Giant Swords and a Lack of Fear

When I was a young lad full of piss and vinegar, I was afraid of monsters. They were under my bed, in the closet, and outside the door. When I used to sleep, I could hear my heartbeat subtly through the sheet for some reason. It sounded like leaves rustling just outside my window. Whatever it was, it was silent, deadly and definitely not a fart. It would keep me awake for hours on end thinking that any minute, what was out there rustling was going to burst in, grab me and hold me for ransom or some such.

Again, I had it lucky - nowadays, kids have to worry about being touched in their bathing suit area - something I never remember worrying about.

That fear, that visceral sense that someone was out to get me because I was bigger than my surroundings was near constant. I heard a comedian describe it later, and I paraphrase: "you're short, you're weak, you can't reach anything important on the shelves, and everyone can beat you up - of course childhood is terrifying!"

This was all until one day when I met Wolverine. It was at a field trip of some sort to... some place that sold comic books. That being said, there should be more field trips to places that sell comic books in school. I would pay higher taxes for this. I bought X - Men # 18, which featured Wolverine battling Omega Red for... some reason. Mostly, I think because it looked cool.

The logic (yes, there is a point at which logic will be applied) was that if there was a monster, then there could be claws that could pop out of my hands at any moment. I had a defense that made just as much sense as an attack by a stranger.

On the news, they always describe attacks on kids as being "senseless". They make as much sense as adamantium claws - possibly less.

It's a universal theme in every Final Fantasy - the hidden power thing.

That, and skinny, weak looking fellows wielding impossible weapons.