#superhero whump

[theherosvillain]

thinking about hierarchical whump in a superhero setting. like, all superheroes are government property, they all go through the same grueling training, and they can expect to have very little autonomy for their entire lives. and obviously beating down on a civilian would get them arrested (or worse), and fighting villains just gets so monotonous sometimes...

so much abuse that could happen behind closed doors. the world is your oyster.

[whumppromptoftheday]

"this is what you were raised for," superhero says, pulling living weapon's hair up out of their face.

living weapon stares ahead, tears in their eyes and nods. "do i get to say goodbye to anyone?"

"there's not enough time, i'm sorry"

[memento-morri-whumps]

whump scenario - "I had nowhere else to go" (UNO REVERSE edition)

So I know that "villain turns up on hero's doorstep / in their apartment /etc. because they have "nowhere else to go"" is kind of a common trope, but I really really really want to see more of the reverse. A hero who is badly hurt, maybe even on the run from the organization they work(ed) for, and goes to the villain for shelter.

Imagine the possibilities...

The villain is just chilling in their evil lair and their security system goes off. They get all dressed up in their regalia and go outside to face the threat, only to see the hero leaning against a tree / the wall / whatever, gripping their side, blood soaking through their uniform, face pale.

Or, alternatively, they look on the cameras and see nothing. Sighing, rolling their eyes about how they really need to fine-tune the settings so it stops alerting at animals, they go outside (potentially prepared to gain another snack for their pet) and instead see hero crumpled in a heap. (Bonus if the hero was flying into the villain's airspace and crash-landed / was zapped out of the sky by the villain's defenses.)

Maybe the villain's pet Creature perks up its nose and dives into the bushes. The villain runs after them, cursing, since "I thought you knew better than to chase squirrels!!" only to find their pet pawing at (or even attempting to gnaw on) the hero's body. (Dragging them by the cape like Krypto in Superman….)

Or maybe the hero lands on the balcony of the villain's Evil Penthouse in the city. Or stumbles up the drive of their looming mansion in the countryside.

Maybe the villain saw them approaching from a distance and disabled their security / called off their goons, preparing a trap. The door opens and they're ready to burst into an evil monologue as the hero walks in, but then the hero just… crumples.

Imagine the last thing the hero says as they lose consciousness is a quiet "You were right." The villain would ordinarily be gloating, but they can't seem to find any joy in that idea. After all, what's the point in changing someone's mind if they just die right away? No. There's no satisfaction there.

The vulnerability of delirium, too. Accidentally revealing top-secret plans, or letting on that their bosses/organization they work for have hurt them. Hero babbling "Don't take me back there, please!"

Maybe they were shot with some kind of anti-power poison (because of course the organization that collects super heroes would know how to stop them).

Imagine the "good guys" showing up at the villain's place and demanding they return their "kidnapped" operative. Offering a ransom. Villain listens to the recording and stares at the sleeping form on their bed, and wonders what the hero did to make their former employers want them so badly.

Villain defending their home (and the hero) with everything they had. Maybe hero shows up at the last minute to help them, too.

Maybe the hero wakes up with the villain's cat (or other pet creature) on their chest. Or they wake up alone in an unfamiliar place and go wandering, catching glimpses of the villain's private life until they finally come across the villain in another room. ("Finally. I was starting to wonder if I would have to feed you to the sharks." "Sharks? Aren't we in the middle of the city?" "That was a joke, hero.")

Maybe the villain's residence is a lot less impressive than the hero was expecting. Their "secret bunker" is little more than a couple of rooms.

The hero getting to see what the villain is like behind the mask. There are photos of their loved ones on the wall. ("What happened to them?" "What happened? Nothing. My mother was just here last Sunday for tea. My dad's dead though. Fucking lung cancer of all things. Man smoked a pack a day.") Their cat is a huge cuddle-bug, and the living room has more cat toys than people furniture. Their MASSIVE dog sleeps on the bed and licks your face. Their library is filled with romcoms. They have a huge collection of 80s music. There's an entire room full of arcade games. They collect abstract art. Their fridge is covered in tacky gas station travel magnets. They sing and dance (badly) while they cook. ("Yes, of course I cook for myself. You think I can afford to hire staff? In this economy?? Besides, what's to stop your precious Organization from sending plants? And I can't exactly put out an ad in the papers, can I?")

