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A kid tries to be a superhero, what might go wrong?

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Zolnier The Odd Lad from A suspiciously dull shop Since: Apr, 2009
The Odd Lad
#1: Mar 29th 2011 at 9:57:05 PM

So i've got a character who (along with thousands of other kid's in his town, all of who's mothers were pregnant with them upon awakening from a coma that afflicted everyone in the town, also their paternal DNA matches nobody on record) has manifested superpowers. He's about eight and he possesses high level water manipulation and flight, although all the kid's have flight. So how could attempts to d a superhero go wrong? He has to live though.

Life's Gonna Suck When You Grow Up... But Is It That Great Now?... Also I'm Skylark2 now.
storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
More like giant cherries
#2: Mar 29th 2011 at 10:16:40 PM

All the usual problems with vigilantism.

Property damage, hurting innocents, mistakenly assuming a crime, getting the wrong person, legal issues, moral hazard, etc.

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AtomJames I need a drink Since: Apr, 2010
I need a drink
#3: Mar 29th 2011 at 11:49:44 PM

Plus, he's a kid. Who the heck is going to take a kid seriously? This could afford them some level of protection, but sooner or later, they could push someone over the edge. Plus, theres the parents to consider.

Theres sex and death and human grime in monochrome for one thin dime and at least the trains all run on time but they dont go anywhere.
WackyMeetsPractical My teacher's a panda from Texas Since: Oct, 2009
My teacher's a panda
#4: Mar 30th 2011 at 5:07:28 AM

Of course there's always the risk of being shot. Unless the kid is bullet proof, there will always be that danger, unless you're story takes place in a world with Infant Immortality. Your kid here is going to be very inexperienced, and may not have any idea how to defend against bullets, especially with a power such as water manipulation. And even if the kid manages to avoid injury, there's nothing keeping an innocent bystander from getting hurt, or the criminal.

Another problem may be that they simply let the bad guy get away. With all of their inexperience, they're more likely to get in the way during a crime in progress, and could inadvertently keep the police from doing their job and letting the criminals escape.

Zolnier The Odd Lad from A suspiciously dull shop Since: Apr, 2009
The Odd Lad
#5: Mar 30th 2011 at 5:10:29 AM

How might his water manipulation and flight affect things?

Life's Gonna Suck When You Grow Up... But Is It That Great Now?... Also I'm Skylark2 now.
Archereon Ave Imperator from Everywhere. Since: Oct, 2010
Ave Imperator
#6: Mar 30th 2011 at 5:19:11 AM

It would make him very, very deadly, considering he could "drown" someone with the fluid in their mucus (by clogging their lungs with the stuff), even if he can't just rip the blood out of their body and let them bleed out.

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AtomJames I need a drink Since: Apr, 2010
I need a drink
#7: Mar 30th 2011 at 5:25:23 AM

That's if his smart enough to realise he can do that. I think most children would take it as "I can move water, wheres the pool?"

Theres sex and death and human grime in monochrome for one thin dime and at least the trains all run on time but they dont go anywhere.
Zolnier The Odd Lad from A suspiciously dull shop Since: Apr, 2009
The Odd Lad
#8: Mar 30th 2011 at 5:26:13 AM

So any ways the kid (who's trying to do the Thall Shall Not Kill thing) could accidentally kill criminals? And what kind of name would an eight year old give himself?

Life's Gonna Suck When You Grow Up... But Is It That Great Now?... Also I'm Skylark2 now.
AtomJames I need a drink Since: Apr, 2010
I need a drink
#9: Mar 30th 2011 at 5:30:19 AM

He could lose control of his abilities, he could accidentally discover a way to do something, he could be careless etc He could even just plain forget to save someone, As for names, trust me anything goes. You could Name his Captain Flamingo really, as long as the character thinks it sounds cool, it doesn't matter how much it doesn't makes sense.

Theres sex and death and human grime in monochrome for one thin dime and at least the trains all run on time but they dont go anywhere.
Zolnier The Odd Lad from A suspiciously dull shop Since: Apr, 2009
The Odd Lad
#10: Mar 30th 2011 at 5:31:25 AM

How might people treat him after the attempt? And how might he try to use his powers?

Life's Gonna Suck When You Grow Up... But Is It That Great Now?... Also I'm Skylark2 now.
Archereon Ave Imperator from Everywhere. Since: Oct, 2010
Ave Imperator
#11: Mar 30th 2011 at 5:43:14 AM

Zoliner: I imagine the police and any government agencies set up to deal with the superhumans would be annoyed unless you have some sort of watchmen-esque facilitation for superhuman vigilantism. Considering he's just a child, they'd probably insist that he wait until he's of age and then join the police/military if he wants to help.

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WackyMeetsPractical My teacher's a panda from Texas Since: Oct, 2009
My teacher's a panda
#12: Mar 30th 2011 at 5:47:14 AM

I have a feeling that the kid will have a very tough time figuring out a good use for his powers at first. "Gee, I can splash people. How great." And then there's the trouble of finding a source of water large enough to actually do something useful with. He may try carrying a squirt gun or a jug of water with him everywhere he goes, or else just stay around pools and aquariums.

