Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Hughes High: The Mask and the Mantle

Most of the students that graced the halls of Hughes High were the offspring of previous generations of heroes and villains. While many magazines wrote cover articles about Savior-Flare, daughter of Nimbus and Dr. Janus, few remember her younger sister, Frostbite.

Offspring, here, means in a broader sense as well. Nick Nelson shed the image of Spooky and turned into the much more serious Silverwing thanks to experiences at the school. On the other side of the coin, if Sure Shot had not gone through the experiences he had as Shaft, there might be more masks alive today.

How someone adapts from their identity as a teen sidekick or a hero tells a lot about what they want to do with their abilities.

The current administration is looking to put someone into the identity of Captain Patriot. I spoke briefly with Prodigal, Captain Patriot's son about the idea.

"I understand what they are trying to do," he told me over the Guardians video interview set-up. "With the way things are going in the country, they need something to boost the country's confidence again. People feel very vulnerable about the world even seven years after the Event. A crappy economy isn't helping any."

When asked if he would campaign for the job, I was met by a long pause.

"No," he said. "I've still got some things I need to do under this mask. I can't imagine ever living up to my father."