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well Diana is best known for her divine connections and abilities so Steve should be the mirror for her human traits which makes her focus on her humanity and prevent the danger of her losing it though given what nu future Donna is going through I wonder of it is a good idea for a immortal WW to love a human Steve.
Right now, I kinda feel like the DCU's spy corner is maybe already littered with enough established contenders for Best Spy (looming over all of them is the inescapable Amanda Waller ... whom I do NOT want Steve Trevor answering to, like, ever).
OK, Steve is a military man from Day One. That's unlikely to ever change.
But even within the confines of a military career, he can still be the World's Greatest ________. But what? What normal occupation can he excel at better than anyone?
Greatest Pilot? Kinda Hal Jordan-ish, and we're talking about a woman who already can pilot an Invisible Jet by herself and occasionally a pegasus.
Greatest Explorer? I swear, someone else in the DCU already has this title, but I'm blanking on whom.
OK, more outside the box thinking .... hmmm ....
What if Steve had an experience and then just enrolled in the Air Force's Medical School? And was so good at everything that he becomes a military physician in record time? Maybe almost all of this happens off-panel so not to distract from Diana's current adventures, but we check in on him from time to time as he progresses in his new career.
Dr. Steve Trevor, military physician (Emergency Medicine), always going to the world's dangerous hotspots (disease/famine outbreaks), his trips somehow always coinciding with whatever mission Diana is already on.
Could work, even if a wee bit more of a retcon is needed to make it happen.
[QUOTE=daBronzeBomma;3349407]Dr. Steve Trevor, military physician (Emergency Medicine), always going to the world's dangerous hotspots (disease/famine outbreaks), his trips somehow always coinciding with whatever mission Diana is already on.
Could work, even if a wee bit more of a retcon is needed to make it happen.[/QUOTE]
I'm liking the basis of this idea. Something to do with humanitarian efforts, philanthropy or healing. It would help to reflect Diana's duality (warrior for peace) with Steve being both a military man and a healer. I think it would need some teasing out though - world's greatest surgeon may not be sufficient.
[QUOTE=daBronzeBomma;3349407]Right now, I kinda feel like the DCU's spy corner is maybe already littered with enough established contenders for Best Spy[/QUOTE]
Like who?
[QUOTE=daBronzeBomma;3349407](looming over all of them is the inescapable Amanda Waller ... whom I do NOT want Steve Trevor answering to, like, ever).[/QUOTE]
Why not?
[QUOTE=daBronzeBomma;3349407]What if Steve had an experience and then just enrolled in the Air Force's Medical School? And was so good at everything that he becomes a military physician in record time? Maybe almost all of this happens off-panel so not to distract from Diana's current adventures, but we check in on him from time to time as he progresses in his new career.
Dr. Steve Trevor, military physician (Emergency Medicine), always going to the world's dangerous hotspots (disease/famine outbreaks), his trips somehow always coinciding with whatever mission Diana is already on.
Could work, even if a wee bit more of a retcon is needed to make it happen.[/QUOTE]
I somewhat suggested this. Oddfellows aren't an espionage team anymore, they're superhuman hotzone crowd control and lifeguards. They have expertise in dealing with superhuman battlezone survival, and use medicine, triage, and magic to save lives.
I honestly don't think there's any need to give superhero better halves any sort of otherworldly, exceptional skills. In fact, I think there's something refreshing about focusing on how they are more down-to-earth and "normal," if you will. That's not to say mediocre, but there's just no need to go out of the way to point out that these characters are better than a six billion other people at whatever. So, my preference is that Steve is just good at his job, and tries pretty hard.
