In the OG version of Neo-Man, Lumina added most of the emotional depth, which certainly helped strengthen the storytelling. But its titular protagonist, Keith, was pretty flat. He had no real origin or a “why”. After I learned how to draw better pictures and write better stories in art school, I took it upon myself to give Neo-Man the proper overhaul I strongly felt it deserved. Yet, it wasn’t until the global pandemic put the US in quarantine in 2020 that I gave myself the time and focus on developing more of Keith’s character.

The pandemic may or may have not inspired me to set the story in some sort of global crisis... that’s not really certain. But such a premise could easily lay way for some world-building and plot devices that feel grounded in reality.

So, where does Keith come into all of this? I was still really struggling to come up with an answer. But that’s exactly what became is origin: He starts off directionless. He hasn't found his "why" in the story yet. Not until some mentor figure - his father - nudges him on the path to better himself in ways that also better the crumbling world around him. This again, is where the power of kindness establishes itself as one of the story’s main themes.

Keith's design went through minor tweaks in early development of the modern overhaul. Most notably, I gave him messy hair to further hit home his laid-back nature. It also makes him look more distinct and it expresses more of the Japanese manga/anime influences that readers are bound to identify in the series.

Fun Fact: the high amount of Neo-X electricity in Keith's brain causes his hair to spike. In as many panels as I see fit, Keith scratches his head both as a display of nervous habit and so he can scratch the itch the static emits; the scratching only messes his hair up more, making it a vicious cycle that Lumina continues to comment on (a recurring gag for at least the first half of the series). So, while this aspect makes the story somewhat humorously self-aware of its use ot the spiky-haired protagonist trope, there is canonical lore behind the bit.

The OG Neo-Man always had the ability to just magically manipulate the green-glowing plasma we now know as Neo-X, but there was no real explanation as to how he could do so, or what its limitations were.

To go on a bit of a tangent, the pseudosciences that connect the concept of consciousness with that of the soul and the interconnectivity of universe has greatly inspired and influenced my beliefs. You can see a lot of those and other spiritual motifs in my writing: setting the story in a place called Eden: a city disgraced by sin; Angel Bees, among other things. Taking from the idea of power in empathy, I thought an extension of the kindness of Keith’s soul would manifest into a virtually endless arsenal of plasma-like weapons. So instead of a superhero who chooses to use their inherently neutral powers for good, Neo-Man’s powers can only be activated by being good.

Besides, lightsaber nunchucks and laser ninja stars are not something I think has ever been done before, and make up for arguably the coolest idea I’ve ever created.

"Xcalibur" concept art

I only recently came across the 3-section staff, which is my new favorite weapon. It's like a cross between a bo staff and nunchucks, both of which were already planned to be added to Neo-Man's ever-growing arsenal. That being said, I combined all three into an interchangeable weapon made of the same nanotrons he uses for Xcalibur.

Concept Art of Neo-Man using what I now call "NunchuX".

NunchuX Illustration