Supersoldiers

[TheGreenGoblin]

Arkham Asylum is the best game that happened to me since Guitar Hero but I still found the super soldiers...boring. Batman has lots of enemies. It was very nice of them to only include those plausibly incarcerated at Arkham and not shoehorn everyone into the game, but there were plenty of bosses to fight. So you fight Bane. And then you fight super soldiers that are exactly like Bane. For the rest of the game. Just ONCE I'd like to have gone up to a costumed do-badder that I'd been chasing for a good section of game and PUNCHED him/her/it/whatever.

Spoilers Re: Harley Quinn
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A cutscene? You chase her through hell, fight off tons of minions, and we're finally ready to throw down, and Batman just knocks her out of an acrobatic flip in a cutscene and that's it? WTF?! Are they trying to say Batman can't hit a girl or something? What, girls can't be area bosses?

At least a simple combat would have been nice. Maybe something where you don't have to punch out her energy meter but dodge and counter. When you counter you catch her ankle and slam her into something in the background that breaks or dents. You know...like what happens in the cutscene.

 

[spandexandy]

During WW2, Stalin had scientists research making mutant half-man half-ape soldiers that would be stronger and more pain resistant...

http://xmb.stuffucanuse.com/xmb/viewthread.php?tid=3217

 

[k-ossuburb]

but I have fears that it may get a little too "Marvel" with things involving mutation from radiation or a science experiment gone horribly wrong.

well... to be fair DC comics almost always point out that most of the super villians gain their powers because of a mutation or a science experiment that goes horribly wrong, while the super heroes are mostly just that way because they were either born with those powers or they have something that enhances their natural abilities

instead "Marvel" universe takes the other point, where mutation and experiments are left and right but it´s more common that the "villians" dont have super powers, just tools and weaponry (king ping, dr. octopus etc)

or at least thats how i see both companies, and the philosophy they are trying to portray

Okay, okay. Sorry about not being totally clear on what I meant by that it's entirely my fault and I accept that with full responsibility.

I wasn't trying to start some kind of flame war between which comic book company is better or who does what and why (I myself do prefer the VERY slightly less mainstream comics from IDW or indie comics from various sources and publishers, but that's just me).

Please don't take this as an attack, Marvel and DC are both incredible; I mean let's face it they're the most famous and most popular publishing houses since their early stages back in the 1940's and you'll be hard-pressed to find ANYONE who hasn't heard of Batman, Superman, Spiderman, The Fantastic 4, The Hulk or Captain America but I merely used "Marvel" (in quotation marks to try to emphasise that I didn't mean it literally, I obviously failed in that regard so, again, I'm sorry) to just put my point across that there's not really anything you can do any more that hasn't been done already and I find Marvel to be the most famous publisher because more people seem to like them (who I've personally met, maybe you've met more DC fans, I dunno). Put it this way: if I said Marvel in a conversation people generally think of comic books but if I said DC they'll think I'm asking how to re-wire an electrical socket.

I find Marvel to be more synonymous with comic books in general and the narratives they have using science experiments and radiation and so-on are pretty hard-rooted into their repertoire are (pretty much) what makes them what they are since it's hard to think of, say, Spiderman without thinking of that radioactive spider that bit him (in the old version, I think they changed it to a genetic mutation in the new version) or The Hulk without thinking of the science experiment that turned him into the mean, green, smashing machine.

Because I personally have the impression that Marvel is a pretty good representative of comic books as a whole and how their narratives of the scifi variety are so closely linked I hope you understand why I used the word "Marvel" as my own little way of saying "comic books in general" because it also --in my mind-- represented the whole "science experiment-gone-wrong" and the whole "radiation/mutation" thing because I thought that it would've been easier to understand my point if I had linked it to something that already existed that everyone found accessible at the sheer mention of it.

Once again, I am really sorry that I wasn't clear about the whole thing it was a stupid and ignorant for me to say, I'll be sure to think a little more into what I type before I type it.

(PS: sorry for this apology being so long-winded)

 

[HentMas]

hehe

dont worry man, i was just staiting what i understood about both companies, i dont even read that much comic books (aside from some silver surfer and THOR comics that an old friend gave me)

i never intended to be "judgemental"

it´s only that i thought you ment "Marvel" as in "the only company that does this..."

i am not a fan of neither company althought i do find Marvel storyes more amusing

 

[Mike Fang]

I'm not entirely sure the "supersoldier" idea is completely impossible. I do, however, agree that the idea is extremely dangerous. To paraphrase a web comic I once read (but subsequently stopped because the artist turned out to be an asshole) "Most people don't think it's wise to give killing machines the capacity to become bored."

However, as long as their are fanatics, there will be people willing to do anything to support them, including creating highly dangerous fighting forces or volunteering to become such a fighting force. As long as a certain amount of intelligence remains in these super soldiers, this devotion can ensure obedience. Of course its shaky ground, as would almost any means of control outside of some kind of direct synaptic control of a soldier's brain. In all though, I think the "build a better soldier" plot device is still relatively useful, but maybe they don't need to use it TOO often.

