DC Comics – Looking to God

Being a Superhero

Posted on January 11, 2016January 10, 2016 by Jack Flacco

I’ve been thinking a lot about superheroes, what it would be like to be a superhero, what kind of problems superheroes face living in among us while the rest of us depend on them for our survival. I know it sounds silly to think about this stuff, especially during the winter when we’re all comfy and warm in our homes watching Jurassic World, or, for that matter, the first six episodes of Star Wars. The closest we can ever come with anyone saving us would be the cable going out, sparing us from previews of the latest reality show.

In all seriousness though, being a superhero must be a tough gig. Think about it. For instance, wouldn’t superheroes always have to wear their uniform under their normal clothes? What about capes? No one can tell me those fit under a shirt and unravel without a wrinkle. Who takes care of their dry cleaning? And in the case of Captain America, where does he put his shield when he’s not using it. A pocket isn’t large enough to stuff that thing.

Then there’s the family thing going on. Suppose you were a superhero and you also had a birthday to attend to but during the cake cutting ceremony, you have to scoot because you feel a great disturbance in the force. Wait a minute. I think I’m getting confused again with Star Wars. But, you know what I mean. What are you going to do? Do you change there at the party, or leave without mentioning it to anyone? What if you drove there with someone else? Does this mean you have to take the car, even though you can fly or run fast where you need to go. I’m sure you’ll get questions asking you about transportation. For me, it would be equally difficult since I live in a small town. How can I explain needing to go to the big city with our car?

Okay, let’s look at it from another angle. What if you live in the big city and you see a mugging. What will you do? Do you run to the victim’s aid, all the while revealing your identity to the perpetrators? What if you’re walking down the street with family and friends? Will you ignore them in order to fulfill your superhero duties? Again, you’ll have a lot of explaining to do if you were heading to see a movie.

As you can see, the logistics to superherodom is a nightmare. Oh, sure, I suppose you can look at the lives you save versus the inconvenience. But what if you didn’t ask for it? Let’s say you are merrily walking along and BAM! all of a sudden you’re a superhero? How would you feel about that? Even more so, how would you feel if everything you thought regarding of being a superhero is all wrong? I’m sure you’d feel pretty darn silly knowing you’d have to run around for the rest of your life in tights.

Well, I guess being a superhero isn’t all that thrilling after all. Maybe I should shoot for simply being me. My family already considers me a superhero anyway.

Get the Ranger Martin trilogy now!

Have you ever wanted to be a superhero? Ever wonder what it’d be like?

Freedom Friday

Superpowers

Posted on October 2, 2015October 1, 2015 by Jack Flacco

The other day I read how someone believed everyone in this world has a superpower. In a sense, I believe that is true. I would have never assumed the art of writing as a superpower, but if it moves people to change is some way, no matter how small a change, then yes, I would say writing is a superpower. Sounds crazy for a Freedom Friday post, doesn’t it?

The very definition of superpower is the accentuation of strength beyond normal boundaries. That strength can be physical, but it also can be a mental or spiritual power. For instance, up until recently, I believed the Marvel and DC Comics superheroes were characters whom I would classify possessing superpowers. And why not?

Superman is faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive and is able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Captain America possesses super speed and strength beyond that of mere mortals. Thor has the power of thunder rattling within his bones. And Hulk is a formidable opponent against just about anything.

Other superheroes, however, are natural superheroes based on their integrity to stand for truth and justice. Batman and Iron Man fall into this category, owning superpowers beyond the equipment they utilize to help fight crime. Should they not have their equipment, they would equally be able to defeat their enemies with their superpowers of persuasion, honesty and firm resolve. Their inherent powers are from within, unseen on a physical level, but evident in situations when called upon.

Similarly, if someone were to tell me I do not possess superpowers like comic book superheroes, I would agree. I am not faster than a speeding bullet. I mean, it would surprise me if I can catch the train on time. I am not more powerful than a locomotive. After all, I’m a scrawny guy with limited capacity to lift anything beyond a milk jug. And I cannot leap a tall building in a single bound. If I can lift my feet to climb the stairs, then that is as far as I’ll go exerting any physical activity for the day.

Of course, I’m being facetious. It’s fun making stuff up as I go along.

