#Else_Writes

[else-creates]

Nobody Can Help You

Since I'm going to start posting my original Superhero story in a little over week I feel like I should give it a little introduction.

I've had the vague idea to tell my own Superhero story for as long as I can remember really, I've made OCs in every fandom I've been in but I think the first real sparks for this project and idea for a direction to take the concept came when I was watching My Hero Academia. The concept of hero agencies and Superheroism as a for profit industry gave me the idea of "A Lex Luthor type villain would win here, all he has to do is buy controlling shares in the agencies" which steadily evolved and grew into something else.

Other Superhero media, primarily the Web Serial 'Worm' and to a lesser extent things like the Static Year One comics, The Boys and the MCU have helped me solidify the angle I want to take as it's become a trend lately that Superheroes are no longer people doing the right thing because it's the right thing any more, in a lot of cases they're paid employees and/or acting on behalf of a government. This idea, paired with the way the rich and corporations use the government and its' agencies to do their bidding gave me something to work with that I think is more interesting than just another "What if Superman was evil" story.

What if Superman was just in it for the paycheck and benefits, what if he wasn't evil....He just had bills to pay.

How do you protest in a world where Superman helps the riot police.

How do you fight corruption in a world where the rich and corrupt are funding the supposed watchdogs.

How do you live in a world where a Superhero will walk past a burning building because they just clocked out and they're not getting paid overtime to deal with it.

In Port Xavier the Vigilante group 'The Nobodies' are answering the question "When being a hero is just another job, who do you call for help?"

Prologue coming 1/1/25

[else-creates]

A thought on Superhero media within Superhero media

I was having world-building thoughts about "Nobody Can Help You" the original Superhero I'm going to start uploading next year and the idea of Superheroes having sponsorships, merch and tie in media in-universe.

It's and idea that Worm and MHA have and one that the Boys leans heavily on, given that it's a parody and we see that with the Seven playing themselves in a movie about themselves. There's a general consensus that Superheroes would be movie-star type famous.

But I don't think it would be quite like that.

I mean they would absolutely be famous, both individually and as an institution and they would have merch the way sports teams do....But I think their presence and depiction within media in-universe would be different. Superhero media is by nature escapist, something it immediately loses in a world where Superheroes actually exist....So I think it's actually reasonable to say that popular escapist media is actually different kinds of fantasy and sci-fi which don't feature Superhumans at all. Where you'd expect to actually see Superheroes in the media in this scenario would actually be in a plethora of Copaganda-type TV shows.

In a world with Superheroes the flash would cameo in Brooklyn 99 and Lex Luthor would be funding an NCIS style show about good, non-powered cops reigning in characters who were clearly aimed at the Justice League.

[else-creates]

Nobody Can Help You. Prologue A: The San Francisco Incident

Superhumans have existed for decades. Superheroes are a simply a specialized division of law enforcement answering to the Department of Superhuman Integration. As a result Superheroes exist to protect the status quo, serving a government and the politicians' wealthy donors through a legal monopoly on force. To the average Superhero, it's not about saving people... It's just a job.

Who protects the people in a world where the heroes have been bought?

Who do you call for help when the heroes don't work overtime?

Who stands up for the rights of the people when the heroes side with riot police to squash dissent?

In Port Xavier that job falls to Cassie 'Culverin' Queensbury and the rest of her team 'The Nobodies' because when the heroes aren't Super then... NOBODY CAN HELP YOU

[else-creates]

So I'm working on my own original Superhero story (Which I plan to start posting next year, titled "Nobody Can Help You")

One of the things I've really tried to pay attention to and utilize is the extent to which a characters' super hero/villain name and identity can be used to establish their character.

It's something that honestly I feel like a lot of the genre overlooks a little.

A characters' costumed alter-ego is something they chose for themselves a lot of the time and the name they've chosen should sound like something that character would pick, something that fits their personality and background and in some cases hints at their history and even things like their level of education.

Or in the cases where their super identity was one they didn't choose for themselves the name can just as easily reflect that, is it a clinical sounding project name/serial number? Is it something that was picked out by the media during a press release?