[theultimatespicysandwich]

Whumptober No. 28: “I could always see straight through you.”

Backstabbing | Constellation | Creative Restraints

Hero approached Superhero's office in the facility, stepping nervously towards the door. Small flurries began to pick up around them before Hero noticed and shooed them away.

Relax, they thought. It's just a standard check-in on your progress. You've captured plenty of criminals to satisfy them. It'll be fine.

Of course, they hadn't captured Villain. Superhero had tasked Hero with bringing them to justice, taking them out if they had to. Hero had taken them out...to dinners and movies and coffee shops, discretely as possible in their civilian personas. After all, Villain wasn't evil. They were just "allergic to the rules", as they liked to say.

Hero admired that about Villain. They were one of the few who knew the people Villain robbed usually deserved it, with the funds stolen turning into anonymous donations to local charities and organizations. Hero tried to help in their own way, taking down smaller criminals and protecting civilians in danger of being hurt or abused, but they were honor bound to their code. They could never be free to act outside of it.

"Why don't you join me?" Villain had asked one day. "We're basically on the same side. And it would be a treat to fight alongside you instead of against you."

"I can't," Hero said unable to make eye contact. "Superhero needs me. And there's things I can do by following the rules that you can't."

Villain rolled their eyes. "Fine. Keep being a goody-two-shoes. See how far it gets you."

Hero gently squeezed Villain's hand, their ice-cold fingers intertwining with Villain's fiery hot touch. "You know, I just don't think you'd be able to handle me if we were on the same side. You'd be so flustered you wouldn't be able to get anything done."

Villain laughed, a bit of red flooding their cheeks. "Please. You'd miss our banter so much you'd change sides before the end of the fight."

"Oh, you mean your terrible puns? The one's you practice in the mirror every day?" Hero raised an eyebrow.

Villain sputtered, causing Hero to laugh. The memory comforted them as they knocked on Superhero's door. Hearing a "Come in," they entered.

"Ah, Hero." Superhero looked up from some documents on their desk, setting them down and gesturing for Hero to take a seat.

"What can I do for you?" Hero asked, sitting down.

"I just wanted to congratulate you." Superhero smiled. "So many criminals frozen in their tracks, if you'll excuse the turn of phrase."

Hero smiled. It was nothing to worry about, after all. "Just doing my job."

"Yes," Superhero's lip curled in a curious smile. "I did have one small question, however." They took one of the documents they had been looking at and spun it around. "What do you make of this?" Hero noticed it was an image, blurry, of several figures at what seemed to be at an outdoor restaurant.

"I don't understand," Hero said, their eyebrows knit in confusion. "Is this our next target?"

"Yes it is, and I think you'll be quite familiar with them." Superhero produced a second photo, a thermal version of the same scene. Hero's blood ran even colder than usual. Among the usual heat signatures, there was a pair that stuck out like a sore thumb, together at one of the tables: one blistering hot, the other icy blue. There would be no denying who it was in those photos.

Hero went to stand, knowing they had no choice but to run.

"Now hold on." Superhero flicked their wrist and vines that had been sneaking their way towards Hero sprung forth. Hero fought against Superhero's powers, freezing the plants as they tried to wrap around their wrists and ankles.

"Just let me explain!" Hero shouted, firing blast after blast of icy cold air.

"I think the photos speak for themselves." Superhero calmly doubled the frequency of their attacks. "You've gotten Villain to trust you, but you're too weak to finish the job."

Hero's face flushed with anger, causing them to slip up. One vine caught them in the back of the neck, sprouting sharp thorns dripping with some type of sap. Hero felt their body starting to grow weak, opening them up to more attacks. The paralytic entered their system several times over, and soon they were unable to stand, collapsing at Superhero's feet.

"I could always see straight through you, Hero." Superhero used their plants to lift Hero's chin, forcing them to look up. "Still, I had such hope for you. But seeing as how long this has gone on, I think it's time I stepped in. Lucky for you, you've given me just what I need to catch Villain once and for all."

Hero tried to shout out, to struggle, to do anything, but their body wouldn't listen. Vines wrapped around their limbs, covering their ankles all the way up to their mouth. More thorns sprouted, digging into Hero's skin, ensuring that when the paralytic wore off, more would be there to replace it.

