- Proactive Heroes (Ex. The Authority, Justice League Unlimited, The Elite, etc.)
- Reactive Heroes (Superman, The Flash, Nightwing, etc.)
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I never understood the difference. Both kinds look for bad things that are happening and then go stop the bad things. Usually the “proactive” heroes are just ANGRIER about it.
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I don’t think that Superman is fairly characterized as just reactive. He does make plans. Not like Batman makes plans, but he’s not just sitting around doing nothing when he’s not Superman.
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It’s just u & me @RainStormRiddles. Ah well. We made a heckuva team in Mafia so maybe we just know something everyone else doesn’t?
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I just know that preventing a crime stops a whole lot more grief the stopping one.
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True, but the problem rises when heroes start to lose track of the line.
-M
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That only happens when writers need some extra drama.
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The distinction seems weird to me because it suggests that the first group have some sort of objection to preventing a crime before it starts happening. I mean, I assume that proactive doesn’t mean running around attacking anyone who might commit a crime, so what is it that proactive heroes do that reactive ones don’t?
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Routinely patrol rather than do something when you here about it. Take the time to investigate suspicions activity. Take precautionary measures if there’s an event likely to arouse trouble. (A shipment of a valuable artifact, for example)
Reactive is someone seeing a lady getting robbed and saving her, or stopping a surprise monster, or listening to the news and hearing trouble.
Batman is a proactive hero.
That’s utterly ridiculous. Are you saying that Superman doesn’t patrol? Or that he doesn’t have his ears constantly peeled for trouble in his city?
No, I’d consider Superman more borderline. He’s highly alert, but because of is powers he doesn’t have to investigate as deeply as others. Theres nothing wrong with being reactive; so many people choose to be passive in a crisis so as to not get dragged in that any action is admirable. Reacting is good, and proactivation can have its downsides.
Bare in mind your unkind wording, we try to keep this community friendly. My post on reactive vs proactive is a definition because someone asked, not an opinion of who should be classed as what. Simply put, reactive is someone who stops whatever needs to be stopped while proactive is someone who seeks out things that could cause trouble. I dont dislike either, but am a little more favorable of the proactive.
To be honest, making a hero either or is where the fault in this lies. It’s more of a spectrum just like personality traits. Not everyone is purely introverted or extroverted. All the heroes react, all the heroes seek to make sure bad things dont happen.
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Perhaps a better reactive vs proactive example would be a natural storm. A hero that saves folks from a storm as soon as it his or people need help is a reactive measure; it’s a good and heroic thing. Proactive would be where the hero hears that the storm is coming in a day or so and goes around scouting safe spots and high risk scenarios. It’s a little more paranoid, perhaps, but it can also make a the actual saving more seamless. Realistically, being proactive to that extent is taxing of any person, and no hero (except maybe the Question) can be 100% proactive all the times. And, again, it’s a scale, not an either/or matter when classing specific heroes. Also situationial; some things you can’t prepare for.
Oo. I like this question when it comes to origin stories.
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