Power levels fluctuating
Filed under Tips & Tools on July 28, 2009
Tagged: fantasy fiction, superheroes
I recently watched disc 1 of Justice League animated series’ first season. I’ve been a fan of Bruce Timm’s other DC universe productions, but found myself sorely disappointed in this particular endeavor for one reason alone: lazy writing.
How do I know the writers were lazy? Because they committed a cardinal sin of comic book writing. Rather than coming up with creative ways to foil the combined (or individual) might of earth’s greatest superheroes, the writers opted to simply cripple their powers when the plot mandated that they fail. One minute the heroes would be pummeling their way through the ranks of the bad guys, and the next the Flash would trip on a rock or Superman would succumb to an electrified barrier that protected the door leading to the control room, and they would be captured. Then, when it came time for the climatic battle, they would once again become unstoppable.
It’s not unusual for the power levels of a superhero to fluctuate over time as new creative teams take over, but to do so with the same story is a sign the writers aren’t taking the time to fill in the plotholes. Instead, they rely on a kind of reverse deus ex machina, creating artificial conflict where none should exist.
This laziness is not limited to superhero stories. It can worm its way into any fantasy fiction story. The skilled weapons master fumbles at a key moment against an opponent he obviously has the upper hand against. Or a powerful wizard’s spell that blew a hole in the foot-thick stone wall just a moment ago, now fails to do lethal damage to the dark lord’s mortal minions (with no justification for the change).
Readers, and viewers, can spot the contrivance from a mile away, so spend some time coming up with real challenges for your heroes. Pit them against enemies that can take the punishment and dish it out in kind, or who have the ability to exploit a weakness that you’ve set up prior to the encounter.
Another option is to lower the power levels. Invincible heroes might seem cool in our heads, with their ability to mow down enemies and not break a sweat, but they don’t make for very good storytelling. Your audience won’t relate, and they won’t care about the heroes because nothing can happen to them.
July 29th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
Great post. You’re right that you see this in all fiction, even video games. The first thing I thought was the time I two-hit Darth Malak on the Leviathan (that is, two quick hits and he was at min-HP-1 and I had full health still), but Bastila had to save me. For reals?
Ah, storytelling…
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