Kristopher Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 What's your best (or worst) example of a superpower that hasn't been thought out? Of a writer or editor or whoever not thinking out the implications and/or mechanisms of a power? My first example: I was flipping through the Hellions 4-parter that's out now, and on the last couple of pages, Wither/Kevin Ford is eating a bowl of cereal. Now, this is the unfortunate kid with a "death touch" -- anything organic that touches his skin dies (if it was alive) and withers away to nothing, basically. He has to have metal furniture and asbestos sheets and nonorganic synethic clothes. So, I ask, when he puts the cereal in his mouth, why do the milk and the crunchy oat clusters and the whole grain flakes not whither and float away as dusty motes when they touch his lips and tongue? We've seen clear evidence that any part of his skin can cause this, not just his hands -- the back of his neck whithered a chunk out of a leather couch when he was in the recent New Mutants run (before it became Academy X). EDIT: Never mind that AFAIK, all the synthetic fabrics are made of some kind of carbon-based polymer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... I don't know about power per se, but it is annoying how much technology that "interferes with mutant powers" exists, but yet never gets used by the Mutants themselves to help control those powers. Frankly, Rogue and Cyclops both should be wearing some wrist bracer or something that allows them to switch powers on or off at their leisure. Only, that would ruin the angst, and we can't have that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristopher Posted June 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... I don't know about power per se' date=' but it is annoying how much technology that "interferes with mutant powers" exists, but yet never gets used by the Mutants themselves to help control those powers. Frankly, Rogue and Cyclops both should be wearing some wrist bracer or something that allows them to switch powers on or off at their leisure. Only, that would ruin the angst, and we can't have that. [/quote'] That's a good one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexus Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... I don't know about power per se' date=' but it is annoying how much technology that "interferes with mutant powers" exists, but yet never gets used by the Mutants themselves to help control those powers. Frankly, Rogue and Cyclops both should be wearing some wrist bracer or something that allows them to switch powers on or off at their leisure. Only, that would ruin the angst, and we can't have that. [/quote'] I've been wondering about that one myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marketeer Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... I've been wondering about that one myself. I thought, in a few of the comics at least, the power-suppressor technologies also left the user/victim dull and listless, that it sapped their energy levels. That would explain why the characters don't use power-suppressors in themselves, but the more likely response is "well nobody thought too carefully about it". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gojira Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... I dunno. I always thought that it was dumb that you were an alien and the different light gave you super powers. Espcially when I found out that colored Christmas lights didn't give me super powers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinanju Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... "Yer sure you want to do this?" Rogue asked. "You know it!" he said, almost trembling with eagerness. Rogue was HOT. "Okay," Rogue said, hiding a grin at his enthusiasm. "Me too," she conceded, as if she were doing him a favor. It wouldn't do to let him think she was too eager. Rogue dropped her uniform on the floor. "Just one thing. Don't mess with my collar." "...okay. Is it--I mean...is it some kind of BDSM thing?" "No. It'll be the only thing keeping you alive. Remember the story of Blackbeard's wife." "What?" Blackbeard's wife? What the hell did that mean? Rogue sighed. He was illiterate. Cute--but illterate. "I mean, really don't mess with my collar." His mouth said, "okay," but his expression said whatever. Alas, history records that his enthusiasm overcame his good sense. In a moment of passion, he grabbed at the necklace, pulling it off. After at least sixty seconds of agonized gasping, gurgling and wheezing, a sadder but wiser Rogue was heard to mutter, "...damn." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmadanNaBriona Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... "Yer sure you want to do this?" Rogue asked. "You know it!" he said, almost trembling with eagerness. Rogue was HOT. "Okay," Rogue said, hiding a grin at his enthusiasm. "Me too," she conceded, as if she were doing him a favor. It wouldn't do to let him think she was too eager. Rogue dropped her uniform on the floor. "Just one thing. Don't mess with my collar." "...okay. Is it--I mean...is it some kind of BDSM thing?" "No. It'll be the only thing keeping you alive. Remember the story of Blackbeard's wife." "What?" Blackbeard's wife? What the hell did that mean? Rogue sighed. He was illiterate. Cute--but illterate. "I mean, really don't mess with my collar." His mouth said, "okay," but his expression said whatever. Alas, history records that his enthusiasm overcame his good sense. In a moment of passion, he grabbed at the necklace, pulling it off. After at least sixty seconds of agonized gasping, gurgling and wheezing, a sadder but wiser Rogue was heard to mutter, "...damn." For some reason this reminded me of a bit of fanart I stumbled across. In deference to the board rules, lets just say it involved Rogue, a pilory shaped set of nulifiers and Mystique using her shapshifting to teach her foster daughter a "lesson". My ex had a thing for hentai. