Questions tagged [super-powers]
For questions about the development and usage of powers and abilities beyond what is "normal" for a specific species.
4
votes
7answers
154 views
Why keep a prison for superhumans near/inside a city?
In fact, why keep a prison for even normal humans in a city at all?
Where are the benefits that offset the obvious drawbacks? From my limited knowledge on the subject, you would prefer to have a ...
4
votes
7answers
1k views
The Dark is strong in the light! Why?
Last time we left off with The Dark Lord lording over their darkness in the Dark World. But the Dark Lord wants to take over our world too. Not only that but when he enters our world he gains Super-...
-6
votes
3answers
136 views
A proposed method of flying for superheroes
I can understand Super-beings' great strength and some of their other powers, but flying is hard to justify.
I want to consider only superheroes that can actually fly rather than merely jump tall ...
22
votes
8answers
3k views
Insurance in a world with Superheroes
The less likely an event is, the easier it is to insure against it, as the risk is low. Meteor insurance, if it exists, is probably cheap, and still pretty profitable for the company, as the number of ...
23
votes
12answers
8k views
How can a mortal woman successfully carry a demigod to term?
Demigods are special humans that are born partly divine. These individuals have been extremely rare throughout history, and always have various significant effects for the world around them, leading ...
8
votes
1answer
71 views
If a superpowered character tried to run by kicking away material in what rotational direction would they spiral out of control?
Let's say that there's a superpowered character who has superstrength, control, speed, and durability, but no super friction powers.
Ordinarily he can only accelerate about as fast as a motorbike ...
0
votes
3answers
134 views
Can a teleporter kill by teleporting saliva into the target's brain [closed]
What about pieces of hair, phlegm, mucus, sweat, I want the teleporter to limit his powers only to his body. Even something as ridiculous like tears and faeces. I will even extend it to the food and ...
-1
votes
1answer
92 views
What are the side effects to an ability that let's you experience the senses from a memory? [closed]
The ability gives you a photographic memory and let's you perfectly recall any event in his life, and experience all the senses (touch, vision, smell, etc.) from a memory by firing the nerves or ...
23
votes
12answers
8k views
How does a super-power salesman not get shut down for legal reasons?
I am in trouble: my boss, a multi-millionaire, has just come up with a scheme, but it has problems and he wants me to solve them.
The whole thing started when he saw this picture:
This gave him an ...
23
votes
17answers
8k views
Would low-grade levitation be of any use?
Malcolm dreams one night that he can levitate and wakes up to find that he is still able to. He teaches others to do it and it becomes a world-wide craze. Soon nearly everyone can do it and Malcolm ...
11
votes
6answers
660 views
Would a flying superhuman leave a contrail behind?
I'm writing a speculative fiction story that includes superhumans, and I'm trying to get some of the specifics nailed down. Several of my superhumans have the typical powers of flight, usually able to ...
2
votes
2answers
112 views
Could a Superhero with radio wave powers hear the radio?
Is it was technically possible for a superhero that senses radio waves (like low frequency EM) to “hear” the radio?
This superhero senses radio waves a bit like we can see visible light, though not ...
37
votes
13answers
8k views
Scientific/biological basis of someone with unlimited willpower?
Meet Greg. Greg was born with pretty average genetics. It seems like he was destined to have average intelligence, average strength, and be average at everything. There was one particularly though: he ...
2
votes
4answers
189 views
Astral Doubles (Avatar)
This might be entirely opinion based which is frowned upon in world building but I really do need help on this.
I’m writing a story of an alternative version of Earth where almost 80% of its ...
31
votes
12answers
8k views
Why isn't my superhuman always hungry?
I'm writing a speculative fiction story that includes superhumans. The focus is on individual characters and their daily lives, and I'm trying to maintain some consistency by not throwing all the laws ...
0
votes
3answers
141 views
I want to be a hero: fire-proof [closed]
Something I love is creative use of simple superpowers, so I'd thought I ask a for help coming up with the foundations of a character I've been stuck on.
Basically, their sole super power is an ...
-1
votes
5answers
183 views
Why shouldn't a super powered population be segregated from the rest of society?
If they should be, why?
This is one of the questions I have about my own world, where the premise is that 5% of mankind possess a power. Those that deal catastrophic damage are rare, where as the ...
