Of Vampires and Other Heroes:

The supernatural character in the current screenplay

One of the most important questions I ask myself when I think of movies or series that we love a lot is: why do we identify, love, obsessed, hooked to a protagonist who is absolutely unreal, that usually keeps shreds of evil from an evil past, whose greatest merit is usually a given immortality came, and usually big? The answer, I suppose, is the same as giving rise to any Gothic experience: the further from my reality that the argument, the less human than the protagonist, I hide more easily in a world where I can find no place. I do not understand those around me, I do not accept their customs, taxation, the company that have been built without my participation or consent but where I am forced to live without me ever knowing remission integrated feel, therefore, I shelter in a fantasy world peopled rebels and marginal beings who, like me, or are not or do not feel human.

So, who am protected from Gothic shelter? Who created for me, what are the common features, if any, modern supernatural hero? Or, what is, what do you think the writers that we like and why?

The findings do not make me happy. The writers, no matter which side of the pond, too many writers, but I will refer to them in this text, follow a well-defined stereotype. All that remains is to choose the actor, sometimes even recycled from one series to another.

Doctor Who is the oldest series that I can refer. Bring issued, with interruptions, from the sixties.
At the time of writing the Doctor has lived eleven incarnations. Eleven different players have given life. Abosultamente not immortal, can die. Not human, but it looks like. No place is because their planet was destroyed and with it all his kind. Is alone, but always in company. It is the last of a breed,
Lords of Time, its strength lies in his genius and knowledge.
Travel aboard the TARDIS, a spacecraft outside looks like a phone booth. In each of his trips acts as a savior, either whole human race, or of any particular, or of other aliens. The series is produced by the BBC. For the British and distinguishing mark so as tea. After more than six hundred chapters struggling to write original scripts have no choice but to repeat
"Bad" and often fall into the ridiculous arguments, featuring Sesame Street ... and forgetting to improve the special effects in the last forty years. Sometimes
I consider it an absolute cutrez, but to know why, I never miss a chapter, especially after the appearance of our second hero: Captain Jack Harkness, who would later star in what they call a "spin-off" that is, a series whose / s players appeared in an earlier and the public liked so much that the producers decided to exploit the reef creating one for himself alone. The series in question is titled Torchwood (an anagram of Doctor Who).

Jack Harkness: Played by John Barrowman.

Not immortal at all, since he will die after a very long aging process, but to date have died and risen confesses over a thousand times. Alone: ​​it is human, but comes from the 51 century. It moves through time as I was by my house. It is here in the XXI century, 'to save us from the alien invasion is starting. It is bisexual (omnisexual, actually). Has a past with some of the evils to repent and feel guilty of the terrible fate that befell his younger brother. As comic book superheroes, inexplicably always wears the same way: blue on white tee shirt, long pants and a blue military coat. Why this outfit has always acquired during the Second World War, rather than change clothes, as would be normal? Do not bother speculating useless: it is a current craze among heroes.

One of the oldest series, in its modernity, obviously, very honored and international success is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. At first glance the most mentioned difference between the two is obvious: women. Now let's see what really is the only difference.

Buffy is human and mortal, but he died and was resurrected. She is alone, you feel alone and know alone. It's saving humanity: killer of vampires, devils and other creatures of darkness. And on top has to perform household chores, bring money home and raise a family. As in real life, the heroine is ten times more features than their male colleagues. Buffy is the only stable family hero and a truly human life. And she did change clothes and even makeup!

The writers conceived it as a character that any teenager could relate to the heap: it is exceptionally beautiful, or list or having all the answers or perfect plans to destroy the enemy, the bad guy falls in love, have sex to deal with their problems, messes, repents, his friends are not as noble as they should have a little sister life difficult ...

The series introduces us to another interesting heroine: her friend Willow,
other current-mill girl who grows into the most powerful witch ever since. Is a lesbian. Incidentally, in the eighth season of the series, so far only available in comic's own Buffy has a lesbian experience.

But the reason I have seen many chapters of this series is, of course, Spike (William the bloody, in the beginning), Buffy the vampire lover-well, one of them. Burying their pain, loneliness and vulnerability in sarcasm and irony, pale and thin but still attractive, meets, point by point, the hero creation rules mystical gothic touches.

Nothing is more important for the pastor to recover the lost sheep, the Bible teaches. Countless examples show us the real roots of this belief, and I bring on this page we confirmed their strong roots in the minds of our writers. Several prophets beloved by large segments of humanity led a hedonistic youth until a moment of illumination transformed their lives. Many supernatural heroes devoted part of his life to murder (Xena, vampires) or at least, committed outrages that later regret, including, as we have seen, above, Jack Harkness. Spike is the epitome of this model: a good person, a naive poet who lived with a mother he adored, whom an unexpected event leads to the path of evil, after his vampirism, with the best intentions to decide vampirizing his mother to have it always at his side, but after this the lovely lady becomes cruel, he says he never wanted to, he tries to rape, and he is forced to end it, which will become a being traumatized and violent. But then comes the redemptive event, transformed their lives. Many supernatural heroes devoted part of his life
murder (Xena, vampires) or at least, committed outrages that later regret, including
as we have seen, above, Jack Harkness. Spike is the epitome of this model: a good person, a naive poet who lived with a mother he adored, whom an unexpected event leads to the path of evil, after his vampirism, with the best intentions to decide vampirizing his mother to have it always by his side, but after this the lovely lady becomes cruel, he says he never wanted to, he tries to rape, and he is forced to end it, which will become a being traumatized and violent. But then comes the redemptive event, enlightenment. The
eternity alone is hard, grow old and die to see that you care about frustrating, think all the writers (who looks like a photocopy of ideas), and try to convince us of this. Spike falls in love and their desire to be liked leads him to be good, to try to go back to being mortal, even. After passing through a thousand vicissitudes in the struggle against the monster within him comes to save the world (he had written before in these pages the word save?), Which makes you win the jackpot: a soul. Spike is a clone of Lestat, if you've read Anne Rice and some of you may have noticed.

