[Other] Super power science

[Yoshimickster]

Where we talk about how super power could exist or not exist in general.

What's the consensus on telekinesis/psychokinesis? The idea is using your own mental elecricity to move stuff right? If that was how it would work I'd assume whatever I'd levitate would burn up from electrical burns.

 

[strawman]

Mutations that result in powers which are stronger than the body they are host to in theory would result in vanishingly short lifetimes.

But a normal human born with telekinesis? Dead the first or second time they used their power internally accidentally.

Most of these failures would likely happen prior to birth and would appear to be miscarriages.

Super strength? Torn amniotic sac, self dismemberment.
Super speed? Torn amniotic sac.
Shoot laser beams? ^^^^^^^^^^

Even if we assume the power don't manifest until puberty, teenagers are the worst at controlling themselves - they are essentially self-centered temper-tantrum throwing two year olds all over again, except they can communicate and reason when it suits their purpose. So they too would end up hurting themselves and their caregivers to death prior to learning how to control their powers - probably long before they even realize they have such powers.

There may be powers such as super healing that wouldn't require a strong physical body, but super healing is just another form of an especially aggressive form of cancer, and to have such an ability that would not exceed its limits and grow an extra arm, or give you fingernails on your face would seem to be unrealistically improbable.

Superman is not an exception because he could survive anything he could do to himself - his physical frame is equal to his powers, unlike humans. Even if he killed his caregivers in a temper tantrum, he could survive without food until he was old enough to feed himself, and he could eat anything anyway. He certainly wouldn't have turned into the boyscout the stories suggest unless he was already predisposed to giving exact heed to everything his parents said - and even then they're liable to end up dead the first time they're holding him and he sees something he wants and reaches for it quickly without thinking about the fact that he just kicked his mother's sternum through her spine trying to get closer to the thing he wants.

So I'll go with the position that yes, such powers exist, and no - they don't exist in humans that make it to adulthood.

 

[Yoshimickster]

So stienman, from your logic I assume the only way they would be able to survive is if their bodies were genetically engineered to survive said powers. Interesting.

On the topic of pyrokinesis I've always thought of it as someone using their own bio-electricity in the air to cause combustion.

 

[GasBandit]

 

[strawman]

It would essentially require multiple complementary mutations to occur at once, manifest at the same time, and have the same reactive power to each other.

Also you'd have to gestate in superman's womb.

 

[GasBandit]

That's all very well for mutation origin powers, but what about other origins? I just half-jokingly showed how tech-based superpowers are already feasible, but what about "lab accident" powers? The hulk wasn't an X-man, he had a lab accident. The Flash's origin. Et cetera.

 

[strawman]

Well the hulk's mutation, like superman, included the ability to withstand its effects. Even though the mutation happened at a later time, it's still a mutation, although I suppose we could discuss what a mutation is. In my mind the actual DNA must be changed in order for the change to replicate for new cells.

Further, the mutation must happen in a way that doesn't trigger an immune response, it must spread to all the body, and must do so quickly enough that, for instance, half the muscle doesn't become super strong and rip apart the other half that hasn't changed yet. It can occur instantaneously, or while one is unconscious. It's more likely that one would become terribly ill, fall into and out of sleep or a coma, and then awake completely changed, having survived the mutation, or died in the process.

Then we have to talk about the various changes that must exist for any one power to manifest. Take the laser vision guy, for instance. Oh no, suddenly everything I look at starts flaming or exploding! My eyelids can magically withhold the power. Wait, what? So you are 1) able to produce a coherent energy beam measured in the kilwatts worth of power, and 2) it can't pass your skin, and/or you can turn it on and off with your mind, it just happens to use the same signals your eyelids use? Don't even get me started about the glasses he wears - they have to be able to convert the energy of kilowatts of power, continuously, into something benign. It can't be heat, or he'd have cooked his head long ago. While that's a science fiction question, you have to think about the same thing with his eyelids, therefore for this to work his body must also be able to absorb a huge amount of radiation through the skin and convert it into something benign.

To be useful and usable, and not kill you, seems to require a sequence of events and changes that together give you your power - any one part of it alone would be useless or destroy you.

Besides, even in your example of rich being the best superpower, there are untold millions of stories of sudden wealth destroying people. I'd say that still follows the theory that sudden superpowers are also self-destructive in general.

 

[Gusto]

Being bombarded with gamma rays is an excellent way to die and leave your city in ruins.

