#dev power fantasy

There’s this duality to electrical powers in fiction generally, and The Power Fantasy more specifically— is electricity the driver of modern technology, or is it a wild force of nature? TPF 10 has a really prominent lightning motif, and it’s also the issue where the cold, calculating technologist is revealed to be just a fucked-up guy who misses his wife.

In 1986, Magus promotes Dev to Fucking Arsehole, instead of Eliza as she'd hoped, and she breaks off their eight year long relationship because it's too big an insult to her pride. Telling the story later, she says, "…for all his many flaws, he fought for us," in reference to how Dev told Magus's top tier secrets to win back his wife's devotion. Eliza was worth that to him, but for her part, she only returned to him because he shared those secrets and the power they offered.

Years later, also in that last conversation, Dev tries to be gentle about it as he tells Eliza he'll have to die to save the world, "You? You're going to sacrifice yourself?" as if she doesn't think he really would. He admits he's really going to, as if he doesn't believe it either, and she pulls off both their masks so they can kiss. That's when he brings up kids and his death and his fears, and she replies with joking obscenity.

Dev might have been a cool dad, if he'd had the chance. Yeah, he's a jerk to Magus and he's apparently used magic to cheat at gambling. But he's also funny, brave, and fiercely loyal to people he really loves. I just don't know if Eliza would have been a good mom, or if their relationship would have withstood the additional stress of kids.