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Author Topic: If you could have one superpower...
Lisa
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...what would it be?

I think flight, personally. Or possibly the ability to stop time temporarily (like in The Girl, the Gold Watch and Everything).

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advice for robots
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Most definitely telekinesis. That would be a blast.
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pfresh85
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I'd say teleportation. Just being able to instantly go anywhere would be awesome.
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IanO
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USSR
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Puffy Treat
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Matter transmutation.
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pH
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The ability to manipulate gravity would be cool...

Or, you know, Charles Xavier kind of telepathy. Where you can influence people to do what you want. But of course, I would only use that for my own personal gai-uh, I mean, to help the...people... [Cool]

-pH

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IanO
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quote:
the ability to stop time temporarily (like in The Girl, the Gold Watch and Everything).
Come on, admit it. You know the real inspiration for this power was really Out of this World
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rivka
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I loved that show! And have, ever since, wanted to be able to do that. [Big Grin]
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Shanna
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I'd like to stop time too. Think of all the procrastinating a person could do...
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Enigmatic
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Teleportation, as long as it was 100% accurate and free of getting stuck in other matter.

Stopping time would be great, but I'm such a procrastinator that if I had that power I'd barely ever turn it off.

--Enigmatic

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The Rabbit
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quote:
Originally posted by IanO:
USSR

[ROFL]
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IanO
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*blinks* Someone actually *liked* that show?

huh.
:grin:

It would be cool to have that power, though. You'd be able to sleep as much as you want, read as much as you want, and still have as much 'real' time as there can possibly be.

Only downside, I guess, is the possibility that you might die earlier. That you might be ageing 'faster' than everyone else, since you might have spent commutatively years in 'no time.'

Reminds me of Treason and the Kui Keie (or however you spell it.)

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rivka
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quote:
Originally posted by IanO:
*blinks* Someone actually *liked* that show?

huh.
:grin:

[Razz]

In my defense, I was a teenage girl. [Big Grin]

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IanO
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I was kidding. I mean I watched enough of it to remember that power, after all. Took a few minutes of racking my brain to remember the name of the show, though.

Still thought it was up there with Charles in Charge and the other lame syndicated teenager shows of the late 80's (the spawn of Saved by the Bell).

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Stray
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I'd want the ability to smack someone up the back of the head without being anywhere near them. What would that be, telekinesis?
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neo-dragon
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quote:
Originally posted by starLisa:
...what would it be?

I think flight, personally. Or possibly the ability to stop time temporarily (like in The Girl, the Gold Watch and Everything).

I think that you do have a superpower; telepathy. Your post was exactly what I was thinking! Anyway, I'll give my top 5.

1) Flight, because it would be the most fun.

2) Freezing time (or moving so fast that it looks to me like time is frozen), because it's the most useful. I could literally procrastinate everything until the last second and not have to worry!

3) Telepathy, because it'd be almost as useful as freezing time in day-to-day life. There are times when life would be much simpler if I knew exactly what people were thinking.

4) Invisibility, for fun.

5) Telekinesis, once again, it'd just be fun.

Oh wait, as an honourable mention; pyrokinesis (ability to start and control fires at will). I can't actually think of many constructive uses for it, but it would be cool!

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pfresh85
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Telekinesis is an awesome power. I wrote a set of stories about a guy with telekinesis and how he used it to do various things (like jump higher, go slightly faster, etc.). Amanecer can vouch for the stories, although anything she says about how crappy they are is just lies. [Big Grin]
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Lyrhawn
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I used to love that show when I was a kid. And I'm a boy, and I don't feel bad about it.
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Theaca
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And you shouldn't feel bad about it. You can't help being a boy. *patpat*
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Mr.Funny
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Couldn't you use telekinesis to make yourself fly?
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pfresh85
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Possibly. Depends on how strong your telekinesis is.
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neo-dragon
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That depends on what "rules" of telekinesis you're going by.
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Teshi
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Either invisibility or teleportation. Invisibility because that can be used for so many different things, especially on those days when you just want to fade into the background. Teleportation is similar in that it's endlessly useful.

Both are very useful for personal safety.

I'd only like such powers that I could extend to another person as well as myself- so I could make someone as well as me invisible, or take someone as well as myself to wherever I was teleporting to.

[Smile]

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pfresh85
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Most stories I've seen involving teleportation have allowed the person to take others with them. Although it varies by the person. Some have to actually grab a hold of the other person to bring them, others just slight contact will work, and still others can just do it without contact. Still it'd be cool.
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kojabu
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I can't pick just one, so I'm going to give my top 4:

1) Telepathy
2) The ability to play with time
3) Invisibility
4) Teleportation

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Rico
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<---- Already has super power

Being super awesome counts, right? How about super geeky? No? Hello?

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Soara
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I'd want the ability to speak any language in the world fluently without any trouble. [Razz]
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kojabu
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Oh that'd be an awesome superpower, like the instant translators on Star Trek ships.
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littlemissattitude
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This isn't one of your garden-variety superpower, but I'd love it if I had the power to not have to sleep unless I wanted to, without it adversely affecting me physically or mentally.
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Joldo
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I'd love time manipulation. And the sort where you don't die early, because you can slice time so that there is duration but no time. Or simply move circlularly through it.
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Olivet
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Territory.

