With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
(featured 4/23/15 on Florentine Lily)
Admit it. Superpowers are cool. If they weren’t, you wouldn’t find them in so many movies and television series. People just can’t seem to stop daydreaming about what life would be like with special abilities. It doesn’t really matter how we get them, either. Whether it’s a spider bite or a tumble into a vat of toxic waste, the idea of being a super hero—or a super villain—speaks to a longing deep inside all of us.
I’m definitely not immune to that longing. As a kid, I spent hours imagining myself as Wonder Woman, Isis, and the Bionic Woman. Not the coolest names, maybe, but that was a long time ago—and it was all they showed on the five channels I could tune in on our console television.
And when I wasn’t pretending to be a super hero, I was crushing on one. My girlish heart thumped regularly over Peter Parker, Bruce Banner (when he wasn’t green), and Clark Kent. It seemed perfectly reasonable to idolize men like this. If I couldn’t be extraordinary myself, an extraordinary love interest was the next best thing, right?
So it’s no surprise that I ended up writing a novel about mankind evolving into a species with powerful skills. I had no end of fun choosing the ones my characters would have. And it was inevitable that my personal favorites found their way into the story. Here are my top three:
Telekinesis: This is probably at the top of the list for many, and it’s definitely my all-time favorite. There’s really nothing cooler than being able to move objects with your mind. Telekinesis can take many forms, but I gave Willow the ability to move pretty much everything in her vicinity. I also tied it to her emotions, which will force her to mature in order to control it. Watch out, Core citizens, because this young lady is going to be unstoppable.
Enhanced Marksmanship: I could definitely have used this ability when learning to shoot BB and pellet guns on the farm. If you’ve never fired a gun, let me tell you, it’s not easy lining up sights. So I gave Aspen the skill for enhanced marksmanship. You don't want to be staring down the business end of anything this boy is holding. He can hit any target he aims at, with any weapon, and that’s one reason he’s so confident.
Pyrokinesis: My love for the ability to create and manipulate flame started with Marvel’s Angelica Jones and became a true fascination after reading Firestarter by Stephen King. Seriously, how awesome is it to be able to roast your mortal enemies like marshmallows? This amazing skill went to Duncan, a guard in Willow’s security detail. It’s the reason for his phoenix tattoo and actually caused him a great deal of childhood trauma (something I hope to expand on later in the series).
So there you have it. Three fabulous abilities, three unsuspecting characters trying to control them. One thing I tried to keep in mind was the dark side of having a special power. The whole “with great power comes great responsibility” thing really is true. Remember that the next time you fall into a vat of toxic waste.
Photo credit: Blog Tour Banner by Ashley Ruggirello, REUTS Publications; Wonder Woman via http://bit.ly/1QEMU5H
