I'm not sure about Muzzleflash, and I have since discontinued Gideon as he wasn't gelling for me as a character, but Elysienne definitely thinks she's just a normal girl trying to do her best in the situation.
The Elysienne; Magical controller
Silent Sickle; Natural scrapper
And many more.
Aenigma Rebis: "Actually, Ely's more like Jean Grey. Only... smart."
I would have to say for Kid Oblivion, he's just a kid working on bein' a real honest ta goodness Hero. Sure he finally registered (took 5 times! bureaucracies... sheesh) but he still doesn't have the conviction, the confidence, the... something else that makes the real heroes like the Statesmen a Hero. Hell, he still doesn't even know whether he's commin' or goin', but some day, he'll be a hero!
Gender Gap is definitly just a guy, well a girl..with a guy mind. He/she just try to do his best with his/her newfound powers.
I like to roleplay that my character is really me, becasue my real life sucks soo much, i have to rp in videogames to keep myself from going off the deep end. RP4tehwin!!!!11!!eleven!!!!!11!!1!
[ QUOTE ]
RP4tehwin!!!!11!!eleven!!!!!11!!1!
[/ QUOTE ]
too much caffeine? 
Winsany is more of an idle, walk around, hey that doesn't look right, kinda person. She doesn't advertise, but she doesn't mind sticking her nose in the bidness. However - because of her love of magic and her goddess, she would certainly be susceptable to doing what she /thinks/ is right, but may not be right to the rest of the populace. (ie: typical superhero turned supervillian on ideals thing)
Let's see...
Danny Fyre has two phases. When he's a teen-hero, he's definately just a kid with superpowers. He doesn't take everything quite seriously yet, and he isn't very good with his powers yet. When he's older, he's completely a super hero. Very light hearted, very sure of himself, over-confident and always looking for a way to get in the spotlight.
Immortal is sort of an anti-hero, but he's never been 'just a guy', because he doesn't remember how to be like that. I don't know if I'd put him on the other end of the spectrum either, though. He just does his job.
Black is somewhere in the middle. He's not just a guy, he's very caught up in the responsibility of being a hero, and always keeps saving lives his first priority. He doesn't necessarily advertise himself as a super hero, though...I suppose if someone asked him if he was a super hero, he'd say yes.
Figment is definately a super hero. That's what he was created for. He doesn't try to get widespread publicity, but instead lets rumors spread on the streets, in order to make his job a little easier. He's very no-nonsense, and is more of a 'lover than a fighter', being a healer, but he's still pretty dangerous with a sword.
<whew>
Done. 
Little bit of an old thread, but...
I've got a bunch of different characters with different feels, haven't settled into a favorite yet... so here's each of their viewpoints.
Miss Creant: "...hero? I'm lucky not to be one of the badguys. Thought I was, 'til I saw some of the baddies in this city... some things even I can't stand by and watch, though."
Liberty Star: "I guess I am. I mean, it seems kinda pretentious to call myself that, but I do the whole costume thing. Maybe it'd be best to say I'm still training to be a superhero. I've got a long way to go, still..."
Starblade: "Superhero? Yep, that's me. Flying around, blasting the badguys, saving the city. Kinda seems silly now that I say it, but how else am I going to describe myself? My life is a comic book... may as well embrace it. Beats the heck out of being crippled, that's for sure..."
Selyana Storm: "You're kidding, right? I bust up a few street gangs and now you want to call me a superhero? I don't even have a costume."
Starflash: "Superhero? Well... yeah. But it's not me, y'know? I mean, anyone could put on the suit, and then they'd be the hero. The team picked me, though, so I do my best not to let them down... they all work so hard to support me, I've got to give it everything I've got!"
Firedancer: "Superhero? How about 'professional demon hunter'? But yeah, I moonlight a bit. I mean, there's more trouble than just dark magic in this town, and if I can help out a bit, why not? Besides, it's kinda fun."
...so that's my characters in a box. There's another, but Dancing Edge's response to this question would take more time to put to the page than I have at the moment...
My Char Cocidius i guess really isnt a hero, because he doesnt do this to help people he does it to dull the pain of his losses, and just to keep himself living from day to day. its also kinda hard to work a normal job when your fused into a big metal suit with eletric shocking powers... pushing paper on a desk might not work to great for him so i guess fighting evil is something he does but he has no conviction for being good or helpnig, just revenge and neccesity.
