Spoilers for Mike Carey’s Lucifer (2000), Paul Jenkin’s Inhumans (1998), Swamp Thing Vol 2. (1984) and Hellblazer: Constantine.

Lucifer #43 (Vertigo, 2000)

There’s something fascinating in watching intricate and complex plans get executed to perfection. Something captivating about watching all the pieces come together to end in a masterstroke.

Chessmasters always have an objective and a plan to achieve it. They will make any gamble and sacrifice anyone necessary to complete that objective. In a pursuit of glory, money and power, the chessmaster villain has such control that the metaphorical pieces don’t even know they’re in the game. That’s what makes the chessmaster so dangerous. And terrifying.

But what about when the chessmaster is the hero of the story?

When we read a story where the chessmaster is a protagonist, our perspective has to shift. These characters make appalling sacrifices and take terrible risks throughout their stories. A likable and well-developed side character will, often unwillingly, become collateral damage as the hero makes their play to finish the game. How can we, the audience, appreciate and encourage such a ruthlessness? With a strong thematic character hook, that’s how.

In Mike Carey’s Lucifer series, the fallen angel Lucifer is obsessed with escaping predestination. He isn’t interested in people, souls, morality, or anything at all. Nothing except resenting an existence that anticipates every action he could possibly take.

So Lucifer finally devises a plan that he thinks will achieve his goal. Goading a bloody war with heaven and rescuing God’s demiurge, Micheal, Lucifer manages to create his own universe, a universe without destiny. When Micheal asks him what this new universe is for, Lucifer responds, “The culmination of all my efforts. The end of predestination. The end of tyranny. I have escaped providence.”

Then in Paul Jenkins’ Inhuman miniseries, the xenophobic Inhuman city of Attilan is under attack and their society roils from internal dissent stirred by the madman Maximus. The thematic line through the story is Black Bolt, the Inhuman leader, and his struggles as a ruler. Black Bolt is forced to constantly make decisions that cost lives and endanger his people. Silent and stoic, his inner monologue occasionally interjects the story to confront us with questions of how we might deal with the events of the story.

Inhumans Cover #5 (Marvel, 1998)

Vengeance #6 Cover (Marvel, 2012)

On the eve of defeat, Black Bolt’s plan is revealed- to bait the interlopers into a massive attack and stage a natural disaster that both forces back the invading army and falsifies the destruction of Attilan. The Inhumans are now hidden from the world and safe from interference.

Black Bolt has been holding all the cards the whole time but has sacrificed many lives to his end. The story closes with Black Bolt’s final question for the audience: “Imagine that you could save a family by sacrificing a child, but that you had to explain it to the child… What would you say?”

From the other side, Hellblazer explores what being a callous chessmaster can do to a person. In the pages of Swamp Thing (Alan Moore, 1984), John Constantine organizes a group of magical superhumans and entities in a bid to prevent the end of the world. While eventually successful, Constantine orders and then watches as many of his friends and comrades are killed in this battle.

In Hellblazer, Constantine struggles with the guilt of his decisions. Perhaps he had the best of intentions. Perhaps he didn’t really believe they would die. Or perhaps he just thought he could take it if they did.

Alcoholism, depression, and self-destructive tendencies plague Constantine wherever he goes and whatever he does. More battles rise and more friends fall into the pyre. As Constantine notes, “Getting too close to me can be bad for your health. I’m radioctive.”

A trope is what a writer makes of it. Strong motivations and character explorations can elevate stories and the tropes they use. Used well, tropes help us explore facets of story and human nature in dynamic and interesting ways. The Chessmaster is no different. Lucifer, Black Bolt, and Constantine might be chessmasters, but that’s just the lense by which we can examine their struggles with destiny, leadership, and guilt.

hellblazer: all his engines (Vertigo, 2005)

This is Andrew’s final blog post for Genre Savvy Grab Bag. You can read Andrew’s other blogposts here, here, and here!

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Andrew Gilvary

Andrew is a former graduate of the University of Ottawa where he got his B.A. with a Major in English Literature. He enjoys doing nerdy things and cuddling his cat.

Believe Everything. The Earth may have been birthed from primordial Chaos, as the Greek myths say. That doesn’t mean that Odin didn’t fashion the Earth from bones and blood of Ymir the Frost Giant. It also doesn’t mean that Izanagi didn’t create the Earth using his jeweled spear. It all happened. Well, most of it. Maybe.

