Young Writers Society

Hi there!
In the novel I'm writing, there's this villain who's built a colossal 'cannon' that charges up with magnetism. I've spent some time planning on how to kill this guy off, but I'm stumped.
In the last scene before his death, he is in some really heavy metal body armor, about to maul the main character while the cannon is charging.
I've had some ideas with the villain getting sucked into the cannon due to magnetism, and then explode because of electric charges, but this seems a tad unrealistic to me...

How do you think I should finish him off?
Thanks.

It seems like the villain ought to be smart enough not to wear big metal suits next to magnetic death rays, considering the villain built the magnetic death ray. So you're right on with feeling that might be a tad unrealistic!

What might this villain's other weaknesses be that could help you find a weak spot where you can get at him? Would it be entirely unrealistic for the hero to off him? Unless you're going for the "villain is his own eventual demise" thing. Hmm. I would probably need to know more about the story and characters before offering better advice. xD But in general, whatever is the most realistic weakness for the character seems the best place to start!

What you've got there sounds to me like a railgun. They do have strong electromagnets, but the pulse is way too fast to pull him up to the cannon and blow him up.

Could you have the cannon simply malfunction and partially explode, sending a fateful piece of shrapnel through your villain? It is a lot less dramatic than your first idea, but a bit more plausible at least.