George R.R. Martin's Wild Cards #3

[superboyprime]

'We have never actually used the word “superhero” in Wild Cards. Our aces may have 'powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men,' but very few of them are the sort of professional heroes you come across in comics. They're ordinary men and women, flawed and human, who have been gifted with extraordinary abilities. The impact that those abilities have on their lives and on the world at large is the focus of our stories. You have to ask yourself, “How would my life change if tomorrow I woke up with a superpower? What would I do?” The answer to that, seventy years of comic books notwithstanding, is almost never, “I would dress myself in spandex and go out to fight crime.”' - George R.R. Martin

Comments

thanks for the reminder

[raveninthewind]

I need to re-read/finish the Wild Cards novels.

[remial]

was this canon for the novels? or did they just ignore it like they did the epic comics one?

[superboyprime]

I think it's supposed to be canon. Though it's so small scale a story that there's no particular reason characters would make reference to it.

[nyadnar17]

" You have to ask yourself, “How would my life change if tomorrow I woke up with a superpower? What would I do?” The answer to that, seventy years of comic books notwithstanding, is almost never, “I would dress myself in spandex and go out to fight crime.”"

These types of theories always assumes a Superman type character doesn't exist in that world. If a world has a Superman, All Might, Samaritan, etc you best believe the vast majority of other people who get super powers are going to try to squeeze into some spandex and go punch a forest fire.

[liliaeth]

And if this world had superhero comics before it happened, then that alone would already get some people to see doing so as the normal thing to do.