Superhero Characters
Every child has invented a superhero, usually with a costume worked out in more detail than the powers. The part worth drawing out is the limit — what the power costs, or when it stops working — because that is what turns a power into a character.
Making a superhero into a character
Name the power precisely
"Super strong" is a start; "can lift anything they can get both arms around" is a character.
Then name the limit
Every good power has an edge. Children enjoy inventing these more than inventing the power.
The costume is theirs
Whatever they drew — cape, colours, the symbol on the chest — is kept exactly.
Decide who they help
A hero with someone specific to protect has a reason to act.
Questions to ask your child about their drawing
- What is your hero’s power?
- When does the power stop working?
- What is on the front of the costume?
- Who do they help?
- What is their secret name?
Common questions
- Are superhero stories violent?
- No. They are written around rescues, repairs and decisions rather than fights, and the age setting keeps any peril proportionate.