Picspam: Bonnie Bennett is a Superhero
Title: Bonnie Bennett is a Superhero
Fandom: The Vampire Diaries
Summary: 10 Superhero Tropes that prove that Bonnie Bennett is the caped crusader of Mystic Falls. Tropes and definitions provided by TV Tropes.Org.
A/N: Created for womenlovefest, claim Bonnie Bennett. This took a little longer than planned, but I felt it needed to be established.
su·per·he·ro - noun / superheroes, plural
A benevolent fictional character with superhuman powers
Bonnie Bennett
#1 | Alliterative Name
Many comic book and cartoon characters are alliterative; that is, the first name and the last name begin with the same sound.
In comic books, this is especially true of the names of superheroes or their close hangers-on. It was a favorite tool of Stan Lee's, since, swarmed with projects, he often had trouble remembering the characters' names, and the alliteration worked as a mnemonic device. (Though it didn't always work perfectly - Lee occasionally referred to "Peter Palmer" and "Bob Banner".)
"So Grams is telling me I`m psychic. Our ancestors were from Salem, witches and all that - I know, crazy. But she`s going on and on about it and I`m like, `Put this woman in a home already"
#2 | Non-Human Hero
(They're superhuman because they're not human at all; for instance, aliens Superman or Martian Manhunter; after all, they're from space.) They might alternately be genetically engineered, a cyborg (inevitably involuntary and Wangsting over his condition), or otherwise a creation of science [or magic].
"Something`s wrong. There`s something wrong with me."
#3 | Psychosomatic Superpower Outage
Super-powers are frequently linked to one's mental state. When the character has unresolved emotional issues, his or her superpowers can stop working. This is universally true of explicitly Psychoactive Powers, but this also can apply to powers that don't normally seem to have a psychoactive component. Sometimes, there's really nothing wrong with the character's powers; he's just so out of emotional whack that he just can't bring himself to use them. A Psychosomatic Superpower Outage is often precipitated by loss of self-confidence, loss of faith in one's cause, unresolved emotional conflict, a Freak Out or extreme fear.
"Elena is my best friend, and because she loves you, I couldn't let you or Damon die in that fire."
#4 | Burning Building Rescue
A newly super-powered person sees a burning building on TV. He realizes that he can do something to save the people on the top floor. He rushes to the scene and performs the daring rescue. It usually happens at the close of the First Act of a Super Hero's origin story. In the beginning of the Second Act, and sometimes even the next scene, the hero will have donned his signature costume. The superhero version is a turning point, so it doesn't apply to rescue personnel performing their already chosen profession, like firefighters or police. Similarly, established superheroes doing this as a matter of course don't count. The heroic decision has to happen onscreen for it to be a part of this trope.
"We both wanna protect the people we care about. This difference is, for you, Damon is one of them. You saw what I was able to do tonight. I know who I am now. And if Damon spills so much as one drop of innocent blood, I`ll take him down - even if I have to take you with him."
#5 | Heroic Vow
Most protagonists are depicted as imperfect; though heroic, they aren't flawless paragons of perfection, and will have some minor shortcomings to help the audience identify with them better. SuperBob can selflessly save the world on a daily basis, but mild-mannered Bob Trope will regularly leave the refrigerator door open.
Even so, some characters have a Heroic Vow: a commitment or standard that they will not cross for whatever reason. Perhaps it's a promise to a dear one, a sense of pride, a personal Moral Event Horizon, or just because the hero is a Nice Guy. If a villain takes a Heroic Vow, it's usually because Even Evil Has Standards. Key to the Heroic Vow is that it is a commitment the character keeps because he willingly wants to. There are no talismans or failsafes preventing the breaking of the Vow, nor are they needed - the character's willpower and resolve are the only bonds needed.
"Jeremy, you think I was born with these powers so I could float feathers and blow out candles? There's a reason I was called to do this."
#6 | Comes Great Responsibility
Older Super Heroes are expected to have a higher moral standard. No abusing your powers for personal gain. Sometimes this is enforced by the authority that granted their abilities, but most often it is self-imposed. What constitutes "abuse"? That gets into a nebulous area. Mostly this is a moral stance superheroes took early in their career to make sure they never hit the slippery slope to evil-dom.
"Witchcraft has its limits. If I push too hard, It pushes back.”
#7 | Psychic Nosebleed
Purely mental battles are hard to show with special effects. Sure, you can have the characters sweat, strain, or show veins swelling on their forehead. But when a character with Telepathy or other Psychic Powers pushes them to the limit, or when a character is under mental attack, nothing quite exemplifies the true state of affairs like a thin trickle of blood oozing from their nose.
"Between here and upstairs, there's still time for you to do something stupid."
#8 | Reckless Sidekick
The Hero / Sidekick dynamic is a very interesting one, with a lot of parallels between that of the hero and The Lancer. Usually, the Hero is older and calmer, while also being a stronger and better combatant than their Hot Blooded young charge. For these or other reasons, the hero will instruct the sidekick to hang back and observe events, or leave a particularly dangerous fight to him alone.
