[Free Ideas] Superhero Mirror World

[Kyle]

Free ideas is a topic where I (or anyone else who wants to participate) gives away free ideas I've been holding on to for future books or stories. I've realized that I'm being too precious and, as I get older, I'm forgetting some. So here they are. Enjoy them if you want or steal them for yourself.

I had a dream two nights ago that I was sitting around with my kids and their friends and we were brainstorming story ideas. Here's what I came up with. John or Jane Everyperson (gender didn't matter) falls through a rip in space time and into a mirror universe-- like in star trek, where everyone is evil and has a goatee. But in this mirror universe, everyone has superpowers (as ours have no superpowers).

John/Jane is befriended by a person who has one of the lamest superpowers on the planet- the ability to make anything smell like citrus. With the friend's help, John/Jane explores the complex world and government that is set up to handle a world where everyone has superpowers. For example, Dr. Coma is authorized to run a ward where people with dangerously powerful powers, like time control, are placed in permanent comas before their powers manifest.

The story then becomes an allegory to examine race and equity issues because the superhero universe is very much divided on class lines based on the powers that you are born with. It's much like a caste system.

The kids in my dream thought this was a cool idea.