How many Golden Age characters were inspired to become a Hero by a murder or a death? 0

[gadzukes]

How many Golden Age characters were inspired by a murder or a death?

Batman & Robin are both obvious.  Superman had his whole planet die.

How big is the list?

 

 

[adamstrange]

Spectre, after the murder of Jim Corrigan.

Hangman started after the murder of the Comet, his brother.

I think there will be quite a few meet your criteria.

[sfcityduck]

14 hours ago, gadzukes said:

How many Golden Age characters were inspired by a murder or a death?

Batman & Robin are both obvious.  Superman had his whole planet die.

How big is the list?

 

 

Superman wasn't inspired to be a hero by the death of his planet, it was just back story.  

Batman is iconic and probably the first, right?  

A lot of others weren't though.

 

[gadzukes]

6 minutes ago, sfcityduck said:

Superman wasn't inspired to be a hero by the death of his planet, it was just back story.  

Hmmm..... Are you saying he was mostly inspired by the good parenting of the Kents?  That could very well be, but I imagine once he understood his biological parents sacrifice to get him to safety probably shaped him somewhat too.

[Randall Ries]

18 minutes ago, gadzukes said:

Hmmm..... Are you saying he was mostly inspired by the good parenting of the Kents?  That could very well be, but I imagine once he understood his biological parents sacrifice to get him to safety probably shaped him somewhat too.

That and the discovery his planet was obliterated made him feel protective of his adoptive planet.

I would love to read an Elseworlds story where the same thing happened to Kal-el but instead of being a philanthropist, he turned mean as a teenager and began a slow world conquering plan that eventually made him the ruler of the Earth ala Lex Luthor. And having Bruce Wayne eventually bring him down.

[Professor K]

47 minutes ago, gadzukes said:

Hmmm..... Are you saying he was mostly inspired by the good parenting of the Kents?  That could very well be, but I imagine once he understood his biological parents sacrifice to get him to safety probably shaped him somewhat too.

I think that was mostly it. Good parenting. I don't think the planet blowing up had much to do with it. I'm not even sure if he knew anything about the circumstances of the destruction of Krypton when he was a kid. I don't recall how or when he found out about it, at least originally in the comics, not counting retcon and movie/tv stuff.

He was just a good soul with good parents and because of that he chose to help people. Well at least US citizens. 

[Pat Calhoun]

Hawkman and the Spirit were both inspired by their own deaths...

 

[PeterPark]

On 5/20/2021 at 2:51 PM, Randall Ries said:

That and the discovery his planet was obliterated made him feel protective of his adoptive planet.

I would love to read an Elseworlds story where the same thing happened to Kal-el but instead of being a philanthropist, he turned mean as a teenager and began a slow world conquering plan that eventually made him the ruler of the Earth ala Lex Luthor. And having Bruce Wayne eventually bring him down.

Would he, though? Superman is more like a god...I don't think it would be slow. If he was evil he would conquer the planet as fast as news could carry that it had happened and before kryptonite was a thing.

[catman76]

Wasn't this a cliche origin story for vigilante characters long before comic book heroes? Comic book heroes where all basically just rip offs of old pulp magazine characters. The Lone Ranger is the one that comes to mind first. I am pretty sure his posse of texas rangers was betrayed and all were killed but him and he faked his death to become the Lone Ranger.

[Randall Ries]

2 hours ago, PeterPark said:

Would he, though? Superman is more like a god...I don't think it would be slow. If he was evil he would conquer the planet as fast as news could carry that it had happened and before kryptonite was a thing.

Not evil in the "I am insane" thing. That's a typical DC Comics shill. The bad guy must be an insane "super-villian". Just his belief structure being slowly changed by the differences he began seeing between Pa Kent's homespun wisdom and the actual behavior of human beings. As a teenager, he would naturally rebel. And so, as he became an adult, if his belief structure solidified in that humans were basically rats and not good "deep down inside", he would begin a shift of power. Not bothering to let humans determine their own destiny. Feeling he had seen and heard enough to conclude humans were not going to change and continue to just get worse until they self destructed everything. "Super" vision and "Super" hearing would be a blessing and yet could be a curse if he was a voyeur like most humans are. He would have seen and heard a lot. Relieving first the US government of its duties, then other nations that challenged him. Like Zod did in the movie "Superman II" just with a little more finesse and propaganda. It would naturally divide the country and Superman would have plenty of foot soldier to do his light work for him while he dealt with other nations.

Bruce Wayne would not likely be into all that and would design a plan to stop him. Which he could likely do, but what to do bout the civil war Superman created by proxy? You can't kill an idea.

[Randall Ries]

5 hours ago, Pat Calhoun said:

Hawkman and the Spirit were both inspired by their own deaths...

 

Now, wasn't Ultraman of whatever world pre crisis a character that was Kal-el but had instead decided on a life of crime and terror? These days, the political palette is RIFE with story lines and plots. Look at us now. If there were a super powered being like Clark, he could easily take a side because who is determining what "good" is? YOU say the "right" is "good". I say the "left" is "good". We BOTH believe what we are believing because of whatever motivates us.