On Heros: Alphas, Betas and Omegas
May. 27th, 2010 09:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
valarltdWe bump up against several kinds of heros in our romance novels.
I like the Alpha Hero. This is our Manly Man. He goes out and hunts lions. He flies planes. He fights the villain barehanded. He can be smart, but he's more likely to hear of the Head of Vecna (which requires the user to decapitate himself in order to use it) and go "ooo, cool. Do want!" (in whatever vernacular he speaks) Edward Kilsby is an Alpha. Torturo the Pain King is an Alpha. Ulysses Carter, Paul the Big Bad Wolf, Ruvane Delkroy, Ma Cat from "Meanwhile Back at the Ranch," all Alphas.
It's the Beta's job to keep him from doing this. Beta heroes don't fight lions. They MIGHT trap them, but they mostly prefer their lions in books or as stuffed toys. He might fly, but he probably gets airsick. He out-thinks the villain. And most importantly, he's the one who suggests trying the Head of Vecna on someone else, who is more expendable. Charlie Doyle is definitely a Beta. David Inman is a Beta. Danior Camomescro totally identifies as a Beta. Both Gabe and Sean are betas.
The omega... He's what the Alpha spends his reward on. He's not usually a hero. He's usually a bedslave, a whore or just a pretty boy who hangs around. Etarin. Adlai Goodman and Samir start as omegas. Adlai becomes a Beta, with designs on being an Alpha.
For you, what defines an alpha or beta? Do you see many omegas?
I like the Alpha Hero. This is our Manly Man. He goes out and hunts lions. He flies planes. He fights the villain barehanded. He can be smart, but he's more likely to hear of the Head of Vecna (which requires the user to decapitate himself in order to use it) and go "ooo, cool. Do want!" (in whatever vernacular he speaks) Edward Kilsby is an Alpha. Torturo the Pain King is an Alpha. Ulysses Carter, Paul the Big Bad Wolf, Ruvane Delkroy, Ma Cat from "Meanwhile Back at the Ranch," all Alphas.
It's the Beta's job to keep him from doing this. Beta heroes don't fight lions. They MIGHT trap them, but they mostly prefer their lions in books or as stuffed toys. He might fly, but he probably gets airsick. He out-thinks the villain. And most importantly, he's the one who suggests trying the Head of Vecna on someone else, who is more expendable. Charlie Doyle is definitely a Beta. David Inman is a Beta. Danior Camomescro totally identifies as a Beta. Both Gabe and Sean are betas.
The omega... He's what the Alpha spends his reward on. He's not usually a hero. He's usually a bedslave, a whore or just a pretty boy who hangs around. Etarin. Adlai Goodman and Samir start as omegas. Adlai becomes a Beta, with designs on being an Alpha.
For you, what defines an alpha or beta? Do you see many omegas?
