What factors in a bully the bullies story with superpowers involved in a modern setting?

[Terragammaton]

I'm thinking of anti-hero or straight up villain eating villains kind of story. I haven't really decided which is which, though.

Anyway, I've remember a lot of zero to hero stories and they all have the same message: never become low or lower than your "bad friends". They change and become better persons along with development of the plot and side characters. I mean, it does take an iron will and a steady heart, not a forgiving one in my opinion, since some hold off their vengeance with the help of their new friends or set their own moral rule in remembrance of their pasts of getting abused physically, crippling their emotions, and developing minor or major mental trauma. Their outlook to life is horrid prior to that fateful event of change, the starting point of their story.

I can't find the right words to show what I want, but point is... I want more. I want more than just forgiving oneself or their wrongdoers. I want a "good" person turn bad, but the bad that does even more bad to bad people. I want to show the bestiality in people. I want to show how ideals can become twisted in manners self absorbed or desecrated by the common laws of society and its citizens. I want to show the rift between thought and action, bravery and cowardliness. Hurt over heal. I want the protagonist to know forgiveness but abandon it as it abandoned him. Not just him, but to those beaten dogs... rather become humans again, let them bare their fangs and bite deeper to their transgressors. "Rip and tear" as they say.

So what things must I consider when writing such a story? Relationships? Laws? Mindset? Powers? Philosophy? Race? Gender? Politics? Religion?

Oh, it should still border in the lines of what could occur to a real person in modern times BUT with superpowers involved.

 

[Samuel_Spader]

Sooo... Like the "INJUSTICE" series from DC? Where Superman became a dictator bent on destroying all of his enemies because he got duped by the Joker and accidentally killed his wife and son?

I can imagine a character (maybe the MC) is someone who's cornered, and had nothing left to lose, and just straight up rampaging and killing everyone who stood in their way, similarly to John Wick.

What to consider:

• In relationship; maybe the character lost someone who's supposed to be their moral support and/or anchor.
• In laws; maybe someone did something extremely bad to this character, but they were able to walk away free from punishment.
• In mindset; maybe the character was a person of compassion and goodwill, until these goodwill were used by bad people to crush this character to nothingness.
• In powers; maybe someone used their resource and connection to destroy this character.
• etc.

My brain can't think any more than these, so I hope I can help at least a bit.

If you plan to write a story like this, please lemme know, cause I'm totally interested.

 

[JayDirex]

you mean you want your character to BREAK BAD like Walter White did in "Breaking Bad""

Walter White held high value views on Relationship (his wife and son) Laws, Mindset, Powers. But these values were altered when he began to view them with cynicism, an most importantly HE REALLY NEEDED MONEY for the bad situation he found himself in. So all of the things you listed were factors in Walter White becoming a crime lord.

So your questions are:

1. Who is the character now in his present state? What does he want. WHAT DOES HE WANT TO PROTECT? (family, income, ideas of right and wrong)

Something is going to alter these values and what he wants to protect.

2. What event sets him on a course for losing the values he holds dear? What does he lose? His family? his faith in the law? (these things can compound to make him become isolated and alter his values. )

3. So, without knowing the type of story: my advice is give the MC a reason to believe in the values he believes, then as the story goes on (do this early) have him start losing faith in these institution by having HORRIBLE THINGS happen to him....then watch him start to JUSTIFY the shortcuts he takes as his values disintegrate.

That's what happened to Walter White! You should really watch Breaking Bad. It's criminally good.

 

[Samuel_Spader]

That's what happened to Walter White! You should really watch Breaking Bad. It's criminally good.

" ... I am not in danger, Skyler. I AM the danger ... "

Waiting for one day I can use this quote IRL.

 

[JayDirex]

Yes Sam!!!

" ... I am not in danger, Skyler. I AM the danger ... "

Waiting for one day I can use this quote IRL.

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

you mean you want your character to BREAK BAD like Walter White did in "Breaking Bad""

Walter White held high value views on Relationship (his wife and son) Laws, Mindset, Powers. But these values were altered when he began to view them with cynicism, an most importantly HE REALLY NEEDED MONEY for the bad situation he found himself in. So all of the things you listed were factors in Walter White becoming a crime lord.

So your questions are:

1. Who is the character now in his present state? What does he want. WHAT DOES HE WANT TO PROTECT? (family, income, ideas of right and wrong)

Something is going to alter these values and what he wants to protect.

