>>149800972>But seriously OP to ask why heroes fly ... the mentality that robs the fiction of wonderI would argue that having at least a handwaved explanation for how the flight works can enhance the story. The power just existing and being "don't think about it, it just works" is inherently non-interactive. Yes, you don't need to explain it, but you also can't DO anything with it.
Meanwhile, a flight power that is given some kind of loose explanation means that you set a precedent for what the flight depends on to function, meaning that you set up limits, weaknesses, and interactions to either use against the hero to create tension in a fight or enable powerups for bursts of speed or strength to overcome an impossible challenge.
A character that flies using telekinesis would be vulnerable to anything that breaks their concentration, causing them to drop like a rock.
A character that 'flies' by repelling themselves off of the ground below would have a maximum height that they could fly at above the buildings below, and getting above that flight ceiling would be extremely difficult.
A character that flies with gravity manipulation powers would likewise carry nearby objects with them when they take off, which could be used as a bonus to pick up and fly away with people without having to physically carry them, but also makes it hard to fly AWAY from someone that is already up close to you because they will be pulled up with you by your gravity.
A character that flies by controlling the air around them would be unable to fly underwater, in space, or in any other situation where there is not enough air to carry them or something else has taken control of the air (like a weather wizard or something).
And so on. This is all just off the top of my head. You can't do any of this shit with a "it just works" explanation. Stories are made interesting not by what a character can do, but what they can't.
