Blackhoof

I think he cracked it- sparks would be absolutely everywhere in Newcago.

A wasteland, not necessarily a nuclear one. I think she just meant it was destroyed by all the epics fighting each other over it.

Hmm that is an interesting point- we simply cannot know, as whatever he created must have been invisible. I think, given the way his power works, that he just kills people from a distance. It isn't like that would be very weird- consider other Epic's whose powers directly affect certain things- like Conflux. He can't shoot electricity, just use it to charge things that need power. So if Conflux has "no power", per say, without electrical items, then why couldn't Deathpoint have no power without people?

His power is breaking the back of people like, telekinetically? Weird

Wonder what backbreaker does, to be listed in the same breath as Mr Nukes-Cities-for-God

Yeah, the first time the cookie thing happens they say "help me" and "shes holding me prisoner" or something. Seems like, given the respective natures of the regalia-dawnslight relationship and the regalia-calamity relationship, the two Epics don't seem to have much of a familial or loving connection. Maybe they are connected in some other way, but behaviour seems to disqualify a brother/brother or avatar/true form relationship.

Actually, you are mistaken- i just read a very specific section where David said that steelheart's transfersion only affected dead plants, such as fallen branches and sticks. However, it still made playgrounds unusable because all the dead weeds around were transformed and bits snapped off, making then sharp. Grass and living plants should be fine, but the dirt under them would have been transformed, killing them anyway.

Well, i imagine they are very rough guesses on his part. He probably knows the whole story that he wants to tell in Calamity, has likely written chapter summaries and dot-points for the whole book, and just needs to flesh it all out. Assuming he has done this, he knows roughly how much work he needs to do to accomplish a first draft, then he can estimate how much time it will take writing other drafts and editing, and finally how much time as a proportion of the whole finalizing and publishing the book will take. Just guessing, of course

great, now we are even more screwed! 3000 invincible Epics running/flying around! Although likely many don't have strong offensive powers to back up their PI (consider Fortuity- nearly impossible to kill, but with no directy offensive powers). I imagine many High Epics were like him. I have a feeling that way more than 20 million people died as a result of the Epics..... and in the general chaos and poverty of the last 10 years. How long could you survive outside of places like Newcago with warring epics, some of which are invincible, fighting each other to the death for the rubble of your city? Over ten years, one rampaging Epic could kill quite a few people, if he/she isn't stopped by a more powerful one that objected to their intrusion into their turf.

Ah, I see.

I'm glad that David didnt get powers, and hope he doesn't have them. After his epic (lol) refusal and Regalia's reaction, it would feel cheap if he got powers now. It would negate the moment of his refusal.

I think fear of being wrong can be an adult fear, easily. As long as it is about a specific and very serious thing, likely related to an event in the past. Although i cant help but feel like the games of chance has to play a part. It is mentioned too heavily to be insignificant (and in this book, no,less.) He refused to even participate in the NASA draw- what's with such an aversion to chance? There must be something to it. Likely more clues will be revealed in Calamity.

I figure enforcement Cores could have turned on the epic in their team- it is always a minor epic, so easily killed with surprise and firepower. But regardless, it just isn't mentioned, which i consider strange. Even a few lines about the epics fleeing and being scared of whoever could kill steelheart would have been sufficient, but we get nothing. Epics need to get their rust together.

Exactly, that's what I thought. I get the vulnerables running (especially weak ones like Curveball) but the invincibles? I would think they'd relish the chance the rule. But I guess.... Consider Fortuity. Considered the worst (morally, i suppose) of the Highs, except for Steelheart's inner circle, and can you imagine him running a city? No, he wouldn't have the sheer power. Heck, any epic will explosive powers could checkmate him easily. Maybe epics insanely op enough to run a city are really, REALLY rare. Megan is an example of an epic with a PI but without a hugely impressive set of back-up powers. Maybe many high epics are like this.

oh, that's just my bad. I rounded the 866.6 figure from something like 866.666661 or so. So that number will be off.

aww shucks that is my concern too- we have no idea. Both more epics and more people would logically cone to newcago, but perhaps less epics (who might not want to be dominated by steelheart). We just don't know.

