Plot

The plot concerns corporate attorney and comic fan Gavin Lucas being caught in a laboratory explosion engineered by embittered scientist Hector Harris. Lucas develops the power to channel energy into powerful blasts, sense approaching people and detect energy flows nearby. He uses these abilities to become Surge, a superhero

Superhero

A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...

. Harris's former partner, Ronald Richards, develops a number of gadgets for Surge such as a bulletproof costume and gauntlets that have concealed blades for escaping ropes and spray strands to restrain criminals. Harris also develops superpowers from the explosion and is able to control metal objects via magnetism

Magnetism

Magnetism is a property of materials that respond at an atomic or subatomic level to an applied magnetic field. Ferromagnetism is the strongest and most familiar type of magnetism. It is responsible for the behavior of permanent magnets, which produce their own persistent magnetic fields, as well...

 and takes the name Metal Master. Surge constantly encounters a nameless "Young Man" whom he repeatedly needs to save from danger and who is implied to be attracted to Surge.

Parodies/Homages

The movie is mainly a collection of homages and parodies of well-known superheroes and cliches surrounding their stories, personalities and powers.

• Gavin's favorite superhero team, the Justice Brigade, seems to be a parody of the Justice League of America and its three depicted members, Captain Meteor, Splendorella and Blue Beacon appear to be parodies of Superman
  Superman
  Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
  
  , Wonder Woman
  Wonder Woman
  Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
  
   and Green Lantern
  Green Lantern
  The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
  
  .

• Several "real" superheroes are mentioned in conversations that are obvious pastiches of famous superheroes such as The Amazing Silkworm
  Spider-Man
  Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
  
  , Wombat
  Batman
  Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
  
   and his sidekick Pigeon
  Robin (comics)
  Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
  
   (as well Wombat and Pigeon's "ambiguous" relationship).

• Richards invents a pole that Lucas can slide down to get into costume, a send-up of the poles used in the Batman television series
  Batman (TV series)
  Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
  
  .

• The movie makes fun of superheroes who were saddled with "lame" weaknesses to their powers, such as Green Lantern's inability to affect anything yellow. Surge's powers are ineffective in the presence of dance music which always seems to play at critical moments.

• Likewise the movie satirizes characters who become villains because of seemingly silly perceived wrongs and their grandiose plans. Metal Master's primary plan is to disable all the electronic equipment in the city to force people to buy replacements from him which will make him rich, but he'll also never have to hear dance music again and be reminded that he was the worst dancer to come from his school.

• Ronald Richards is likely to be a play on Reed Richards
  Mister Fantastic
  Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
  
  .

• After capturing Metal Master, Surge gives the Young Man a special ring to summon Surge for help if he gets in trouble again, leading Young Man to ask, "Am I your Jimmy Olsen
  Jimmy Olsen
  Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character who appears mainly in DC Comics’ Superman stories. Olsen is a young photojournalist working for the Daily Planet. He is close friends with Lois Lane, Clark Kent/Superman and Perry White...
  
  ?"

Celebrity Cameos

Surge of Power featured a large number of celebrity cameos.

• Noel Neill
  Noel Neill
  Noel Neill is an American actress in motion pictures and television. She is best known as her portrayal of Lois Lane in the film serials Superman and Atom Man vs...
  
   appears as a bystander when Surge foils a bank robbery. The Young Man tells her, "I take after you Aunt Lois" when she admonishes him to stay out of trouble in the aftermath.

• Surge bumps into Lou Ferrigno
  Lou Ferrigno
  Louis Jude "Lou" Ferrigno is an American actor, fitness trainer/consultant, and retired professional bodybuilder. As a bodybuilder, Ferrigno won an IFBB Mr. America title and two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles, and appeared in the bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron...
  
   when out on patrol, and observes that with muscles like his Ferrigno could be a superhero as well.

• Len Wein
  Len Wein
  Len Wein is an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men...
  
   and Marv Wolfman
  Marv Wolfman
  Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
  
   appear as the writers of the Justice Brigade comic book who discuss ideas for the characters, such as a spin-off series about the heroes' teenage sidekicks.

• Nichelle Nichols
  Nichelle Nichols
  Nichelle Nichols is an American actress, singer and voice artist. She sang with Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton before turning to acting...
  
   plays the retired superhero The Omen to give Surge advice and encouragement when he's frustrated at his lack of success tracking down Metal Master.

Other celebrity guest stars include Forrest J. Ackerman, Marty Krofft

Sid and Marty Krofft

Sid Krofft and Marty Krofft , are a sibling team of television producers who were influential in children's television and variety show programs in the USA, particularly throughout the 1970s and early 1980s....

, Lisa Loring

Lisa Loring

Lisa Loring is an American actress. She is best known for playing Wednesday Addams on The Addams Family television show. She was also a featured actress on the ABC sitcom The Pruitts of Southampton.Her parents both served in the United States Navy, but divorced shortly after her birth...

, Rose Marie

Rose Marie

Rose Marie is an American actress. As a child performer she had a successful singing career as Baby Rose Marie....

, Bobby Trendy

Bobby Trendy

Bobby Trendy is an interior decorator, designer and television personality. He first achieved notoriety as a series regular on The Anna Nicole Show.-Early life and career:...

 and Butch Patrick

Butch Patrick

Butch Patrick is a former American child actor. He is widely known for his role on the TV show The Munsters where he played Eddie Munster, the son of Herman and Lily Munster...

.