And the best part....Is that absolutely none of this precludes the use of puns.

[else-creates]

Nobody Can Help You Fanart:

I've just been shown the first official fanart based on my original Superhero story "Nobody Can Help You"

It's the Kaiju from the prologue, "The Quacken"

The artist (Full disclosure it's my girlfriend) isn't on Tumblr but I'm reposting this with permission and you can find the original on Instagram

[else-creates]

Nobody Can Help You Chapter 06:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/61868650/chapters/161504008

For some reason the link isn't posting right, but it still works.

[else-creates]

Nobody Can Help You Chapter 07:

[else-creates]

Nobody Can Help You Chapter 04

[else-creates]

Nobody Can Help You: Chapter 02

[else-creates]

Nobody Can Help You: Chapter 03

[else-creates]

Nobody Can Help You: Chapter 01

Superhumans have existed for decades. Superheroes are a simply a specialized division of law enforcement answering to the Department of Superhuman Integration. As a result Superheroes exist to protect the status quo, serving a government and the politicians' wealthy donors through a legal monopoly on force. To the average Superhero, it's not about saving people... It's just a job.

Who protects the people in a world where the heroes have been bought?

Who do you call for help when the heroes don't work overtime?

Who stands up for the rights of the people when the heroes side with riot police to squash dissent?

In Port Xavier that job falls to Cassie 'Culverin' Queensbury and the rest of her team 'The Nobodies' because when the heroes aren't Super then... NOBODY CAN HELP YOU

Now that the prologue is finished we're starting the story properly.

[else-creates]

Nobody Can Help You Chapter 05

[else-creates]

My story "Nobody Can Help You" has hit the 500 views milestone on Ao3, which I feel is a decent amount for an original work which is started posting on New Years Day.

I have fan art of my writing now.

Released some new music yesterday.

I'm halfway through reading my fifth book of the year (Faust Eric by Terry Pratchett).

And I picked this bad boy up because I had more than I expected on my wages this weekend:

I'm not doing too bad this year so far.

[else-creates]

Nobody Can Help You. Prologue C: A History of Port Xavier

Superhumans have existed for decades. Superheroes are a simply a specialized division of law enforcement answering to the Department of Superhuman Integration. As a result Superheroes exist to protect the status quo, serving a government and the politicians' wealthy donors through a legal monopoly on force. To the average Superhero, it's not about saving people... It's just a job.

Who protects the people in a world where the heroes have been bought?

Who do you call for help when the heroes don't work overtime?

Who stands up for the rights of the people when the heroes side with riot police to squash dissent?

In Port Xavier that job falls to Cassie 'Culverin' Queensbury and the rest of her team 'The Nobodies' because when the heroes aren't Super then... NOBODY CAN HELP YOU

https://archiveofourown.org/works/61868650/chapters/158517328

(I don't know why the link isn't posting properly)

This is the final part of the prologues. It is admittedly shorter than the other two by far but it does set things up nicely for Chapter 01, which will be posted on Friday 10th of January.

[else-creates]

Nobody Can Help You. Prologue B: A History of Superhumans in the USA

Superhumans have existed for decades. Superheroes are a simply a specialized division of law enforcement answering to the Department of Superhuman Integration. As a result Superheroes exist to protect the status quo, serving a government and the politicians' wealthy donors through a legal monopoly on force. To the average Superhero, it's not about saving people... It's just a job.

Who protects the people in a world where the heroes have been bought?

Who do you call for help when the heroes don't work overtime?

Who stands up for the rights of the people when the heroes side with riot police to squash dissent?

In Port Xavier that job falls to Cassie 'Culverin' Queensbury and the rest of her team 'The Nobodies' because when the heroes aren't Super then... NOBODY CAN HELP YOU

This is the second of three prologues It's also the first of two world-building documents that I plan to post before starting the main story with Chapter 01.

[else-creates]

The Professional 1/6

Short story based on the following writing prompt: "You’re a necromancer, but only ever use your magic for good, like letting the dead and living alike get closure, or raising fallen enemies to hand them over to the proper authorities. Only problem is that heroes usually think that you’re one of the bad guys".