: Re: Writing rule which states that two causes for the same superpower is bad writing I've read somewhere that there is this writing rule stating that, for some superpower, it would be less believable

@Moriarity138

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I have never heard of such a rule in writing, but there is a principle of logic that sort of goes along with this: Occam's razor. For those unfamiliar, Occam's Razor is a way of determining the most likely answer to a question by eliminating answers that require the introduction of more assumptions.

It makes more sense if a known and understood cause or principle underlies something as fantastic as super power. There's certainly a benefit to this kind of logic when developing a story.

In comics, for example, while it may be that heroes have radically different backstories on how they gain their powers, there are "acceptable" methods which make sense to readers: Magic, advanced technology, radiation, ancient beings/artifacts of power, and intense mental/spiritual training are all general sources.

Notably, in the case of Spiderman, both Peter Parker and Norman Osborne gain their strength, durability, and quickness from science. In Peter's case a radioactive (genetically modified) spider. In Osborne's case from an experiment attempting to create a super-soldier. Not too different, actually.

However, once a story has established specific instances of a power, near-identical versions are more believable if the source is the same. For example, Marvel's She-Hulk and Red Hulk both gained their powers through the original Hulk. DC's speedsters are all connected to the Speed Force.

Considering the medium, there's considerable latitude, but the principle does hold a certain truth to it.

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