In my experience, many superhero novels have been novelizations of various comic book story arcs, such as The Death of Superman or Kingdom Come. While there have been successful superhero series, such as Wild Cards, there have been few individual novels. Among the individual novels have been John Ridley’s Those Who Walk in Darkness and What Fire Cannot Burn, where those with superpowers are largely the adversaries. Then there is It’s Superman by Tom De Haven, which is a retelling of the rise of Superman in a more realistic context of 1930s America, where New York replaces Metropolis and Supe’s suit is actually a costume left over from a bad science fiction movie.
Soon I Will Be Invincible takes place in a unique superhero world with its own history, heroes, and villains. It is different from the above novels in that it tries to maintain all the conventions of the genre while also trying to make the characters more realistic and examine the motivations for what they do.
This is done through the eyes of two characters: Dr. Impossible, the main villain who fills the role of evil genius; and Fatale, a female cyborg who is invited to join a world famous superhero team as a probationary member. The chapters of the book alternate between these two characters, showing the work of superpowers from their perspectives.
Beyond this, there are many other characters that are easily identified: Blackwolf, the dark crimefighter; CoreFire, the world’s mightiest hero; Feral, a menacing, feline-human mutant with claws and anger. If there is a super archetype, it’s in this book. The difference is that you also see their character flaws and the dysfunction in their interactions.
The plot revolves around the escape of Dr. Impossible, and yet another plan of his to rule the world. His twelfth such plan in fact. It also involves the disappearance of CoreFire and the following investigation.
In this book, the plot is almost secondary to the thoughts and interactions of the characters and the way in which they look at their life in relation to having powers or being part of the super community. And this is where the interest lay for me.
Are there any useful tidbits for gaming? The one that stands out is the “diagnosis” of evil genius, which is called Malign Hypercognition Disorder. Another may be the breakdown of the powered community at the very beginning of the book. And finally, the motivations for both villains and heroes may be useful to those who like to play in this genre.
Overall, Soon I Will Be Invincible is a fast, fun read. There are some surprises in the plot that you don’t expect and you may get a new view of your favorite, super-powered archetype.
