Firefight

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

Both Reckoners and Epics face a wide array of internal and external power struggles as the novel progresses, and their responses to these struggles show the burden that different types of power can have. By their very nature, Epics are constantly at war with themselves. As David discovers at the end of the novel, the key to overcoming the corruptive influence of the Epic powers is to face one’s deepest fear—a feat so difficult that very few Epics have gained true control over their powers. In Chapter 32, when David looks at a photo of Prof from before Calamity’s rise, he notes that the image looks very different from the dark, brooding man that Prof has become. As David reflects, “Nearly thirteen years of Calamity had changed this man. And not just because of the powers he’d gained” (253). With this observation, David cuts to the heart of the battle that all Epics wage against themselves. Over the years, the Epics have been hardened by the corruption that constantly tries to overtake them, and they have also become jaded in the face of the world’s apocalyptic changes. For Prof, an Epic who works diligently to keep his powers in check, the combination of these internal and external struggles reveals the true burden that all Epics carry—the struggle to reconcile their past selves with their current “superpowered” identities. In the end, Prof cannot suppress his protective nature. By using his powers to save Babilar, he turns into the very thing he fears most, and this downfall demonstrates that he is burdened both by the Epic powers and by the power within himself to bring change.

While Prof’s internal battle illustrates the essence of each Epic’s struggle to resist the corruption that comes with their powers, Regalia symbolizes the burden that Epics are exposed to once they let these powers corrupt their moral compass. Despite the vibrant image that Regalia projects of herself through the water, she is actually frail and dying, and the heavy burden of her leadership pushes her to make drastic and morally questionable choices. Unlike Prof, Regalia has given in to the corruption, which has led her to believe that there is a greater purpose to her powers—one that she must fulfill at any cost. She is therefore determined to ensure the continued reign of Epics even after her death, which is why she lures Prof into a situation that will remake him into a corrupted Epic who will then serve her purpose. Her manipulation leads Prof toward a future that he never wanted for himself, thereby revealing Regalia’s false belief that merely having access to power gives one the right to use it however one wants. Regalia is therefore burdened by what she feels is the responsibility of power, even though no such burden necessarily exists.

In contrast to the behavior of Epics like Regalia and the corrupted version of Prof, the Reckoners represent the power of regular people who are determined to fight for their beliefs and change the world for the better. In Steelheart, David and the Newcago Reckoners fought to dethrone Steelheart because the tyrannical Epic used fear tactics to force people into enduring miserable lives. Thus, the Reckoners saw it as their duty to fight, no matter the cost to themselves. In Firefight, the Reckoners enter Babilar with the same vision, but they quickly find a completely different situation from the one in Newcago. Rather than being beaten down and terrified, the people of Babilar appreciate Regalia’s rule and live peaceably alongside the city’s Epics. As a result, David is forced to rethink his stance on Epic control. While Regalia ultimately proves herself to be just as destructive and manipulative as Steelheart, David cannot deny that the people of Babilar are happier than the people of Newcago were under Steelheart’s law. This revelation forces David to question whether he truly holds the burden to stop all Epics or if he has only taken up this burden because of his own negative experiences with them. Like Regalia, David has taken it upon himself to reshape the world according to his own ideals, but unlike Regalia, he envisions a world in which people are free from corrupt rule and can make their own choices. However, as the people of Babilar show, there are those who would relinquish their freedom to gain a sense of safety.