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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

“The Story of Mary-Lou” by Tim Law

Submitted to Contest #48

You have all seen Soup-er Woman. Don’t try and deny it! I know you have. She is that young girl flying across the horizon searching for danger, making you wonder where those freakish, leathery wings came from. She wears that pink headband and those funky boots but her undies are always on the inside. You may have been a passenger on that runaway subway car she stopped with her extra arms last week or you may know the parachutist she rescued from that cliff top in that National Park two months ago with those elongated limbs. Either way I am s...

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“The Comic Collector” by Nirosha P

Submitted to Contest #48

The second Andy finished school, he rushed down the bus steps and headed into his house. As usual, he called to his mum saying he's back, removed his shoes, and thumped up the old stairs that led to the attic: his room. Ignoring his mother's singing from the kitchen, he dumped his school bag onto his bed and settled down comfortably beside it. His room wasn’t amazing. Ever since he moved in, he begged his mum to let him have the attic. It was the only place he could think. What with his two little twin sisters always ar...

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“Laxmi got the power !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” by Alkaa Sharma

Submitted to Contest #48

Laxmi got the power !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! “Laxmi” ! “Why are you banging the plates? Wash them properly”…….shouted the landlord pointing towards the lean , weak girl sitting in the corner of the kitchen washing the huge number of utensils. As she was merely 10 yrs old , she wasn’t able to grip the plates too well and therefore they were slipping from her hands every now and then. “Oh! You are good for nothing ! “- “Such a creep...

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“Coin Toss” by Itay Frenkel

Submitted to Contest #48

I stood alone and watched the morning sunrise. Before leaving, I checked my bag one more time to make sure everything I needed was in there; my towel, a grey baseball cap, and sunscreen. My mother smiled and blew me a kiss from our front porch, I waved goodbye to my parents and watched them disappear into the house. Five minutes later a grey, boxy Nissan pulled into the driveway. The back door swung open and my friend Tom gestured for me to get in. “Good morning,” I’m greeted by Tom’s mother. “Good morning, and thank you for the ride...

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“Superhero” by Vicky S

Submitted to Contest #48

Carefully he moved to the edge, looking down at the traffic crawling along the road. The lights on the emergency vehicles were tiny in the distance. They wouldn’t make it in time. He’d have to act. Sighing, he adjusted the mask covering his eyes. The elastic felt tight around his head and ruffled his hair. A gust of wind blew between the skyscrapers, making his cape billow, the bright satin material shining in the sunlight. “Here we go again”, he muttered to himself, and stepped off. He felt himself plummet, feet first, through the air, his ...

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“The Angry Young Man” by Amith Shaju

Submitted to Contest #48

Where was I? How did I get here?The throbbing pain in the back of my head subsided. I slowly opened my eyes to be greeted to the view of a creaky ceiling fan in a dimly lit room. My initial impulse was to get up. But some force seemed to hold me back. I felt the pressure on my forehead, similar to the one around my shoulders...wrists...waist…and even my legs. For a moment, I thought I was paralysed. Then, better sense prevailed. I was strapped to a bed.“Well, well! The hero finally awakes from his slumber.”I felt a movement to my right ...

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“ “Varun Bhaiya – the man who cared for everyone “” by Alkaa Sharma

Submitted to Contest #48

“Varun Bhaiya – the man who cared for everyone “ “Varun Bhaiya- that cow is injured and is bleeding badly, its lying on the road.” – cried Shiva in a anxious tone. “Where Shiva ? Come let’s rush to it’s help!!! “ replied Varun and they both rushed to the spot where the mute animal was lying helplessly. Varun Bhaiya did not waste even a minute and called his helpers from nearby and they all shifted the poor animal in the Van and took it for...

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“Phoenix memories” by Verda H

Submitted to Contest #48

Her fingers drummed nervously on the steering wheel, the sight of her chipped nail polish making her more agitated than she already was. Huffing, she readjusted the back view mirror, just to have something to do. She was at that very gas station at the edge of the city. Just next to the highway. The emergency meeting spot set years ago and solidified by commonly spilt blood. Waiting, waiting and waiting. There was no one behind her, and her phone had no notifications. She flipped her hair to the side. Sighed, checked the blank screen again,...

