As alluded to above, Thunder Force is a lambasting of superhero tropes. Here, Octavia Spencer plays Emily Stanton, a successful scientist and entrepreneur developing a genetic therapy capable of granting its recipients fantastical abilities. Her life takes a turn when she receives a visit from her childhood best friend, Lydia, played by Melissa McCarthy. In classic McCarthy style, Lydia gets into some improvised shenanigans at the lab and, whoops of all whoopses, injects herself with the super serum, right in the dang old face.
As a result of her hijinks, Lydia is imbued with super strength, which pairs nicely with the invisibility powers that Emily has developed. The two team up to become Chicago's first real-life superheroes, calling themselves Thunder Force and Tazing convenience store robbers with notable enthusiasm. Unfortunately for them, they're not the only folks with powers, and the duo finds themselves at odds with a lurking cabal of evildoers. Also, at some point, a bus gets thrown in the general direction of Lake Michigan, potentially knocking some of the trash out of the water.