No, I may not be a superhero according to the standard definition, but neither is anyone else I know—at least to my knowledge. What I do know is every person on this planet has something they are really good at and no other person in this world can replace them doing what they do. Does that make sense?

Look at it this way, a brilliant writer who submits a 250-word article to a prominent magazine once a month will get paid $250 bucks. That’s a buck a word. For every “a”, “and” and “the”—that’s a buck. To be able to do that on a consistent level is having a superpower beyond imagination.

My dad had a superpower. He could do all sorts of plumbing. He used to crawl into exhaust tubes to retrofit vast arrays of water pipes from source to destination. At times, the pipes would burst and drench him from head to toe, but he’d always survive. There are only so many people in the world that couldn’t do that. To me, that is a superpower.

If you are a mom, then you would know you’ve got all those superheroes beat. No one can touch you. And no one can say you’re second-best.

I guess what I’m saying is you don’t have to be Superman, Captain America, Batman or Iron Man to make a difference in life. Your superpower is what you’re good at, and you can share it with the world.

And that is an amazing thing.

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, on sale now.
RANGER MARTIN AND THE ALIEN INVASION, on sale now.
RANGER MARTIN AND THE SEARCH FOR PARADISE, on sale October 20.

What is your superpower?

Monday Mayhem

Superhero Powers

Posted on August 17, 2015August 18, 2015 by Jack Flacco

If you had a choice of superpowers, which one would you choose? Given superheroes don’t have that choice, and they don whatever superpower they come to acquire, I’m sure those of us who have thought about this would pick a superpower that would compliment who we are.

The question for Monday Mayhem is which superpower would you choose?

I’ve thought about this a lot. The common superpower that comes to mind is super-strength. To me though, I find that power as a prerequisite to being a superhero. Take for instance Spider-Man, Wolverine and Superman, they all have super-strength as part of their superhero makeup. Yet, they also possess something intrinsically different that makes them who they are. Spider-Man can climb walls. Wolverine can regenerate from an injury, including a bullet to the head. And Superman can fly.

Aside from their super-strength, superheroes have powers that make them unique in the comic book world.

The other side of the coin are the superheroes who possess none of the superpowers inherent with their natural counterparts, but make up for it with their ability to utilize equipment and their incredible willpower to defeat their archenemies. Batman and Iron Man fall into this category. Although Batman doesn’t possess any natural superpower, he rises to the occasion with all his cool toys. Same goes for Iron Man, who has a vast arsenal at his disposal that he can deploy at will. What makes these characters unique is even stripping the equipment from them, they will still stand for justice.

With that in mind, which superpower would you choose?

From my perspective, I once thought being invisible was the most awesome of powers. Think about it, you can sneak into a building where the bad guys make it their headquarters and take them down without much of a fight. Knocking them out from behind would simply do the job. But then I thought being invisible wouldn’t guarantee your clothes would be invisible too. If anything, I’d have to become like Mystique and shed my clothing in order to get anything done. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather maintain my sense of decency once I slip from invisibility mode.

I also thought having the ability to fly would be something cool to have. Yet, the logistics behind the superpower left me wanting something else. For instance, when flying, I’d have to carry a comb everywhere I go to ensure no one suspects me of flying. Try to explain a windy day when outside was the calmest day of the year, weather-wise. Then there’s the whole cape thing. I’m not into capes. They look great on Superman and Thor, but I find them distracting. I’d rather have my own style. Which brings us back to clothing. Imagine how many shoes I’d have to through when landing from a thousand foot plummet. The soles of my shoes would be paper-thin in no time.

No. What I’d choose for my superpower has nothing to do with physical ability, even if it means I wouldn’t ever be able to outrun a locomotive. I’d rather choose a superpower that would defy my archenemies in a way they wouldn’t suspect.

I’d choose a high IQ as my superpower.

A high IQ would grant me the ability to defeat naysayers at their own game. A high IQ would afford me the strength to repel an attack by stemming the threat from the very beginning. A high IQ would permit me to argue my way out of a mess rather than use muscles to make a point.

Yeah, a high IQ is boring, but it’s the one superpower that I wouldn’t need to worry about taking my clothes off.

