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, how can an individual assure himself of his own godhood in a world of super powered humans?

Erebus

Troubadour
The world is in chaos, assaulted by multiple threats both natural and supernatural. These dangers stem from mythological beasts who roam the land killing with no restraint as well as super powered individuals would-be tyrants, who are intent on subjugating humanity to their own rule. To combat these threats, a deity from a higher plane decides to incarnate himself as a human into the mortal plane to bring order to the chaos. Unfortunately, There is a magical barrier separating the two realms. Crossing the barrier, as well as the trauma of birth into the mortal plane, has caused the god to forget his memories and his goals. These memories are suppressed within his mind, and return to him subsequently over the years as he grows into an adult. At some point, his past has mostly returned to him and his powers have developed to the point where he is ready to carry out his mission. However, there are many super-powered individuals running amok, each claiming to be gods in their own right. Whether they claim to see visions or receive instructions from higher powers, or suffer from some mental condition such as schizophrenia, they all claim some connection to the divine. The fact that they have powers lends credence to these beliefs to themselves and their followers. It isn't hard for others to believe that this individual who claims to be a true deity is just another of these egomaniacs bent on world domination. Even the individual in question may doubt whether his own memories are real, or if they are some delusion he has come up with in his own mind.

In a world of super powered humans, how can a god prove to himself that he is actually a god and not just a human with abilities?
 

Queshire

Auror
Personally I favor resolving that sort of story beat by having them decide that it ultimately doesn't matter. They believe in what they're doing and they believe it's good work. That said, having them actually be a god would weaken that lesson.
 

ThinkerX

Myth Weaver
I am reminded of the axiom's:

'Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.'

'The one best suited to rule is he who does not want to rule.'

(Though there are issues with both)

By striving to become a God the MC runs a very high risk of becoming a Devil instead.
 
In a world of super powered humans, how can a god prove to himself that he is actually a god and not just a human with abilities?

He's got to remember who he is! If He is God. Otherwise, being just a god -- among equal gods -- it's like any other human being. Same old, same old.
 

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
>In a world of super powered humans, how can a god prove to himself that he is actually a god and not just a human with abilities?
What elements have you decided are the distinguishing characteristics? In other words, where is the line between human and god? Until you as author decide that, this question cannot be answered, because whatever suggestions people come up with might well break other story rules in your world. Only you know your world.
 
As skip.knox mentions, it very much depends on the rules of your world. What's the difference? After all, a god is just a being with a lot of power. Not really different from a human with a lot of power. Of course, that might not be all that helpful, so I'll give a few possible directions you could investigate.

You could go the route of Alexander the Great. He set out to prove that he was in fact divine. Besides his superhuman accomplishments, he also did things like visit the Oracle of Siwa Oasis, and there had himself declared son of Amun. You could have a similar event in the story, where external sources (or some semi-internal source) declare him to be in fact a god.

Another option is to have him bound by precise rules, which don't apply to the super-humans. For instance, maybe a god can't kill, or mess with people's minds, or harm innocent people. Humans would not be bound by such rules, which would make him different from the super humans.

Lastly, you could simply have this as the character's character arc. At the start of the story he's afraid he's going crazy or fears that he'll become as bad as those he fights. And at the climax you can have him realize he truly is a god and have him come fully into his power. If it's simply belief that matters then that could be all you need.
 

K.S. Crooks

Maester
For me being a singular god comes down to two important abilities- being able to create life, control of an afterlife if there is one. If you're talking about one god among many then I see no singular ability.
 

Puddles

Acolyte
I think despite all the super-powers, there must to be a line of what is impossible, and this character is able to transend that line and do the impossible. The Matrix is the example I am thinking of, which has lots of individuals performing extra-human feats, but it's all restricted to inside the simulation...

..until Neo uses his powers outside the simulation too.
 
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