Originally Posted by
Redjack
You actually do need limits. There must be rules to all fantastical stories or they're just slop.
Moreover, ideally, the antagonist should be MORE capable, powerful and prepared than the protagonist so there is actual struggle for the hero to overcome and win.
Lazy writers avoid hard definitions because they remove the get-out-of-jail-free card of deus ex machina (IOW: the hero wins because s/he's the hero, not because somebody had to figure out a clever/satisfying victory.) which is why, invariably, they write weak stories. invariably. The win has to cost something or it's just wanking and every reader knows this whether they can put it into words or not.
We got a lot of flack for having T'Challa "beat" Thor in the cartoon, for instance, for the obvious fanboy reasons. In any stand-up, fist-to-fist fight, Thor destroys BP in two seconds. Good thing BP planned ahead. He also knows he can't DEFEAT Thor without massive assistance. But he can beat him in the moment with proper planning.
The suit needs limits. It needs to be broken and not up to the task from time to time or T'Challa is nothing but iron Man in a better outfit.
John Constantine is the WEAKEST sorcerer ever and he KNOWS it. So, when he's in a battle, he plays against the person, not the power and, whenever possible, he cheats. This is clever and it's in character. Which is why it takes a clever writer to do him justice. The same is true of Reed Richards, Tony Stark and, yes, T'Challa.