[Spoiler] Question/discussion about Epic powers and weaknesses at the end of the trilogy

[Cyanic he/him]

The weaknesses were inherently tied to Calamity's corruption(/presence), because when an Epic faces their fear, they also drive back the darkness, which we know was because of Calamity and his contempt for humanity (and fear/startlement of the physical world). Now that Calamity is gone (or in the case of the otherverse already left a long time ago) does that also imply that the Epics no longer have weaknesses? Does that mean Megan literally can't die and David is literally invincible to all physical damage?

Is this why Obliteration is still wreaking havoc in the otherverse even though they have an actual Superman expy helping them out, because he can't be killed since he just teleports forever?

[Kidpen he/him]

I don't think the weaknesses were tied to the corruption. Instead, I think that when an Epic faces their fear in order to save somebody, they take the power for themselves because they've established that Calamity's thinking is wrong.

[EmulatonStromenkiin he/him]

Also, weaknesses still have power and can be used to kill the epics, they just are weaker after you faced/drove out the darkness. Personally, I think that the weakness is tied directly to the ability to have powers, so you have to have a weakness to have the powers(to make it not completely op)

[+robardin he/him]

I just re-read The Reckoners trilogy (plus Mitosis) after/while recommending it to someone, and wondered something.

While David, and his father in the Other Universe, both have Steelheart's "power portfolio" (flying, power blasts, invulnerability, turning stuff into steel, and IIRC also some kind of wind control related to flying, that let Steelheart swoop up a gun from the ground and into his hand, airbender-style), they don't have Steelheart's weakness of "can only be harmed by someone who doesn't fear him", right?

The powerset is one thing (an aspect of the arrival of Calamity/Invocation and the, uh, Epicization of various random people), but the "weakness" is rooted in the individual. I would think that's true in the Invocationverse, as it is in the Calamityverse.

Because that "with this power comes a dampening weakness" bit wasn't part of Calamity's "corruption", right? It's part of the mechanics of however Calamity/Invocation gives the powers to humans.

Even after Edmund and Megan first "resisted/overcame the darkness" by pushing through the fear that got magnified into a "weakness" by their Epicizing "to save someone else" (an altruistic confrontation with the fear), they still had their powers and their effects weakened or negated by fire or dogs. And then even after "claiming the powers" fully (thereby expelling the underlying presence of Calamity that formed that drive to darkness -- which still came through in Megan when she used her power very heavily at Sharp Tower in Ch. 33 of Calamity, but not after she "fully claimed" her powers in Ch. 37), the ring of Limelight's minions with flamethrowers in Ch. 45 were able to use them to short out Megan's powers.

So... Is David's "weakness" still water? Which is to say, immersion in water (not like throwing a cup of water at him) would be how to fight Steelheart 2.0 (or whatever David is going to assume as an Epic name)?

Yeah, side note, what WOULD "Steelslayer" adopt as an Epic name? And he and Mizzy are like, the last new Epics to be created, right, now that Calamity disappeared? (Other than children of Epics, who can, but not necessarily, exhibit or inherit powers?)

And what about Blain, David's father? Certainly can't be about someone "not fearing" him. And does he call himself "Steelheart" in the Invocationverse?

Edited June 9, 2025 by robardin