Flying Friar joins comic book superheroes (got some good story lines?? :)

[The Straight Story]

Flying Friar joins comic book superheroes

A real life 16th century monk is joining the likes of Batman, Superman, Daredevil and Spiderman to become the latest comic book superhero. The character by Rich Johnston and Thomas Nachlik, is based on Joseph of Copertino, the patron saint of pilots.

He was a Franciscan priest famous for his ability to levitate and demonstrate supernatural strength. Born Joseph Desa, he was initially an outcast born into extreme poverty in 1603. It was only after Joseph was admitted as a novice to a Franciscan order did he begin to display his power.

In one instance he is also said to have helped workmen erect a Calvary Cross 36 feet high by levitating himself and lifting the heavy cross as if it were straw. Johnston, a British author of graphic novels, has attempted to keep his character faithful to the saint but has embellished it by creating an enemy, in the form of Lex Luthor the great nephew of Martin Luthor, founder of the Protestant Reformation.


http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/5922_1607682,0087.htm

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

1. A superhero needs a weakness to be interesting

If there were no kryptonite, Superman wouldn't be in jeopardy and he would be a virtual god, with no suspense involved in his adventures. Green Lantern's ring was rendered inoperative by the color yellow, if I recall. Batman's weakness is the female sex, which he usually allows to seduce him into letting down his guard. Spiderman is constantly letting himself fall into confining traps where his spider web can't operate. Captain Kirk had the Enterprise and the Transporter Device, which gave him the powers of a Superman. So most of the plots of Star Trek involved problems with the Enterprise or the Transporter Device breaking down, where Kirk was in jeopardy and had to figure a way out.

So I think in order for there to be suspenseful stories and interesting plots, there have to be limits on a superhero's powers. I guess the friar, in order to retain his powers and continue as a friar, can't let himself be seduced by women. So maybe he needs to have other worldly temptations that Lex Luthor can exploit, like fondness for drink or food. It has to be something that affects the source of his super powers, such as temptation into sin or the like. If you wanted to make it funny, you could write it so that his superpowers of strength and flight do not work when he has an erection or is thinking unfriarly thoughts. It would be up to Lex Luthor as to how to coax that erection from the Friar.