100 Questions Essay Test by Rich  Mary Sue Litmus Test

This list of questions was original designed for creating super heroes and super villains. It can be easily modified for any genre a writer chooses.

Character Name(s)

• Birth Name (This is what the character's name was at birth.)
  
• Current Identity? (If the character has a different name and/or additional identity.)
  
• Nickname? (If the character is known by a nickname such as: Superman, Spiderman, Wolverine, Sylar, etc. How did he/she get it?)

Demographics (Birth place, Age, Cultural Background/Ethnic Heritage, Occupation, Income source)

Description (What does the character look like? Does he have any weakness and/or disabilities? Mantis could not walk and needed a special suit to enable him to. Daredevil is blind. Ironman has a quirky power generator in his chest.)

Personality? Personality quirks?

Love Interest (Superman has Lois Lane. Spiderman has Maryjane. Wolverine has Jean Gray. Sylar... they don't live long.)

Family, Friends, Sidekicks, Assistants, Butlers, etc. (Superman, in Lois in Clark, would call his parents for various things, including how to get a stain out of the material his costume was made out of. Spiderman has his aunt. Wolverine, in the movies, has Rogue. Batman has Alfred, his trusty butler. Sylar had his mother... that didn't work out.)

Disguise/Super hero or villian form: (Does the character have battle gear and/or equipment? Batman, Mantis, X-Men (in the movies.) Anything noticeable/memorable. Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider does have problems standing out with his flaming skull.)

Cool gadgets: (Batman has lots of toys from the Bat Mobile to a plane and everything else. Mantis was a scientist with a lab and various vehicles and such. Viper and Michael Knight (jr included) have cool cars. Punisher improvises well.)

Super Hero/Villain abilities, powers, skills: (Superman can fly, is superhuman strong and has laser vision. Spiderman can crawl up walls, can swing on spider thread, and is a photographer. Wolverine is nearly indestructible and has retractable claws. Sylar is a demigod who develops powers he absorbs from other people and is good with clocks.)

Super Hero/Villain weaknesses: (Superman loses his power in the presence of kryponite. Spiderman does not take damage well. Wolverine is susceptible to metal manipulating power because of his claws and whatever Rogue does to him. Sylar... his weakness seems to be bad luck.)

How did the hero and villain come to be a hero and villain? What is it that makes them hate each other? (In Smallville, the newest version of Superman, Clark and Lex have the same taste in women and different views on ethics. They started off friends. It didn't work out.)

What city are the hero and villain arguing over? How did they both wind up in the same city?