 

[Yoshimickster]

stienman Oh sweet Satan I hate Cyclops type powers! Powers that are just so idiotically specific that have a bazillion rules. Who sets up these rules? If they were normal mutations their shouldn't BE any rules. Yet another reason why Cyclops sucks.

 

[sixpackshaker]

but Laser Beam Eye Guy shoots Kinetic Energy not actual lasers.... so, no radiation...

still bad science.

 

[Yoshimickster]

How the hell do his powers work again? I liked the old origin where it was just a heat beam created from his own mutant metabolism. Now its some weird bull-shit about being a portal to a non-einsteinium universe or what-ever. Its just weird to me.

 

[Azurephoenix]

How the hell do his powers work again? I liked the old origin where it was just a heat beam created from his own mutant metabolism. Now its some weird bull-shit about being a portal to a non-einsteinium universe or what-ever. Its just weird to me.

A wizard did it... problem solved

 

[sixpackshaker]

from teh wiki

Cyclops has the power to emit beams of energy from his eyes described as an "optic blast." The beams have the appearance of red light (i.e., electromagnetic radiation in a red wavelength); however, they do not give off heat and instead deliver concussive force without recoil. The beams are tremendously powerful and can be used to rupture steel plates and pulverize rock.

 

[Yoshimickster]

Still its also the power source of the ray that boggles me. And the fact that he has a psionic field that protects him and what not? Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too specific.

 

[Gusto]

The "incredibly powerful force with no recoil" has Newton spinning in his grave.

 

[strawman]

I think the real problem with discussing superpowers is that the stories aren't about superpowers. They are about real people with real problems, who just happen to have superpowers.

Superpower comic books are to teenage boys what twilight is to teenage girls.

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The "incredibly powerful force with no recoil" has Newton spinning in his grave.

What powers his motion?

 

[Wahad]

The Syfy series Alphas does ''real superpowers'' very well. For example, there's a character that can be superstrong for a while by amping his Fight-or-Flight response. The negative side (beyond staying in the amp-state too long that carry physical penalties) is that he's got anger issues and isn't always aware of how much strength he possesses. Another has supersenses - i.e. can see down to a cellular level, smell even minute traces of things - but when one sense is heightened, all her others are ''shut off'' so to speak, and she has severe hypochondria issues because she can see germs and intimacy issues because kissing ''overloads'' her.

Yes, I'm using this post mostly an excuse to get more people to watch Alphas, because it's surprisingly awesome for a SyFy show, with amazing acting.

 

[Bowielee]

How the hell do his powers work again? I liked the old origin where it was just a heat beam created from his own mutant metabolism. Now its some weird bull-shit about being a portal to a non-einsteinium universe or what-ever. Its just weird to me.

There was an attempt to explain where all this stuff came from a few years back in Xmen, I believe. Essentially, it came down to all the energy and mass that was used came from some sort of pocket dimension that mutants had access to via their superpowers. So, Cyclop's eye beams were just chanelling energy from another dimension. Nightcrawler used the same pocket dimension for his teleportation. So, he basically translocates by moving through this pocket universe. This clashes with previous cannon for many characters though. Havoc, for instance, has been established for quite some time to basically be a battery for cosmic radiation which he can release. That's why he's needed a containment suit.

 

[Yoshimickster]

There was an attempt to explain where all this stuff came from a few years back in Xmen, I believe. Essentially, it came down to all the energy and mass that was used came from some sort of pocket dimension that mutants had access to via their superpowers. So, Cyclop's eye beams were just chanelling energy from another dimension. Nightcrawler used the same pocket dimension for his teleportation. So, he basically translocates by moving through this pocket universe. This clashes with previous cannon for many characters though. Havoc, for instance, has been established for quite some time to basically be a battery for cosmic radiation which he can release. That's why he's needed a containment suit.

So do all mutants have access to this pocket dimension or just a few? Because if its all I'd find it really weird for humans to mutate the ability to gain power from an alternate universe.

 

[AshburnerX]

Yes, I'm using this post mostly an excuse to get more people to watch Alphas, because it's surprisingly awesome for a SyFy show, with amazing acting.

I refuse to get attached to another SyFy show, because it's just going to get cancelled after 5 seasons like Eureka did, despite the high ratings and numerous awards and nominations. Until they are willing to support a hit show, I simply don't give a shit about their network.

 

[Bowielee]

5 seasons is a good run for any series.

 

[Wahad]

5 seasons is a good run for any series.

Yeah, I'd be satisfied after 5 seasons. Since Alphas is only in their second season (two episodes till the finale) and every episode is full of moments (admittedly, after a bit of a slow start from s1), a whole five season run of the same would be simply amazing.