4
votes
2answers
117 views
Would bio-kinetic metabolism allow the user to also absorb kinetic energy too?
I am trying to base a superpower around bio-kinetic metabolism where the user can not only generate a massive amount of kinetic energy but can also absorb a massive amount of kinetic energy. Is there ...
-1
votes
2answers
99 views
Is it Possible for Humans to Fly? [closed]
I was reading a book on Human Super Training. I would like to know if a human body rising into the air is possible. Thank you experts!
-3
votes
2answers
127 views
If beings with superhuman abilities lived today, could they and social justice cope? [closed]
There's a group of beings who look like humans but who are better by a factor of two in everything except lifespan - their average lifespan is half that of humans.
Effectively they live and die twice ...
6
votes
6answers
308 views
What would be the physique of a damage immune teenager?
I have this protagonist who has has the ability to magically nullify newtons of force when they would harm him. Functionally speaking, this makes the character immune from most forms of damage, both ...
2
votes
7answers
224 views
White Magic consumes Vital Energy, what could be the limitation for Dark Magic? [closed]
In my story, there are two kind of magic powers: White Magic and Dark Magic.
White magic are powers such as Telekinesis and its limitation is the consumption of vital energy: The more the user does ...
1
vote
4answers
204 views
How to determine power or limits of magic if it's bound by laws of physics? [closed]
I'm a fan of plausible superpowers and believable magic.
I want to come up with several magic discpiplines and superpowers (or abilities), that are rather impossible in real world, but are still ...
35
votes
22answers
9k views
What prevents wielders of action-at-distance-type superpowers from destroying internal organs of their enemies?
Telekinesis, pyrokinesis, matter transmutation, bringing tiny chunks of stuff into existence, etc...
If no special rules apply, it seems that wielders of such superpowers might easily defeat their ...
1
vote
1answer
93 views
How can changing environments make my super-villain super-powered while causing chronic (extreme) pain? [closed]
I have a super-villain who is from another environment( e.g. aquatic, extra-terrestrial, extra-dimensional ( Bonus points for the least extreme from populous land-locked earth )) They are not a ...
9
votes
3answers
255 views
How to prevent rupturing internal organs while web slinging?
According to the Film Theorist's video on Spider-Man Peter Parker would undergo extreme g-forces during his swinging around. This is not so much of a problem, as any g-force based loss of ...
36
votes
15answers
14k views
Could a really fast man catch a bullet?
Let's say that a character moves much faster (>100 x) than a bullet.
If he is shot at, could he theoretically catch the bullet (and put it in his pocket) ?
What happens when he touches the bullet, ...
-2
votes
1answer
158 views
In a world without Magic or Gods, what is the source of people's supernatural abilities? [closed]
I want to build a world, probably modern, basing most of the built world on Earth, just with different countries, history, etc.
What I would like is to find a way to give people their powers, but ...
12
votes
10answers
3k views
How to put costs and limitations on telekinesis?
I am planning a book about a vigilante with telekinetic powers; however, this power will be extremely watered down. The character can only Push, Pull, and Twist on things.
If anyone has read Mistborn,...
-3
votes
4answers
218 views
Anti-Psychic Countermeasures [closed]
Let's say you are the President/Prime Minister/What-have-you of a major world power. Your staff have just informed you of a troubling development: psychic abilities are not only theoretically possible ...
8
votes
2answers
220 views
What type of acid could burn through skin and any type of metal?
This is my first time using this site and i'm excited to get answers to roadblocks that have prevented me from finishing my writing in the past. However, you may have to excuse some mistakes I make ...
1
vote
0answers
76 views
Physical Force Generation- Applications, weaknesses, and the science behind it [closed]
I've been developing this anti-hero, "Vicious," for a few weeks now- but I need some help concerning the specifics. Vicious has an ability known as "physical force generation." From any point on her ...
8
votes
3answers
459 views
Building an Anti-Supervillain task force
I'll admit this question may be a bit vague, but a deliberate lack of knowledge is kind of one of the boundary conditions here.
You, dear Worldbuilding Stack Exchange user, have recently been ...
