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Do you consider The Doctor a "Superhero" or "Hero"?


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Old 18-10-2016, 11:30
Pull2Open
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Your understanding of "anti-hero" is obviously different from mine.

Simply being bad tempered and grumpy doesn't make you a villain. He didn't plot to destroy the world or murder an innocent. He's not alienated in the conventional sense that's often applied to anti-heroes, though he's often an outsider to the societies he tries to help. Though he is alienated from Time Lord society, he doesn't plot to bring on its downfall.

For me that he knowingly works for the greater good is the clincher. It means he has at least one of the qualities associated with the archetypal hero.

I favour johnnysaucepn's stance on this.
I agree.

For me an anti hero is someone who becomes a hero despite of their actions.

A great example is Han Solo, he's in it for himself, getting paid for his heroism. It's not until the end of the film he does a selfless act.

Zefram Cochran, created the warp drive for profit, he wasn't a hero but is revered as such, despite his behavior.
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Old 18-10-2016, 15:20
Lord Smexy
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Difficult to say, but I know that I fell in love with the character because he wasn't a very conventional hero. He was odd-looking, blabbering, sometimes rude and grumpy but with a kind heart, and not much of a physical fighter. It was a nice change of pace from some of the other heroes I grew up with like Superman (don't get me wrong, I love Superman).
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Old 18-10-2016, 20:34
daveyboy7472
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Your understanding of "anti-hero" is obviously different from mine.

Simply being bad tempered and grumpy doesn't make you a villain. He didn't plot to destroy the world or murder an innocent. He's not alienated in the conventional sense that's often applied to anti-heroes, though he's often an outsider to the societies he tries to help. Though he is alienated from Time Lord society, he doesn't plot to bring on its downfall.

For me that he knowingly works for the greater good is the clincher. It means he has at least one of the qualities associated with the archetypal hero.

I favour johnnysaucepn's stance on this.
Maybe we can agree to some middle ground on this.

The official definition of a anti-hero is this:

An antihero, or antiheroine, is a protagonist who lacks conventional heroic qualities such as idealism, courage, or morality. These individuals often possess dark personality traits such as disagreeableness, dishonesty, and aggressiveness. These characters are usually considered "conspicuously contrary to an archetypal hero

You'll notice the key word there is 'protagonist' not 'antagonist' and therefore an antihero is not a villain.

I'm not saying for one minute The Doctor is an anti-hero, I'm saying that in the past he has been that on occasions. Though he definitely didn't lack courage in that opening story, I would argue he demonstrated disagreeableness, dishonesty and a touch of aggressiveness. His morality, like when it seemed he may hit Za with a rock in the third episode, was also questionable.

You could also argue that the Sixth Doctor demonstrated most of the above in The Twin Dilemma.

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Old 18-10-2016, 21:59
Brandon_Smith
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Maybe we can agree to some middle ground on this.

The official definition of a anti-hero is this:

An antihero, or antiheroine, is a protagonist who lacks conventional heroic qualities such as idealism, courage, or morality. These individuals often possess dark personality traits such as disagreeableness, dishonesty, and aggressiveness. These characters are usually considered "conspicuously contrary to an archetypal hero

You'll notice the key word there is 'protagonist' not 'antagonist' and therefore an antihero is not a villain.

I'm not saying for one minute The Doctor is an anti-hero, I'm saying that in the past he has been that on occasions. Though he definitely didn't lack courage in that opening story, I would argue he demonstrated disagreeableness, dishonesty and a touch of aggressiveness. His morality, like when it seemed he may hit Za with a rock in the third episode, was also questionable.

You could also argue that the Sixth Doctor demonstrated most of the above in The Twin Dilemma.

The Doctor often lacks Morality and is usually his companions that set him straight like remember how Angry the Ninth Doctor was when Rose met him, And lets not forget The Water of Mars The Tenth Doctor meant well, but went to crazy with power, just because he could doesn't mean he should, and he forgot that because he had no one travelling with him, he didn't have a Donna to tell him to stop.

The Doctor was also gonna leave that family to die in The Fires of Pompeii had it not been for Donna. We also saw some of his anger in The End of Time.

Although hes also a Hero, what the Ninth Doctor did for Rose in The Parting of The Ways, by sacrificing himself to save her life, and him wanting to send Rose back to Pete's World so she'd be safe and in the End where he absorbed all that Radiation so Wilfred wouldn't have to die.