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“Squash That Spider!” by 🐬ᴬᴬᴹᴱᴺᴬ ᴷᴴᴬᴷᴵ🐬

Submitted to Contest #48

MARKI sneak around, though she's wondering why. I have powers, and she desperately wants me to use them.Not about to give in, I ask, "Hey, you ok?""Come on, Mark, you know I'm not, just use them already!" she hisses."I'll only use them if you use yours, and you'll only use yours in case of an emergency," I tell her, like I do every week.This time, I was too loud, and someone in the distance said, "Someone's there!"They run across the floor, their feet pounding on the hard marble floor that make many people slip, including me. Marissa and I b...

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“Perfectly adequate Agnes” by Marte Van Der Linden

Submitted to Contest #48

Agnes Wolfe was born at the stroke of midnight during the first thunderstorm of the year.(Of course she was. Wouldn’t be much of a story if she was born at a quarter past eight on a Thursday morning, would it, or if it was partly cloudy with a 40% chance of rain in the afternoon?)As she drew her first breath, lightning struck the pine tree outside the window. It went up in a crackle of flames.“That’s a lucky omen!” said the midwife, placing little Agnes in her mother’s arms. “She’ll grow up to be special, no doubt about it!”Mr Wolfe eyed the...

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“Embrace the Human Race” by Praveen Jagwani

Submitted to Contest #48

As outward appearances go, Amrita looked like any other 7 year old in her fishing village, in Kerala, India. Brown skin, oiled hair, pigtails, and dressed in the traditional modest long skirt with a loose blouse. Her father was a poor fisherman and she was third oldest among seven siblings.Like all other kids, she would walk to and from the village school every day. One day in her schoolyard she noticed a pregnant stray dog, resting in the shade of a giant tree. Some boys were hurling stones and sticks at it. You know how cruel little boys c...

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“A Long Shot” by Charles Stucker

Submitted to Contest #48

John sat in the back of the bar, watching the news. Everyone stared in horror at the unfolding events. A news anchor spoke tersely, "Reports from around the globe indicate this is not confined to the USA. Major cities in every continent report millions hospitalized and uncounted numbers dead. This plague, which came out of nowhere, appears to be the work of some previously unknown villainous mastermind." A man tapped John on the shoulder. He had expected it after ignoring the summons earlier. He got up and followed the man back toward the ba...

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“More Than Enough of Me” by Jordan De La Garza

Submitted to Contest #48

After what had to be one of the longest bus rides in my conscious memory, I finally arrive at my stop: Rambutan Avenue. Fortunately, it’s only a quick four blocks to my street, but since the sun has already set, it seems much longer. I begin the walk at a brisk pace, making sure not to look drivers in the eyes as I go while checking behind me frequently to spot any followers. I stay close to the streetlights and away from dark areas. Even though I clutch both my keys between my knuckles and my heavy bag in my other hand, I know that I am a t...

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“A Choice ” by Katy S.

Submitted to Contest #48

A sunny day, some eons ago.A young boy was sitting on some small rocks outside a rundown little cottage. He was grinding some indistinguishable, smushed plants, in a small mortar, with a crude looking pestle. Perhaps he was up to some mischief, and his quiet demeanor was due to guilt, or he was kept busy with some task, and it was due to patience.Either way, he was so attentive to his task, that he didn't notice an old, ragged, stooped woman who limped down the mossy cobble stoned path till she reached him, and bent down.He looked ...

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“The Tale of Hyper” by Cypress Grey

Submitted to Contest #48

Bleak. Lonely. Desolate. Such was a world without Hyper. Experimenting one day with a new formula for coffee, our unfortunate (or, dare I say, fortunate) hero concocted a mix that altered his chemistry, infusing his DNA with caffeine. Ever since, he has been the ever-vigilant watchman we all need to feel safe: sleepless, brave, quick, and able to whip up any piping hot or seriously cool coffee in less than a minute. He was the hero we never expected, but all love. ... The streets were quiet as he strolled; not even the local veteran thie...

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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!

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