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nadrakas Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... Not a Super Power per se...but in FF 7 why the heck didn't Cloud use a Phoenix Down on Aeris? Shoot, that's what the darn things are for. And on the technology thing...We have Shield/FF-4/Avengers/Defenders/Justice League/etc with all that darn high tech...but does it ever make it to the "common" man/woman? No. That to me is lame. I'm not talking about the weapons, I'm talking about the derivative tech that would/could/has been developed (Remember...NASA was the originator of the Microwave Oven...). That's what I hate about most fantasy/super/sci-fi books/comics -- the author doesn't think beyond the next page. Good question Kristopher. Thanks... Nadrakas... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WhammeWhamme Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... For some reason this reminded me of a bit of fanart I stumbled across. In deference to the board rules, lets just say it involved Rogue, a pilory shaped set of nulifiers and Mystique using her shapshifting to teach her foster daughter a "lesson". My ex had a thing for hentai. How the [i don't have anything that adequately expresses what I want to say that I'd be comfortable with putting on the record in this space] do you 'stumble' across something like THAT? I mean... eep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinanju Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... How the [i don't have anything that adequately expresses what I want to say that I'd be comfortable with putting on the record in this space] do you 'stumble' across something like THAT? I mean... eep. The same way I've stumbled across some...amazing (and not in a good way) slash fanfic. When you go trolling thru the net, you never know what you're gonna find. Sturgeon's Law says that 90% of it will be crap, but that other 10% is what keeps you digging--and stumbling across things that make you want to clutch your head, bellowing, "My EYES!" and then scrub your brain. I'm sure it applies to searching for anime or hentai too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodstone Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... The writers can NEVER make up their minds on exactly how Cyclops' optic blasts actually work. They are supposed to be solar energy that is converted into blasts of pure concussive force. Yet they are frequently refracted through prisms or magnified by ruby quartz lenses. Sometimes, the optic blasts are even shown to burn things, though I don't recall them ever actully starting a fire... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... They were used to restart the Starjammer's engines once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchdog Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... So, I ask, when he puts the cereal in his mouth, why do the milk and the crunchy oat clusters and the whole grain flakes not whither and float away as dusty motes when they touch his lips and tongue? Is there a synthetic cardboard on the market? If there is, I can think of a few cereals he would be able to eat... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitewings Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... They were used to restart the Starjammer's engines once. I have the issue, and they weren't. Binary restarted the engines and it pushed her to her limit (though somehow he did manage to re-ignite the ring around Arkon's world - I don't have that issue so I can't comment on it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enamel Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... This one is from a personal experience. I was creating NightShift, my teleporter/rifleman and I wanted him to do the "summon weapons out of thin air" bit. I came up with the rationale that he could infused part of his essence in objects and then attract them to him so the bits could rejoin, dragging the object along interdimensionaly. Essence rejoined, the object wants to snap back to its original place so he just has to drop it and *poof*, away it goes. Seemed pretty staight forward. Set up a secret armory closet in his home, bought him his rubber-bullet machinegun to go in it, a bit of C4, a knife, a "pin clothing to wall" entangle for the knife - drat, the knife will just poof right back as soon as he throws it, won't it? Well, no biggy, that entangle was just a bit of garnish and - And that's when I colllapsed in a fit of giggles wen I realised what a gun does, actually : I'd just created a super who could shoot the heck out of his own broomcloset, indirectly and at tremendous range... Um, back to the drawing board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davies Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... Not a Super Power per se...but in FF 7 why the heck didn't Cloud use a Phoenix Down on Aeris? Shoot' date=' that's what the darn things are for.