In a story that explains how the myth of Orpheus is true, death proclaims that other myths do not necessarily apply (Sandman- The Song of Orpheus, DC comics)

This trope has been a mainstay of contemporary fantasy for years, across almost every medium imaginable. Supernatural and metaphysical events from multiple world mythologies can share the same space in stories that engage this trope. Any and all legends and folklore are up for grabs. Even God with a capital G is a frequent resource to mine in these stories. Examples of this trope include- television series like Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Charmed, and Supernatural- video games such as God of War and Assassin’s Creed- comic books like Hellboy, Fables, and Sandman- and in books such as Harry Potter, The Dresden Files and American Gods.

Mining the rich mythological traditions of different world religions is a really effective tool in story writing. Using world mythologies that the reader might be familiar with engages them. And a good writer can take advantage of that intrigue.

In Neil Gaiman’s stupendously excellent Sandman series, for example, gods are created from the power of human worship (not necessarily belief). Gods who remain popular, like Odin or Thor, also remain powerful; less popular gods, like the Egyption goddess Bast, are withering away. When Gaiman begins to introduce aliens in this universe then the audience has to wonder, “do these people’s gods exist?” What do the gods of aliens even look like? (Whoops, wrong comic book universe)

Believe Everything is also effective because, ironically, it means the audience doesn’t know what to expect. Contrary to the trope name, not everything is true when it comes to the mythology being adapted. Another example from Sandman is the Orpheus myth, a central piece of mythology to the through-narrative of the comic. In this version, Orpheus visits Death to learn how to enter the underworld, understanding that the Greek hero Herakles had done so. Death disillusions Orpheus, and the audience, on the reliability of those Herakles exploits (see image above). This subversion sets up an important rule and theme for the entire narrative; avoiding death might actually be worse than dying.

Winged Horses are “technology” you see (Thor- Ragnarok, Marvel Studios)

Often it is prudent to create rules for why, or at least how, the creatures and characters of mythology exist within the world. Hellboy comics play it straight where mythical beings are simply a part of the world just like humans; not all folklore is true, but folklore is inspired by beings’ existence. On the other hand is Marvel comics, where the godly heroes of Asgard are actually aliens with technology so advanced it seems like magic.

This isn’t an issue in stories like Harry Potter, where the magical world is kept secret, including the magical creatures. The mythical creatures, like Fluffy and Buckbeak, are simply an extension of the zoology of that narrative. However, the rules need to made clear in worlds like Marvel’s so that readers understand how these characters might be allowed to interact with a non-myth narrative. If Loki is an alien, we can expect that myths where he transformed into a mare and gave birth to an eight-legged horse are not applicable, for better or for worse.

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Andrew Gilvary

Andrew is a former graduate of the University of Ottawa where he got his B.A. with a Major in English Literature. He enjoys doing nerdy things and cuddling his cat.

From top to bottom: Master Roshi from Dragonball (Toei Animation), Iroh from Avatar -the last Airbender (Nickolodeon), Gandalf from The lord of the rings (new line cinema), and Dumbledore from the harry potter series (bloomsbury publishing).

This trope is everywhere. It’s cross-cultural and intergenerational in its ubiquity. A wise elderly mentor figure with a (usually) gentle disposition gets put in a dangerous situation and they need to unleash a can of whoop-ass. Of course, power ages like fine wine. Bonus points if the character is portrayed as being physically hobbled by their age, walking with a stoop, or being physically out of shape. Double bonus points when the character uses a cane, staff, or walking stick of some kind. Triple bonus points when they get to surprise everyone by how powerful they really are. Beards are, ironically, unnecessary but these characters are almost universally male.

When I said this  trope is everywhere, I really meant it. Among many others, the examples pictured left include Dumbledore from Harry Potter, Master Roshi from the Dragonball franchise, Iroh from Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings. These characters deviate from the broader wise old mentor archetype because they are not only wise but also exceptionally skilled or powerful in their narrative.

A common trait of these old badasses is that they are almost always teachers, mentors, or at least guides for their subordinate characters. Their age is nebulous but don’t be surprised in a fantasy setting when these characters are much older than you think (even when you already believe they are unnaturally ancient). Their narrative purpose is usually not only to teach but also to protect the protagonist until they are ready to face the villain. Their eccentricities usually make them societal outcasts, or at least outsiders- eccentricities ranging from the fact that they’re a wizard (Gandalf), their distaste for violence (Iroh), or their aversion to political posturing (Dumbledore). Or maybe they’re just a pervert (Roshi).

What makes this trope interesting is its versatility. Despite fulfilling comparably identical roles, these characters can be bent and shaped to fit many different themes and stories. Gandalf represents a nostalgia for a bygone age, while Dumbledore has been wizened by the mistakes and arrogance of his youth. Iroh is a parental figure to the banished Prince Zuko, while Oogway from Kung Fu Panda is a philosophical and spiritual guide to his students. Roshi is not only Son Goku’s first martial arts master but also serves as a benchmark for Goku to inevitably surpass.

