Becoming a hero

[Umbran]

same with John Carter, heroic in war and the west, that carried over to Mars.

Good point that one. John Carter is a sort of reverse Superman. Mind you, how heroic he was depends on the retelling. When we first meet him, he's largely given up on people (understandably, perhaps), and has decided simply seeking gold is enough for him. His actions in war may have been heroic, not so much his action in the West.

 

[Dioltach]

Good point that one. John Carter is a sort of reverse Superman. Mind you, how heroic he was depends on the retelling. When we first meet him, he's largely given up on people (understandably, perhaps), and has decided simply seeking gold is enough for him. His actions in war may have been heroic, not so much his action in the West.

I take it you're talking about the recent movie? From Hand of Evil's post I understand he was referring to the original book, and there's nothing there that implies he's anything less than heroic during his time in the West. Besides the Civil War, he mentions having spent years living and fighting among the Sioux, and his first instinct when he starts worrying whether his companion is in trouble, and later when he finds him being tortured, is to rush to his rescue without any thought for his own safety.

 

[Umbran]

I take it you're talking about the recent movie?

I did mention that it depends on which retelling - aside from the original book, and recent movie, there's at least one other movie and some comic books out there. But, in the original book, we first meet him when he's hunting gold.

Besides the Civil War, he mentions having spent years living and fighting among the Sioux...

Actually, that would be during the Civil War - working alongside the Sioux to fight the North. A reference to the Dakota War of 1862, I expect. He says quite plainly that as soon as the War ended, he headed west.

"...At the close of the Civil War I found myself possessed of several hundred thousand dollars (Confederate) and a captain's commission in the cavalry arm of an army which no longer existed; the servant of a state which had vanished with the hopes of the South. Masterless, penniless, and with my only means of livelihood, fighting, gone, I determined to work my way to the southwest and attempt to retrieve my fallen fortunes in a search for gold.

I spent nearly a year prospecting in company with another Confederate officer, Captain James K. Powell of Richmond. "

and his first instinct when he starts worrying whether his companion is in trouble, and later when he finds him being tortured, is to rush to his rescue without any thought for his own safety.

Well, aside from the fact that, of the two, Powell is the trained mining engineer, so that Carter is hardly without a motive to go save the guy...

One may say this is his path *back* to heroism, from which he'd wandered for a while.

 

[Dioltach]

That is a possible interpretation, but there is nothing that directly supports it -- at best there is nothing that explicitly disproves it. John Carter acts heroically throughout the rest of the book, and explicitly so on Barsoom, and nowhere is there any hint of him refinding his ideals after a bout of cynicism.

Perhaps, though, it might be better to describe John Carter as adventurous rather than heroic.

 

[trappedslider]

One of the superman cartoons had a recurring detective running around in a world of freaks, aliens, super-tech, and just bizzare stuff, but he was still coping. Then he pissed of Darksied and got killed. He didn't get powers, but was more of a hero in that story than Superman, who was chained up and beaten.

Arguably, the Green Lantern in Justice League cartoon was a hero (marine) before he got his ring.

That would be Dan Turpin " Badass Bystander" according to tvtropes which made Sups say the following: ""In the end, the world didn't need a Superman… just a brave one"

As for GL..that would be John Stewart also Hal was a pilot in the air force before getting the Ring

 

[sabrinathecat]

That would be Dan Turpin " Badass Bystander" according to tvtropes which made Sups say the following: ""In the end, the world didn't need a Superman… just a brave one"

As for GL..that would be John Stewart also Hal was a pilot in the air force before getting the Ring

Thanks. Couldn't remember names last night.
Hal was a test pilot. Was he in combat before that?

 

[Umbran]

Perhaps, though, it might be better to describe John Carter as adventurous rather than heroic.

I'd buy that, especially given the time the original was published - 1917, right as the US is entering WWI. In the original, for example, John Carter is frequently callous about the number of deaths around him. He slaughters men by the dozens himself, and goes to war on a not-infrequent basis.

 

[trappedslider]

Thanks. Couldn't remember names last night.
Hal was a test pilot. Was he in combat before that?

At least in the New Frontier he was in Korea, beyond that I'm not 100% sure......