That's where you make the rules for your territory, and the rules are absolute for everyone who enters your territory.

You could disallow violence within two miles of yourself, with whatever consequences you chose for those who attempt to violate it. I'd freeze those attempting to commit violence, if that were the rule.

It also might be fun to have a 'no lies' territory. If someone tells a lie, you would know rigt away because they wet themselves or something.

Yes, I could have a lot of fun with Territory. [Evil Laugh]

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Dan_raven
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If I ever got a job at a comic book, I knew what super-power I would introduce--Storytelling. The Storyteller would begin his story, and those listening would be transported into the story where the story-teller would have god-like powers directing the actions of the listener chracters, but only until the story ends.
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Evie3217
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I don't think I'd want invisibility as much as the ability not to be noticed (such as Baba Yaga in Enchantment) Basically I would want the ability to be in class, but not have to answer questions thrown at me by the teacher and still get credit for being at the class. Does that make any sense? Telekenisis would be awesome as well. Think of the havoc you could wreak with it.
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pfresh85
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quote:
Originally posted by Dan_raven:
If I ever got a job at a comic book, I knew what super-power I would introduce--Storytelling. The Storyteller would begin his story, and those listening would be transported into the story where the story-teller would have god-like powers directing the actions of the listener chracters, but only until the story ends.

That reminds me of the manga/anime Getbackers. One of the main characters has the "Evil Eye." You're never sure when he activates it, but life seems to be normal. You see what he wants you to see. Then it ends, and he's standing there over you (since you usually are beaten) and he asks "Did you have a nice dream?" It was quite an interesting power.

EDIT: There was a limit on the power though. I think he could only use it once a day or something.

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RoyHobbs
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Stop time, definitely. There is SOOO much (good and bad) you could do with that it is ridiculous.
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Enigmatic
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Actually, one of the best superpowers that many comic book and cartoon heroes have is I-Say-So Power. This is the power to declare a conclusion based on no evidence, or that doesn't make the slightest bit of sense, and have it be completely true. You must state the conclusion in a loud and authoritative voice. The Superfriends did this a lot, but Birdman was the absolute master of it.

Example:
The Mayor is acting completely normally, but says something you don't like. (Such as "superheroes are silly")

You declare: "The Mayor has been replaced by AN EVIL ROBOT!"

The Mayor starts talking in a mechanical voice and sparks shoot from his ears, retroactively providing the evidence that you were right.

Lots of superheroes have this power. Especially the ones in Hanna Barbara cartoons. That's the power I want.

--Enigmatic

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Blayne Bradley
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Psionicism

China

God like powers

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Treason
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I would love the ability to transmutate. Then I would have 2 abilities since flight would be an option for me as a bird. Killer!
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Speed
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If I could only choose one power, it would have to be the power of omnipotence.
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Hamson
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Telekenisis would be awesome. Coming in second and thrid would be teleportation or time stoppage. But being able to change into anything would be pretty awesome too...
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Lalo
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Pff. Mine would be shape-shifting. Not only do I get the obvious identity benefits, but I also have a) instantaneous healing (if I can change my body however I like), which leads to a1) eternal youth and thus eternal life for so long as I choose it, and b) most other powers listed here, such as flight (I can grow wings).

I r0x0r.

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Joldo
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I want to be able to be phoenix-like. Whenever I'm worn-out, or injured, or dead, I burst into flame and a new me appears. Plus, I can burst into flame whenever I want and incinerate things.

*dreams of soothing frazzled nerves in a quick burst of fire*

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RackhamsRazor
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ooh-my favorites are:

1)Ability to communticate with animals
2)Invisibility
3)Ability to manipulate time
4)Ability to fly
5)Teleporation

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Toretha
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but wouldn't using telepathy be kinda unethical, just to randomly look in people's heads? seems rude.

I'd like to be able to fly. Or to breathe underwater. Or do the ice thing Fronzone does-that looked fun!

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Sterling
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This question has come up among my friends, actually. I always chose teleportation- save on travel costs, never be late anywhere, use the time you spend on transit on something else. One of my friends suggested that if the matter you displaced appeared where you vanished from, it might be an interesting way to make sculptures.

I like the idea of stopping or slowing time, but aside from making sure I got enough free time and sleep, I think it would be awfully tempting to use the power for crime. (I also always wonder about said power- if you _stop_ time, can you see anything, since the speed of light is now zero? And if you just slow time drastically, isn't every fleck of dust going to hit you like you were moving around at several hundred miles an hour?... Sorry to bring practicalities into a fantastic discussion.)

I really liked the power that my wife came up with, though. She wants to be able to make anyone a devout follower of any religion. (All the genocidal warlords are now Buddhists... The neo-nazis get to eat kosher... That senator you dislike gets to spend his days giving out flowers and selling books in airports...)

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