They never do.
"I have the power to save you. If I don’t use it and something happens that would kill me more.”
#9 | Strong As They Need To Be
Every so often, the villain is just too powerful. They're going to destroy the world, or at least control it. Sometimes, if the writers really want it to seem like a big deal, the villain will threaten the entire galaxy, universe, or even multiple realities. It seems all hope is lost. And there's nothing the heroes can do to stop it.
Then, suddenly, the hero will decide that he's serious. This time is for reals. His Power Level is Over Nine Thousand, and he wants everyone to know. He'll whip out some until now unforeseen strength, and promptly show the villain what for, usually demolishing the bad guy so completely that it prevents them from ever pulling that world threatening crap again, or at least until the writers want them back.
"It`s true. I`m a witch."
#10 | The Cape
The superhero as an ideally good person. Generally associated with older protagonists, before whenever the latest round of deconstruction happened, and often invokes elements of The Messiah. Has now become nigh-synonymous with the "classic" Super Hero.
Capes don't need to actually wear capes, although a distinct outfit and some kind of special ability is part of the image. The most important feature is these heroes adhere to a strict code of honor and sense of authority; capes can be notoriously inflexible and perceive things in black and white, and even be painfully straightforward and selfless. They often downplay their own heroism and will act heroically even when no one will know. They almost universally subscribe to Thou Shalt Not Kill. This rule was created to avoid complaints from angry parents, self-righteous politicians and incompetent pop psychologists. Capes usually have secret identities, but make public appearances in costume and actively try to keep a good public image.
This can seem unrealistic, but a major reason is it serves as self-imposed safety to keep them from abusing their powers. Most Capes have Evil Counterparts who do whatever they want and eventually devolve into villains.
Capes are usually born with their powers, or get them in a unique fashion (or are given them to act as champions of Good).
Capes are contrasted with the past two decades' emergence of vigilantes and Anti Heroes who have become more extreme (sometimes to ludicrous effect), mainly as a response to the perception of comic books as "kid stuff." Nearly all Super Hero series eventually address the idea that Capes and Bad Ass Normals have unspoken issues: Capes can impose their morality because they have the power to back them up. In a setting where these two types of heroes coexist, The Cape usually considers the latter to be unstable, amoral Smug Supers. In more cynical universes, the Smug Super might consider himself to be a Cape, but very much isn't.
There you have it. Bonnie as a Superhero. Now go forth and write fic. (Please?)
Fandom: The Vampire Diaries
Summary: 10 Superhero Tropes that prove that Bonnie Bennett is the caped crusader of Mystic Falls. Tropes and definitions provided by TV Tropes.Org.
A/N: Created for womenlovefest, claim Bonnie Bennett. This took a little longer than planned, but I felt it needed to be established.
su·per·he·ro - noun / superheroes, plural
A benevolent fictional character with superhuman powers
Bonnie Bennett
#1 | Alliterative Name
Many comic book and cartoon characters are alliterative; that is, the first name and the last name begin with the same sound.
In comic books, this is especially true of the names of superheroes or their close hangers-on. It was a favorite tool of Stan Lee's, since, swarmed with projects, he often had trouble remembering the characters' names, and the alliteration worked as a mnemonic device. (Though it didn't always work perfectly - Lee occasionally referred to "Peter Palmer" and "Bob Banner".)
"So Grams is telling me I`m psychic. Our ancestors were from Salem, witches and all that - I know, crazy. But she`s going on and on about it and I`m like, `Put this woman in a home already"
#2 | Non-Human Hero
(They're superhuman because they're not human at all; for instance, aliens Superman or Martian Manhunter; after all, they're from space.) They might alternately be genetically engineered, a cyborg (inevitably involuntary and Wangsting over his condition), or otherwise a creation of science [or magic].
"Something`s wrong. There`s something wrong with me."
#3 | Psychosomatic Superpower Outage
Super-powers are frequently linked to one's mental state. When the character has unresolved emotional issues, his or her superpowers can stop working. This is universally true of explicitly Psychoactive Powers, but this also can apply to powers that don't normally seem to have a psychoactive component. Sometimes, there's really nothing wrong with the character's powers; he's just so out of emotional whack that he just can't bring himself to use them. A Psychosomatic Superpower Outage is often precipitated by loss of self-confidence, loss of faith in one's cause, unresolved emotional conflict, a Freak Out or extreme fear.
"Elena is my best friend, and because she loves you, I couldn't let you or Damon die in that fire."
#4 | Burning Building Rescue
A newly super-powered person sees a burning building on TV. He realizes that he can do something to save the people on the top floor. He rushes to the scene and performs the daring rescue. It usually happens at the close of the First Act of a Super Hero's origin story. In the beginning of the Second Act, and sometimes even the next scene, the hero will have donned his signature costume. The superhero version is a turning point, so it doesn't apply to rescue personnel performing their already chosen profession, like firefighters or police. Similarly, established superheroes doing this as a matter of course don't count. The heroic decision has to happen onscreen for it to be a part of this trope.
