Cause and Affect 2: Being a Badass

What do Batman and Penny from “Inspector Gadget” have in common, and why are they inherently different from Superman and Alvy Singer (“Annie Hall”)?

I was thinking for a while about what makes a particular character “badass”. Some characters (like Batman, for instance), are almost always referred to as being badasses (TV Tropes even uses a picture of Batman in their definition of “Badass Normal”), while some characters (like Superman), are not usually put into that category. Meanwhile, some characters are not considered to be badass, but can have moments in a narrative (think Toby Jones' character in “The Mist” or Shaun in “Shaun of the Dead”), that despite any of their previously expressed traits, that would definitely be “badass moments”. So what makes the difference?

By all accounts, Superman should be one of the most badass characters that exists – he can fly, has superspeed, super senses, heat vision, freeze breath, x-ray vision, is invulnerable, and can (apparently) turn back time (and it should be pointed out that one explanation for why no one puts the whole Clark/Supes thing together is that he also has subconcious kryptonian hypnosis – whatever that is). This should be one of the most badass characters ever created anywhere, but he's not. Superman is introspective, moody, and mopey, regardless of whether or not we're talking comics or “Smallville”. By that same token, Woody Allen's Alvy Singer is not badass (no Woody Allen character usually is, they're too nebbish for that), but it is clearly demonstrated that Alvy has the ability to break the metaphysical constraints of his story: he can talk to the audience, he can freeze events to comment on them, even bringing media theorist Marshall McLuhan onto screen to rebuke an insufferable man at a movie theater. Alvy has some control over his own world, as he can bend and even knock over the forth wall at will. (In this way, he his empowered similarly to Zach Morris from “Saved by the Bell”, another character not really considered badass, but who does have a lot of power.)

So having the capability to do amazing things does not make someone a badass (see also: Dr. Manhattan). That's clear from characters like Batman, who obviously has no superpowers, but is very capable, just in a more human way. Now, why Inspector Gadget's niece Penny? Gadget is the bumbling fool in the show – he is superpowered to the point of being able to do basically anything – fly, a Mr. Fantastic-style reach, magnets, additional hands, and a whole slew of other gadget-related abilities – but Gadget is a bumbling character, and Penny does all the real work. Penny, with Brain, her watch and laptop, can hack computers, do research, and just about anything else computer related. Penny is kind of a badass.

But it isn't an inverse rule of 'no powers = badass' (think Nightcrawler's White House attack in the beginning of X2). What I eventually came to realize is that badasses exert whatever capability they have – they are badass by virtue of their ability to affect change. They see what needs to be done, and they do it. Batman and Penny are badass because they use whatever abilities they have to get things done. By that same token, Superman, Alvy, and Zach have the capability to do some really incredible things, but don't – Superman and Alvy are both too introspective, and Zach would prefer to use his powers to make jokes. As a great example, look at the T.V. series “Heroes”, which had Hiro, who could stop time, travel through time, and teleport – his ability is almost too powerful, so the writers have to figure out ways to limit it, and make Hiro decidedly lame. (“Heroes” also suffered from some other people who had powers that were way too powerful and also had to be limited.) This is an interesting corollary to this: “affects change = badass”. If someone is too powerful, they cross over into a god-like territory where they can affect too much change at will. (This is mostly due to a stakes issue – there's no dramatic tension when someone can do anything.)

So, characters are badass because they see what needs to be done, they become steadfast in their convictions, and they figure out a way to do it that makes the most of their abilities. This is worth noting, because it carries over into character/story dynamics; tragic characters have the ability to fix their problems, but are reluctant and ultimately fail to do so, and badasses do whatever is necessary, and when the Call comes, they answer it.

To carry this over to scenes, we as players have no control over whether or not our stimuli will effect change – we merely do, and our worlds respond how they do (not every explosion shatters a mountain). But as fellow players on stage, we can make others powerful by being affected (Batman is badass because villains are thwarted – not because he attempts to thwart them). Be affected – make someone a Badass.