Superhero Roleplay Prompts

Twenty original superhero roleplay prompts with your own heroes and villains: new powers, secret identities, city-wide crises and the strange everyday life of people who can fly. Each has a hook and a first message ready to paste.

Everything here is original. Minkplay doesn't use characters from existing comics, films or games. Invent your own heroes, cities and villains. It's half the fun, and your story isn't bound by anyone else's continuity.

Build your hero

A memorable original hero needs:

• A power with a limit. Super strength that breaks everything they touch. Flight that only works when they're happy. Limits create drama.
• A secret. Who they are, how they got their power, what it costs them.
• A reason. Why do they do this? Guilt, duty, revenge, joy?
• A normal life that's at risk. A job, a family, a relationship.

Origins

1. The first sign. You've just stopped a falling bus with one hand. You were trying to catch your coffee.

Everyone on the street is staring at me. The bus is resting on my palm. "…Okay. Okay. Nobody film this. Please."

2. The power swap. You've accidentally swapped powers with the city's most famous hero. They can't fly anymore. You can.

I'm hovering three feet above my kitchen floor. "How do you land?"

3. The lab accident. You were a lab assistant. Now you can hear electricity. The scientist responsible wants to "study" you.

Every lightbulb in the room hums at a different pitch. "I'm not going back in that room. Tell me how to make it stop."

4. The inherited mantle. Your grandmother was a retired hero. She's left you her costume, her secrets and her arch-enemy.

The lawyer slides a sealed box across the desk. "Your grandmother's will specifies you get the box. And a warning: 'He'll know.'"

Secret identity

5. The roommate. Your roommate keeps coming home injured at 3am. The city's newest vigilante has the same injuries.

I hand them an ice pack without a word. "Rough night at the… library?"

6. The reporter. You're the reporter assigned to unmask the city's masked hero. You're starting to suspect it's your editor.

I drop the photo on my editor's desk. "Same scar. Same watch. Same terrible taste in coffee."

7. The date. Your date keeps getting interrupted by emergencies. You're beginning to think it's not a coincidence.

Third time they've excused themselves in an hour. "Is there something you want to tell me?" "…I have a very demanding cat?"

8. The almost-reveal. A villain has captured you and your best friend. Your friend is the hero, and can't save you without revealing it.

We're tied back to back. I whisper, "I know it's you. It's fine. Just go."

Heroes and villains

9. The villain's offer. The city's most dangerous villain has asked for a meeting. They want to quit. They need your help.

She sets down her mask on the café table. "I'm tired. I want out. And the only people who'll let me go are the ones who want me dead."

10. The nemesis at the bakery. Your arch-nemesis has opened a bakery opposite your flat. The croissants are incredible. You're furious.

I buy two, glaring. "Is this a scheme?" "It's a croissant."

11. The henchman's resignation. You're a henchman. You've just handed in your notice. Your boss is taking it personally.

"Two weeks' notice." The villain stares at my letter. "This is the most hurtful thing anyone's ever done to me."

12. The hero's sidekick. You're the sidekick. The hero's gone missing, and the city thinks you're not enough.

I stand on the rooftop where we always met. "Okay. It's just me. Let's see if that's enough."

Teams and training

13. The team that doesn't work. Four heroes have been forced to work as a team. They hate each other. You've been hired to make it work.

I stand at the front of the briefing room. "Rule one: no lasers indoors. Rule two: stop setting each other on fire."

14. The academy. You've been accepted to a school for young heroes. Your power is very rare and very inconvenient.

"Your power is…" The instructor reads my file. "Making plants grow? During combat?" "Ivy's surprisingly strong."

15. The retired hero's comeback. A retired hero needs to come back for one last mission. You're their new, very nervous partner.

The old hero cracks their knuckles. "Twenty years. Let's see if the knees still work."

16. The power that's getting worse. Your powers are growing out of control. The only person who can help is your old mentor, who you haven't spoken to in years.

The windows shake as I stand on their doorstep. "I know. I know. I need help."

City-wide crisis

17. The blackout. The whole city has lost power. All the heroes have lost theirs too, except you.

The city's quiet. No lights, no sirens. "Okay. I'm the only one. What do I do first?"

18. The evacuation. A storm is coming. You can't stop it. You can only help people get out.

I land on the roof of the hospital. "Who's still inside? I can carry four at a time."

19. The memory wipe. Everyone in the city has forgotten heroes ever existed, including the heroes. Except you.

I show my old teammate a photo of us in costume. "This is you. You saved the bridge. Do you really not remember?"

20. The hero on trial. A hero is on trial for the damage caused by a battle that saved the city. You're on the jury.

The hero meets my eyes from across the courtroom. "I'd do it again. I'd just like someone to understand why."

Tips for superhero roleplay

• Powers need limits. Unlimited power kills stakes.
• Everyday life matters. Rent, jobs and relationships ground the story.
• Villains have reasons. See writing a villain.

For hidden identities, see secret identity. For hero battles that stay exciting, writing fight scenes. And for a hero with a prophecy, try chosen one.

Heroic characters on Minkplay

Thor the Thunderbringer, Defender of Midgard, is a mythic hero you met after helping defend a village from raiders. Sergeant Derek Vance is a different kind of hero, holding the last checkpoint bridge. Both are listed below.