History WMG / TheReckonersTrilogy

* Or a mental power. There would be little to no indication of that.

* He got gifted powers though after that chat. Gifters can't give powers to other Epics which makes this a little more unlikely.

This is pretty reasonable, especially given that, just like Scion, Calamity showed up at the same time as powers began appearing, the superpowers have a build-in drive for conflict, and when [[spoiler: Calamity attempts to force a shard into David]] it/he uses similar [IDEA] communication as Scion [[spoiler: and Eden]] use in [[TraumaticSuperPowerAwakening the Trigger vision]].

This is pretty reasonable, especially given that, just like Scion, Calamity showed up at the same time as powers began appearing, the superpowers have a build-in drive for conflict, and [[spoiler: Calamity attempts to force a shard into David]].

David might still have powers thanks to his contact with Calamity, he just hasn't used them. He might not even know he has them, and they'll manifest at an appropriately dramatic moment.

Before Calamity, he was upset because somebody won a prize in a contest he didn't even enter, and [[spoiler: his ex-girlfriend Tia]] says he never gambled. According to the pattern seen with [[spoiler: other Epics]], this means [[spoiler: Prof's powers fail him]] when he indulges in games of chance, or otherwise takes risks. This explains why the Reckoners are slow and methodical. It's because Prof is risk-averse. [[spoiler: His actions at the climaxes of both books don't count, ''Literature/{{Steelheart}}'' because [[GoodThingYouCanHeal he was never in any]] ''[[ItsAllAboutMe personal]]'' [[ItsAllAboutMe danger]] from Steelheart, and ''Literature/{{Firefight}}'' because, ironically, David convinced him it was a sure thing.]]

[[WMG: [[PersonOfMassDestruction High Epic]] [[spoiler: Phaedrus]]'s weakness is gambling.]]
Before Calamity, he was upset because somebody won a prize in a contest he didn't even enter, and [[spoiler: his ex-girlfriend Tia]] says he never gambled. According to the pattern seen with other Epics, this means [[spoiler: Prof]]'s powers fail him when he indulges in games of chance, or otherwise takes risks. [[spoiler: This explains why the Reckoners are slow methodical. It's because Prof is afraid of taking risks. His actions at the climaxes of both books don't count, ''Literature/{{Steelheart}}'' because [[GoodThingYouCanHeal he was never in any]] ''personal'' danger from Steelheart, and ''Literature/{{Firefight}}'' because, ironically, David convinced him it was a sure thing.]]

* Confirmed as of {{Firefight}}.

We know that the key to overcoming the corruption is [[spoiler: the Epic's greatest fear, something from their past.]] So surely a person who actually ''knew'' [[spoiler: the person before they became an Epic]] would hold the key. Failing that, it's also possible that Tia [[spoiler: already knew Prof's weakness]] as a failsafe in case HeroicWillpower finally failed. Seems likely that reaching her before she can be killed will be a priority in Calamity.

[[WMG: [[spoiler: Tia]] will be the key to stopping [[spoiler: Prof]]. ]]
Now that David knows the connection between [[spoiler: weaknesses, corruption and Epics' pasts]], who better to help than a person who actually knew the homicidal Epic before Calamity came? There's a reasonable chance too that [[spoiler: Tia]] knew that Epic's weakness already. It would make sense to have an emergency plan, in case sheer resolve alone couldn't stave off the madness. Here's betting that the first part of the book Calamity involves finding [[spoiler: her before Prof can kill her, and then setting up a trap to force him into confronting his fears. With Megan to warp reality, it's possible they could do it relatively easily.]] Assuming the newly homicidal Epic doesn't kill them first.

[[WMG: [[spoiler Tia]] will be the key to stopping [[Prof]]. ]]

In ''{{Literature/Worm}}'', Scion is a glowing, divine-looking, [[spoiler:power-granting alien]]. Calamity comes from the same place, but is employing a different strategy with his power investment.

There's an obvious hurdle in emulating their powers, which is that they're explicitly physically impossible. Steelheart's most advanced equipment [[spoiler: and the Reckoners' gear]] is based off [[SuperEmpowering Transference Epics]]. The arms dealer who provides highly advanced equipment takes payment in the preserved, still-living cells of Epics. This is supposedly for research purposes, but quite possibly has the real purpose of installing cloned cells into the technology, actually using their powers directly instead of merely imitating them. The gun he sells to the Reckoners may actually be an exception; it's a coilgun (so we know how to make it today, in theory) that shoots highly energized projectiles and has a higher power draw than Newcago. If that were representative of the difficultly of replicating Epic powers scientifically, it would not be a thriving research field.

[[WMG: Calamity is the same type of being as Scion from ''Worm'']].
In [[Literature/Worm Worm]], Scion is a glowing, divine-looking, [[spoiler:power-granting alien]]. Calamity comes from the same place, but is employing a different strategy with his power investment.

[[WMG: All Epics are psycopaths because [[spoiler: Calamity is a psychopath]].]]

At the end of [[Literature/{{Firefight}}]], Obliteration [[spoiler:thanks David]] for giving him the answer [[spoiler:to his nightmares]] and disappears from the book. We also know that [[spoiler:Megan no longer suffers madness]] from using the power of an Epic, so it is entirely possible Obliteration went off to [[spoiler:conquer his fear and regain his Humanity]]. meaning he will likely show up in ''Calamity''.

[[WMG: The spyril was broken before the final battle of Firefight.]]
When Megan faced her fear, she was free from the sociopathy, but still has her powers. During the final battle, David could be using Waterlog's powers, gained minus the sociopathy, and thinking he's using the spyril.

With TheReveal in ''Literature/{{Firefight}}'' that [[spoiler: Calamity is itself an Epic, and that all other Epics receive a shred of his power]], it's at least possible that the madness that comes with the powers is [[spoiler: a reflection of Calamity's own mind]].

For someone that makes his life killing Epics, he's awfully [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial insistent]] that there is no pattern. [[spoiler: And he himself is an Epic, after all.]]

It's mentioned that the Diggers were gifted powers similar to the Tensor devices to dig underground. [[spoiler: In the end, the Tensors are revealed to be MagicFeather s and Prof is really a Gifter Epic.]] Why he would do such a thing remains unclear.

[[spoiler: That may be why he using his power so much. Using powers makes people more evil, and the manifestation of his powers might have made him lose control.]]

It's mentioned that the Diggers were gifted powers similar to the Tensor devices to dig underground. {[spoiler: In the end, the Tensors are revealed to be MagicFeather s and Prof is really a Gifter Epic.]] Why he would do such a thing remains unclear.

There's an obvious hurdle in emulating their powers, which is that they're explicitly physically impossible. Steelheart's most advanced equipment [[spoiler: and the Reckoners' gear]] is based off [[SuperEmpowering Transference Epics]]. The arms dealer who provides highly advanced equipment takes payment in the preserved, still-living cells of Epics. This is supposedly for research purposes, but quite possibly has the real purpose of installing cloned cells into the technology, actually using their powers directly instead of merely imitating them. The gun he sells to the Reckoners may actually be an exception; it's a coilgun (so we know how to make it today, in theory) that shoots highly energized projectiles and has a higher power draw than Newcago. If that were representative of the difficultly of replicating Epic powers scientifically, it would not be a thriving research field.