As for how people will treat him, very badly, I'd say. Of course, it'll depend on whether the kid was smart enough to hide his identity. The police would try to take him in, call his parents, explain to him the seriousness and wrongness of vigilantism, that is, if they can catch him. Of course, how much trouble he's in would depend on how much trouble he caused. If he came onto the scene, splashed the bad guys a little, and gave every one a good laugh as the criminals cheerfully fled away, then the police would likely give him a brief lecture, call his parents, and be on his way. If he came onto the scene, put countless of lives in danger, caused property damage, caused someone to get hurt, and hindered the police from actually doing their job and letting the criminals get away, then the trouble would be a lot more serious. I doubt the police could do much to the kid, since he is just a kid, but I imagine a lot of yelling and empty threats of imprisonment. Of course, the police may not be able to do much to the kid himself, but they can take all the legal ramifications out on the parents. And then when the parents get a hold of the kid, well, I don't even want to think about it.

Peers, on the other hand, might think he's the coolest thing ever, or else think of him as a complete laughing stock, depending on how much damage he caused. I actually think that the more damage he caused, the cooler everyone think he would be. If he came onto the scene, and did nothing, then he would be called lame by everybody. However, if he came onto the scene, caused 3 people to get shot, then managed to flood all of downtown, he may not be called a hero, but he certainly would be hardcore. If anybody had tried to bully him before, he may get all of their respect now.

Zolnier The Odd Lad from A suspiciously dull shop Since: Apr, 2009
The Odd Lad
#13: Mar 30th 2011 at 5:53:10 AM

Well proper superheroes don't really come into being in the story. Whenever somone brings the concept up, the kid in question (whos the story's viewpoint character) is used as an argument against it. In fact a picture of the child, right after shit goes bad, cyring in his homemade costume is quite famous in universe. So how might this affect the children as a whole's standing? Also what kind of stuff might the kid have to deal with once the fallout is over?

edited 30th Mar '11 7:06:50 AM by Zolnier

Life's Gonna Suck When You Grow Up... But Is It That Great Now?... Also I'm Skylark2 now.
Zolnier The Odd Lad from A suspiciously dull shop Since: Apr, 2009
The Odd Lad
#14: Mar 30th 2011 at 7:07:31 PM

So mistakes he could make in use of his flight?

Life's Gonna Suck When You Grow Up... But Is It That Great Now?... Also I'm Skylark2 now.
AtomJames I need a drink Since: Apr, 2010
I need a drink
#15: Mar 30th 2011 at 7:10:10 PM

He could fly to high and hind out the hard way how little breathable oxygen or just how could it is. He could attempt to fly too fast and have the wind sheer hurt his eyes. He could just lose concentration or focus and fall from the sky. Oh and trees.

Theres sex and death and human grime in monochrome for one thin dime and at least the trains all run on time but they dont go anywhere.
Zolnier The Odd Lad from A suspiciously dull shop Since: Apr, 2009
The Odd Lad
#16: Mar 30th 2011 at 7:13:29 PM

Any mistakes he could make regarding his ways abilities?

Life's Gonna Suck When You Grow Up... But Is It That Great Now?... Also I'm Skylark2 now.
stingerbrg Since: Jun, 2009
#17: Mar 30th 2011 at 7:58:17 PM

If he makes the water spray at a target like a hose he may use too little force, and end up trying to stop a bank robber with something no more effective than a super soaker, or he may blast a bully with the force of a fire hose or greater. And depending on what source he's getting the water from he may not notice if/when he runs out of water.

I can see him doing a whole lot of property damage just from ripping water out of pipes, fire hydrants, and fire sprinklers.

AtomJames I need a drink Since: Apr, 2010
I need a drink
#18: Mar 30th 2011 at 8:00:29 PM

Hell, imagine if the source of the water he's controlling was polluted. I hope he has enough sense not to use water from the sewers.

Theres sex and death and human grime in monochrome for one thin dime and at least the trains all run on time but they dont go anywhere.
Zolnier The Odd Lad from A suspiciously dull shop Since: Apr, 2009
The Odd Lad
#19: Mar 30th 2011 at 8:09:28 PM

So any tropes an eight year old might try to invoke? Disatrously?

Life's Gonna Suck When You Grow Up... But Is It That Great Now?... Also I'm Skylark2 now.
Zolnier The Odd Lad from A suspiciously dull shop Since: Apr, 2009
The Odd Lad
#20: Mar 31st 2011 at 6:07:56 AM

So any way his ability to morph into sentiant water might affect things? It could be horrible if he didn't have Magic Pants.

Life's Gonna Suck When You Grow Up... But Is It That Great Now?... Also I'm Skylark2 now.
CommandoDude Since: Jun, 2010
#21: Apr 1st 2011 at 12:20:45 AM

There is a subforum for this. OTP is not it.

Zolnier The Odd Lad from A suspiciously dull shop Since: Apr, 2009
The Odd Lad
#22: Apr 1st 2011 at 1:21:00 AM

This is world building.

Life's Gonna Suck When You Grow Up... But Is It That Great Now?... Also I'm Skylark2 now.
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