Exploring the Reality of Speed in Superhero Fiction: Why Characters Can't Outrun Lightning

Ever wondered how a character can be faster than lightning if they are seen fighting by normal people or if normal people are shown doing stuff while they are fighting? This discrepancy is a common plot point in superhero fiction, and understanding it requires delving into the principles of narrative and audience engagement. Let's break down why such inconsistencies exist and how writers navigate them to tell compelling stories.

Why Speed Isn't Always Dramatic

It's a fundamental question in any superhero story: How can a character be faster than lightning if they are seen fighting by normal people or if normal people are shown doing stuff while they are fighting? The answer lies in the very nature of storytelling. Just like it would be hard to see a character casually throw a solar system and destroy the Earth while engaged in a battle, such a spectacle would likely bore the reader or viewer. The goal is to create an engaging and exciting narrative that keeps audiences hooked.

Engagement Through Contrast

Consider for a moment the challenge faced by writers when depicting a character who is supremely fast. Would it be more exciting if every time the hero engaged their villains, they simply vaporized everyone or obliterated their surroundings? The answer is almost universally no. Such a scenario would not only be less thrilling but would also rob the audience of the emotional and narrative depth that enriches their experience.

Instead, writers often deliberately slow down the action to create a more immersive and compelling story. They use the contrast between the speed of the hero and the grounded actions of the supporting characters to heighten drama and tension. For instance, having the hero crumble buildings or create massive crater-like impact sites during a fight makes the story more visually dynamic and satisfying for the audience.

Matching Perspectives for Compelling Battle Scenes

A key aspect of this narrative technique is matching the perspective to the speed of the characters. In superhero comics and movies, when depicting a super-speed character's battle, the perspective is often slowed down to bring the reader into the flow of the action. This is evident in moments when a speedster like The Flash or a character with high-speed maneuvers, such as Zoom or Reverse-Flash, engage in battles that showcase their incredible abilities.

However, for the audience to experience the full impact, these fast battles are slowed down to create a sense of intensity and clarity. Consider the iconic moment in Injustice: Gods Among Us when Superman is depicted as effortlessly shrugging off massive damage or surviving impacts that would obliterate a regular character. This creates a sense of awe and heroism, even when the speed itself is not displayed in every frame.

Theoretical vs. Practicable Moments

There are moments, particularly in animated adaptations, where the perspective is further slowed down to allow for more detailed and dynamic action. These are often the "flashy moments" where the speed and movement of the characters are highlighted in a way that feels both realistic and thrilling. For instance, in Injustice: Gods Among Us, Superman is shown engaging in intense, but ultimately non-destructive, close-quarters combat with seemingly indestructible beings like Zoom and Reverse-Flash, showcasing their incredible speed and agility.

These moments, while theoretically impossible, serve a narrative purpose. They create a sense of balance and counterpoint to the larger conflict, making the overall story more engaging and entertaining. They also serve to balance the portrayal, avoiding scenarios where the character's speed would result in unrealistic and uninteresting outcomes.

Conclusion

In summary, the discrepancy between a character's speed and the visible actions in a fight scene is a deliberate choice made by writers and creators. It's rooted in the need to balance realism with dramatic flair, ensuring that the story remains engaging and satisfying for the audience. By manipulating perspective and action, writers can create intense and absorbing battle scenes, making superhero stories a rich and captivating genre.