Reader Response: Superpowers/Mutant Abilities
I recently wached the movie Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer. I liked it, but I've always been a bit of a superhero/comic book geek.. the kind that doesn't actually buy comic books or follow the adventures of superheroes. I am looking forward to the start of season two of Heroes (Sept. 24. Woot!) Anyway, the movie got me thinking about other superheroes, what makes them tick, how they do their thing, and all that.
With the exception of Batman (who I would classify more as a philanthropic-terrorist-vigilante-hero rather than a super-hero) most of the characters that come to mind have some sort of extra (super, if you will) ability. Superman is kind of your catch-all hero as far as powers go: speed, strength, flight, x-ray vision, heat vision, super-hearing, super-vision, super-everything – he does lack invisibility, but oh well. Aquaman.. he can talk to fish, and I think he was a pretty good swimmer, but I'm not well versed in aquatic heroes.
Now, my question to you is, if you could pick ONLY ONE superpower, what would it be? And the second part: if you had to pick EXACTLY TWO superpowers, but you couldn't choose the one that you picked for the first question, what would they be?
It'd be nice to get more than 3 comments on this.
Here are mine –
1 ability: Telekineses – the ability to move things with your mind – this can be loosely used to enable other abilities, like flight (lift yourself up off the ground), super-strength (move a car/building/person with your mind rather than body), invincibility (stopping bullets like Neo in The Matrix), etc.
2 abilities: Super strength and Invisibility. Super strength provides protection against most attacks that a superhero would come across (think bullets bouncing off Superman's chest), and invisibility adds a huge advantage by being able to utilize the element of surprise.. over and over again. It would also be nice if you just wanted to be left alone – no one's going to be able to bug you if they can't find you. (Cell phones should be turned off while invisible.)
Kate said,
for my super power, i would like invincibility. the ability to stop anything from bullets to flame throwers and knives and anything the bad guys could use on me. of course, the curse would be how would i ever die? all superheros have some weakness that brings them down. no one is totally invincible. so, should i stay totally and utterly invincible or should i have some kind of weakness those bad guys need to figure out and find and use against me to create some kind of plot interest in my being a superhero? and what exactly would my weakness be? it's too frustrating being a superhero…too many possibilities. i guess i'll just have to settle for my plain dull life 😛 good luck with your telekineses and super strength…you're gonna need it, web master!
September 11, 2007 @ 11:43 am
spudart said,
Here are the super powers I would like to have in order of most wantedness:
1) Light manipulation
Meaning: Ability to control, generate or absorb photons (particles of light). (Meanings come from wikipedia's entry on List of comic book superpowers
Thoughts: This would come in handy for photography. If you can control light with great skill, wow, you could come up with some snappin photos.
2) Density control
Meaning: Ability to increase the natural density of an object and/or one's self.
Thoughts: This would be neat to be able to just float. Or you can have your friends pick you up. Why walk when someone can just carry you! Couple this power with Power bestowal and you can make everyone super light.
3) Plant manipulation
Meaning: Ability to accelerate the growth of, control or animate plant life.
Thoughts: My plants die often, so it would be nice to save them. Plus, can you imagine being able to just sprout plants anywhere? I'd be planting gardens all over da place.
4) Echolocation
Meaning: Ability to determine location of items in the environment by use of reflected sound waves, whether generated by the character or ambient sound. Also known as sonar sense.
Thoughts: I would like to have this ability. It would come in handy to find lost stuff.
5) Time manipulation
Meaning: Ability to affect the flow of time, slowing, accelerating or even stopping it.
Thoughts: Crap. This is too obvious. Skip it!
6) Cold and ice manipulation
Meaning: Ability to reduce the kinetic energy of atoms and thus reduce temperature, can be used to control, generate, or absorb ice.
Thoughts: I'm always running out of ice, so this would be nice. And the ability to make snowballs in the middle of summer would be cool. Plus whenever you go to a party you can be the guy who brings the ice.
September 11, 2007 @ 2:23 pm
Kelly (KH) said,
I would like to manipulate creatures for purposes of good (or evil), you know, like armies of squirrels or having butterflies pose for photographs.
September 14, 2007 @ 4:19 pm
C-ROD said,
1- Lightning strikes – I'd like the ability of lightning – A lightnings trike is as fast as of the speed of the light. No one could be as fast as a lightning strike, not even people that are able to control the time or are very fast. Lightning could kill anyone in the air, water , ground or sometimes even underground. I could easily stick my finger in a electric outlet and be immune to the electricity waves as well, being able to absorb it into my body.
2 – Vampire – I'd like to a level 5 vampire. Strong, immortal, agile, able to fly, kill by bitting someone and able to control people and things with my hands from a distance. Able to sometimes control people's agility.
October 13, 2008 @ 9:29 pm
spudart said,
I like to make websites so people can use my super abilities.
November 11, 2008 @ 11:05 pm
the spirit said,
i have been reading his and i know that the ability to control light means more than just absorbing and generating light it means that you would be able to transferee the light energy into another form of energy e.g. generate heat instant fire lighting bolts. you would also have temporary flight whilst able to concentrate if you can do it right you could make a shield that would melt anything that goes near you. you could do almost anything if you thought about it in the right way. but the problem is that it is hard to do because it would be a strain on your mind.
December 10, 2008 @ 3:57 pm
spudart said,
How's your telekineses powers coming along?
August 26, 2013 @ 12:31 pm
sparx said,
Good!
I can control movement of my body using just my thoughts!
(That's good progress, right?)
August 26, 2013 @ 12:39 pm
spudart said,
You are a superhero!
August 26, 2013 @ 12:58 pm
sparx said,
super-duper!
August 26, 2013 @ 1:02 pm