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Scriptwriter and NPR commentator who occasionally writes novels. As yet, this page only has tropes for three of his works--add more if you know more.▼
{{cleanup|Tropes for "Those Who Walk In Darkness" and "What Fire Cannot Burn" should be moved to their own works pages, which should be linked here.}}
[[File:John Ridley in Nov 2013.jpg|thumb|350px|John Ridley in 2013]]
▲Scriptwriter and NPR commentator who occasionally writes novels. As yet, this page only has tropes for three of his works
{{examples|Works by Ridley with their own pages:}}
* ''[[Undercover Brother]]'' (scriptwriter)
* ''[[Three Kings]]'' (scriptwriter)
* ''[[Martin]]'' (one of the scriptwriters)
* ''[[Third Watch]]'' (producer)
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'''Those Who Walk In Darkness''' and its sequel '''What Fire Cannot Burn'''. Described as [[Superhero]] [[Deconstruction
* [[Ascended Extra]]: Eddi Aoki, a colleague of Soledad's, originally notable for her [[Tragic Keepsake]] of a ''[[Knife Nut|hunting knife]]'' she plans to use to cut out a mutant's heart. In the sequel she takes on more of a prominent role, and eventually {{spoiler|[[Take Up My Sword|becomes the main character after Soledad's death]]}}.
* [[Black and Gray Morality]]: ''Most'' of the "freak" targets are more willing to get their hands dirty than the average superhero, although typically with reason or after being attacked. The protagonist is an unabashedly [[Fantastic Racism|Fantastic Racist]] who kills an unarmed woman for having the power to stop other people from being hurt. This may go as far as [[Villain Protagonist]].
* [[Broken Pedestal]]: As a child, Soledad idolized the superheroine Nubian Princess (best described as a black [[Expy]] of [[Wonder Woman]].)
** {{spoiler|Soledad to Eddi in the second half of ''What Fire Cannot Burn'' after the latter reads her hate-filled and self-righteous journals}}.
* [[Cape Busters]]: The MTacs.
* [[Contemptible Cover]]: the paperback editions.
* [[Covers Always Lie]]: a mild case, but one that appears on seemingly every edition of both books. Soledad repeatedly describes herself as a BAMF ([[Badass]] Mother-Fucker), and the covers show her as having those letters tattooed on her shoulder. In the story, her tattoo instead reads "[[Stupid Sacrifice|We don't need another hero]]."
* [[Deadly Euphemism]]: When MTac "serves a warrant", there's a good deal more bullets, poisons, and sedatives and much fewer actual arrests involved than you'd expect.
* [[Evil Is Stylish]]: The [[Differently-Powered Individual|metanormals]] really, really would be more effective if they weren't obsessed with style, irony, or practically being comic book characters. Justified with the metanormals with more revenge-driven motives, but when a shapeshifter trying to run turns into a big, lumbering brick wall, he [[Too Dumb to Live|almost deserves]] the inevitable rain of shotgun shells.
* [[Fantastic Racism]]: It's not immediately apparent, but the author's rooting for the mutants. So far, only one has been evil, and another even begged for his life.
* [[Fridge Brilliance]]: The comparisons between Soledad's nickname and superhero/supervillain nicknames is spelled out throughout the first book, but what MTac's synthetic clothing and acceptance of slight customizations in armor look like... For the ultimate in [[He Who Fights Monsters]], {{spoiler|Bludlust's power is declared once and almost as an afterthought. A superhuman "freak" brain, able to create weapons beyond the ability of normal men. Soledad's built a weapon specifically for taking down metanormals that's well beyond the technology of normal men, with even the 'bland' bullets being on the level of a...}}
* [[Gadgeteer Genius]]: Soledad customized an [[Rare Guns|O'Dwyer VLe]] to fire [[Abnormal Ammo]] she designs herself. Most shots target the [[Achilles' Heel]] of a specific enemy type, though [[Made of Explodium|Semtex bullets]] can be used against anything.
* [[He Who Fights Monsters]]: where to begin?
* [[Holding Out for
* [[Like You Would Really Do It]]: subverted ''in backstory'' with the destruction of San Francisco.
