From Spider-Man’s bionic archenemy, Dr. Octopus, to Superman’s nemesis, Lex Luthor, to the X-Men’s eternal rival, Magneto, comic book villains have kept us captivated for years---- not just by their diabolical talent for confounding our heroes, but also by their unrivaled techno-proficiency at creating global mayhem. But is any of the science behind their superweaponry based in truth?

The Science of Supervillains separates science fact from science fiction. Renowned authors Lois H. Gresh and Robert Weinberg present a highly entertaining and informative look at the mind-boggling wizardry behind such legendary baddies as Dr. Doom, Poison Ivy, Mr. Mxyzptlk, and more. Whether it’s artificial intelligence, weapons systems, antimatter, robotics, or magnetic flux theory, this fun, fact-filled book is a fascinating excursion into the real-world science animating the comic book world’s pantheon of evil geniuses.

Praise for The Science of Superheroes

"We comics fans have known it for years, of course: somewhere, in some nether dimension or on some alternate world, there is an Earth on which superheroes are real, living, breathing beings . . . and now Lois Gresh and Bob Weinberg have shown us how that’s possible. Mutants . . . aliens . . . scientific geniuses with a penchant for wearing costumes and masks . . . or just plain Joes who’ve trained their bodies within an inch of their lives . . . all are probed, dissected, examined in loving details. To paraphrase an old DC Comics feature: Science says you’re wrong if you believe that The Science of Superheroes isn’t more fun than a barrel of genetically altered winged monkeys."
---- Roy Thomas, writer and editor of X-Men, Fantastic Four, The Incredible Hulk, Superman, Justice League of America, Legion of Superheroes, Star Wars, and many other comic book classics

About the Author

LOIS H. GRESH has written dozens of suspense and science fiction stories, and has been nominated for national fiction awards six times. She is coauthor, along with Robert Weinberg, of The Science of Superheroes (Wiley) and The Computers of Star Trek.

ROBERT WEINBERG’s fiction has been nominated for Hugo, World Fantasy, and Balrog Awards. He is a two-time winner of the World Fantasy Award as well as the recipient of a Bram Stoker Award. Weinberg also writes the comic book series Cable for Marvel Comics. He previously served for twenty-four years as chairman of the Chicago Comicon, the second-largest comic convention in the United States.