Super Power Uses 2.0
Scifiblogger Andrew Russo gave an insightful discussion of unique uses for superpowers in the real world. For those who missed it, you can find it here:
I applaud Andrew’s article and offer a tip of the hat as he beat me to the punch on an article I had been wanting to write for a while. But there is one thing that I think bears discussion about the topic: rarely are super-powered beings endowed with only one power. With the exception of the Flash, nearly every hero or villain can o more than one thing. Aquaman has both Super Strength and Telepathy. Superman can fly and look into the girl’s locker room. Wolverine can heal and give you a colectomy. The key to being a super powered being is not having a power that you use uniquely but having a power set, a combination that makes you distinct.
It is no good if you can turn invisible alone. Think about Andrew’s suggested use of invisibility: to spy. If you are really checking out that girl in the locker room, do you really think you are going to maintain enough focus to stay invisible? I thought not. That’s why invisibilty needs to be coupled with super speed. If the primary power fails, you can still get away clean even if you can’t make a clean getaway (you know what I mean, you sinners).
Just being able to regenerate from any injury guarantees that you will be back in the fight in no time (even if you did just jump from a plane without a chute). But we can do better. Add a little superior intelligence to the equation and you’re set. not only will you be able to get back into the fight, but you could even go into the fight anticipating the damage you will receive and plan on what parts you can sacrifice while staying in the fray. You can even plot your own death so that your enemy takes your dead-but-healing carcass back to their hidden base as a trophy.
Remember that no power should be the only tool you rely on in any situation. A true miscreant hero uses every tool in the box to make a name for himself. I’m not advocating that you look for irradiated spiders to try and change your genetics, but if you do suddenly find yourself able to teleport, hold out ant try to see what else emerges before you start planning your uninvited campout on the top of the Empire State Building.
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