 

[robthedude]

the 'Anything Goes Olympics' is the quite possibly the best idea ever (hermaphrodite hurdles? oooh topical!)
also, thanks for making me google 'iambic pentameter' not that I understood it...
lastly, I've spent most of the last week creating limericks about my workmates, it's made the days fly by (perfectly illustrating how truly riveting my job is)

 

[TheDoctor455]

Hmmm... I have to agree with Yahtzee on this one. Now, discounting the discipline issue (which as has already been pointed out, there are ways to get around that problem). But in terms of the Joker trying to make a criminal equivalent of a "super-soldier" it doesn't really make sense. The Joker's primary motivation for doing anything is because he thinks its funny. Really, he was much more of threat when I thought he was just taking over the Asylum for giggles. Sure it doesn't make that much sense, but that's the whole point of the Joker's character: nothing he does is supposed to make sense.

 

[grimlockfly]

Right, so Joker's plan isn't to create a supersoldier army only he can control. the plan is to create insane steroid freaks for his only real reason, smash batman and spread chaos. later on the joker is dumping titan in gotham's water supply, not to create a larger army, but just to create a bunch of freaks who will indiscriminately tear shit up.

but yeah, supersoldier is cliche, but pretty within range of the joker who is tear shit up for tearing shit up's sake.

 

[WaderiAAA]

I agree that a lot of the super-human stories are completely stupid, but I found his first suggestion to be absolutely ridiculous. A whatever-drug-you-use version of olympics will never be accepted. The olympic comittee is more trustworthy than most governments and maybe even UN. And they are clear on one thing: Sports are supposed to be healthy. Drugs will never be accepted in the olympics.

 

[Tdc2182]

Well you see yahtzee, Super Soldiers kick ass, and theres no problem with them because evil super scientists generals don't play videogames, therefore don't realize that they never work.

 

[SonicSoulstrike96]

I dunno. Most villains are super awesome with super crappy henchman from the streets, so they opt for test tube tankers to help out. Even so, they're never as awesome as the boss themselves, nor as strong-willed, so the Boss remains the boss because he's still more awesome and experienced and intelligent than a merely physically enhanced crony.

 

[civver]

Yeah, because it's impossible to create control mechanisms for supersoldiers. Also, what do you do with soldiers in peacetime? Stuff them into a box? This essay has a weak thesis.

 

[eatenbyagrue]

But I have fears that it may get a little too "Marvel" with things involving mutation from radiation or a science experiment gone horribly wrong.

Well... to be fair DC comics almost always point out that most of the super villains gain their powers because of a mutation or a science experiment that goes horribly wrong, while the super heroes are mostly just that way because they were either born with those powers or they have something that enhances their natural abilities

Instead "Marvel" universe takes the other point, where mutation and experiments are left and right but it´s more common that the "villains" don't have super powers, just tools and weaponry (Kingpin, Dr. octopus etc)

Or at least that's how I see both companies, and the philosophy they are trying to portray

Nuh-uh, thats not the case. On the "street" level (Spider-Man, Daredevil, etc.) it would be more common to see non-powered villains (Green Goblin, Bullseye, Stilt-Man, Trapster), but once you scale up hero powers (mutants, Avengers and cosmic characters), then you see a total flip: most villains would have powers, while non-powered characters (Dr. Doom and the Redeemers for example) would be the minority.

 

[eatenbyagrue]

But I have fears that it may get a little too "Marvel" with things involving mutation from radiation or a science experiment gone horribly wrong.

Well... to be fair DC comics almost always point out that most of the super villains gain their powers because of a mutation or a science experiment that goes horribly wrong, while the super heroes are mostly just that way because they were either born with those powers or they have something that enhances their natural abilities

Instead "Marvel" universe takes the other point, where mutation and experiments are left and right but it´s more common that the "villains" don't have super powers, just tools and weaponry (Kingpin, Dr. Octopus etc)

Or at least that's how I see both companies, and the philosophy they are trying to portray

Nuh-uh, thats not the case. On the "street" level (Spider-Man, Daredevil, etc.) it would be more common to see non-powered villains (Green Goblin, Bullseye, Stilt-Man, Trapster), but once you scale up hero powers (mutants, Avengers and cosmic characters), then you see a total flip: most villains would have powers, while non-powered characters (Dr. Doom and the Redeemers for example) would be the minority.

DC's villains on the other hand, are built to match the hero: the non-superpowered Batman fights mostly psychos and loonies (Joker, Riddler, Black Mask, Firefly), while Superman or Green Lantern take on threats more appropriate to their respective power levels (Brainiac, Metallo or Doomsday for Supes, Sinestro, Star Sapphire or Mongul for Green Lantern).

Also, edited for grammar.


The whole "Why not drop a bomb?" point has been beaten like a dead horse already, so I won't harp on it too much. Long story short: bombs are only good if you want to burn everything to the ground, but in a military campaign, that is almost never the case.

 

[Superior Mind]

What's so super about super-soldiers anyway? I mean in most super-soldier type games the soldiers that are enhanced to be the ultimate fighting force are wiped out in their thousands by one guy. I think the investors would be within their right to ask what the fuck was going on if they ask for supersoldiers and get something about as dangerous as a monkey with a slingshot.

 

[Jhales]

And of course Arkham Asylum didn't bother with trying to explain how the people turned normal again without infection or huge gaping wounds, not to mention lots of stretch marks.

Maybe super soldiers who are just strong because their muscles were made to grow quicker and they were given better reflexes would be more logical. And they did go insane and kill the creator, but you as the player don't figure that out until the climax.

I think Rock Steady just has a thing for large sweaty men.

 

[HentMas]

snip

thank you for clearing that up, i am not so much of a fan,and the main supper villians i know of are mostly without super powers, but in retrospective yeah, those you mention (that i have heard of) do have super powers...