History ComicBook / TheStrangeTalentOfLutherStrode

* UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper: Implied to be one of the members of the cult. [[spoiler: He is and Luther fights him in ''Legend''.]]

* MasterOfYourDomain: This is essentially how the Hercules Method works. The students concentrate until they can bring all of their physiological processes under their control.
* MookHorrorShow: [[spoiler:Heavily invoked in the first issue of ''The Legend of Luther Strode'' and outright shown in other instances.]]

* MyGreatestFailure: Luther could not save Pete who was nailed to the wall with knives by The Librarian. And to make it worse he was triked into accidentally killing his own mother and what really drive the knife deeper into the wound is when Luther, after he seemingly defeated the Librarian, try to get his mother out of the warehouse he admits that all he truly wanted was to get better in order to keep her safe and apologise to her, but its already too late.

* {{Cain}}: The story is about the eponymous character gaining superpowers thanks to the Hercules Method based on a ReligionOfEvil, made by noneless than Cain himself [[spoiler:who's alive and is the BigBad of the story.]]

* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: One of the key tenets of the philosophy espoused by the murder cult that the Librarian represents. It is not surprising considering that its founder is [[spoiler:Cain from Literature/TheBible]].

* AwesomeMcCoolname: Luther Strode.

* KnifeNut: [[spoiler:Jack the Ripper, to the surprise of no-one.]]

* NietzscheWannabe: The Librarian. Luther Strode even [[LampshadeHanging calls him one]] after hearing his MotiveRant.

* TrainingFromHell: Averted. The Hercules Method, as portrayed in the comic, is very low impact with a heavy emphasis on meditation techniques similar to ones found in self-help books. The transformation Luther experiences [[{{Understatement}} is not typical]].

* {{Deconstruction}}: The series primarely picks apart CharlesAtlasSuperpower, FantasticFightingStyle, and the way society tends to glorify or idealize badass heroes that can beat the hell out of anybody. Hell, the basic message at the end of the series is that you should use your gifts to be a better person because anyone can go push people around but that doesn't help anything and you're not really making things better.

* EvilCounterpart: The Librarian was also a social outcast and frail man who discovered the Hercules Method, [[NotSoDifferent a fact that he enjoys harping upon]].

* MyGreatestFailure: Luther could not save Pete who was nailed to the wall with knives by The Laibrarin. And to make it worse he was triked into accidentally killing his own mother and what really drive the knife deeper into the wound is when Luther, after he seemingly defeated the Laibrarin, try to get his mother out of the warehouse he admits that all he truly wanted was to get better in order to keep her safe and apologise to her, but its already too late.

* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler:Luther.]]

** The Shooter, a nameless black gunslinger and former slave who goes around killing those who'd prey on and enslave innocent in a poncho has [[BlatantLies nothing to do with]] the film that was released a year prior featuring Creator/JamieFoxx as a black slave turned gunslinger. or a [[Film/DollarsTrilogy famous series of films]] featuring a nameless poncho wearing cowboy.

** The Shooter, a nameless black gunslinger and former slave who goes around killing those who'd prey on and enslave innocent in a poncho has [[BlantantLies nothing to do with]] the film that was released a year prior featuring JamieFoxx as a black slave turned gunslinger. or a [[DollarsaTriolgy famous series of films]] featuring a nameless poncho wearing cowboy.

** The Stranger, a black gunslinger and former slave who goes around killing those who'd prey on and enslave innocent in a poncho has [[BlantantLies nothing to do with the film that was released a year prior featuring Jamie foxx as a

** This seems to be the reason a lot of students of the method7are bound is because they enjoy the act of murder or thrill of the fight too much to resist the urge.

* JediMindTrick: Delilah's special ability allows her to subtly influence the minds of others. However, there are limits considering she could not influence an aggressive member of the Bound.
* JerkJock: Jacobson. So much so, one would think the "V" on his varsity jacket stands for "Violent."

* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Deconstructed. The Hercules Method can turn you into an incredibly powerful being but [[PowerAtAPrice at a steep price]]. In the end of Strange Talent, Luther is so distraught that [[spoiler: [[DrivenToSuicide he doesn't bother defending himself when he is being gunned by the police]]. Unfortunately for him [[HeGotBetter it doesn't take and he wakes up in the morgue after being processed for death.]]]]

* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Deconstructed. The Hercules Method can turn you into an incredibly powerful being but [[PowerAtAPrice at a steep price]]. In the end, Luther is so distraught that [[spoiler: [[DrivenToSuicide he doesn't bother defending himself when he is being gunned by the police]]]].

-->'''Justin Jordan''':: ''[[BlessedWithSuck All he sees, any time he looks at a person, is meat. Every glance tells him exactly how to kill them and how easy it would be.]] That's the sort of thing that will fuck a kid up.''

* {{Deconstruction}}: The series primarely picks apart CharlesAtlasSuperpower, FantasticFightingStyle, and the way society tends to glorify or idealize badass heroes that can beat the hell out of anybody. Hell, the basic message at the end of the series is that you should use your gifts to be a better person because anyone can go push people around but that doesn't help anything and your not really making things better.
** FantasticFightingStyle is deconstructed with the effects the Method has on the students. Sure, it can make you a badass capable of killing mooks en mass like you're Franchise/JohnWick but the enhanced awareness granted by the Method that allows you to dodge bullets and predict you opponent's every move also constantly makes you aware of how fragile and easy to break normal people are. The constant input makes you see people as bags of meat and bone that you know how to kill 50 times over. Combine that with the rush of having a superhuman body and being able to do what you want without anyone stopping you make you lose more and more empathy with others until the people around you start to look like nothing more than targets and weaklings to be slaughtered.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: The Shooter doesn't like it when someone treats other people like they were things, tool, pieces of meat to be bought and sold. Musashi refused to make Luther watch Petra and Delilah die due to his honor and decide to give him the clean and good death he earned.

* FireKeepsItDead: Implied: We see both [[spoiler: Jack the Ripper]] and the Binder burning in flames (and in extreme pain), but both of them are rescued or killed before we can see if it's fatal.

* HealThyself: How the healing abilities of the students that practice the Hercules method work. Depending on the damage it may take more concentration to recover from serious injuries. [[spoiler: However, students will perish if too many vital organs or simply their brain/head is destroyed]].
* HeroOfAnotherStory: The Shooter is implied to be one, seemingly the most rational of the students Luther encounters and appears to be a vigilante that hunts down human traffickers

* ItAmusedMe: The Twins had doting parents and, for the most part, lovely childhood, they go around killing people because they like it.

* LogicalWeakness: Students of the method have conscious control their body and it's functions...but this control is reliant on nerves, and can be disrupted by neurotoxins and tasers, as exploited by The Binder. See RemovingTheHeadOrDestroyingTheBrain.
* MartialPacifist: Luther takes on this stance in ''Legacy of Luther Strode''. He now prefers talking and negotiating to wanton violence, but he rarely succeeds because most of his opponents are crazed berserkers itching for a fight. [[spoiler: He does manage to persuade Delilah to take his side by [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre convincing her that she could be better]] than simply being Cain's thrall]].

* OmnicidalManiac: [[spoiler: Cain]]

* PluckyComicRelief: Pete. [[spoiler: Until his death at the hands of the Librarian.]] Petra became this later on.

* RemovingTheHeadOrDestroyingTheBrain: The LogicalWeakness of the Hercules Method, as it relies on "communication between the mind and body." It's the fate of [[spoiler: The Libarian, The Binder and Jack the Ripper, among others.]]

* ShooOutTheClowns: This is arguably the purpose of Pete's death. [[spoiler: Though he does show up as a zombie in the ashcan to explain Luther's powers.]] While the story does have some humorous/happy moments in The Legend of Luther Strode, it never approaches the comedic elements present in the first issues of The Strange Talent.
* SocialDarwinist: Pretty much what Cain and his followers' happen to be. They believe in the strong killing and dominating over the weak.

* SuperSpeed: All students of the method, but it's[[spoiler: Jack the Ripper's]] defining talent, to the point he can carve intricate details into Luther's skin before the latter has time to react.

* XRayVision: An unusual version in that it's "Meat-o-vision" revealing the muscles rather than just the skeleton, and it's implied to be part of the greater awareness the Hercules method offers. Deconstructed, as it causes the {{Dehumanization}} of anyone the practitioner sees, as they're just "slabs of meat."