Who do we look up to now?

It would really be nice to see COX introduce a couple of new signature heroes. After hearing they were copying the kill the signature hero track that other comics have done to death, I was more than sure we were getting new sigs introduced into the game. Guess not.

From the view point of the player it's you. By the way WWD seems to be set up, it's all about letting your character step up to the plate and show off what they can do. That you have the ability, power and skills to stand alongside people like BaB and Positrom after the world's greatest hero was slain.

From the point of view of a character inside the game... it's a bit more complicated.

For Freedom Phalanx the answer is obvious; Positron. When States is off clearing his head he's the one everyone in the FP turns to for leadership. He's the one that's expected to step up.

Now you're average citizen might be expecting Ms. Liberty to step up. After all she's Statesman's granddaughter, the next in line if you would. They might be turning to her as the face of the city, as it were.

You guys looked up to statesman?

I think I need to sit down.

You need someone to look up to? Look up to me!
Why?
*Point's to post count of OVER TEN THOUSAAAAAAND!!!*

Yeah. Yeah. I just don't know when to shut up.

10,001, here's lookin' at you kid!

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Well, this guy's been around for a number of years...

Vote iconic characters and players from around the server to fill in?

Who looked up to Statesman? *I* always looked up to Back Alley Brawler and Blue Steel!

You. Me. Us.

Both philosophically and technically, an external moral center may have been a flawed concept for the City of X universe. Statesman's death planted that seed for me, but I didn't fully realize it until thinking about your post. Just like villain groups take up more of our heroes time than major villains--a major deviation from the standard comic book--an external but morally central character makes less sense for an entertainment medium starring us. Look at the two emboldened words there. It's not so reasonable, now that I think about it.

For those of you who want a moral center in your game, look to your own character rosters, or to upstanding members of your SGs or coalitions. Create one. In the final scene, there was an expectation in Statesman's dead wife's words that we would "rise up" to do just this. I doubt the writers intend to provide us with another Statesman. They have an opportunity to write stories wherein there is no question as to who the central characters are. Me. You. Us. This is something that players have demanded.

I kind of like the idea that they won't have someone to look up to. That makes for great storytelling food for thought, where we can have missions where the city goes into a panic, villains go berserk, and we the player have to step up to stop it.

I never looked up to any of the NPCs, especially not Statesman.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PSLAnimal Adolphe Menjou. Seriously. Adolphe Menjou had the greatest mustache of the silent film era. How can you not admire the guy?

It's like Brent Spiner got merged with David Suchet's Poirot...

I think it’s probable that the people of Paragon would want a successor to Statesman. After all, history is filled with larger-than-life individuals who were lionized because they embodied the traits that their cultures admired. A few examples spring to mind: Joan of Arc, George Washington, Admiral Nelson, El Cid. I’m sure you can come up with others.

That said, we should then ask what particular traits would earn this status for a hero in a comic-based setting. In my opinion there are two: (1) overwhelming power and/or (2) a public perception of strong morality. Earlier posters mentioned Superman and Captain America and I think these are good illustrations.

From the standpoint of game mechanics, narrative cohesion and internal logic, I don’t think it makes sense for player characters to fill this void. I mean, we already have to suspend our disbelief when a pedestrian remarks, “There’s Captain Hero Guy. I heard he foiled a Tsoo plot to take over all the city’s gangs,” and we heard the same thing about Brave Valiant Lady the day before. And the Scarlet Stud Muffin on the day before that.

In my opinion, canon and in-game lore should provide background and a stable framework for the world in which our characters operate. Yes, our heroes become increasingly prominent and respected in this world, but how many true paragons of virtue can one city sustain? It’s their very uniqueness that makes them stand out. If you’ve got thousands of Statesmen running around, then what was once the lofty ideal just becomes commonplace.

So if you accept this argument, we’re still left with the question of who will assume the role of preeminent hero in the wake of Statesman’s demise. Logically, they’ll either have to elevate an existing character or create a new one.

I haven’t the foggiest idea if or how the devs will attempt this. Someone mentioned earlier the possibility of Ms. Liberty stepping into her grandfather’s shoes and this has a certain appeal. Personally, I’m rooting for Flower Knight. I don’t believe that she’s used that much in terms of game lore and she’s certainly had a lot of free time since they changed the tutorial. I’d love to see a storyline where she surprises everyone and ascends to the next level. Let Flower Knight bloom!

He was to the people of Paragon, even if not always in practice.

It's like Superman. He's not the holier-than-thou "boy scout" that everyone believes him to be, but everyone continues thinking of him that way all the same.

And during the Death of Superman arc in the comics, the criminals of Metropolis rejoiced when they heard that news. Street punks who formerly surrendered at the mere sight of Superman were ready to fight Supergirl to the death. They didn't even care that there were dozens of heroes in town for Superman's funeral, they simply didn't consider them, even collectively, as much of a threat as Superman on his own.

So, yeah, saying "Who needs Statesman, when we have lots of heroes to replace him?" is like saying "Who needs Superman, when you have Blue Beetle, Green Arrow, Aquaman, Plastic Man, and Booster Gold to replace him?"