Which superpower would you choose?

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, on sale now.
RANGER MARTIN AND THE ALIEN INVASION, on sale now.
RANGER MARTIN AND THE SEARCH FOR PARADISE, on sale October 20.

Which comic book hero do you relate to the most? What superpower does your comic book hero have that you wouldn’t mind possessing yourself?

Wednesday Warriors

The Joker

Posted on July 1, 2015June 30, 2015 by Jack Flacco

The whole world has gone crazy. One day, I’m everyone’s best friend. The next day, I belong in an insane asylum. Call me unconventional. Do you know how I got these scars?

I robbed a bank. Everyone thought I was crazy then, too. But I’m not the guy who walks around without any spare change in his pocket. The jingle you hear are the knives hitting against each other. Everything has a price.

What’s a guy gotta do to get a laugh around here? Did you know if I slice someone’s jugular no one would turn around, but if I were to kick a dog on the street everyone would think I’m cruel. You know what’s cruel? Having fancy toys and not sharing them with anyone. The Bat Man is the one you should be after. He’s a selfish human being. I may not look pleasant, but I don’t have to hide behind a mask. The Bat Man hides his face. He’s the coward. He’s the evil one. Do you know how I got these scars?

Anarchy is relative. Fight against an oppressive government, you’re a hero. Fight against the current government, you’re a rebel. I’m neither. I like to think of myself as the harbinger of happiness. Anyone who says they’ve got happiness figured out is a liar. I have happiness figured out. All I have to do is stare at myself in the mirror and that smile I have pasted on my face makes me happy.

Why so serious?

I once told a woman my father beat my mother. I thought it was the prettiest thing to say to a lady. You can agree. Or not. I visited a man at Gotham General Hospital after a bomb blast ripped apart his face. He didn’t appreciate me being there. I gave him an opportunity to end my life by the barrel of a gun. He flipped for it. I’m still alive. I tucked myself into a body bag to make a statement. The neighborhood boss in charge didn’t know what hit him when I popped out like a jack in the box to slice his jugular. No one turned around. Do you know how I got these scars?

I like purple. I think the color suits me. Green hair on me also makes a statement, even if others might find me repulsive.

Chaos makes the world go around. I think chaos should be a credited college course. Professors could hand out a gallon of gasoline and a match as part of the curriculum. Wouldn’t that be something?

Why so serious?

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, on sale now.
RANGER MARTIN AND THE ALIEN INVASION, on sale now.
RANGER MARTIN AND THE SEARCH FOR PARADISE, on sale October 20.

What do you think of The Joker’s maniacal ways? Do you think he’s a man fit for society?

Wednesday Warriors

Bruce Wayne

Posted on February 11, 2015February 15, 2015 by Jack Flacco

Bruce Wayne is a superhero. Big surprise there. He’s not your ordinary superhero, though. He’s what I call a natural superhero. Let me explain what I mean for my Wednesday Warriors series dedicated to guy fictional characters who rock the planet.

Unlike Superman who has the ability to see through things, fly like a bird and bend steel with his bare hands, Bruce Wayne doesn’t have any of that. In fact, behind Batman‘s mask, Bruce Wayne is quite normal. Spider-Man even has him beat with his acquired ability to climb walls. But Batman? Superpowers?

Born from DC Comics and part of the Justice League, Batman’s alter-ego Bruce Wayne possesses an extravagant lifestyle that is nothing more than a ruse for those curious enough to want to investigate the multi-billionaire. He can afford the toys. He can afford the equipment. No expense is too great for him. No cost is too grand. His parents were victims of a brutal mugging by a man named Jack Napier. In later years, Jack becomes the Joker, Batman’s archenemy and nemesis. It’s through Bruce’s dark past that Bruce gains his strength. Call it revenge. Call it payback. Whatever name it goes by, it’s Bruce’s impetus to fight crime on crime’s level.

Back to Bruce Wayne’s superhero status. He’s a natural. He doesn’t possess superpowers. He relies on equipment to fight the evils of this world. And he sports a wicked attitude against those who skirt justice at the hands of the law. Known also as The Dark Knight, the moniker provides an ominous message for anyone attempting to flee from their misdeeds. He will find them. And he will punish them.

