I feel like I can't possibly be the first person to pose this question, so if anybody knows of another similar thread, I would love a link.
Every time I introduce a new player to SOTM they always struggle picking a Hero. I find it's helpful to give them a Marvel/DC parallel (or blend of parallels) to give them some flavor behind the various hero themes. Regrettably, I am not very well-versed in comics and know most of the characters from movies and television (although i'm slowly working to improve that). As a result, I found it pretty easy to come up with parallels for the heroes in the core game but now that I have literally every expansion and mini-expansion I have realized how completely unprepared I am to develop a comprehensive list.
However, if anyone has any oppinions on who they consider a similar or "parallel" from Marvel/DC - or if you disagree with what I have listed - I would appreciate your input.
Thanks!
Kakariko
- Note: I realize that each of the characters were uniquely designed and I don't intend to cheapen them by tagging them with a mainstream "lookalike".
I once asked a friend if he had a favorite Marvel/DC hero to try and pick his Sentinels deck. He answered "Spider-Man," which totally stymied me! Personality-wise that'd be Setback, but I didn't want to introduce him with that character and I couldn't think of a gameplay analogue. Eventually he added, "or the X-Men," so, okay, boom, I gave him Tempest.
But now that I've played the heroes that releasd with OblivAeon, I know exactly who I'd give him: Void Guard Writhe! He's not really the same power set or personality, but the way he swings in, does a cool thing, and then vanishes, while having to be careful not to get squished, seems exactly right for Spider-Man.
Writhe as Spider-Man, you say? Interesting. I've always found him to be a glaring oversight. I can't even think of a Spider-Man-ish hero in the Cauldron!
I usually just go with Absolute Zero when I need a stand-in, for maximum sarcasm.
Wager Master is so totally Q from Star Trek The Next Generation that I have trouble imagining anything else when I play against him. Especially in Celestial Tribunal (also totally from TNG)
Bunker has more connections with War-Machine than he does with Iron Man, in my humble opinion. Military man in a giant suit of power armor COVERED in hard munitions and armor. They're both technically under the Power Suit Architype, but they play incredibly different: Benchmark's a scalpel, Bunker is a sledgehammer.
I see Blade as more a Doctor Doom mixed with Lex Luthor as well. Who knows, maybe Blade's father was more a Red Skull?
I can see what you're saying about the parallel between Writhe and Spider-Man. I'd say he's more Full Symbiote Spidey, or maybe even a non-beserk and more calculating Venom.
I always thought of Fanatic as a religious version of The Hulk. Her origin story involves her being spared a certain death by divine intervention, just like Dr Banner is changed into Hulk by gamma radiation that should have killed him. Most of her one-shot cards are related to her getting angry or delivering judgement. And lots of her ongoing cards assist her allies at the cost of her (or their) health. Even her card mechanics feel like they could be a Hulk deck to me. Divine Sacrifice is Hulk pushing too far forward in a fight in order to create a window for other heroes to engage. Final Dive is Hulk punching one baddie into another. Prayer of Desperation is either Banner discovering some science thing that helps the team, or Hulk buying time for the team by raging. Divine Focus is Hulk getting mad at just one baddie and tunneling on them. Chastise is Hulk grabbing someone in his hand and preventing them from attacking anyone. And End of Days is Hulk getting so angry that he jumps high enough that his punch shatters the entire city when he lands. Which is totally possible because comics.
Also, I totally buy the Haka / Wonder Woman parallels. I mean, he tutors kids and she works at a museum!