Brainpunch

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Do not kill. That’s the first rule of being a superhero… and it’s the first one she broke.

Vivian gained a superpower that allows her to telekinetically apply ten pounds of force. Weak. Useless, some said, but she's determined to make it work. On her first night out, she found out how wrong everyone was as she reduced a man's brain to mush.

Now, pitted against villains, shady corporations, college debt, and the government's brutal hero program, she has to find a way to become the hero she has always wished she could be—a hero who could have saved her.

Vivian's aiming for the top. Of the head.

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2023
Author: Slifer274

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.6/ 5.0
Followers: 4,013
Views: 522,282

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(10)

MasterEnviRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A 'dark and gritty' superhero story that is actually dark and gritty. It's wonderful to finally read something that scratches that itch again. Much to their regret, my friends introduced me to Worm earlier in the year and I instantly became obsessed. I loved it so much and Brainpunch clearly takes inspiration from the series, or at the very least draws a lot of parallels which I love a lot.
The main character, Vivian, is currently a low ranked super. Her ability allows her to telekenitically apply 10lbs of force to anything within range. This allows her to pick stuff up and throw it or just straight punch things. She's able to precisely aim at things and can even attack things not in her field of view which gives her an advantage of not having to look at her targets.
But overall this ability is not strong, so she has to be creative in her usage which is what makes the story so appealing. Her ability has a separate use that makes it a far more devastating power than one would normally think and she is currently working to keep that aspect of her powers hidden.
Another part I like about the story so far is just the overall mystery of the series, it has a similar plot device to Worm, in that an alien ends up on Earth, although this one is more like Eden than Scion in that it crash lands and dies and now people are starting to receive powers. There's a lot of the power aspect that's not similar to Worm though from what little I've seen so far and I'm definitely looking forward to learning more about the series going forward.
One thing that does bother me is Vivian's relationship with Alexander, I would like to see potentially more vitriol or disgust towards him for what he did, she seems just a teensy bit to complacent with his part in what he did, but other than that one teeny tiny personal nitpick I love the story! Keep up the great work author!
MeldwickRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
One of the best superhero story here without a doubt.
A unique character, who's got relatable goals and motivations, realistic social relations and is able to make mistakes without it feeling forced ? Sign me in any time !
The powerset is also very interesting, strong and weak at the same time and, most of the other powers we've seen feel novel enough to keep me interested !
It has some Worm vibes but without feeling too close to it and I'm elated whenever a new chapter pops !
To read absolutely !
MittsRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Brain punch is a SUPER great take on the super hero genre. The main character is relatable and resourceful, even if she doesnt always believe in herself sometimes. There are a lot of moving parts to the story/character dynamics, that will get you hooked by the end of the first chapter. The author did an amazing job and i recommend it to any fan of the genre!
Elliot ScottRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed this story and encourage the writer to keep writing. You mentioned this story was difficult for you to write, and I’m guessing that is because it was so dark and dealt with so much trauma.
i just want to let you know that the darkness is not the part of the story that made it good, and I don’t think you need it to be so dark. You could write something similar that was much warmer and it would be even better.
but maybe that’s just my preference. Keep writing, I hope you try something in the same world one day, I’d love to read it.
oh also, give it a better title! Your writing is better than I would have guessed based on the title.
Sundusk98Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story is shaping up to be an incredible romp. The characters are complex and don’t reveal themselves all at once. I enjoy learning about Vivian’s past even as she hurtles towards an uncertain future.
The world building is one of my favorites in any superhero story on Royal Road- it’s thorough, intriguing, and delectable. The varied and complex superhero organizations provide great food for thought. The way that superheroes hold power is reminiscent of Invincible, and the Boys, but the world remains unique and interesting. I’m so excited to see how aliens factor into the world that is already so rich with super powers.
sirshing eyeRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It is a genuine, enormous shame that the author dropped this story. This scratched my superhero itch perfectly: niche superpowers, public perception of supers, gruesome and creative death, tragedy. I am going to miss this story so hard.
The character development was excellent. We get to see Viv change, start traumatized and get worse.
Each side character is developed, interesting, and impactful. They feel real and unfortunate.
I'm going to spend some time looking for more stories like this, I fear it might be in vain.
Dreamwolf969Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Surprisingly good superhero story. The author has taken in account what the existence of supers would do to the society and the reasons for the existence of supers is plausible enough.
The MC is a college student with a shitty talent who for believable reasons don't want to be outed so naturally she is. The author feels accomplished, nice style, no grammar issues, pacing is OK.
If I have any issues then it's that I feel the MC has been loaded up with a bit to much challenges. She's poor and from a poor family, she has mental issues stemming from some family tragedy, her super power is limited in almost all aspects and on top of that she has rough start to her career, to say the least.
I hope the next few chapters solve at least some of those challenges or my interest will vane.
SinisterPastryRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Hello, first review.
I'm enjoying the story quite a bit so far. Vivian and company are very relatably messed up characters trying to make the best of it in a terrible world where the best maybe isn't very good at all. I'm enjoying Viv as an unreliable narrator, and trying to keep track of what's accurate and what's being skewed by her biases, paranoia, and self-loathing is keeping me on my toes.
I'm looking forward to seeing how this develops, and how long it takes for Vivian to become more of a villain than the people she's currently accidentally killing.
AvidReader2425Royal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Currently finished chapter 8, and on chapter 9, and I would have to say that the overall story is pretty enjoyable, definitely worth the time to read, and I am curious about how the main character will continue to grow. The world building so far, has some pretty interesting history, but since there aren’t a lot of chapters currently, there’s still quite a bit of room to grow there. The side characters are also likable. If they are meant to be, and certain characters on the good guys side are certainly easy to just like as well.
IJustWantedToSayRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I’m giving it at 4.5. I read it over the course of several days and enjoyed it. Didn’t stop at any point and ponder if I should continue reading. I think it touches on some topics that a lot of superhero stories gloss over. Like how they affect society as a whole if they are publicly acknowledged as a thing. Anyway, would recommend this read