Powerless

Powerless depicts a world of superheroes and supervillains. Traditional superhero fiction typically revolves around people with extraordinary abilities or skills who use their powers to protect society from villains and threats. Daniel is an atypical protagonist for a superhero story: He’s an everyday kid who suddenly finds himself surrounded by kids with extraordinary abilities. Author Matthew Cody’s background in reading comic books influenced him to write superhero fiction from a different perspective. Rather than an adventure story where the main character vanquishes the villain through incredible power, Powerless depicts how Daniel uses his wits and intelligence to outmaneuver the Shroud and save his friends, showing that someone doesn’t need superpowers to be a hero. In fact, Daniel is the only one who can vanquish the villain because his lack of powers means he can touch the stone that would drain his friends’ powers.

Though Powerless subverts many common tropes of superhero fiction, it also pays homage to comic-book tales of traditional heroes and the villains they fight. Mollie, Eric, and the other supers display abilities commonly associated with superheroes, such as incredible strength, flight, heightened senses, and invisibility. Each power has its own benefits and drawbacks. As a team, the kids have learned how to compensate for each other’s weaknesses, much like popular superhero groups such as the Justice League and Avengers. Also like these groups, the supers strive to do good and use their powers to help within the confines of imposed restrictions. Across the genre, a major rule of being a superhero is to never reveal one’s identity. Cody takes this concept a step further with the rules the Shroud develops for the kids to follow. In addition to keeping their powers a secret, the kids are also instructed to do good, stay away from the quarry, and be prepared to lose their powers at age 13. The rules put additional pressure on the kids. On top of living double lives and trying to always do good, they must also live with the knowledge their lives will change without their consent, something traditional superheroes typically do not face.

Cody also plays with tropes surrounding the villains that populate superhero fiction. Like such villains, the Shroud is a dark figure with great power and a nefarious purpose that is revealed in a lengthy monologue. Rather than world domination or widespread destruction, the Shroud is completely motivated by anger and jealousy, which he has warped into his twisted version of protection. While many traditional supervillains are flat characters with simple, unchanging motives, the Shroud’s backstory and motivations make him a more well-rounded character. As the only kid in a random accident not to receive superpowers, the Shroud could be a sympathetic character under different circumstances, but his choice to pursue vengeance makes him villainous. The Shroud steals superpowers out of a twisted belief that he is saving the world. In his mind, he is doing the right thing, and he is unable to see that he is evil, unlike traditional villains who bask in their evil deeds. At the end of the book, the Shroud seeks a successor in Daniel, yet another way he departs from typical villains. Often, villains are motivated by the goal of remaining all-powerful forever. Despite his power, the Shroud recognizes his own mortality. He knows his limitations and works with them. In many ways, this makes him more dangerous than traditional villains because he is flexible and able to change his plans, making him unpredictable.