"We both wanna protect the people we care about. This difference is, for you, Damon is one of them. You saw what I was able to do tonight. I know who I am now. And if Damon spills so much as one drop of innocent blood, I`ll take him down - even if I have to take you with him."
#5 | Heroic Vow
Most protagonists are depicted as imperfect; though heroic, they aren't flawless paragons of perfection, and will have some minor shortcomings to help the audience identify with them better. SuperBob can selflessly save the world on a daily basis, but mild-mannered Bob Trope will regularly leave the refrigerator door open.
Even so, some characters have a Heroic Vow: a commitment or standard that they will not cross for whatever reason. Perhaps it's a promise to a dear one, a sense of pride, a personal Moral Event Horizon, or just because the hero is a Nice Guy. If a villain takes a Heroic Vow, it's usually because Even Evil Has Standards. Key to the Heroic Vow is that it is a commitment the character keeps because he willingly wants to. There are no talismans or failsafes preventing the breaking of the Vow, nor are they needed - the character's willpower and resolve are the only bonds needed.
"Jeremy, you think I was born with these powers so I could float feathers and blow out candles? There's a reason I was called to do this."
#6 | Comes Great Responsibility
Older Super Heroes are expected to have a higher moral standard. No abusing your powers for personal gain. Sometimes this is enforced by the authority that granted their abilities, but most often it is self-imposed. What constitutes "abuse"? That gets into a nebulous area. Mostly this is a moral stance superheroes took early in their career to make sure they never hit the slippery slope to evil-dom.
"Witchcraft has its limits. If I push too hard, It pushes back.”
#7 | Psychic Nosebleed
Purely mental battles are hard to show with special effects. Sure, you can have the characters sweat, strain, or show veins swelling on their forehead. But when a character with Telepathy or other Psychic Powers pushes them to the limit, or when a character is under mental attack, nothing quite exemplifies the true state of affairs like a thin trickle of blood oozing from their nose.
"Between here and upstairs, there's still time for you to do something stupid."
#8 | Reckless Sidekick
The Hero / Sidekick dynamic is a very interesting one, with a lot of parallels between that of the hero and The Lancer. Usually, the Hero is older and calmer, while also being a stronger and better combatant than their Hot Blooded young charge. For these or other reasons, the hero will instruct the sidekick to hang back and observe events, or leave a particularly dangerous fight to him alone.
They never do.
"I have the power to save you. If I don’t use it and something happens that would kill me more.”
#9 | Strong As They Need To Be
Every so often, the villain is just too powerful. They're going to destroy the world, or at least control it. Sometimes, if the writers really want it to seem like a big deal, the villain will threaten the entire galaxy, universe, or even multiple realities. It seems all hope is lost. And there's nothing the heroes can do to stop it.
Then, suddenly, the hero will decide that he's serious. This time is for reals. His Power Level is Over Nine Thousand, and he wants everyone to know. He'll whip out some until now unforeseen strength, and promptly show the villain what for, usually demolishing the bad guy so completely that it prevents them from ever pulling that world threatening crap again, or at least until the writers want them back.
"It`s true. I`m a witch."
#10 | The Cape
The superhero as an ideally good person. Generally associated with older protagonists, before whenever the latest round of deconstruction happened, and often invokes elements of The Messiah. Has now become nigh-synonymous with the "classic" Super Hero.
Capes don't need to actually wear capes, although a distinct outfit and some kind of special ability is part of the image. The most important feature is these heroes adhere to a strict code of honor and sense of authority; capes can be notoriously inflexible and perceive things in black and white, and even be painfully straightforward and selfless. They often downplay their own heroism and will act heroically even when no one will know. They almost universally subscribe to Thou Shalt Not Kill. This rule was created to avoid complaints from angry parents, self-righteous politicians and incompetent pop psychologists. Capes usually have secret identities, but make public appearances in costume and actively try to keep a good public image.
This can seem unrealistic, but a major reason is it serves as self-imposed safety to keep them from abusing their powers. Most Capes have Evil Counterparts who do whatever they want and eventually devolve into villains.
Capes are usually born with their powers, or get them in a unique fashion (or are given them to act as champions of Good).
Capes are contrasted with the past two decades' emergence of vigilantes and Anti Heroes who have become more extreme (sometimes to ludicrous effect), mainly as a response to the perception of comic books as "kid stuff." Nearly all Super Hero series eventually address the idea that Capes and Bad Ass Normals have unspoken issues: Capes can impose their morality because they have the power to back them up. In a setting where these two types of heroes coexist, The Cape usually considers the latter to be unstable, amoral Smug Supers. In more cynical universes, the Smug Super might consider himself to be a Cape, but very much isn't.
There you have it. Bonnie as a Superhero. Now go forth and write fic. (Please?)