Martin 8th Language Arts

Create A Superhero
You have just been contacted by DC Comics, the comic book company that
publishes the tales of such superheroes as Superman, Batman, and Flash. They’re
looking for a fresh, new superhero to create a series of comics for and they want you to
come up with a character.
You’ll need to come up with a description of the next DC Comics superhero. The
editors at the company have asked that you submit a 4-paragraph proposal explaining
who your character is and why they are heroic.
Here are the specifics...

Paragraph #1: Who is your superhero? Where do they live? What do they
look like?
Ladies and gentlemen, meet the next DC Comics superhero—Super Bad Granny!
Lucille Higginbottoms is just your regular grandmother by day who resides at the
Peaceful Palace Rest Home. She has grey, curly hair, and can always be seen wearing
her favorite lavender cardigan. She enjoys watching Jeopardy and knitting stockings.
But once she rolls her wheelchair into the recreation room closet, she transforms into—
Super Bad Granny! SBG-ma exits the closet in a lavender cape and a rocket-powered
wheelchair.
Paragraph #2: What are two of your superhero’s superpowers/weapons and
against whom does he/she use them?
Super Bad Granny has two super weapons that she uses against evildoers. The
weapons she uses most frequently are her “knitting needles of torture.” These steely
needles can be used to poke any youngin’ who disrupts the peace in Peaceful Palace
Park. The worst violators of the peace are the hooligan skateboarders of the Scrape n’
Scab Gang. These terrible teens shred and slide all over the park until Super Bad Granny
breaks out the needles. One poke can send a skater punk crying to his momma. And if
the needles don’t scare the Scrape n’ Scab gang off, the “power pinch of pain” will. This
is Super Bad Granny’s signature move. She rocketchairs up to a skateboarder and
pinches his cheek or ear. The last punk to be power pinched spent two weeks in
intensive care.
Paragraph #3: What is your superhero’s one weakness and how does their
enemy use it against them?
As with all superheroes, however, Super Bad Granny has a weakness, a game of
“Go Fish.” Lucille Higgenbottoms can’t resist the card game and will let the Scrape n’
Scabbers destroy the quiet of the park if someone gets a game going. The gang knows
this, so they try to persuade the elderly residents in the park to go inside and play “Go
Fish.” That’s why Lucille keeps an eye out for any skater punks. At the first sign of a
skateboard, she must transform to Super Bad Granny to protect the park.
Paragraph #4: Why is your superhero especially heroic and deserving of
his/her own comic book series? Who would be the target audience?
As the baby boomer generation (a large percentage of our population) ages, they
need a hero who is close to their age and relevant to them. When society tells them
they’re out-dated or have little left to offer, the image of Super Bad Granny warding off
young punks with knitting needles a-blaze will reassure senior citizens that their courage
and can-do spirit remain unconquerable. In addition, Super Bad Granny will remind
younger readers that the elderly are not to be messed with—they are to be respected.
America needs a Super Bad Granny! DC Comics editors, get ready for Super Bad Granny
to rocketchair to the rescue!
Grading
5 pts—Completed Brainstorm
15pts-- Rough Draft
20 pts—Organization (all details are included and in the correct order)
20 pts—Elaboration (details are backed up with fun, interesting, appropriate
descriptions, vivid verbs and specific nouns are used)
10pts—Conventions (includes grammar, punctuation, spelling, sentence
Structure, and format)
***up to 8 pts. extra credit for an illustration of or comic book cover with your
character***
Format
 In upper left corner (single-spaced)—
Your Name
6th Period L.A./Martin
11/9/11
 Center title-- “Super Bad Granny”
 12 point font
 Regular default margins
 Length—350 words minimum
 Double-spaced
Brainstorm
Superhero’s
Name:_________________________________________________________________________
Superhero’s
Description:____________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Superhero’s
Home:_________________________________________________________________________
Superhero
powers/weapons:_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Superhero’s
Enemy/Enemies:_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Superhero’s
Weakness:______________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Why is your Superhero especially heroic and deserving of a comic book? Who would be
the target
audience?:_______________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________

Superhero Essay Rubric

Organization /15
Four indented paragraphs are present, each addressing the given questions:
/3 Paragraph #1: Who is your superhero? Where do they live? What do they look like?
/3 Paragraph #2: What are two of your superhero’s superpowers/weapons and against whom
do they use them?
/3 Paragraph #3: What is your superhero’s one weakness and how does their enemy use it
against them?
/3 Paragraph #4: Why is your superhero especially heroic and deserving of their own comic
book series?
/3 The essay flows together well
Elaboration /15
/5 Word choice (vivid verbs, specific nouns, and eye-catching adjectives/adverbs)
/5 Interesting, original detail
/5 Ideas are logical, well-developed, and well-explained
Conventions /10
/7 Proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation
/3 Proper format (12 pt. font, dbl.-spc., centered title, name, 350 words min.)
Extra Credit /10

Superhero Essay Rubric

Organization /15
Four indented paragraphs are present, each addressing the given questions:
/3 Paragraph #1: Who is your superhero? Where do they live? What do they look like?
/3 Paragraph #2: What are two of your superhero’s superpowers/weapons and against whom
do they use them?
/3 Paragraph #3: What is your superhero’s one weakness and how does their enemy use it
against them?
/3 Paragraph #4: Why is your superhero especially heroic and deserving of their own comic
book series?
/3 The essay flows together well
Elaboration /15
/5 Word choice (vivid verbs, specific nouns, and eye-catching adjectives/adverbs)
/5 Interesting, original detail
/5 Ideas are logical, well-developed, and well-explained
Conventions /10
/7 Proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation
 /3 Proper format (12 pt. font, dbl.-spc., centered title, name, 350 words min.)
Extra Credit /10

Superhero Essay Rubric

Organization /15
Four indented paragraphs are present, each addressing the given questions:
/3 Paragraph #1: Who is your superhero? Where do they live? What do they look like?
/3 Paragraph #2: What are two of your superhero’s superpowers/weapons and against whom
do they use them?
/3 Paragraph #3: What is your superhero’s one weakness and how does their enemy use it
against them?
/3 Paragraph #4: Why is your superhero especially heroic and deserving of their own comic
book series?
/3 The essay flows together well
Elaboration /15
/5 Word choice (vivid verbs, specific nouns, and eye-catching adjectives/adverbs)
/5 Interesting, original detail
/5 Ideas are logical, well-developed, and well-explained
Conventions /10
/7 Proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation
/3 Proper format (12 pt. font, dbl.-spc., centered title, name, 350 words min.)
Extra Credit /10