{{quote|
** Incidentally, this marked the beginning of anti-mutant hysteria.
* [[Love It or Hate It]]: Soledad's personality is rather [[Jerkass|an acquired taste]].
* [[Moral Event Horizon]]: {{spoiler|Soledad sinks below one after an [[Et Tu, Brute?]], complete with [[Heroic BSOD]] and [[Freak-Out]].}}
* [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero]]: The first book's [[Big Bad]] became a villain specifically because Soledad {{spoiler|[[It's Personal|killed his wife]].}}
* [[Noble Bigot
* [[Not Quite Dead]]: over and over, along with [[Faking the Dead]]. At least it subverts [[Instant Death Bullets]] ...
* [[One Person, One Power]]: for the most part--see [[I Believe I Can Fly]]. Also, the super-hunting serial killer in the second book seemingly had multiple powers (he turned out to just have {{spoiler|a suit of [[Powered Armor]]}}.)
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** Or both.
* [[Redshirt Army]]: The MTac teams are stated to have a survival rate of 30% to 70% for certain types of encounters, depending on who they are and what they're facing down.
* [[Sacrificial Lamb]]: {{spoiler|Reese}}.
* [[Sacrificial Lion]]: {{spoiler|Yarborough}}.
* [[Stock Super Powers]]
** [[Dishing Out Dirt]]: Strictly speaking, this is the ability to communicate with the planet and talk it into shifting itself. Users of this ability are [[Always Lawful Good]], and tend to [[Actual Pacifist|hate fighting]]. [[Kick the Dog|Not that this stops MTac from killing them]] ...
** [[Extra Ore Dinary]]: Almost a straight copy of [[X
** [[Eye Beams]]: invisible eye beams, no less.
** [[Healing Factor]]
** [[I Believe I Can Fly]]: Although it's stated that each mutant has only one power, flight seems to be an exception. Generally it's [[Not Quite Flight]], but there's been one [[Winged Humanoid]] (who also used [[Winds of Destiny Change]].)
** [[Intangible Man]]: on-and-off, fully voluntary, and can affect both objects and other people. Incidentally, that last part is [[Chekhov's Gun]].
** [[Nigh Invulnerability]]: Well, it's an invulnerable exterior. These mutants can be killed either by poisoning them, or by overloading their pain nerves.
** [[Playing
** [[Shock and Awe]]: of the blast-from-the-hands variety. Can be stressed into a [[Superpower Meltdown]].
** [[Size Shifting]]: actually two abilities; shrinking and growing. The latter is self-explanatory. The former is only used once (to pass through an enemy's skin, then explode outwards.)
** [[Super Speed]]
** [[Super Strength]]: though those who have it don't look it--they tend to be extremely "reedy" since they never get decent exercise. Prone to [[Ace Lightning Syndrome]].
** [[Telepathy]]: this is what you get if you win the [[Superpower Lottery]], since you can also use [[People Puppets]]. Virtually impossible to beat in a fair fight.
** [[Unstoppable Rage]]: A power of its own, and quite effective.
** [[Voluntary Shapeshifting]]: virtually unlimited changes to shape and appearance, sometimes including a [[Shapeshifter Weapon]], but no mass-changing abilities. Goes into a [[Shapeshifter Swan Song]] when electrocuted, but dying by any other means makes them look human again.
* [[Super Registration Act]]: they're way beyond that now, at least in America. Any time a mutant is identified, they're ordered to surrender. Compliance results in "a life of sedation in a cell" if you're lucky, [[
* [[Thou Shalt Not Kill]]: Not the [[Combat Pragmatist|main character]], obviously, [[No-Nonsense Nemesis|who will just shoot her opponents]]. The remaining powered heroes stick to this rule and will try to stop or rat out anyone that violates it, though.
* [[Token Minority]]: Most superheroes are white males, with a few exceptions like Nubian Princess. Lampshaded, since Soledad is black.
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* [[What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic]]: several Christian references that have yet to be explained.
* [[What Measure Is a Non Super]]: lampshaded, and half the reason normal people are fighting back.
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:John Ridley]]
[[Category:Screenwriters]]
[[Category:Presenters]]
[[Category:Producers]]
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