71
votes
19answers
7k views
Taxing the superhero industry
I'm the mayor of a large city, and I'm up for re-election. My poll numbers have slipped after a recent scandal (don't ask), so to make up ground, I need to appeal to my most vocal constituents: ...
5
votes
4answers
205 views
Inhaling vastly more air than one's lung volume
For characters with Superman-style "super breath", the amount of air being forcefully exhaled is often vastly greater than is possible to hold in human-sized lungs. However, this poses two major ...
1
vote
2answers
104 views
How would super heroes operate, save lives and minimize damage to property without breaking the laws of physics? [closed]
I lack the knowledge of basic or advanced physics to say that I know what I am asking, but there is a story that I am working on where I want to try to make super powers follow the laws of physics as ...
15
votes
20answers
3k views
My superpower is every superpower- how is this not unfair? [closed]
I have recently discovered that I have a superpower: based on a situation, my superpower creates a superpower for me to use. If I'm drowning, maybe it will shapeshift me gills and fins, or allow me to ...
6
votes
4answers
318 views
Can telekinesis be used to stop someone from bleeding to death?
So let's say someone has telekinetic powers. He can move a bunch of things at once with his mind as long as the objects aren't too heavy.
One day he's walking through a dark secluded alleyway and, oh ...
0
votes
3answers
159 views
Could the genetic makeup of two parents theoretically combine just right to make a superhuman, or at least semi-superhuman child?
Basically I want my character to have only gotten their powers through the luck of two parents with the right genes mixing. Technically, given enough time and enough generations of breeding, couldn't ...
15
votes
15answers
3k views
Fastest way for an invincible young immortal to make $1 million USD?
So, I gave a $100 bill to a homeless person a few months ago who gave me "God's blessings" in return. Apparently, that conveyed immortality and invincibility upon me as I no longer age (I think) and ...
4
votes
3answers
184 views
Defensive capabilities of a pyrokinesis using superhero?
I’m creating a superhero story, and one of the heroes is a character named Joseph Kroger, AKA The Phoenix. He can create fire with mind, and manipulate it. He also has a high tolerance for heat and ...
1
vote
1answer
154 views
New Sources of Superhuman Ability
I am working to build a parallel Earth that is home to individuals with superhuman abilities (in addition to ordinary humans). This Earth has all of today's knowledge and technology (and perhaps ...
0
votes
4answers
219 views
What could a person able to re-arrange their muscle strength accomplish?
Suppose there is a type of person who is otherwise a normal human, but can temporarily transfer muscle strength from one part of their body to another. Whether this occurs through mutant genes, ...
3
votes
5answers
148 views
Detecting Superpowered Individuals
In my story, a very small percentage of individuals develop superpowers (about 1 in every 10 million, if not less. There are about 200 billion people in this world). Everyone else in the world is ...
4
votes
4answers
1k views
How plausible is molecular disequilibrium from Ant-Man and the Wasp?
So if you haven't watched the film, basically there's this one character who suffers from a (fictional) condition referred to as “molecular disequilibrium.” As described by the character, it's a ...
2
votes
4answers
260 views
How could “power control” laws be enforced with the fewest violations of civil liberties? [closed]
The central premise of my story is that one day in the year 2017, an unknown entity starts imbuing humans with supernatural abilities. A quick rundown of the system:
Every human over the age of 13 ...
0
votes
7answers
137 views
Hitting a Thermokinetic With a Bullet
I'm having several of my superpowered characters do a simulated scrimmage, with paintballs. These characters have various powers: telekinesis, electric manipulation, water manipulation, energy ...
5
votes
4answers
362 views
Would turning into dust freeze you?
I have an idea for a power/ability, but I want to know if it would work like I think it would.
Basically, the person has the power to separate themselves into separate hive mind cells and join back ...
-4
votes
3answers
174 views
Invincible Itch [closed]
I think my favorite idea for a superpower would be an ability that makes you super itchy whenever you tell a universal lie. While this would at first be an extreme inconvenience, imagine taking a ...
98
votes
19answers
14k views
What mechanism can prevent super-healing heroes from accidentally budding?
We’re all familiar with the heroes that can’t die. Honey-badger (with the claws and the angry voice), Dreadpeel, that girl with the weird cheerleading obsession...
Basically they all have the same ...
