Firefight

Prof (whose real name is Jonathan Phaedrus) is the leader of the Reckoners and one of the most powerful Epics in the world. At the end of Steelheart, David learned that Prof is an Epic. Because Prof fights against the corruption inherent in using his power, he is also responsible for David’s decision to adopt a more nuanced view of Epics. As a result, David has developed a strong respect for Prof, thinking of him as “something stable, immobile, like [Newcago’s] buildings themselves” (25). In Firefight, however, Prof becomes harder and less forgiving because Megan’s betrayal reminds him of all the other Epics whom he trusted and was let down by. This dark past makes Prof even more staunchly convinced that no Epic (himself included) can be saved. He therefore believes that he will one day have to die for the good of the world. Prof’s fatalistic attitude makes David fight all the harder to convince his mentor that Epics are not inherently evil. The hope that David gives Prof pushes the man to continue the fight, but when Regalia forces Prof to use his powers at the end of the book, he becomes the very thing that the Reckoners have been fighting against. These events suggest that he will become one of the main antagonists in Calamity.

Prof is a High Epic, meaning that his powers protect him from conventional attempts to kill him. His abilities include forcefield manipulation and the ability to heal both himself and others, and he also has the unique ability to loan his powers to non-Epics. Within the world of the novel, harnessing the powers of dead Epics at the cellular level allows for the creation of new technology, but Prof takes this process a step further by bestowing healing and protective forcefields upon David with a simple touch. When Prof uses his powers himself, it triggers the corruption just as it does for all other Epics. However, when Prof loans his powers to a non-Epic, the corruption is not triggered, and this distinction is one of the main points in Prof’s argument with David about whether Epics can be saved. Because the key to avoiding corruption is for an Epic to face their greatest fear, Prof’s loaning ability offers a jumping-off point for a discussion of the role that fear plays in becoming angry, bitter, and vengeful—traits that are exhibited by fully corrupted Epics.

Regalia is the ruler of Babilar and the main antagonist of Firefight. Prior to becoming an Epic, Regalia was a lawyer and preacher. Upon meeting her, David thinks that “her voice ha[s] the air of a wise mother who [i]s forced to intervene in the petty antics of immature children” (196). The word “regalia” is defined as “royal rights or prerogatives,” and this fact reflects the ways in which Regalia’s approach differs from Prof’s. Whereas Prof has avoided using his powers in order to resist the corruption, Regalia has used her water manipulation powers on a massive scale, flooding Babilar until only the tops of the skyscrapers are above water. Regalia also believes that she is the queen of her domain, and her name is symbolic of her belief that the Epic powers make her superior to the people she rules. 

In this light, Regalia’s ability to spy via open bodies of water represents the strengths and weaknesses of government surveillance on a large scale. While Regalia can theoretically see anything that is happening in her city, she is not omniscient, and her power does not allow her to locate events without a trigger, such as the sound of her name. This is why Regalia relies on other Epics like Newton and Obliteration for information, and the weaknesses in her abilities result in gaps in her knowledge that the Reckoners can exploit. Regalia’s desire for Prof to be her successor shows her undying commitment to the concept of Epic rule. She knows that she is dying, and she wants to pass along her legacy to another Epic rather than letting people live free of Epic rule. Her actions therefore demonstrate just how deeply Epic corruption can run.