The couple Lestat / Louis is cloned by our writers in the figures Angel / Spike. Spike did not have its own series sequel probably because Buffy the vampire lover before him (Angel) had already achieved, but did participate in it, entitled, Angel, where another repentant vampire saves the world from the clutches of evil itself that used to be so expensive.
While it was Angel who mentored Spike, yes it was his mistress, with whom Spike heartbroken and guided him and pushed the dark world of evil.

Here is Spike, with his usual vampire uniform. The shirt may be black, but black leather coat, or, failing that, the hunter, you should not miss. The hair of our heroes is a crucial point to note. No matter how badly dressed, how dirty walk, what apocalyptic battle fight, his perfect hair does not hide the use of dyes, polishes and fasteners. However, even knowing that Spike was obviously intended to be one of the elements that bring humor to the series, I wonder, do not spent a bit creating a vampire who chooses dyed platinum blond?

Certainly my favorite of all these series is produced in the encounter Captain John Hart / Captain Jack Harkness, the first episode of the second season of Torchwood.
To the left.

In a passionate kiss happens huge fight, according to the canons of male eroticism, which, for many reasons, Russell T. Davies-creator of Torchwood, knows better than anyone.

James Marsters, now recycled as Captain John Hart, virtually repeated the role played in Buffy. Moreover,
I think that Russell T. Davies is a big fan of the series, because if not impossible to give so much alike. Captain Hart, for the time series is in progress as of this writing, has not said or done anything that I could not do or say Spike. It's bad, sarcastic, but at critical moments noble, eager for love and companionship, and often leads to others as "heaven", "handsome" and "love", like Spike. Also as he is passionate about sex,
like his contemporary friend Jack Harkness, is omnisexual (bisexual the difference lies in the fact that they do not averse to earthlings or aliens). Joss Whedon, creator of the Angel series mentioned above, confirms that there was a sexual encounter Spike / Angel, which subtly reveals near the end of that series.

This image shows well the costumes of both heroes. James Marsters does not change clothes in Torchwood, and it loses about John Barrowman (although it clear that he views with a bag will not be favored). The open red jacket you feel bad, looks dirty shirt and boots with the pants tucked are ... what say? Also ignored in this case because of their irrational attachment to the clothing of the past. But surely the blame for this fixation on the minds of the creators of the comics are classic heroes.

It is a good time to note that the current supernatural hero always presents us with ample doses of eroticism, and sometimes (more and more often and more openly)
of homoeroticism. The creators are finally starting to exploit the reef-a more open-minded it begins
to consent, with dropper-romance that women like men, that a kiss between two men leaves glued to the screen and then run to write a series of "fanfic" fantasizing about the subject (= Fan Fic Fiction stories written by fans based on characters from novels, movies or TV series) and then lost in heated debate in forums devoted to the relationship Louis / Lestat, Ianto / Jack, John / Jack. So much so that the use of the slash (/) between the names has led to the designation
of this kind of homoerotic stories as "Slash" (English word "bar"). Since this type of romantic stories of men are being developed largely in Japanese comics has within it its own genre, Yaoi, Yuri when relationships are women.

Briefly mention another kind of hero: the android crybaby who wants to be human. And why mention it: because, like all other heroes, wants to be human, down from his pedestal of power, genius and absence of suffering to be like spectators or readers. And the presumption is that writers and writers who think they can convince us that the worshipers of the hero. For what purpose? ¿Comfort that we can never be? Is it a kind of moralizing purposes soothing and stimulating, as human beings are the best in the universe and any other body envy us, so there is no point trying to be different from what we are? I can not shed light on this point. The Cyborg crybaby, as in Blade Runner (based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?) Is smart, strong and, above all, lover of opera. If you find any fan of this movie who does not know by heart the final speech of the leader of the replicants deserve a reward, I have seen things you people would not believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I've seen C rays shine in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time like tears in rain. It's time to die.

Conclude the characteristics common to most heroes. Not all comply with all, but many of them:

• Human beings are superior physical and / or intellectually. They have more strength or more experience and / or higher brain.
• They cuasiinmortales. Actually I always can die, but not before live much longer than they would have received. No matter how old you are you always manage to look beautiful and lush.
• Typically meet one or more of these qualities: elegance (or they think they have it), hedonism, irony and wit, intelligence.
• No change of clothes. (Buffy, yes, but Xena and her friend almost never, so we generalize to both sexes.)
• They just hating your cuasiinmortalidad or powers. They admire and / or envy or ordinary human mortals.
• They will always be alone, no matter how many people around them, but seek human company. (For the viewer to reflect on them, according to the writers. Am I right in his opinion about our desire?).
• They can go in pairs. This becomes a sort of eternal conjunction Don Quixote / Sancho Panza, where the attachment to the hero is used as a human counterpoint to the hero often returns to the fold of kindness and compassion in their moments of waywardness, or, when it comes from one company to the same level, it confronts its past.
• They have a murky past between abominable than redemption.
• They are saviors. It's about the prophets previously mentioned.
• They are vulnerable. Old traumatized, lost loved ones. They need to be loved, but never find lasting love or reliable.
• They fall in love inside of people, regardless of the housing, so that relations with someone of the same sex have been natural. This point is disguised or deleted in the series aimed at "children's time," which does nothing but stimulate the imagination of the fans for the creation of thousands of stories about the relationship of the couple in question (eg, Xena / Gabrielle) .