I am writing a superhero book. How do I make my main character seem not as superior?
Make them less superior by giving them weaknesses. I know it sounds odd that someone who’s super powered would have weaknesses, but even Superman had kryptonite. You can still find opportunities to make your hero character vulnerable. Maybe their powers only work under certain circumstances, or maybe their body is weakened when exposed to certain elements. Finding a way to weaken a super powered character doesn’t have to difficult. Just be creative!
I’m going to take it one step further, though. As people, our weaknesses are not defined by only our physical strength. Your character could be the strongest, most invincible person in the world, and they can still have human weaknesses. They can be too proud, too emotional, too stubborn. They might only see the best in people (or maybe only the worst in people). If you develop your superhero character the same way you would any other character, you can still uncover weaknesses.
A character that is physically stronger than any other character likely believes they will dominate any opponent they come up against. This can be a golden opportunity to knock them down a peg. They might get so caught up in their victory over an enemy that they don’t realize a second enemy is sneaking up behind them. That’s a very, very basic example, but you get the idea.
Just think outside the box. Who’s your favorite superhero? I bet they have weaknesses, and I bet there have been plenty of instances of failure throughout their stories. Use those examples to help guide you in creating your own character.
Good luck! Superheroes are a lot of fun to write, but even more so when you find ways to hurt them and humanize them.
-Rebekah
