" If you want to avoid hurting somebody, convince them that fighting you is a Bad Idea. This is hard to do in the heat of the moment, especially if you look like a perky high school cheerleader, so it's best to make the threat credible beforehand through your reputation. Failing that, go for Shock and Awe. If it works, great, if it doesn't you're halfway done anyway. "

― Marion G. Harmon , Wearing the Cape: A Superhero Story (Wearing the Cape, #1)