Austin Grossman Soon I Will Be Invincible

Soon I Will Be Invincible

Austin Grossman

Pantheon, Jun 2007, $22.95

ISBN: 0375424865

As he remains behind bars for his latest failure to conquer the worlds, brilliant diabolical scientist Doctor Impossible wonders where he went wrong. His family deserted him when he lost again to the super tights type and now the government has claimed his secret fortress under some sort of patriotic legal mumbo jumbo.

While Impossible struggles with his superego, the worlds' greatest superhero team, the Champions, invites Fatale the cyborg to join them which she does. However, as she begins to train in earnest, team leaders Corefire vanishes and Doctor Impossible begins his latest conquer the world plan in which he plays billiards with the planet by knocking it out of orbit leading to leaders bowing to his superiority. Fatale is forced into battle before she feels ready as the doctor's doomsday plan begins; but she understands that she belongs to the Champions, who will keep on fighting until the end because the Champions have no time for losers especially doubting cyborg queens.

Paying homage to superhero comic books, SOON I WILL BE INVINCIBLE is a terrific fantasy thriller that surprisingly has deep characterizations. Especially developed are Fatale who finds the team's mission and vision quite humorous and the Doctor who feels like Wile Coyote as his perfect plans somehow are foiled again and again by losers. He also wonders if he is currently doing the right thing as who will he rule once the planet turns total iceberg (at least he will have stopped global warming). The story line rotates between these two lead adversaries, but also provides strong secondary players who are mostly superheroes. Satirizing the superego power grabbers who will do anything to gain and maintain supremacy even destroy a planet, Austin Grossman provides a winning tale.

Harriet Klausner