First Responder just considers herself as a front line medic for the superhero community. Her full time job is with the city as a hospital research assistant. Through portible medical devises and I tap into the city teleportation system, she brings the healling power of the cities hospitals to the heros on the street. "Even heros need help".
Heh... I think most of you by now know some of my major characters. And most think of themselves as just a Guy to varying degrees.
Chess is just someone who wants to get his family back and understand what is happening to him. His core programming is to protect folks, so he does that along the way. He definately does not consider himself to be a hero.
Erik (aka Mighty Bio-Man) HATES the lable of hero that was slapped on him. He is still a college professor, still loves teaching, and fights to keep a normal life. He uses his powers to help others simply because he feels it's the right thing to do.
Obsidian Omega feels he is nothing extrodinary at all and all you upworlders make way too much a fuss about him and how he can call on the earthmother. But he knows that he can help, and he will... So why call him a hero? Don't all you upworlders help each other?
Rich Pickman (Richard when I'm writing) would be about as far from feeling Heroic as one can get. His life has been a series of occult discoveries and horrors along the way. He may help pelple but in essence he is searching for something... He needs to know what is happening to him... and why the darkness within needs to feed.
I have another character called Wild-Card. He's a technology blaster with Energy/Gadgets... Problem is I'm still working on a viable backstory for him. I have several ideas, but he REALLY sees himself as a superhero. "That's my job!" is how he feels, and he LOVES to showboat for the public...
When I work up a good story for him I may post it here... Not sure yet.
Deathseeker: Kinda. He does what he does more out of despair than heroism, but he's growing into the role.
Bonecutter: She's just out for blood.
Deacon White: Its his job, how he draws his paycheck. So no.
Dueling Dervish is about as "just a guy" as you can get...he has no superpowers. (game wise, this means I have Sprint and that's it for travel, Martial Arts, and "Really Good" Reflexes).
On the other hand, he definately sees himself as a hero. Just a more down to earth one, is all.
Shadow Marshal:
Shadow Marshal was just a normal guy with a happy life until something went horribly wrong (I wont say what yet because I'm writing his origin story at the moment). Now he can not go back to his old life and he became a hero simply because he did not know what else to do with his new found powers. He never asked to become a hero and he never wanted to be one. He sees himself as just a guy who was forced into this situation.
Straight Jacket (aka: Jack):
Straight Jacket had a troubled childhood. The only way he could keep himself out of trouble was to use his mutant abilities to become a hero. He thinks of himself as better then normal people because they hate his kind. He is a hero with a dark half. He does not think of himself as a normal guy but he does not really think of himself as a hero either, he is simply....better......more powerful.
Fused:
.......I don't know yet. I'm still trying to work out his character really. I was just playing him for fun at first.
Taking it from the top;
Railbird: I am a soldier. It does say, "superhero" on the ID card which I was given by Paragon City Law Enforcement. I recognize that this is my job description. Heroic? No, just doing what is necessary to complete my mission.
Tangerine Dream: Hero? Are you nuts? I am a college student! I have term papers to do! I don't have time for any of this super powered stuff!
Girl Genius, Girl Genius 1.0, Girl Genius 2.0, Girl Genius 3.0, Girl Genius 4.0: Hero? Certainly not. I am simply gathering data on the forces which threaten Paragon city. True heroes could then utilize this data as they do their jobs. I admit that I occasionally come into conflict with the forces I study. This hardly qualifies me as a hero.
This is a fun thread!
Jen 8)
Judas Savior: amnesiac, trying to find out who he is. He knows that he was artificially created in a far away lab, but thats about it. He does have a kind heart, and will help almost anyone he sees in trouble. So yeah, he's a superhero
My Roleplayer.Sir Godwine doesn't consider himself super at all or even a hero at all.He is just a person,who tries to help others.Although I picked him as a magic origin,most of his powers are not his own,but have been given to him by a powerful protector on another plane of existance, as long as he is good of heart.....
My main character is a mutant so she knows she's not "Just a girl", but she has lived with her mutation for many years before the Rikti attacked and didn't try to do anything 'heroic'.
She tried to hide her mutation and abilities for a very long time, and when the Rikti attacked she figured the humans were just getting what was coming to them. It was only after she found out her best friend was killed by the Rikti when she decided to go to Paragon City to fight crime. She considers 'hero' more an occupation than anything else, but she knows that the occupation of 'hero' is a bit police officer, a bit bounty hunter, and a bit celebrity and she tries to take it in stride.
