No matter what the characters in your story might be doing–fighting crime, resisting alien invasion, surviving in a harsh radioactive wasteland, or just working in an office–sometimes it's fun to remove them from their ‘regular’ activities and place them somewhere different and out of their social comfort zone.

Weddings, christenings, memorials, funerals, retirement parties, family dinners, birthday parties–can give you and the reader a new perspective on the characters, revealing aspects about them you would not normally see.



Now big events like weddings in comic books tend not to end well if a main character is involved. Something always seems to go wrong. The trope is that one of the bride and groom will be dead or in a coma before the end of the ceremony. Main characters getting married and settled is usually a bit of a tension-killer, story-wise, so they are made to suffer instead. The phrase “'Til death do us part” is just too loaded to ignore. Similarly, if it's the main character's funeral there's an expectation that they are not really dead and will pop up again soon.





But what about wedding of someone distantly related to the main character? A third cousin, or an aunt who is remarrying for the fifth time, for example. Now there's no expectation that terrible things have to happen. Instead you can explore what your characters feel about weddings, love, marriage, etc., without the inevitable unhappy resolution. Clark Kent accompanying Lois Lane to her old high school best friend's wedding could end up raising all sorts of tensions about their own relationship, whatever stage it is in. Why are they not engaged yet? How do Kryptonians consider the institution of marriage anyway? Would Clark expect Lois to give up her career to raise a family? Can they even have kids? Wait? Does he have a ring in his pocket just waiting for the right moment?

Funerals can offer similar scope for inward retrospection. Bruce Wayne, at the funeral of a co-worker he barely knew marvels at how many friends the man had, and how they all have good things to say about the guy. What will they say about him when he's gone? Nothing that complimentary, he's sure. The bruised ribs he's nursing from a recent fight with Killer Croc only serve to remind him of his own mortality. Then he realises he has to give a speech about the deceased. What does he say? Why this is much harder than fighting villains! This is absolutely terrifying!!



Family dinners can be a way to explore the political leanings of your characters. Imagine Steve Rodgers being invited to a Thanksgiving dinner by a friend, but the mother is explicitly racist when she speaks. Does Steve stay quiet, out of politeness, or try to challenge the woman who is his host for the evening? Does he make an excuse and leave, or just vent to the friend that invited him later? Whatever he does, does that fundamentally change the friendship, for better or worse?

A company picnic can take your store workers or desk jockeys out into the harsh light of nature, and you might discover one of them is a little too competitive when it comes to the three-legged race the boss forces them to run, or is allergic to bee stings, or seems to know half of the people at the park somehow, by name.

A Christening could provide a much needed break from defending against radioactive scorpions and mutant raiders in the wastelands, and allow the characters to have a glimmer of hope. Maybe there is a future for the world after all, and all their fighting and suffering will pay off eventually? But is it a future any of them will ever see? Bittersweet hopes and dreams.

An office Christmas party offers a range of possible emotions and ideas to explore, from loneliness and isolation during the holiday season to the fairest way to divide up a cake. And wasn't there a ten dollar limit for gifts, so how come Allan has given Sabrina a new Ferrari?

What events, ceremonies, or other gatherings have taken your characters out of their comfort zone and revealed new aspects to their personalities?

— Gunwallace

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