[/quote'] Because they don't work on her. Try it; get her killed in a combat situation before then, and she'll stay "dead" as far as combat is concerned from then on. Chris Davies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexus Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... This one is from a personal experience. I was creating NightShift, my teleporter/rifleman and I wanted him to do the "summon weapons out of thin air" bit. I came up with the rationale that he could infused part of his essence in objects and then attract them to him so the bits could rejoin, dragging the object along interdimensionaly. Essence rejoined, the object wants to snap back to its original place so he just has to drop it and *poof*, away it goes. Seemed pretty staight forward. Set up a secret armory closet in his home, bought him his rubber-bullet machinegun to go in it, a bit of C4, a knife, a "pin clothing to wall" entangle for the knife - drat, the knife will just poof right back as soon as he throws it, won't it? Well, no biggy, that entangle was just a bit of garnish and - And that's when I colllapsed in a fit of giggles wen I realised what a gun does, actually : I'd just created a super who could shoot the heck out of his own broomcloset, indirectly and at tremendous range... Um, back to the drawing board. Just say the "essence connection" takes a minor act of will to sever instead of happening automatically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WhammeWhamme Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... What's your best (or worst) example of a superpower that hasn't been thought out? Of a writer or editor or whoever not thinking out the implications and/or mechanisms of a power? My first example: I was flipping through the Hellions 4-parter that's out now, and on the last couple of pages, Wither/Kevin Ford is eating a bowl of cereal. Now, this is the unfortunate kid with a "death touch" -- anything organic that touches his skin dies (if it was alive) and withers away to nothing, basically. He has to have metal furniture and asbestos sheets and nonorganic synethic clothes. So, I ask, when he puts the cereal in his mouth, why do the milk and the crunchy oat clusters and the whole grain flakes not whither and float away as dusty motes when they touch his lips and tongue? We've seen clear evidence that any part of his skin can cause this, not just his hands -- the back of his neck whithered a chunk out of a leather couch when he was in the recent New Mutants run (before it became Academy X). EDIT: Never mind that AFAIK, all the synthetic fabrics are made of some kind of carbon-based polymer... Here's my guess how he can eat: It keys off the outer layers of skin, not the ones inside his mouth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristopher Posted June 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... I figured this would get a bit more response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redmenace Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... This is more a incompetent rules exploitation, a player I knew showed up to a convention game witha pc that had every stat and power bought on an activation roll. His thinking was that whenever he didn't activate that his pc winked out of existence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karma Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... I thought, in a few of the comics at least, the power-suppressor technologies also left the user/victim dull and listless, that it sapped their energy levels. Yet Surge (also part of said Academy X series (although not the Hellions limited series) has a pair of power suppressor gloves that don't make her listless. However, like Cyclops' glasses they are custom made for her power (they actually absorb her electricty, allwong her to release it at will (or when the gloves get too full). Perhaps, as you say, the side effect of 'catch all' power suppressors is that they turn the mutant into a listless zombie and that even Beast (or any other super intelligent mutant/friend of the X-men) can't overcome this problem, so only those who don't care about mutant's wellbeing are willing to use them, others have to find other solutions that cater to individual powers (ruby glasses, electricity sapping gloves, lack of human contact). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexus Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... Here's my guess how he can eat: It keys off the outer layers of skin' date=' not the ones inside his mouth.[/quote'] Given the ingredients in some cereal, maybe the organic stuff does turn to dust, what he's chewing is just what's left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WhammeWhamme Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... Given the ingredients in some cereal' date=' maybe the organic stuff does turn to dust, what he's chewing is just what's left.[/quote'] I reject that on the grounds that he's still alive. Although... maybe he gets the energy from them being disintegrated, and THAT fuels him... but then he might as well "eat" anything organic by touching it. Although... maybe he just likes the taste of the cereal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexus Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Re: Superpowers that haven't been thought out... I reject that on the grounds that he's still alive. Although... maybe he gets the energy from them being disintegrated, and THAT fuels him... but then he might as well "eat" anything organic by touching it. Although... maybe he just likes the taste of the cereal. Its twas a joke, Mr Whamme to the second power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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