This flexibility carries over to how the narrative deals with having such inconveniently powerful characters. Sometimes the narrative will be built around a conflict that the mentor cannot deal with single-handedly, such as Yoda from Star Wars, or that they do not qualify to participate in, like Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid. Iroh steps aside so that the main character can do the right thing in the final confrontation. At other times the villain must plot to surreptitiously remove the mentor from the conflict, as Loki to Odin from Thor.

Often, these characters sacrifice themselves so that they may pass the torch to the main protagonists, such as Obi Wan from Star Wars, Dumbledore, and Gandalf the Grey (he’s resurrected as Gandalf the White). Regardless of the circumstances, these characters are almost always conspicuously absent from the action of the story, or at least the arc where they teach. Every once and a while though, they get to stick around. Or, the most fun option of all, sometimes the old badass cuts loose and joins the fight. Oh look, the big guy’s back…

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Andrew Gilvary

Andrew is a former graduate of the University of Ottawa where he got his B.A. with a Major in English Literature. He enjoys doing nerdy things and cuddling his cat.

Spoilers for DC’s The Golden Age, B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the films The Avengers, and The Avengers: Endgame.

The Golden age #4 (DC Comics). The trope namer (most dialogue removed)

Heroes are fighting valiantly but they’re losing ground, and numbers, fast. Dynaman seems invincible; he floats above, ready to end them all at whim. The best they’ve done is knock his helmet off, tatter his cape. In this hopeless situation, Alan Scott, the Green Lantern, finally arrives on the battlefield. Scott goes toe-to-toe with Dynaman, finally drawing blood and single-handedly holding back the massacre. The hero Johnny Quick watches his friend with relief; finally, “...the big guy’s back.”

If you’re a fan of comics or even just superheroes, you should read James Robinson’s The Golden Age. It’s got a wild cast, the plot is that weird kind of campy and horrifically dark that you get from golden age comics, and the writing is just ridiculously thematically rich. But it’s the moment above that has lived in my brain rent-free for almost 20 years now. “...The big guy’s back.”

This trope is a sort of blend of other tropes. It’s the return of a single, established, powerful character to the narrative and that arrival turning the tide or tipping the balance of a conflict, either on a large or small scale. When this trope benefits the protagonists, it can be a moment of relief, hope, and invigoration. Not just for the characters but for the audience. When Bruce Banner arrives in New York in the MCU film The Avengers, the heroes can finally go on the offensive. In the same vein, in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (the book more than the film), Dumbledore’s arrival to fight Voldemort completely shifts the trajectory of the battle in the Department of Mysteries.

B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth, #101 (Dark Horse Comics)

The trope is also distinctive for lacking certain traits. The character's arrival does not mark the end of the conflict. My first paragraph is a bit misleading right? Because what I didn’t mention is that Scott is ultimately defeated. His efforts finally expose a weakness that the other heroes can exploit but it’s not Scott that marks Dynaman’s end. Hulk’s arrival In The Avengers doesn’t end the battle; the heroes still have to close the portal summoning the aliens. Voldemort only flees when he fails to possess Harry.

This trope also doesn’t need to benefit the protagonist. When applied in the villain’s favour you get things like the resurrection of The Black Flame in B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth. When he’s resurrected, the reader knows immediately that things have just gotten bad for the heroes. And they’re right because the Black Flame immediately transforms the narrative; the story goes from one of humanity trying to maintain its lifestyle in a dangerous and chaotic world to humanity simply trying to survive the apocalypse. It’s a moment of dread, anxiety, and despair.

“...The big guy’s back” is a pretty common trope. It’s easy to execute properly when you have a large or diverse cast and it has the potential for a huge emotional payout for the reader or audience. In Golden Age, Scott joining in the battle is a culmination of his restraint where he doesn’t want to play God. In The Avengers, we finally see Hulk directing his rage and working with others. Five books of Harry Potter say that Dumbledore is the only wizard that Voldemort fears and we finally get to see why. And in B.P.R.D., there’s no going back when the Black Flame steps out.

There are dangers though. If the character returning is only established in a separate narrative block then their return won’t have an impact on the audience members that didn’t consume that story. In exceptionally bad cases, this trope can feel like a deus ex machina if the character or their abilities weren’t established enough. But most times? This is so rad.

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Andrew Gilvary

Andrew is a former graduate of the University of Ottawa where he got his B.A. with Major in English Literature. He enjoys doing nerdy things and cuddling his cat.