History Literature / Steelheart

* CoolGuns: The aforementioned [[{{BFG}} Manchester 451]] and [[MagneticWeapons Gauss Gun]].
-->'''[[GunNut David]] on the Manchester 451:''' The weapon is a powerhouse— fifty caliber, with electron-compressed magazines. Each holds eight hundred rounds. The select-fire system supports single shot, burst, and full auto capabilities. It has gravatonic recoil reduction for shoulder firing, with optional advanced magnitude scope including audio receiving, range finding, and a remote firing mechanism. It also includes the optional grenade launcher. Equipped rounds are armor-piercing incendiary[...].

Chicago is ruled by one of the worst Epics of them all, a tyrant who calls himself Steelheart. Imagine {{Superman}} as an EvilOverlord: he can fly, he is superhumanly strong, he shoots energy beams, he appears to be completely invulnerable, and he is a ruthless dictator who commits mass murder without qualm or hesitation.

->''"I've seen Steelheart bleed. And I '''will''' see him bleed again."''

* AntagonistTitle

* TheNightThatNeverEnds: Nightweilder has kept Newcago covered in perpetual darkness ever since Steelheart took power to both oppress the people and protect himself from his weakness to sunlight.

* NighInvulnerability: Several of the most powerful Epics are said to have "prime invincibility"; that is, they can't be killed by ordinary means. Steelheart has the classic "bulletproof" form. Fortuity's precognition lets him anticipate and avoid attacks. Nightwielder is intangible and most attacks simply pass through him. Firefight [[spoiler: (Megan) reincarnates after death, ''sans'' her most recent memories]].

** There's [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Siegel Street and Schuster Street]], the [[ChristopherReeve Reeve Playhouse]], and [[Creator/SteveDitko Ditko Place]].

* ReignOfTerror: Steelheart holds Newcago under one, and the majority of Epics do the same to the whole world. [[spoiler:Steelheart's is deliberate and necessary, as he is only mortal to those who do not fear him.]]

** In addition, the fact that Edmund Sense prefers that name to his Epic name (Conflux) is the first hint that [[spoiler: he's one of the very few (three so far) Epics with some degree of humanity.]]

* SuperEmpowering: Transference Epics, or "Gifters", are able to give their powers [[spoiler:and their addictive, insanity-inducing effects]] to others. However, as revealed by [[spoiler:Conflux]], these cannot be given to other Epics, only to normal humans.
* SuperVillain: A basic part of the premise is that there are supervillains a plenty, but not super ''heroes'' to counter them.

** Cody mentions that [[spoiler:the other members of his police force in Nashville became even worse when they stayed on while he left]]. This foreshadows [[spoiler:the fact that Epic powers, even when Gifted, have a high probability of causing the same arrogant amorality in ''other people'' when used by them instead, much like how David nearly believes that the Reckoners should take over the infrastructure of Newcago for what would surely be a FullCircleRevolution]].
** Megan [[spoiler:can't use any of the technologies of the Reckoners, which, combined with Conflux's reveal of the fact that Epics can't be Gifted powers by Transference Epics, foreshadows that she is in fact an Epic herself]].

** Tensors can pulverize most matter, but can't affect flesh (at one point a skilled user punches some Enforcement mooks while disintegrating holes in their body armor for his fist to go through).
** Steelheart's metal-transmutation power also can't affect living beings, and many other Epic powers are the same.

* TheMole: The complexity of the plan is not the only reason the Reckoners find it much harder than previous adventures. [[spoiler: Nobody would suspect Megan]].

* CoDragons: Nightwielder, Conflux, and Firefight are Steelheart's Dragons. [[spoiler: Well, Nightwielder and Firefight are. Conflux is actually a captive, little better than a slave forced to use his energy-boosting powers to fuel the city. And not only is Firefight just an illusion cast by an illusionist epic, but the illusionist happens to a DoubleReverseQuadrupleAgent and the hero's love interest.]]

* MagicFeather: [[spoiler:The Tensors, the Reckoner Jackets, and the Harmsway. All of these "devices" are simply nonfunctional electronics, used to hide the fact that the matter disintegration, energy shields, and healing abilities are powers that Prof, a Transferrence Epic, shares with the Reckoners.]]

* WholePlotReference: A Sanderson book about a resistance group and its mysterious leader with his own agenda fighting a tyrannical but stable system ruled by an apparently invincible overlord, a talented but inexperienced orphan as the POV character, and several layers of deception and misdirection both in-narrative and out, such as a plot by said resistance to make an entirely fake person in the universe's privileged class. Are we talking about the Reckoners or ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy''.

* WholePlotReference: A Sanderson book about a resistance and it's mysterious leader with his own agenda fighting a tyrannical but stable system ruled by an apparently invincible overlord, a talented but inexperienced orphan as the POV character, and several layers of deception and misdirection both in-narrative and out, such as a plot by said resistance to make an entirely fake person in the universe's privileged class. Are we talking about the Reckoners or ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy''.

* WholePlotReference: A Sanderson book about a resistance and it's mysterious leader with his own agenda fighting a tyrannical but stable system ruled by an apparently invincible overlord, a callow and talented but inexperienced orphan as the POV character, and several layers of deception and misdirection both in-narrative and out, such as a plot by said resistance to make an entirely fake person in the universe's privileged class. Are we talking about the Reckoners or ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy''.