Kill Your Darlings is a superhero-action-romance webcomic created by demure-serenity.
A-rank superhero Maroon has to defeat and capture supervillain Umbra. Everything happens as expected... except that first impressions are never what they seem.
Kill Your Darlings provides examples of:
- Action Girl: As an A-rank superhero, Maroon is capable of fighting, though she hasn’t yet managed to defeat her rival, Umbra.
- Brains Versus Brawn: The dynamic between the logical, methodical Maroon and the more emotional, impulsive Umbra.
- Brainy Brunette: Under the disguising technology of her mask, Maroon’s natural hair color is brown.
- Card-Carrying Villain: Umbra frequently refers to himself as a “villain” or "supervillain".
- Celibate Hero: Maroon is asexual
- Color-Coded Characters: Maroon is red, Umbra purple, and The Director as blue.
- Deuteragonist: Although most of the story is told through the perspective of Maroon, both Umbra and Maroon get their turns in the spotlight.
- Fights Likea Normal:
- Maroon does not have a traditional superpower that other superheroes in the genre may have (such as super-strength). This forces her to use knives, throwing knives, and martial arts.
- Umbra does not utilize his superpowers during fights, instead preferring his fists and homemade weapons.
- Homemade Inventions: Umbra uses his own gadgets and weapons in his fights.
- In the Hood: Part of Umbra’s supervillain costume includes a detachable hood.
- Meaningful Look: The comic prefers to display the character’s expressions to imply what the characters are feeling rather than using internal dialogue. For example, in her conversation with Phara, a Hero Aid Unit volunteer, Maroon’s facial expressions shows guilt.
- One Person, One Power: It is an established fact in the webcomic's universe that everyone in the city has a superpower, though their power and power's intensity vary.
- Technicolor Eyes: Maroon has golden-colored irises when she wears her mask.
- The Stoic:
- Maroon tries her best to maintain a poker face, but shows a bit of emotion.
- The Director wears a permanent smile on her face.
- They Really Do Love Each Other: Despite all the snark and the exchanges of blows, Maroon and Umbra have both gone out of their way to ensure that the other is okay when the other one gets hurt.
- Not So Stoic: Maroon tries her best to be The Stoic but is pushed to her limits often enough that her mask figuratively crumbles throughout the comic.
- Villains Out Shopping: Umbra goes out in The City in civilian clothing in one of the later episodes, only to get chased by Maroon.