Superhero reached into Hero's pocket, pulling out their communication device. They skimmed through the contacts before finding one that was clearly Villain.

"Smile." Superhero snapped some photos of Hero, helpless, gagged, and tied up, preparing to send them to Villain. "Don't worry," Superhero patted Hero's head. "You're helping to bring in a master criminal. You're going to be a real hero."

Edit: there's a part 2 now :)

Edit 2, electric boogaloo: This is a series now :))))(Masterlist)

[whump-in-the-closet]

Hero felt weightless. Their breath left their body in a hollow “god” and felt nothing more.

Superhero kept a hand easily on Villain’s slumped shoulder. Superhero’s smile was brilliant but all Hero could look at was the bruises on Villain’s freshly buzzed scalp—

—had their eyes always been so pale? It was so painfully obvious Villain’s mind was anywhere but here. Spiraling, absent, empty.

Superhero ran a hand over Villain’s head in some manner of affection that made Hero’s heartbeat ring, distorted, in their ears.

Superhero shoved their former nemesis towards Hero. “It’s a gift. Thought you’d might like a,” again that smile, “turn tonight.”

Hero caught Villain, body limp, the smell of iron acidic. Up close, the bruises ran down their neck in a circle, like they’d been collared. Chained down. Unable to fight back.

Their voice faltered. “Has everyone else…had a go?”

Superhero’s laugh was all the confirmation they needed. “There isn’t much left of them. Enjoy it while they last.”

God.

[survivesurvivingwhump]

Superhero Whumpee whose powers stopped working because of the stress from the trauma of being raped having to relearn how to use them during recovery

oh that's REALLY good, i love that.

i love when psychological/traumatic things interfere with a superhero's powers and this is such a good manifestation of that. it compounds that sense of helplessness, and the shame of being reduced to 'less' than they were before. not only were they a hero who (they feel) allowed themself to be violated like that, but they're useless now after. they can't help anyone. they can't save anyone.

the public is talking, asking where they are, and they don't have a good answer. they're absent and silent and curled up in the dark, shaking from nightmares and the sense that they aren't safe, that nobody and nothing is safe.

and then after, the process of relearning, the twined recovery of their use of their powers and their sense of autonomy, of safety in their own body. the support of the people around them - other powered friends who they expected to turn their backs on them, to shame and berate them for being so useless, demand where they were when someone else got hurt and they could've helped, they're there. they have people who are trying to help, even though they're not their alter ego, they're not a hero right now. they're just... a friend. a friend who needs help.

[bamber344]

Broken hero whumpee, who once maintained their veneer of joy and endless determination despite the horrors they had to face to protect people, now unable to summon even the smallest grin, hiding their scarred, disfigured face in shame. A person who was once a shining beacon of hope and peace shattering, going dark.

Alternatively, one who continues to maintain that facade of boundless, insurmountable happiness for the sake of the people, but whenever they're alone with the other heroes, drops into a shell of their former self, barely even able to bring themself to speak

who will protect the hero when they need help?

[wintertimewhump]

Magic / powered whumpees getting their powers taken away before being imprisoned is all cool and good, but you know what I like more than that? Situations where it’s impossible / undesirable to take away Whumpee’s powers, and instead a prison built specially to hold them and their powers must be created.

TW: medical whump, captivity

Fire-breathing whumpee kept submerged head to toe in cold water, a tube and mask keeping them breathing with barely enough oxygen.

Whumpee that can manipulate water kept in a cell that feels like an oven, constantly drying any condensation, the only water they’re given being in the form of injections while they sleep.

Super strong whumpee bound with reinforced chains or cords that individually they could easily break- too bad there’s dozens of them, wrapped around every limb, around their waist, their neck, across their chest in an X.

Psychic whumpee forced to wear a helmet that blocks their brain waves, trapping them inside their own head. Additionally, a psychic whumpee that needs to know their surroundings in order to interact with them being subjected to sensory deprivation.

Whumpee whose power comes from their emotions being restrained to a hospital bed while an IV drip fills their bloodstream with sedative, emotion-dulling chemicals that put them in a stupor.

Whumpee with ocular powers made to wear a thick blindfold that doesn’t let even a trace of light through, kept on them for so long they start to forget what their captors’ faces look like.

Just. Whumpee in a cell specifically designed for them, knowing that their captor has planned for any contingency. They won’t be getting out easily.