I don't know if the first season is on Netflix, but if it is, I would recommend checking it out anyway and form your own judgment.

 

[Yoshimickster]

Now how would Ice-man's cyrokinesis work? He would basically absorb heat from random things and freeze them? Or does he have the ability to magnetically attract water molecules? It baffles me.

 

[Frank]

I refuse to get attached to another SyFy show, because it's just going to get cancelled after 5 seasons like Eureka did, despite the high ratings and numerous awards and nominations. Until they are willing to support a hit show, I simply don't give a shit about their network.

After a conversation with Matt Frewer a buddy of mine had (completely by accident, they sat next to each other on a flight after the Calgary Comic-con) apparently Eureka was tremendously overbudget and no amount of ratings could have saved it.

 

[Ravenpoe]

Now how would Ice-man's cyrokinesis work? He would basically absorb heat from random things and freeze them? Or does he have the ability to magnetically attract water molecules? It baffles me.

They've explained that in the comic a few times (though, no telling if it's been retconned into something else since last I read). Iceman's power is basically total energy manipulation, the level of which puts him as among the most powerful mutants alive, next to Jean Grey in phoenix form and Magneto. The fact that it only manifests as ice generation is because he's a chronic under-achiever.

 

[Yoshimickster]

The fact that it only manifests as ice generation is because he's a chronic under-achiever.

...wow. I have the strongest urge to go to Marvel Universe and beat up Ice man now. Born with one of the best mutant abilities of all time...fails to utilize it to its full potential. Just wow.

 

[Ravenpoe]

...wow. I have the strongest urge to go to Marvel Universe and beat up Ice man now. Born with one of the best mutant abilities of all time...fails to utilize it to its full potential. Just wow.

Powers in the x-men universe have always been written as a part of the psychological makeup of the wielder. Cyclops can't control his eye blasts, hence he's an insufferable control freak. The powers were meant to be metaphors for the internal conflict the characters were going through.

On the subject of Cyclops, it had been stated in the past that there's no reason he shouldn't be able to control his eye blasts. Other characters that have in some fashion absorbed or stolen the power from him have been able to control it (with the exception of Rogue, who also takes the knowledge of how to use it, and thus carries the same flaws). The only reason he can't is because of some mental block or other form of neuroses.

 

[Yoshimickster]

So with that logic why don't these guys just see a damn psychotherapist? In-fact, that would be a neat story! TOO LATE MARVEL! Me and Poe are taking it.

 

[Ravenpoe]

So with that logic why don't these guys just see a damn psychotherapist? In-fact, that would be a neat story! TOO LATE MARVEL! Me and Poe are taking it.

Some of them have had therapy with Doc Samson.

 

[bhamv3]

Heh, superhero shrinks.

"So, Mr. Batman, let's start from the beginning. Tell me about your parents."
"MY PARENTS ARE DEEAAAD!!"

 

[Ravenpoe]

Heh, superhero shrinks.

"So, Mr. Batman, let's start from the beginning. Tell me about your parents."
"MY PARENTS ARE DEEAAAD!!"

Scarecrow is a psychologist and Harley is a psychiatrist.

 

[bhamv3]

Scarecrow is a psychologist and Harley is a psychiatrist.

In that case...

"MY PARENTS ARE DEEAAAD!!" *POW*

 

[Wahad]

Scarecrow is a psychologist and Harley is a psychiatrist.

Was. I don't think Harley does a lot of shrinking anymore.

 

[AshburnerX]

Was. I don't think Harley does a lot of shrinking anymore.

It's also implied that Harley slept her way to her degree. This is one of the reasons the Joker was able to turn her so easily; she didn't recognize what he was doing, which she WOULD have if she'd have actually earned her degree.

 

[Tiger Tsang]

Powers in the x-men universe have always been written as a part of the psychological makeup of the wielder. Cyclops can't control his eye blasts, hence he's an insufferable control freak. The powers were meant to be metaphors for the internal conflict the characters were going through.

On the subject of Cyclops, it had been stated in the past that there's no reason he shouldn't be able to control his eye blasts. Other characters that have in some fashion absorbed or stolen the power from him have been able to control it (with the exception of Rogue, who also takes the knowledge of how to use it, and thus carries the same flaws). The only reason he can't is because of some mental block or other form of neuroses.

I thought Cyclops took a shot to the head parachuting out of the crashing plane that he thought his father died in.
Then again, there's been so many retcon's in the X-Verse *angels and demons spit* who knows anymore.