I Think The Doctor is both an Anti-Hero and Hero Actually. Although the former really shows when theres no one with him.
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Old 19-10-2016, 12:16
johnnysaucepn
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The Doctor was also gonna leave that family to die in The Fires of Pompeii had it not been for Donna. We also saw some of his anger in The End of Time.
I don't think being angry qualifies someone as an anti-hero. You don't have to be a paragon of virtue like Superman, or always make the right decision, to be an unqualified hero.

In Fires of Pompeii, what he was doing was the right thing in the big picture - he just couldn't see that he could also mitigate the horror at the small scale too. In a way, that stands in contrast to Waters of Mars, where he was determined to do the 'right thing' for a group of individuals, regardless of the negative effects on the wider world.

His hearts are always in the right place, even when his perspective is skewed.
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Old 19-10-2016, 17:03
Brandon_Smith
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I don't think being angry qualifies someone as an anti-hero. You don't have to be a paragon of virtue like Superman, or always make the right decision, to be an unqualified hero.

In Fires of Pompeii, what he was doing was the right thing in the big picture - he just couldn't see that he could also mitigate the horror at the small scale too. In a way, that stands in contrast to Waters of Mars, where he was determined to do the 'right thing' for a group of individuals, regardless of the negative effects on the wider world.

His hearts are always in the right place, even when his perspective is skewed.
Precisely why I said hes halfway between a Hero an Anti-Hero a Hero is someone, who is willing to save others no matter the cost, with no hesitation so hes not exactly a Hero or Anti-Hero hes halfway there. The Companions are the true Heroes IMO.
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Old 19-10-2016, 17:18
nattoyaki
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Interesting question!

For me he's always been a hero, and at times anti-hero. Unfortunately a few times during Tennant's era he showed 'superpower' type abilities, which grated with me from a little to an awful lot depending on the context and extent.

However 'superhero' is, for me, a term designated by the creator/writers, and clear from the genre, so imo it's pretty clear the Doctor's never been a 'superhero' as we know the rest of them.
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Old 20-10-2016, 10:32
johnnysaucepn
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a Hero is someone, who is willing to save others no matter the cost, with no hesitation
Which is where we differ, because I don't think that's true. If you go down the route of saving the people you deem to be worthy despite the greater consequences, you end up with the Time Lord Victorious version of the Doctor.

A hero will always try to do the right thing, even when it is to their personal cost - but interpretations of the 'right thing' will always vary.

In the classic 'trolley problem' (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem) is it possible to be a hero?
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Old 06-11-2016, 02:44
JAS84
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The fact he's a hero is undisputable. Superhero? Well, let's see, he has extended lifespan, cellular regeneration, telepathy, alien technology (psychic paper, sonic screwdriver), time travel, and genius intellect. Those first three definitely sound like superpowers to me. They're just not ones that are useful in a fight, but that's OK, because the Doctor fights with brains, not brawn anyway. That's what makes him so unique. Even if he is a superhero, he's not a stereotypical one.

As for alter egos, that's not necessary. Thor got rid of his decades ago.
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Old 06-11-2016, 09:37
Nelson_De_Souza
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Personally, when I look at the show in its most basic of terms. It is good against evil with a lead character who is unlike anyone else. He has things other don't to stop the evil and even though he doesn't have superpowers, what he uses to defeat the evil is things that the rest of us can't do.

So, in that most basic way of looking, in my head the Doctor is a superhero. He's just not your traditional comic book superhero, but a superhero nonetheless.
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Old 06-11-2016, 10:18
Sara_Peplow
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Doctor is a hero his greatest power is his brain. He has lived a very long time and being a time lord is able to think off and see things others can't.

Doctor has a good heart and instinct to do the right thing even if it hurts him and it is hard to express his feelings.

12 in some ways is like Gregory House or Martin Ellingham. He can save your life,family planet even. He just doesn't have to be polite about it !.Bedside manner was never his strongest quality.

Calling himself "Doctor" is his promise and a metaphor. People he tries to help or befriend are his "patients" . Sometimes he can't save them all.

Looking forward to the 2016 Christams special and seeing him and new companion Bill in action for S10 April-July 2017.
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