2. What event sets him on a course for losing the values he holds dear? What does he lose? His family? his faith in the law? (these things can compound to make him become isolated and alter his values. )

3. So, without knowing the type of story: my advice is give the MC a reason to believe in the values he believes, then as the story goes on (do this early) have him start losing faith in these institution by having HORRIBLE THINGS happen to him....then watch him start to JUSTIFY the shortcuts he takes as his values disintegrate.

That's what happened to Walter White! You should really watch Breaking Bad. It's criminally good.

The plot of Breaking Bad in Europe.

Walter White has a public health insurance. The end.

 

[Gastic]

I'm thinking of anti-hero or straight up villain eating villains kind of story. I haven't really decided which is which, though.

Anyway, I've remember a lot of zero to hero stories and they all have the same message: never become low or lower than your "bad friends". They change and become better persons along with development of the plot and side characters. I mean, it does take an iron will and a steady heart, not a forgiving one in my opinion, since some hold off their vengeance with the help of their new friends or set their own moral rule in remembrance of their pasts of getting abused physically, crippling their emotions, and developing minor or major mental trauma. Their outlook to life is horrid prior to that fateful event of change, the starting point of their story.

I can't find the right words to show what I want, but point is... I want more. I want more than just forgiving oneself or their wrongdoers. I want a "good" person turn bad, but the bad that does even more bad to bad people. I want to show the bestiality in people. I want to show how ideals can become twisted in manners self absorbed or desecrated by the common laws of society and its citizens. I want to show the rift between thought and action, bravery and cowardliness. Hurt over heal. I want the protagonist to know forgiveness but abandon it as it abandoned him. Not just him, but to those beaten dogs... rather become humans again, let them bare their fangs and bite deeper to their transgressors. "Rip and tear" as they say.

So what things must I consider when writing such a story? Relationships? Laws? Mindset? Powers? Philosophy? Race? Gender? Politics? Religion?

Oh, it should still border in the lines of what could occur to a real person in modern times BUT with superpowers involved.

I think what you really need to show the distortions of a character is to give them a true reason. They need a justification for their actions such as a fear or gain, with each passing moment their ideals become corrupted by their actions. Bullies aren’t born from nothing they’re made from an underlying problem Neglect, sexual abuse, pride, envy, death of a loved one. Bullies don’t lash out or hurt others because they simply feel like it, in the real world they are made from an underlying problem attacking and breaking down their psyche.

 

[JayDirex]

@Assurbanipal_II America is not a country, it's a market.

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

@Assurbanipal_II America is not a country, it's a market.

That is not necessarily something to be proud of.

 

[JayDirex]

@Assurbanipal_II ain't nobody proud of it. It's just an explanation for why America seems so ass-backwards. It's because we are NOT a civilized society. America is nothing more than a market full of the most innovative, self-centered people on the planet. The other half of the country are dumber than a pile of rocks and easily led by orange con-men peddling racism and conspiracy theories. And we are armed to the fgn teeth! (our homicide and shooting rates reflect that).

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

@Assurbanipal_II ain't nobody proud of it. It's just an explanation for why America seems so ass-backwards. It's because we are NOT a civilized society. America is nothing more than a market full of the most innovative, self-centered people on the planet. The other half of the country are dumber than a pile of rocks and easily led by orange con-men peddling racism and conspiracy theories. And we are armed to the fgn teeth! (our homicide and shooting rates reflect that).

... Nothing to add.

 

[Gastic]

@Assurbanipal_II ain't nobody proud of it. It's just an explanation for why America seems so ass-backwards. It's because we are NOT a civilized society. America is nothing more than a market full of the most innovative, self-centered people on the planet. The other half of the country are dumber than a pile of rocks and easily led by orange con-men peddling racism and conspiracy theories. And we are armed to the fgn teeth! (our homicide and shooting rates reflect that).

I would actually have to disagree with you on that America is a land made for the people, there is so much opportunity to go from rags to riches. America is made so that anybody can get a chance and you not leading America is on you, if you’re not rich it’s because you made the wrong choices or are not intuitive enough. Also to talk politics is to go deeper than I would like to in this site. yes some republicans are dumb as rock and racist but that’s the same for democrats and other political parties. What I’m saying is don’t bring your take on politics into this site because you’re not right in the slightest. All sides have problems and the other sees you as extremely dumb.