In my origins story (link in sig) I think I touch upon her views of being a hero in the final section, where she jokes with a friend who calls her by her real name that with the her mask on she Nightprowl, then proceeds to take off her mask in public, and states "Okay, now I'm Cathy." She then goes and helps out the police department's PR director by standing in the background during the obligatory 'after the big bust' press conference for the news crews.
WOW!!! Let me just say, friend...wow. Awesome bio & backstory. Just enough detail, no delving too deeply into "drama", and good description of the action...a deft description of a (lvl 1?) hero. Nicely done. A perfect 10!
Well... mine really have the entire... redemption bit going for them...
Czernabog tried to be a hero before, became a mercenary after his brother (The Human Conduit) disappeared during the Rikti War, blaming himself for it. After murdering his idol, he realized what he had become and is trying to make amends... Hero? No. Someone that might be able to make a difference? Yes. Why I Fight - The Origins of Czernabog
Nod? At the beginning of Nod's story, he's just out for vengeance, nearly as much a villain as his brother. He just puts down whomever gets in his way. As his story progresses, he begins to understand that he has something resembling a civic duty. I mean... heck... he's a 10 year old (looks like a midget in game) with a villainous brother and father and imaginary friends that do his dirty work for him. Figuring out what to do next is a bit tricky.
[ QUOTE ]
"Just a guy" is well... just a person who has X ability, who is just doing what they can, who dosent REALLY look at themselves as a hero.
A superhero is Mr. Spandex out there publicising-he definatley sees himself as a hero.
[/ QUOTE ]
I consider your "just a guy" definition more of a superhero then the self-aggrandizing spotlight-seeking celebrity jerk from the second definition.
Fiberoptic: A regular guy, who choses to do what he does because normal life isnt possible for him (being a ghost). He's not even a Crow type... more of the mendicant spirit with no answers- like the rest of us.
Sub-Atlantean: This is a bronze age comic book character. He's not really about righting injustice even though he says that he is. What's really important to him is paying back the criminal element for their crime- of breathing. Very arrogant, and not very likeable.
Hm, I have to say I have one of both.
Immolator isnt a guy, hes the Djinn of the Keg, But hes definitely a "Flashy" superhero out there making a name for himself in tights.
Letch is just a guy whos on the make for Superchicks. Hes using his powers mostly to impress the ladies babay.
Thanks for the compliment TimeLord; I'm glad you liked my story. As for what level she was during the story, I decided to use artistic license to allow her to use all the powers she had at the time of my writing of the story (mid twenties) which is why you see use of Combat Jump, Super Leap, and Stealth. I chose 5th column because I just plain love crane kicking them off of their soapboxes, and for the main battle I used the Education Officer because when I did that mission (at level 16) the Education Officer was a level 20 lieutenant and hit like a ton of brick. The mission has since been changed but it was probably my most memorable mission (first purple mob in a solo mission).
But to not derail the thread, I think the "Just a Guy" vs. "Super Hero" can be taken different ways; in one way it could be taken as the hero believing he is superior to those without powers and is helping 'the weak', while the 'just a guy' guy doesn't consider himself any more special than the civilians walking the streets.
I don't see it that way though. I see the 'just a guy' guy eschewing publicity because he sees the act of saving others and defeating bad guys as what is required, and the media means nothing in that respect. The 'Super Heroes' don't shy away from the media as they feel it's a tool to help them intimidate bad guys and boost the spirits of civilians who might want to see the heroes who are fighting to save Paragon City.
There really should be a third class though, the hero who panders to the media; let's call him the 'Pretty Boy Hero'. He's a legend in his own mind and isn't afraid to tell anyone who will listen, but whether he can walk the walk after talking the talk is anyone's guess.
Well my blaster is definately a super-hero, he seems himself as a 1-hit wonder sniping bravely from afar evil minions.
My tanker, well hes just a regular guy. He sees himself as not being able to do anything "special" but has discovered he can really take an [censored] kicking and keep on ticking - at least until help arrives to pull them off him P
For those who role play in varying degrees and for everyone who had a concept for their character when you made it, I am curious, are your characters "Just a guy" or a superhero?
Now to explain what I mean heh!
"Just a guy" is well... just a person who has X ability, who is just doing what they can, who dosent REALLY look at themselves as a hero.
A superhero is Mr. Spandex out there publicising-he definatley sees himself as a hero.
It's hard to explain what I mean but I think you get the jist of it.
Which are you?
Most of my guys are heavily to the "just a guy" side, though my most recent character is also "just a guy" but much closer to "superhero" then the rest.