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First time reading Steelheart. Theories and Reactions


NovaSeeker

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I'm on page 190 of Steelheart, Nook ebook edition, just after the power plant mission.

 

I need to get this out there because I am CERTAIN I have guessed Steelheart's weakness.

 

Since the prologue, I was confused why a simple bullet could hurt him after a whole barrage failed to do so. I knew it had to be something about David's father. He was intending to hit Deathpoint, NOT Steelheart. So, could Steelheart's weakness be that he is vulnerable to attacks that were intended for another person? But then, many of the police's shots would have also been aimed at Deathpoint hiding behind Steelheart, so that doesn't work.

 

I put the mystery aside until there were more clues. I didn't buy that his weakness was an object in the vault. Too superman. Plus also the mention of really odd weaknesses like "only harmed by someone who is exactly 37 years old". I knew it couldn't be something as mundane as a kryptonite factor.

 

Now page 190. The Reckoners discover Steelheart's secret propaganda. Propaganda fabricated to make Steelheart look WORSE that he actually is.

 

Steelheart's weakness: He can be harmed by people who believe he is a hero. David's father still believed, even after Steelheart's introduction. "You're better than this!" he said. And he fired the gun to protect Steelheart from Deathpoint, to save him. Because he thought he was a hero. And now Steelheart is (secretly) working to make sure that no one could possibly think that he is a good guy.

 

Just putting my cards on the table.

 

EDIT: I figured I'd also post other theories and reactions as I read along, so they're all in one place.

Edited by NovaSeeker
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Page 253.

 

So the Prof comes to the rescue. He's... really good with those tensors. Suspiciously good. And he told David to try a tensor even though it was broken. Suspicious.

 

Theory: Prof is a good Epic, specifically a gifter, and he's masking his gifted powers (matter disintegration, healing, personal concussive shield) as gifts of technology so that he can inspire regular people to start fighting Epics.

 

He is also adamant about the Reckoners not moving into a position of authority after taking out Steelheart when David suggests a rebellion because he wants non-Epics to govern, and he's afraid that if he did come into power, he'd go evil.

 

ooooh. Just finished the chapter. That look of contempt is VERY suspicious. He's definitely an Epic, but I think now there really are no "good Epics". I think the more Prof uses his powers, the harder it is for him to remain a good person. The power literally corrupts. Perhaps he isn't a gifter, and really is making technology by studying his own powers in controlled situations...

 

Then again, Prof DID tell David to use a broken tensor.... hmmmm.

 

Okay, the only other gifter in the book so far (Conflux) seems to be less dangerous than anticipated, tied up in the trunk of a limo. Maybe Prof and Conflux are gifters, but gifters are the only "good" type of Epic. You remain a decent person by giving your powers away, trusting others to use them. But if you keep the power for yourself, you become corrupted like other Epics.

 

...maybe ALL Epics are gifters? And most just wouldn't think of giving their powers away?

Edited by NovaSeeker
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Chapter 31

 

Wow, Megan's really messed up, huh?

 

...THEORY

 

Megan is ALSO an Epic. Let me explain:

 

She's "not good" with tensors. Crashing her bike and skidding to a stop seems to have SEVERELY injured her... far more so than David falling OFF the dang thing as it flew through the air at full speed and crashing into the ground. Her jacket doesn't seem to work very well. And now they're, at the start of this chapter, not using a harmsway to heal her.

 

If my last theory holds, then the tensors, jacket, and harmsway do nothing. She would need to have been gifted Prof's powers. Perhaps gifter Epics can't give their powers to other Epics, or perhaps doing so wouldn't prevent the "turn evil" effect that gifting powers to non-Epics does.

 

This also clicks back into place the moment in the elevator shaft where David thought for sure the security guard's flashlights should have seen him. Megan used her illusionist Epic powers to shield them in a moment of desperation, and for a short time thereafter, she looked at David like she was about to murder him. At first I thought it was just her strange stand-off-ishness with him, perhaps thinking he'd been a spy all this time, but then the moment passed and I forgot about it.

 

Until Prof's look of contempt just after using his powers reminded me of that scene.

 

Page 259

 

....huh.

 

Maybe one of her Epic powers is that self-reincarnation prime invincibility described earlier? I was sure that scene in the elevator meant she was an Epic, and it seems weird to kill her off before that secret was resolved. I don't think she's gonna stay dead for long.

 

It might be bad to reduce the impact of death, but... this book IS inspired by comic books, where no death is permanent.

 

Chapter 33

 

So, Edmund, the only confirmed gifter so far, is a pretty decent fellow. He also can't gift his powers to other epics, which tentatively corroborates my theory that Megan couldn't use Prof's "tech" because it's actually gifted powers, and he can't gift them to her because she's an Epic.

 

page 284

 

David and Prof speak about Prof's past.

 

Nice deflection, Prof.

 

Also, that Epic that destroyed your school? That was you wasn't it? I'm on to you...