I was wondering, have any figures been provided as to the numbers of epics worldwide, or US-wide? And as to their numbers now as opposed to at the beginning? And more than epic numbers, how many people are left after 11 years of this dystopian oppression? The only semi-concrete numbers I can recall are provided by David, who claims that there are "thousands of epics in Newcago, hundreds of which are High Epics, dozens of which possess a prime invincibility" (which in itself is contradictory, as usually the term High Epic is defined by an Epic with a Prime Invincibility, but nevermind). This would give us the proportion of Epics compared to humans in Newcago (which is in itself not particularly helpful, as we can suppose that Epics living in Newcago are killed much less than Epics warring with each other outside, and Epics likely congregate under Steelheart for protection and the quality of life, same reasonas humans do.) but it is a start. Now, Chicago today has 2.7 million inhabitants. Obviously, it is quite difficult to extrapolate the current population from this. There are so many factors to consider: 1: how many people have been directly killed by the Epics since Calamity? 2: how many have been indirectly killed due to neglect, lack of healthcare, increased crime, poverty, etc as a result of Calamity and the Epics? 3: how have birth rates been decreased by the Epics and the oppressive climate? and conversely, 4: how have they been increased by the poverty and destitution of much of the populace? 5: how many have left Newcago since Calamity? How many have immigrated there due to the quality of life under Steelheart? And all of it would be supported by nothing more than supposition and conjecture. 1: no idea, although there are clues. Steelheart himself is responsible for 17'000 confirmed deaths, with the people in the bank being the very first. Firefight and Conflux obviously killed no-one, and Nightwielder has an unknown amount of deaths, but likely in the hundreds. After the inner circle, Fortuity was listed as the worst, with a comparatively meek 100 kills. After him, there are only a few dozen Invincible epics, who must have less than a hundred deaths each to their name. After them, we can suppose that weaker Epics will have less and less kills, as David said that Epics as weak as Curveball had to be careful who they killed, they couldn't do it with impunity. Likely, all the other Epics bar Steelheart are responsible for tens of thousands of deaths between them. Compared to the whole populace, not actually too much. Assuming all other factors cancel themselves out, we have a city of perhaps 2.6 million inhabitants (tentatively), and maybe 3000 Epics among them. This is a large disparity, to the order of 866.6:1. Although, this seems about right to be honest. This would give a figure of 346'180 Epics in the whole of the US, (and assuming that perhaps 1/100 Epics have a Prime invulnerability) there would be 300 nationwide. Are 300 invincible superhumans, each one capable of wiping out the US congress should they take issue with it, or taking on armies, capable of overthrowing the nation? I think yes. but I would die for more accurate figures. Does anyone know any?

millions? Not so, only thousands (ONLY thousands of superhumans, lol). the quote is something like "there are thousands of Epics, hundreds of High Epics, but only a dozen/few dozen of those have a prime invincibility". Which is contradictory, because in every other case, High Epic is defined as an epic WITH a prime invincibility. Maybe David also defines just powerful Epics in general as High Epics? Which is why he references Regalia as one at one point.

In Mitosis and Firefight, the Epics seem to have completely disappeared from Newcago. This is never explained, so I assume they just ran away after Steelheart and Nightwielder was killed. But this seems strange to me- there were thousands of epics in Newcago, and they all ran away? Even the dozens of High Epics? I get being spooked by Steelheart's death, but I would think that even if they left their homes in the first place, the High Epics at least would want to rule this mighty city. But even weeks/months afterwards, the only Epics that attack are Mitosis, Instabam and Sourcefield, who were all sent by Regalia. It just seems strange to me that no attempts were made by the previous Epic inhabitants of Newcago to reclaim their city, although i'm glad they haven't.

Well you can clearly do it with the epic surviving. I'm curious what was removed, tbh.

depends if her power absorbs and reflects just kinetic energy, or all forms of energy and heat (in which case the lasers will deflect as well). i have a suspicion that if obliteration was about to eat or drink something poisonous, he would teleport the second before it touched his lips. as for an underwater base, I'm confused as to why she didnt do this

I definitely think that there is a connection between tis and nasa and Calamity. Maybe they made him, somehow?