1. ACTION/ADVENTURE GENRE Superhero Sub-genre

2. Classic Adventure Story PLOT Human against Nature Human against Human Plot is dominant Has a goal, but not the same steps as a quest More episodic Less revelation/change Not so much about a character changing their own consciousness Lots of chases—often the climax is the biggest chase of all

3. CHARACTER Hero is courageous and perseveres Usually succeeds against dangerous villains Hero may change a little but does not undergo a radical transformation as in the Hero’s Journey of the quest

4. SETTING Often exotic Dangerous Changes as pursuits of the plot continue Not crucial to the story except to allow for exciting/thrilling/dangerous situations

5. THEME Courage and integrity is best (even if it doesn’t win) But most of the time, the courageous hero does win – good triumphs over evil

6. SUPERHERO SUB-GENRE

7. HERO – extra-ordinary secret identity/costume Bruce Wayne Peter Parker Clark Kent

8. ARCH-ENEMY often a human gone bad Joker/ Penguin Octopus/Green Goblin/Venom Lex Luthor

9. CONFIDANT Sidekick Jimmy Olsen Alfred Robin

10. Authority Commissioner Gordon

11. LOVE INTEREST Vicky Vale Gwen Stacey Lois Lane

12. ORIGIN STORIES BATMAN Bruce Wayne avenges his parents’ murder—no superpowers— intellectual/physical perfection –wealthy industrialist SPIDERMAN Teenager bit by radiated spider—given speed/agility/stickiness/spid er sense SUPERMAN Sent to earth as Krypton planet dies/has supernatural skills-can fly Newspaper reporter by day