Writing a Superhero Story

10 Uses for Forcefields

1.  Two forcefields could be smashed together to smash something in-between.  Alternately, you could use one force-field and any hard surface for a similar effect.

2.  Maybe a forcefield could be used as a cushion for safe landings.  Perhaps the character can alter the hardness/springiness of his forcefields so that he can make them into something like a trampoline.  (The more it can stretch, the less the force of impact will be. Like a seat-belt, but one that can also be used to smash something to pieces).

3.  A spherical forcefield could be used to trap in a limited air supply.  That would help a character traveling underwater, through space or through a locker room.

3.1.  A spherical forcefield could also be used to restrict air intake.  For example, a hero might be able to knock someone unconscious by cutting off outside air.  Alternately, if an enemy is using poisonous gas or fire-based attacks (which will readily exhaust available oxygen), the forcefield could lead to the enemy knocking himself unconscious and/or poisoning his air-supply so much that even he can’t handle it.

4.  Forcefields could really wreck a super-fast character’s day.  They could be used to limit space (to take away mobility).  Also, if you’re moving at 500+ miles per hour and suddenly hit a wall that wasn’t there a moment ago, it would really hurt.  Even a regular-speed character that was jumping at an enemy would have a lot of momentum.  As in #1, you might also be able to use forcefields to pin a combatant so that he can’t move as effectively.

5.  They could be used to trap fleeing enemies.  For example, you could cut off escape paths.

5.1. They could also be used to ensure a successful escape.  Putting obstacles between escaping characters and their pursuers would probably help.

6.  “Roach bust”–forcefields can be tactically deployed to separate an enemy from his teammates.  This allows your team to gang up on him while he’s unable to escape.  (You wouldn’t like Huk when he’s angry?Not even I am geeky enough to use two Starcraft non sequiturs in an article on superpowers).

7.  Forcefields could create a surface in space or water.  This could be useful in a few situations.  For example, it’s hard to orient yourself while drifting in space because there’s nothing to push against.  However, you could push against your own forcefield.  Second, if you were doing something in space with recoil, the recoil would probably send you flying back into space, unless your back was to a wall.  In the water, having a hard surface to push against could be useful for a burst of speed.  If you can hold onto your forcefields, it might allow you to maintain your position underwater without swimming.  Swimming creates turbulence in the water that someone with extremely sharp senses might be able to perceive, so it might be useful as a stealth tactic.

8. If you can make an opaque forcefield, it could be used for concealment and/or subterfuge.  Or one hell of a bachelor party.

9. You could make a surface to float/walk/slide on in the air.  For example, if you needed to run from one building to the other, you could use a forcefield as a ramp or skywalk.  If you needed to free people trapped in a building, perhaps you could make a slide?

10.  You could contain fires, explosions, bullets, Vanilla Ice songs, killer plants, zombies, zombie-killing plants and other deleterious forces.  

11. You could use forcefields as a (hopefully imprecise) form of telekinesis. I would recommend making this imprecise to help differentiate the character from most other telekinetics.