I'm really sorry I'm doing this again, but I just want to talk to you guys. Like usual, I've been thinking about new concepts for my current novel—and even some ideas for future ones. Sometimes, ideas just come to me out of nowhere. More specifically, I'll get inspired by concepts or powers from existing works. That's pretty normal, honestly. A lot of stories share similar structures. Nothing is ever 100% original.
But when it comes to powers, that's where things get a bit tricky for me.
There are times when I want a character to have a power that already exists—maybe even from a very well-known series. I usually try to tweak it enough so that it feels different, works differently, and stands out on its own. But recently, I had an idea that's a little more direct: I want a character in my original novel to have the exact same powers as Heatblast from Ben 10—and not just the powers. I want the transformation too. I'd change the name and tweak the design a bit, of course, but at the core, it's still Heatblast.
Now, this isn't for a fanfiction. This would be for an original novel. So, I'm kind of conflicted.
How would you guys feel about that? Would it bother you to read a story where one of the characters is basically Heatblast, just under a different name and slightly altered design? Do you think it's lazy, or would it still be enjoyable if it's done well? I'm not planning to copy ideas often—I usually put a lot of effort into changing and evolving power concepts—but this one just felt too cool not to try.
I just want to know what you think.