Great Transfersion
| Great Transfersion | |
|---|---|
| Effects | Transformation of Chicago into steel |
| Location | Newcago |
| World | Earth (Reckoners) |
“Later that night, he performed the Great Transfersion, an awesome display of power by which he transformed most of Chicago—buildings, vehicles, streets—into steel. That included a large portion of Lake Michigan, which became a glassy expanse of black metal. It was there that he built his palace.”
The Great Transfersion is an act performed by Steelheart at the beginning of his reign in Newcago, presumably as part of his ploy to make as many people as possible fear him and thereby prevent his weakness from being used against him. It is a grand display of his Epic Transfersion ability that transforms non-living solid and liquid material into steel. It transforms most of the old city of Chicago, including a portion of Lake Michigan, and reaches dozens, or possibly hundreds, of feet down into the ground. During the early years of his reign, Steelheart makes his Diggers carve out several levels of understreets in the steel.[2]
Steelheart's transfersion ability, while very powerful, has some limitations. The effect radiates out from him like sound waves, transforming anything it touches into steel; however, anything already made of metal, especially steel or iron, reduces the effect of the power, and a sufficient amount can stop it entirely.[3] As a result, the contents of the bank vault of the First Union Bank are mostly protected; the Reckoners eventually reach the vault and go through its contents while looking for clues to Steelheart's weakness. Living beings are also entirely unaffected by Steelheart's transfersion, as is anything very close to a living being.[3][4]