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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#48: Superpower

The faces of superheroes have long emblazoned everything from our t-shirts to our lunch-boxes. For over a decade, the Marvel movies have dominated box offices, and for almost a century, superhero comics have remained prized possessions.

 

A Smithsonian article describes the broad appeal of superheroes: "At their best, superhero origin stories inspire us and provide models of coping with adversity, finding meaning in loss and trauma, discovering our strengths and using them for good purpose. (Wearing a cape or tights is optional.)"

 

This week's prompts are for anyone who's ever wondered, "If you could have one superpower, which one would it be?" And as always, our prompts are open to interpretation! Whether your entry includes familiar superhero tropes, or ends up being a piece of literary fiction about someone who just so happens to move faster than the speed of light is up to you.

This week's prompts

Write about someone who has a superpower.

Middle School – 333 stories

Write about someone who always comes to the aid of others.

Teens – 108 stories

Write the 'origin story' of a person who goes on to achieve great things.

Fiction – 128 stories

Write about a person who collects superhero comics.

Middle School – 89 stories

Write a story that features a protagonist with an archnemesis.

Character – 112 stories

Stories

“Hmm.” by Ken Coomes

Submitted to Contest #48

Hmm. If you could wish for one superpower it would be flying? Hmm. I’ve never really thought about flying as a superpower. After all, birds fly. Except for Penguins. There can’t be a single penguin that can fly, surely. If they could fly, you just know they wouldn’t stay that far North, or South, all year long.  Oh, and Ostriches can’t fly. Run like crazy, yes; but that’s not a superpower, either. Stick their head in the sand? Better than anyone, I guess. But they can’t fly. Still, most birds fly. Hold on, I’ll be right back. Zip. ...

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“The Mind Reader” by Joseph Thom

Submitted to Contest #48

David was almost done working a double shift and was having trouble keeping his eyes open. That was his main problem—for all the power he had, he could hardly stay awake. But no one knew about his power, which gave him an advantage over everyone else on the earth. He was definitely unique. But not just because of his power. It was sort of a trade-off. He was given immense power, but there’s always a price to pay, a weakness, for possessing that kind of skill. David’s sacrifice was staying awake. Working a double shift would’ve been no...

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“A Rough Sketch” by Gene Gryniewicz

Submitted to Contest #48

Once there was a storyteller who started one of the stories she often told like this: There was a young girl, once upon a time; and her name was Kristen. She was not a very big girl - being only six years tall on her last birthday - but she was magical; she had super powers – She could fly when she wanted to … which was not often; flying made her dizzy. She had super strength; she could lift up whole cars to see what was beneath them … but only when she was actually looking for something … something, perhaps, that she had misplac...

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“The Dreamer” by Dana Garrett

Submitted to Contest #48

She always knew she was different from everyone else. People around her were automatically set to move away from her even when all she did was enter a room full of people. The conversations would turn subdued, and everyone would steal furtive glances at her. She didn't think she was all that special or noteworthy, but apparently, everyone around her thought she was. She had developed an appreciation for what the women in Salem during the Witch Trials must have felt like. Not that she was a witch. No, she was far more than that. She was ...

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“MIND OVER MADDI” by Beth Moore

Submitted to Contest #48

       Twenty-seven-year-old Maddi Colter had known for some time that she was psychic. She first discovered this talent in high school; a time when, she surmised, young bodies and minds seemed to be at war with each other, each seeking its own place in life.                Maddi’s mind was quick, while she struggled with a body which simply could not catch up. Her mind raced toward the future while her body still had not discovered the ...

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“Don't You Love When the Sky is a Zebra?” by Kristen Jan

Submitted to Contest #48

Don’t you love when the sky is a zebra? When it’s striped with soft shades of peach, auburn, fluffy pinks and creamy oranges?  The way that the world can create and destroy with such ease has always been a mystery to me. It’s unfathomable that in a mere hour, a city that took centuries to build could be turned to dust. A tornado could whip through homes and a hurricane could obliterate everything in its wake. But you can’t forget that the universe does not have a constant angry temperament. In sprinkles throughout the year, I find myse...

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“Planet Eleven” by Anna Boyer

Submitted to Contest #48

You’d think that having a superpower would be great.  I’m sure anyone in their right mind, upon discovering that they were a real life Superman, wouldn’t hesitate to jump into those primary colored-spandex suits and take off. Everyone has fantasies of doing something heroic, of being lauded and praised, of proving to everyone around them that they really were special all along, see?  But it’s not all roses and applause. Don’t believe me? Let me tell you. How brushed up are you on your history? You probably know that in 2076, the...

