraper, airport and basic city to blast around and have explosive action adventures in. The games were perhaps less effective at exploring the appeal of John McClane as a…
Hi there! In 2012 Tom tweeted something including the sentence “we’re all flawed heroes” (pretty sure it was a reply to a fan’s tweet). Last year I got a tattoo with this phrase because it became very important to me. Unfortunately I haven’t saved the tweet and now I found out that it’s not on Twitter any more (history only goes back to September 2012). But I believe in the Hiddlestoner-Fandom and I really hope that there’s somebody out there who made a screenshot. If you are that somebody - would you please send it to me? It would mean a lot!
Please share. Thank you <3
Hera Syndulla is a flawed character, and that's okay.
Hera Syndulla is amazing and a good person, but honestly people seem to forget her flaws when they write for her. Please feel free to discuss the points below with me! I would love to see your thoughts. Lack of understanding Hera is often written as super understanding and more knowledgeable about various mental or personal issues. This however isn't exactly true. Early on in S1 we are introduced to Sabine's trust issues (which were poorly resolved, but that's a post for later), Hera convinces Sabine to trust her, but continues to keep secrets and lies about the Rebellion. I feel like during Siege of Lothal and Relics of the Old Republic (and a few other episodes), she berates Kanan for his PTSD and military based trauma. She pretty much tells him he's being ungrateful for the Rebellion saving him as being stupid for not wanting to join another military. This is a BIG point of contention for me. The Rebellion only cared about Ezra and only because him dying after the message would snuff out hope. Hera KNOWS about Kanan's past and lied about what the missions were for. Pretty much used him for an organization he did not consent to join. Forgets about people being people After Kanan is captured, she refuses to go after him. While this is understandable, it is a group of five vs. multiple Star Destroyers, she justifies it with "can't risk ourselves for one soldier". This would be better is she was taking to Zeb's, but this is Ezra, who doesn't see it as fighting or soldiers, but trying to protect the people. Calling Kanan a soldier was an "othering" technique to make it less painful for herself, but for a people driven Ezra, hurt more. Hera seems to forget that people are the cost for the eat and is always pushing forward. She gets so caught up in the fight she gets distanced from Kanan (I'll make a post for that) and the rest of the crew. Her position turns to more CO than family. "If all you do is fight for your own life, your life is worth nothing." In all honesty the context of this qoute is worse than the quote itself. When she says this to Ezra, an orphan street eat who often struggles with getting enough to eat, it's basically the same as saying he isn't worth anything. Because all he's been able to do is fight for survival. Now a more mature look would see this as "care more about others than yourself". She holds this ideal of "noble" sacrifice until it tears everything apart. If you want, you can connect Ezra's sacrifice in the finale to this. I can do more and will, but these are some of the basics. I love Hera and am deeply fond of her and flawed heroes. I would love to hear your thoughts and have respectful conversations!
