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What Powers Do The Characters Have In 'Vicious'?

Trying to map the superpower dynamics in V.E. Schwab's novel after finishing. Who gets extra-ordinary abilities, like regeneration or pain manipulation?
2025-07-01 11:44:43
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6 Answers

Best Answer
Genie Guinoo
Genie Guinoo
The characters in 'Vicious' all gain ExtraOrdinary (EO) abilities after near-death experiences. Each ability is unique to the character and based on their last thought before nearly dying. For example, Victor is able to cause pain and manipulate nerve signals, while Eli has the ability for rapid regenerative healing - an ability at the center of the story's conflict. This focus on specific powers and their consequences is what 'Healing Powers' is all about. The story of a young woman with the ability to heal any wound, for example, comes with a severe and unknown cost to her, making her ability the center of conflict in her life and in her relationships.
2026-08-04
Yara
Yara
'Vicious' turns the typical superhero power on its head by making them all dark and personal. Victor can manipulate pain, so he can increase or decrease someone’s suffering at will. It’s extremely unpleasant to read and makes Victor an extremely unpleasant character to read. Eli’s power to regrow his limbs is paired with the obligation to slaughter, which is a heavy burden. Sydney can bring people back from the dead but they come back as zombies, which are more pitiful than feared. Each of the characters’ powers reflect their flaws. Even Mitch’s ability to hack into computers and control the Internet and Serena’s ability to mind control are portrayed as heavy powers that can be used for evil in this story, symbolizing corruption with power.
2025-07-02
Knox
Knox
In the story Vicious by Thomas Friedman, the superpowers of the main characters are probably some of the most interesting and complex morality tales in fiction. The two main characters in the story are Victor Vale and Eli Card. Both gained their superpowers through near-death experiences. Victor can make people feel no pain or vice versa. He can numb himself to terrible injury or cause his enemies extreme pain with just a touch. This is in contrast to Eli who gains the ability to regenerate from near-fatal injuries. However, he only heals from his injuries when he kills someone else. The author uses the two characters to explore the issues of obsession and vengeance.

Their powers are also explored in depth. For example, little Sydney is able to bring people back from the dead but they return in their previous dying state. She is also able to make them do her bidding. Technological wizard Mitch is able to access any computer or other electronic system at will. Serena is able to force anyone to obey her every command should she decide to speak. The exploration of the powers of the characters and their physical and moral cost is what makes this wonderful novel stand out in the crowd of typical superhero stories.
2025-07-04
Rom Ec Hano
Rom Ec Hano
One thing I feel gets under appreciated are the logistical uses of powers. Mitch’s technopathy is really cool in this regard. A world of advanced technology, he’s a hacker, info gathering detective, security system breaching vigilante. A very strong support power, for Victor in particular. Also, something that I feel is really under appreciated is the intimacy of some powers. Victor’s pain induction is a touch/proximity based ability. Therefore, it’s not an ability that he can use to sniper shoot people from miles away. Instead, it’s a very up close and personal ability. It makes for very intense and personal confrontations. Eli’s regeneration is also very cost centered. Because he can heal from just about any amount of damage, he can fight in a very reckless and brutal manner. His body is a weapon, and a shield. And just like with Victor’s abilities, there are plenty of limitations and costs to his powers, forcing lots of creative solutions and character-centric story development.
2026-08-01
Garciavargas Rocio
Garciavargas Rocio
I love how powers are used to create unique and well-planned action scenes. The fight with Victor is a slow and intense battle of endurance and wits, the fight with Eli is a brutal and intense onslaught that he can only barely withstand, and the confrontation with Serena is a mad dash against time to keep her from speaking. Each scene uses the environment, the characters' wits, and the unique abilities of each character in creative and clever ways. The scenes are well-planned and utilize each character's weaknesses in order to create some truly unique and creative action scenes. It's superhero action written as if it were a heist or a thriller – planning and exploiting weaknesses are far more important than raw power. It's fantastic to read.
2026-08-03

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