Men of Steel Author:Julianne Bentley (Editor) Shazam! Who better to safeguard a man’s heart than a hero? Mr. Fantastic may be out there on a wing and a prayer, playing a Longshot, but a handsome He-Man has the power, courage, and derring-do to see his quest for true love through to the happy ending. For romance of superhero proportions, check out these Men of Steel. — Stories include:
... more » A Raven’s Ruse by Eon de Beaumont: Along with his dream of being a professional comic book artist, graphic designer Jack Bremstone has a huge crush on Kris, one of the IT guys at work. Last year, Jack found out that Kris is sweet on the city’s masked vigilante, the Raven, and a Halloween party gives Jack the opportunity to impress him by constructing an authentic costume to win Kris’s affection. On his way to the party, Jack stumbles across a young hooligan trying to steal a woman’s purse. Emboldened by alcohol and anonymity, he intervenes -- and after witnessing the courageous act, Kris very much wants to express his gratitude to the Raven in a personal, private way.
Administrative Leave by Ryan Loveless: For young superhero Keen Haabe enthusiasm trumps strategy. When his save-everything exuberance results in an explosion and the bad guys getting away, the big boss forbids him from using his powers and slaps him with a desk job. While he’s hobbled, Keen meets Robbie, a normal man with a protective nature who has no inkling Keen is a superhero. For the first time, Keen is the one saved from danger, and he likes it enough to want that feeling again -- regardless of the risks.
Collision Vector by Liam Grey: When he’s rescued from the rubble of a fallen building, Captain Vector receives a kiss to build a lawsuit on: his relieved boyfriend, Lockdown, plants one on him in front of the news cameras. But Vector’s Secret Identity Agreement has a “present to public as straight” clause, and his employer is furious. Somehow he has to appease his boss, distract the reporters, and maintain the illusion of his public persona -- all while he deals with a very upset lover. And if that wasn’t enough to spin a genius superhero’s head, he’s got to fix it all before Locke’s mother, the most powerful telepath on the planet, gets involved and decides to fry his brain. Captain Vector’s on a collision course with trouble, and the odds are not in his favor.
Behind the Mask by Jeanette Grey: For Mack, invisibility is more a curse than a blessing. He’s used his power for good, but he can’t help hoping that someone will see him -- someone like the Neutralizer, Metropolis’s only openly gay superhero and the only man in the world who can counteract others’ powers. Life as the Neutralizer brings Jeff plenty of visibility but very little real connection. Everyone is too dazzled by his mask and cape to get to know the real him. Everyone, that is, except the mysterious man he discovers lurking at a crime scene one day. Little does he know the man he’ll meet is not only invisible, but also extraordinary.
Meant to Fly by B. G. Thomas: Daniel, a huge fan of the superhero Paragon, is beside himself with excitement when he gets a chance to meet his hero. The problem is that Daniel’s dream only comes true when he’s thrown out a skyscraper window by the super-villain Tyrant -- Paragon saves Daniel but then disappears into the night. Months later, Daniel makes a trip to New York City to meet his hero again, but just when everything seems to be working out perfectly, Tyrant attacks again. Is it the end of the world or will Daniel find a different destiny in Paragon’s powerful embrace?
That Which Doesn’t Kill You by Pearl Love: Steve Johnson and Victor Ramirez are the best reporting team on cable news, and they don’t just have each others’ backs while in the field. They’re madly in love, but there’s a problem: Victor is the invincible superhero El Magnifico, and through a cruel twist of fate, contact of the naughty kind renders him powerless. Steve would do anything to get into the hunky champion’s spandex pants, but for the good of the populace, he and his would-be lover are resigned to a celibate relationship. When a menace from beyond the stars threatens Earth’s very survival, Steve and Victor discover that touchy-feeling fun isn’t the only thing that robs El Magnifico of his ability to save the planet. But will this unstoppable hero’s weakness turn out to be his greatest strength?
Act One by Kim Fielding: Garret Souders came to Hollywood a nobody from a backwater town intending to amaze the studios with his imagination and wit -- and maybe find a movie star boyfriend. Instead he works at a shoe store and a parking garage, and turns out scripts nobody wants to buy. One of the few bright spots in Garret’s life is a man who dresses as Nourish-Man, a third-rate superhero from an eighties cartoon, to pose for photos with tourists on Hollywood Boulevard. Then one evening disaster strikes and Nourish-Man comes to the rescue -- in more ways than one.
Bulldog and Smash by David Connor: They each earned the title “hero” in totally different ways. Smash is a gorgeous TV personality with a bit more brawn than brain. Bulldog is young, inexperienced, and, despite an incredibly difficult life, happy-go-lucky, friendly, and hopeful when it comes to people -- and to love. When Smash’s archnemesis -- an irate ex-politician going by the name of Blast -- leaves the superhero scarred and blinded, their mentor pairs Smash with his “seeing-eye Bulldog” as a crime-fighting team. The dynamic duo heads to Hollywood’s Academy Awards on guard duty, little knowing that Blast has some dramatic plans of her own.
Right Hand Man by Elinor Gray: Simon McFarlane is Sparks, the heat-impervious and super-fast sidekick to the local superhero Aero. Together they fight crime and save lives, but their main focus is a rival they call Blackout, who shrouds the scenes of his crimes in impenetrable darkness. Simon’s been enamored of Aero since he was a teenager, so keeping his crush in check while they work together is extra difficult now that he knows the man behind the mask. Simon’s attempt to get Aero to see him as an equal backfires when he’s kidnapped and wakes up in Blackout’s lair. Like so many other sidekicks, Sparks is being used as the bait to get Aero where Blackout wants him. Will Aero finally be able to see what’s right in front of him?
First Timers by Michael G. Cornelius: A powerful newbie and a handsome veteran hero meet when the fumbling Stingray helps Poltergeist foil a bank robbery -- though in the process, Stingray manages to tear off his entire costume. Poltergeist helps him obtain a new one, and the two meet for a friendly dinner... friendly until Stingray presumes more between them than just dining, including taking off their masks. The resulting confrontation with the angry Poltergeist sparks something deeper, but being a superhero is never easy, as Stingray is finding out. Sometimes having superpowers detracts, rather than adds, to intimacy -- in more ways than one.
Prototype by Claire Russett: The Augment Initiative genetically enhances embryos to produce people with advanced physical and cognitive capabilities who are intended to render humanitarian aid to victims of natural disasters. But Initiative scientist Robert Taunton has doubts about the weapons developed for the augments. His concerns aren’t purely scientific; his close friends, augments Zach and Allison, are testing the new energy-pulse weapon. After a cataclysmic test, Zach stops by Robert’s lab to see if he can assist with what the scientist is working on -- something to help defuse rather than exacerbate armed conflicts -- and the results are incendiary, both in and out of the lab.« less