I've said this many times so forgive me for those who've read it before and find it repetitive, but to me he should have been repackaged in the vein of what Odyssey briefly did with him. He should be a doctor, not a solider. And a really good doctor. You can keep a military background by saying he was indeed at one time in the service but have him be a medic. And after the events which landed him on Themysicra and meeting Diana, he is discharged and begins a career in medicine outside of the military. Thus despite a brief military background, shortly after the origin that's a thing of the past. His thing is healing. His dominant trait is life-saving via medicine. To me this does a couple things: it creates a cool dynamic where WW, a warrior but at the same time a lover of peace, falls for someone who is a healer, not a fighter. It also negates either a conscious or sub-conscious need to try and force Steve to be this badass just so he can be seen on par with Diana's male superhero comrades.
Hell if one really wanted to they could even work in some connection in regards to Diana's pantheon and use Asclepius of myth in some interesting ways.
He could moonlight as a Chippendale dancer . . . and he could have a movie about it called something like "[FONT=Century Gothic][B]S[SIZE=1](m)[/SIZE]oothsaying Steve[/B][/FONT]".
[SIZE=1](How many other DC males specialize in "exotic dancing"?)[/SIZE] :cool:
Why not have him be a military doctor? He is trained to fight. I do think he should still be a pilot. I mean I love Steve but in a sense why can't he be equal to Diana? That is a sense he her counterpart? That he is a warrior, a humanity, a person who loves people.
Honestly? I think he should be a fully capable adventurer on his own. Perhaps in the vein of any one of the Challengers of the Unknown from Darwyn Cooke's New Frontier. At the same time, though, he is hardly too macho/proud/stupid to not know when something is over his head and is certainly smart enough to ask for Diana's help when he knows he needs it. Not surprisingly, the closest I can think of to this version is the Steve Trevor from last year's movie. I don't think he necessarily has to be the best at any one thing in particular. I think all he really needs is to be seen as someone who is more than capable of taking care of himself in most situations.
I think he was a pretty good sharpshooter in the Golden Age. That could be his skill.
Does he need to be the best at anything?
[QUOTE=Gemini;3356199]Does he need to be the best at anything?[/QUOTE]
Was just about to say this. Is this necessary for him to be a compelling character? I was thinking he could also be a mythology buff who specializes in non Greco-roman myths, but is still a...well...naw, that's silly...nevermind lol
[QUOTE=Gemini;3356199]Does he need to be the best at anything?[/QUOTE]
He doesn't. In fact, he'd be a better character if he wasn't the best at anything.
[QUOTE=Flash Gordon;3356908]He doesn't. In fact, he'd be a better character if he wasn't the best at anything.[/QUOTE]
I agree wholeheartedly. He should be good at what he does. He doesn't have to be "the best at what he does" (which is a Wolverine cliché) in order for Diana to respect him and love him.
I also never went around thinking "Lois Lane is the best reporter in the DCU" (as if it's an Olympic sport, and she lifted the most deadlines). I just assumed she was very good at it, and in some instances exceptional.
[QUOTE=DochaDocha;3355708]I honestly don't think there's any need to give superhero better halves any sort of otherworldly, exceptional skills. In fact, I think there's something refreshing about focusing on how they are more down-to-earth and "normal," if you will. That's not to say mediocre, but there's just no need to go out of the way to point out that these characters are better than a six billion other people at whatever. So, my preference is that Steve is just good at his job, and tries pretty hard.[/QUOTE]
A big part of the reason that Lois and Selina are seen (by large portions of the Superverse and Batverse fanbases respectively) as suitable partners for their Alpha heroes is that they are both phenomenal at their careers, independent of their relationship with said alphas.
Not so with Steve. He is often looked down upon for not being good enough for Diana. The audience doesn't identify with him enough to defend him. Hell, his strongest competitor is basically a more badass version of himself (Tom Tressor). Steve "trying hard" as his best quality just makes him sound like a failure, and certainly not nearly enough to make him stand out from other would -be WW paramour who excite the imagination more than Steve TryHard Trevor can.
No, I'm pretty firm on this: Steve Trevor needs to be the very best at something in the DCU. Diana shouldn't settle for mediocrity or blandness.