Comments on: Random Thought: What’s With DC Superheroes And Their Parents?

By: nawlinsned

nawlinsned — Mon, 16 May 2011 19:55:42 +0000

It’s fairly simple: one of the hallmarks of a heroic story is that the hero will, at some point, undergo some sort of personal tragedy and persevere. Now, most characters simply don’t last long enough for the authors to have time to build up personal relationships between characters and then decide to off one of them, and furthermore, the audience tends to greatly dislike it when one of their favorite ancillary characters bites the bullet.

Therefore, you pick on the parents. Everyone came from a father and mother, regardless of whether they are always there for the character.

In Barry’s case, it’s going to be an issue where he will be able to save the world and put it back how it’s supposed to be, but his mother will be once again wiped away from him in the process.

Of course, this assumes that the world Barry is currently on is New Earth.

By: K-Box

K-Box — Thu, 12 May 2011 22:31:11 +0000

“Every *unimaginative writer* has daddy issues.”

Fixed.

By: Sallyp

Sallyp — Thu, 12 May 2011 19:27:16 +0000

I swear, that Jaime Reyes, the new Blue Beetle is just about the ONLY superhero that I can think of, with two living and loving parents, not to mention a sibling who ALSO hasn’t been killed off in an unpleasant way.

Which is rather sad, when you think about it.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Thu, 12 May 2011 18:50:56 +0000

Nothing new for Geoff. Take Booster Gold…everyone knows the basic stuff, how he is from the future and stole the tech to become a hero in the 21st century. Everyone forgets that what put him on that path was his mother’s sickness forcing him to pay the bills. Geoff took a step further…it was Booster’s desire for his father’s love that led him to throw his first and only game (remember, Booster never threw a game before that…he bet he would win. His dad convinced him to take the next step). His dad then was taken over by Mr. Mind and became the evil Supernova.

But you are wrong to think it is only DC that does this. Most lasting characters have issues with their parents. Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben. Thor being cast out by Odin. Wolverine and his “Who’s my real daddy” issues. In manga, you have characters like Inuyasha’s father that inspired the brothers to fight. It comes up in movies, TV, everything.

There is an old saying that the creators of LOST always pointed to, and it is true: Every good cowboy has daddy issues.

By: Vinnie Bartilucci

Vinnie Bartilucci — Thu, 12 May 2011 18:32:22 +0000

Barry’s parents had been alive all along in his original series. It’s only in the new series as of Rebirth that this had changed, and now we know that it’s directly connected to Flashpoint.
Personally, I still hope that when it’s all over they are both back alive the way there originally were, and there is no more grief and ose connected to Barry’s past, something that was never there before.

Considering one’s parents are usually the most important people in a child’s life, it’s not surprising that traumas involving them would affect a hero’s life later. Indeed, looking at that crowd scene, I don’t know if there’s scarcely a handful of characters that haven’t had a story with, about or involving their parents, save for J’onn J’onzz and Red Tornado. And if you want to call the Tornado Tyrant and Champion his parents, even Reddy has.

A lot of orphans, a lot of heroes whose parents played a major role in their origin (Cyborg is a good example)

By: Aaron Poehler

Aaron Poehler — Thu, 12 May 2011 18:23:17 +0000

“Isn’t she alive in “The Trial of The Flash” storyline that ended Barry’s original run, or am I entirely misremembering?”

No, you’re right about that. Both parents were alive and part of a storyline involving the Top possessing Barry’s father’s body right around that time.