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“The Dilemma of Before or After” by Justine Mae D

Submitted to Contest #48

Tommy's birthday was on February 29. He's turning eleven this year and his mom said that he could either celebrate on the 28th or on the 1st. He liked that he was given a choice, honestly, he didn't really care when he would celebrate as long as his friends could come over and eat cake with him. But the idea of deciding when his birthday would be appealed greatly to him, he could exercise his free will unlike others whose birthdays were fixed and predestined. He felt special.He decided to tell his mother that they would celebrate on Mar...

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“Seeds” by KAUSTABH KASHYAP

Submitted to Contest #48

'Life without children is an unsavory gravy.' He wrapped his mind tightly around those words. Far away from his roots, afraid to be discovered. He felt so powerless and alienated. Like a twig which could snap at any moment.  A man like him shouldn't be relying on some fortune-teller's half-baked notions of finding answers. He knew how to wield a sword blindfolded or ride a horse at lightning fast speed. Yet here he was in a dusty, raggedy cloak fumbling through a necromancer's map like his life depended on it.Fire flowers glow...

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“I Like Those Odds” by D. Alfonso

Submitted to Contest #48

If you had the power to change someone’s fate, would you do it? How about this: if you had the power to change your own fate, would you do it? Would you take someone’s life in your own hands?             When I was 5, I learned that the shapes I saw everywhere weren’t shapes at all. They were numbers. I’d think I wonder if Mom will take me to the park today, and numbers would appear in front of me. I thought I was going crazy. For the longest time, I thought there was some...

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“Make the Change?” by Alice H Williams

Submitted to Contest #48

The cape whips behind him in the wind as he zips by in a colorful blur. His giggles dance across the field as his furry companion chases close behind – yipping with joy found only in the bark of a puppy at play with their beloved child. His imagination running wild, he “flies” with abandon. A tiny hero and his trusty sidekick. Out to save the world from the evil supervillain of the day. He’s only six, with a mop of unmanageable curly red hair, blazing blue eyes, and a shower of freckles dappled across his ever-smiling face. Still frolicking ...

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“From a Proud Father” by Eric M

Submitted to Contest #48

You were going to be special. I told everyone that listened.  Way back when you were born, I could sense greatness in you. Every father is going to say that, but I knew deep in my bones, blood and guts that the world was going to know your name. It was 1:00 A.M. in the morning before you came into this world. The doctor said it was the third longest labor period in the hospital. You didn’t want to leave. Too bad your mother thought otherwise.It might surprise you to learn that despite the trouble you g...

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“A Village And Its Hero” by Conner Williams

Submitted to Contest #48

Reed had trained her entire life for this moment. She was the hope of her town, the first person to be born with superpowers there in generations, and the only chance they had to defeat the man who ruled them, Amon Sadeas. She had the strength of five men, could eject beams of energy from her hands, and could fly. She was also ten. The grains of dirt felt surprisingly final when they passed beneath her feet as she walked to the castle’s gate. One way or another, her life would change today. Her village and all its inhabitants would be free,...

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“"You can't see him but I can"” by Dewni De Silva

Submitted to Contest #48

19th May Wednesday ‘He’s right here' Gathering everyone, I pushed everyone to the back exit. Suddenly I felt my knees weaken and almost give up on my posture: he’s near. There was no time to explain, I felt the goosebumps take over me as if to warn he is near-by. We needed to run. Since it was only me that had the unique ability to see him, the only hope they have is me. mustering up all my courage I turn to my friends. ‘I made up my mind’ I say. ‘What are you talking about El?, we will die here’ she says. ‘We won’t’. I say. ‘Get out o...

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“Dreams” by Amina AOUANE

Submitted to Contest #48

Hi, what are you up to? I would like to introduce myself. I am Ruby, a British teenager, currently living in Australia with my mum, my parents got divorced last year because apparently, I am a troublemaker. People think I’m a normal 16 years old girl, but I am not. I’m totally different. I really don’t know if you’re going to believe me or not, but here is my story. You’re actually reading my diary, I don’t write every day, I only write when something really important happened or when some thoughts are bothering me. So let’s start ...

2 comments 2
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$50

Prize money

770

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jul 03, 2020 EST

Won by Jeff C. Carter 🏆

Title: Primum Nil Nocere

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

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