 

[ThrillingHuman]

I would actually have to disagree with you on that America is a land made for the people, there is so much opportunity to go from rags to riches. America is made so that anybody can get a chance and you not leading America is on you, if you’re not rich it’s because you made the wrong choices or are not intuitive enough. Also to talk politics is to go deeper than I would like to in this site. yes some republicans are dumb as rock and racist but that’s the same for democrats and other political parties. What I’m saying is don’t bring your take on politics into this site because you’re not right in the slightest. All sides have problems and the other sees you as extremely dumb.

#irony

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

I would actually have to disagree with you on that America is a land made for the people, there is so much opportunity to go from rags to riches. America is made so that anybody can get a chance and you not leading America is on you, if you’re not rich it’s because you made the wrong choices or are not intuitive enough. Also to talk politics is to go deeper than I would like to in this site. yes some republicans are dumb as rock and racist but that’s the same for democrats and other political parties. What I’m saying is don’t bring your take on politics into this site because you’re not right in the slightest. All sides have problems and the other sees you as extremely dumb.

Tell that the eroding middle class. You can register sinking social mobility since the 90s and a significant difference in income rises. But of course, you didn't work hard enough and it was your choice to be born into the wrong background, while your own success is completely based on your personal merits and not external factors like America being an imperialistic force and thus was favoured on a macroeconomic scale since the end of World War 2.

But it seems you have nothing to offer than the gastric Darwinistic brutality of the Neocons.

 

[JayDirex]

"don’t bring your take on politics into this site because you’re not right in the slightest"

#1 I wasn't talking to you.

#2 your reply was pure politics- Hypocrisy much? - yet you refuted nothing.

#3 I WASN'T TALKING TO YOU- smyb. if you feel butthurt about it that's your problem.

@Gastic

 

[Gastic]

"don’t bring your take on politics into this site because you’re not right in the slightest"

#1 I wasn't talking to you.

#2 your reply was pure politics- Hypocrisy much? - yet you refuted nothing.

#3 I WASN'T TALKING TO YOU- smyb. if you feel butthurt about it that's your problem.

@Gastic

I don’t care who you were talking about neither am I butthurt, nothing I said was Favoring politics either, each side sees each other wrong. If we’re going to talk about refuting shit back your claims you inbred, what conspiracy theories and orange man, what have they done and what leads you to believe it makes them inherently racist. As I see it you are the other populace that belongs to the dumb as rock section you mentioned. You talk about politics yet you stupidly give no information and say shit in a shallow way. ? if I were to bend words I could make anyone sound like a fucking idiot.

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

I don’t care who you were talking about neither am I butthurt, nothing I said was Favoring politics either, each side sees each other wrong. If we’re going to talk about refuting shit back your claims you inbred, what conspiracy theories and orange man, what have they done and what leads you to believe it makes them inherently racist. As I see it you are the other populace that belongs to the dumb as rock section you mentioned. You talk about politics yet you stupidly give no information and say shit in a shallow way. ? if I were to bend words I could make anyone sound like a fucking idiot.

My friend, Trumpy Trump is so far deep into the right nutjob camp that his positions are beyond discussion. This is not a matter of differing opinions, or discussion culture. This is a matter of a notorious liar that is intellectually incapable of being president. In comparison to the big orange, even Bush is a philosopher.

 

[JayDirex]

if I were to bend words I could make anyone sound like a fucking idiot

you don't need to bend words to make yourself sound like one apparently. Jeje, I'm messing with you bro, have a nice day.

 

[JayDirex]

even Bush is a philosopher.

I know right! Hahahahhaaha!

 

[Xiaoshen]

I don’t care who you were talking about neither am I butthurt, nothing I said was Favoring politics either, each side sees each other wrong. If we’re going to talk about refuting shit back your claims you inbred, what conspiracy theories and orange man, what have they done and what leads you to believe it makes them inherently racist. As I see it you are the other populace that belongs to the dumb as rock section you mentioned. You talk about politics yet you stupidly give no information and say shit in a shallow way. ? if I were to bend words I could make anyone sound like a fucking idiot.

You..maybe you should? Context is pretty important. The other dude 'said shit in a shallow way' because he was just making a statement, to another person, rather than trying to argue a point or anything. He doesn't have to refute anything because he wasn't arguing in the first place... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