Superpowered

by Jamie Butterworth, Joseph Yamine (Editor), Rafael Porrata (Illustrator)

It’s so easy to hate super heroes. They’re arrogant, they’re destructive, and they’re everywhere. Then there’s the spandex. My God…the spandex. Some want to be famous, some want to get rich, and some just want to dispense their own vision of vigilante justice.

Then there’s Dennis. Married forty something father of three who puts in long hours as a bank executive in Philadelphia. He observes these Supers (general term used for humans with exceptional abilities) daily, cursing as they trash the city, demolish landmarks, and wreak havoc on his insurance premiums.

Dennis’ biggest problem though, is that he’s one of them. He’s spent his entire life just trying to be normal. Getting married, raising a family, and having a good job are all he’s ever wanted. Is it really too much to ask to just live, love, and retire in peace?

Of course it is! Supers are easily monetized. Comic books, movie deals, television shows, public appearances, and well paid security gigs draw people with any kind of powers to join the limelight with the rest. Dennis comes to find that no matter how much you deny who you are, the world will never stop spinning, and you will eventually be dragged right along with it. Unfortunately for him, that dragging is bloody, painful, and unrelenting.

Superpowered is a first person fiction narrative from the eyes of a reluctant, power-wielding human being. Focusing not on super heroes or super villains, but instead on people with extraordinary abilities, this book will take you along for Dennis’ tense, thrilling, and gruesome journey through the highs and heartbreaking lows.

Genres: Superheroes

253 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 28, 2013

About the author

J.L. Butterworth is a full-time creative, part-time author, part-time game designer, and determined word gremlin who believes stories should reflect all the messy brilliance of being human - the good, the bad, and the excruciating (well, at least the bits most of us have). His debut novel, Superpowered, is a fun superhero romp that set the world on mild with a blistering 3.5 stars on Amazon. His second book, My Conversation with Claude, dives into a philosophical chat with an AI to explore what it means to be human - and to collaborate with machines. The Unknown Before Us is his latest work: a found-family sci-fi adventure packed with neurodivergent characters, alien wildlife, mood-enhancing mushroom trips, grief, trauma, and one very insistent ship cat. He lives with his wife, three kids, and a concerning love of cats.