Rule 34: The Rise of Super Sex
written by @robinwritesallthethings
So, in case you haven’t noticed, fanfiction can have a lot of sex. Like A LOT. You’re probably not shocked. As writers, we all know that writing sex is hard enough. But what happens when you introduce characters with superpowers? The short answer is that sexytime gets a lot more complicated. If you’re interested in something longer (pun most definitely, 100% intended), read on.
The starting differences are usually pretty basic. Superhero characters tend to have a lot more stamina than their human counterparts. They can go literally all night long. Enhanced strength also means that characters of any shape and size can be picked up, and that positions that might be off the table for an average couple are back on again. But there are other concerns to take into account if you’re really looking to go deep (yup, I did it again!) into the world of superhero sex.
One is biological compatibility. Especially in the Marvel universe, a lot of superheroes look human, but they are alien, or their DNA has been altered in a significant way. This could raise some serious concerns for a human looking to hop in the sack with one. It might not even be safe to have sex with an alien. And even if biological compatibility isn’t an issue, other powers can still pose a concern. If Thor doesn’t control his strength, can he just pound you right through the bed and straight into death? If Bucky gets lost in the moment, could that pleasurable light choking become something much worse? These are details you might want to consider if you’re going to write some sweet superhero boning.
So what are your options if you’re venturing into the world of superhero smut? You have a few. First, you can choose to just ignore any potential pitfalls and just write regular sex. This works especially well for AUs where characters might not have powers, or for one-shots that are just supposed to be some sexy fun. In these cases, it’s usually not necessary to go into too much detail, so you can skip dealing with anything harder (how many puns is that now?).
You could also use the superpowers to enhance whatever sex is happening in your story. I read a great fic once where Loki’s frost giant abilities were used to great advantage for some shivery fun. And you could also use Wanda’s magic to do pretty much anything you wanted. The good thing here is that a lot of superhero powers aren’t strictly defined, especially in this context, so you can take what is already established and build off of it.
Finally, you can lean in and choose to deal with all of the obstacles these powers present to you. You can use these powers to create barriers in a romance, for instance, like Stephenie Meyer does in Twilight. While her vampires aren’t strictly superheroes, they have many of the same capabilities, which makes many of Edward and Bella’s physical relationship milestones potentially deadly. This last choice is certainly more convoluted than the others, but it’s perfect for an angst-filled story with a lot of potential for tragedy.
No matter how you choose to handle super sex in your narrative, remember to be creative and make it your own. You’re probably going to have to fill in some big blanks (just one more smutty pun for the road!), so go wild and have fun with it!