Batman’s skill as a crime fighter resonates well with those weak of spirit. If an ordinary man without superpowers can overcome the demons of this world, who’s to say everyone else can’t? For in the depths of darkness lies truth awaiting discovery. That truth, no matter how simple an idea it is to swallow, sparks the fire within the souls of the just to bring the unjust to their knees.

Burdens may overtake Gotham City, but with Bruce Wayne around, archenemies bow before his presence. The idea of an ordinary man without superpowers having the ability to do this is astounding. And yet, it is so. Batman can’t see through things, can’t fly like a bird, and he can’t bend steel with his bare hands.

But what Bruce Wayne has living within his soul is what makes him a superhero. He has the willingness to sacrifice himself for those less fortunate. He has the willingness to live a selfless life as a way to bring justice where darkness lives. What’s more important?

Bruce Wayne as a natural superhero is willing to die so that others can live. That is what makes him a superhero worth admiring.

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, on sale now.
RANGER MARTIN AND THE ALIEN INVASION, on sale now.

Are you a Batman fan? What do you like most about the character Bruce Wayne?

Freedom Friday

Daydreaming

Posted on October 18, 2013October 17, 2013 by Jack Flacco

When I was in grade school, I came home one day with a report card that made my bottom red. Oh, I’m sure whatever I brought home would have met with satisfaction in another home, but in my family, bad grades meant not getting my head in the game. Much of what I’d gone through growing up I’d have to blame it on one thing—daydreaming. And for this edition of Freedom Friday, I’ll tell you why.

Throughout my childhood, my brain would not shut down. While other kids studied their ABC’s in class, my mind drifted, wondering what it’d be like being a superhero. In my mind’s eye either I was swooping down to rescue a kid being bullied in the schoolyard or rescuing the world from the evil Dr. Durge. You see, Dr. Durge was my archnemesis growing up. He was a perfect amalgam of DC Comics’ Lex Luthor and Marvel’s Dr. Doom. In my world, Dr. Durge’s villainy had no end. And no sooner had I put him away for good in a New York state federal penitentiary, he’d escape for his next crime spree on humanity.

Of course, I had to pay a price for immersing my imagination too much into a world of my own device. My report cards would reflect my inattentive behavior. And my bottom would reflect my being unable to sit for a week. Naturally, by the end of the school year I’d have learned a valuable lesson and moved on.

Or did I?

I’m happy to report I never stopped daydreaming. In so doing, I imagined my life years later as to how I’d like to see myself. Again, I’m happy to say my life turned out exactly how I had seen it being. Would it have happened had I not pictured it in my mind? I don’t think so. Having the thought and the forbearance to continue on the imaginary road I’d set for myself made my life the way it is now. That imaginary road becoming more real as the goal materialized with every step I took toward it.

A long time ago, I learned a quote I can’t forget from now until the end of my days. It comes from the movie Flashdance, if you can believe it. The quote goes something like this:

“When you give up your dream, you die.”

It doesn’t matter who you are, what you do or what you have done, if you pictured your life as a doctor, a businessperson, a sailor or even a ballerina for that matter, and it doesn’t happen, that nagging feeling won’t go away. In some cases, the slow death is irreversible.

At the same time, I’m here to say it’s never too late to get it all back.

A 65-year-old woman I know had always wanted to learn to play the piano. She had that nagging feeling all her life, daydreaming how she’d perform for others and how happy she’d make others feel with her music. When she was fifty-five, she began to learn piano. Her dream to perform for others drifted closer as she got better and better.

She now plays piano for her church in songs of worship.

Field of Dreams (Photo credit: Chicago Tribune)

It’s never too late to fulfill your dreams. What’s that quote from Field of Dreams? Oh, yes: “If you build it, he will come.” Don’t allow a slow death to take hold so as your dreams disappear before your eyes. It’s never too late.

Build it. Live it.

As for Dr. Durge? He’s still around. Every once in a while he’ll appear only to meet once again with my superhero alter ego in a battle of good vs. evil. But he doesn’t have a chance. He always ends up in prison until the day he unleashes another wave of destruction on humanity.

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, on sale October 22.

Do you daydream? If so, what do you dream about?

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