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Okay... hrm. This next one's a long shot but...

 

I'm at the stadium scene... page 298...

 

So Megan is back, and is appearing and disappearing. I expected her return. But. New twist:

 

Megan is Firefight. She is an illusionist epic like David suspected Firefight was, but she ALSO has reincarnation prime invincibility OR actually does have fire powers (maybe fire activates her reincarnation, like a phoenix?). Megan also got particularly touchy about David being dismissive about Firefight, I think (but then again, she was touchy about a lot of what he was saying).

 

BIGGER twist. (Bear with me, this one is a stretch)

 

Megan was sent to join the Reckoners as a mole for Steelheart. Steelheart is being corrupted by using his powers, but he actually IS trying to do the best he can to make the world a better place and protect people. His corruption from using his own powers is making him do awful things, but he's fighting as hard as he can to limit it to mere tyranny rather than wanton destruction. Steelheart secretly supports the Reckoners because they are killing off destructive Epics. So he sent one of his trusted inner circle to join them, and keep them on the right track.

 

IF my theory about Prof being a gifter Epic is true (and more and more things are convincing me it is), Prof seemed genuinely surprised that Edmund couldn't gift to other Epics. Suprised and stunned, like a sudden realization came upon him. Like he suddenly knew why he could never gift one of his team members. Because she'd been an Epic all along, and he never knew it.

 

I'm not too sure about this one, but... i think the pieces are in place.

 

MINOR REVISION! Megan never died. She used her illusion powers to fool Tia and her sensors into thinking she had died. Then she got up and left, perhaps invisible. Now at the stadium fight, she is listening in on the Reckoner's communications with her own mobile that is synced up to their network, which is why all their plans are being anticipated.

 

EDIT: Okay now I have no idea what's going on! Some sort of amnesia power? Lies? I'm still pretty sure Firefight is Megan.... or "created" Megan as some sort of super-illusion or something? UHG! Okay just gotta admit when I'm beat.

 

OKAY PHEW! Chapter 38 was pretty intense! Looks like my theory of Megan was mostly confirmed, but there was that major curveball I wasn't expecting.

 

Chapter 40

 

Well, they're in the rust now, aren't they?

 

Prof is all but confirmed to be an epic now. The huge personality change, casually ordering David's death, etc. Also, that punch to his dead isn't going to be fatal. He has a regenerative power that he gifts as the "harmsway" tech. Prof isn't just an Epic, he's a High Epic.

 

Page 322.

 

Well dang! I was close! Except for the part about his possibly trying to resist succumbing to the power entirely. That was pretty much flat out wrong.

 

Chapter 41

 

Prof theory confirmed! I feel like this was pretty easy to see coming though.

 

Megan being a mole sent by Steelheart, mostly confirmed! Motives were off, but general situation was right (And I still have no idea what's up with that amenisa/split personality.)

 

Gifting properties and power corruption.... partially confirmed! Turns out there is no easy loophole. (I thought giving your power away made it safe, but it turns out it can still corrupt)

 

Crap! I should have stuck with reincarnation! Explains the memory loss too! Sorta.

 

 

Aaaaand finished. Wow. That was awesome!

 

...

 

*immediately buys Mitosis and Firefight*

Edited by NovaSeeker
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Very interesting to see your predictions as you went along. Also, on the "S" pendant - I am also convinced it's meant to be the Superman symbol. I *swear* I've seen a WoB somewhere that went something along the lines of "it's a symbol you'd recognize", but I just spent 15 minutes looking and couldn't find the specific WoB I was looking for.

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Yeah. I think it was even said that David's dad wore a comic book logo t-shirt to the bank in the prologue. So in the Reckoners world, they probably had DC and Marvel comics, and when you need a symbol for everything a heroic Epic could be, obviously you go for Superman. Makes perfect sense!

 

I've started reading Firefight. No big predictions so far. I do have a new theory about Prof's past, but just from thinking about more things from Steelheart, not anything said in Firefight.

 

I think that Prof was hinting at something deeper when he said the tensors, jacket, and harmsway were "never his", when he's answering David's one question about his past.

 

I don't think he's just stating that his powers were never his to use, codifying his personal philosophy that kept him from being a evil Epic. It could be that too, but I think the bigger hint is that his powers were gifted to HIM, completely, by their original wielder, who perhaps was the one that destroyed Prof's school. Perhaps Prof was able to get through to them in a moment of clarity, because of a strong relationship (spouse, parent, sibling, etc.), convinced them to give up their powers.

 

And then probably killed them. He did found the Reckoners to kill epics, after all.

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Well, I don't think so. I mean, sure, he's technically lying about the tech itself being important, but it makes sense for how a "good gifter" might view his powers. That they don't actually belong to him. It's the mindset that probably allows him to remain in control.

 

Unless... Prof has actually been evil all along? He has bad intentions even when he ISN'T using his powers (maybe some sort of long con to gift his powers away until all Epics are dead, THEN take them back and use them to rule the world?)

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