Questions tagged [super-powers]
For questions about the development and usage of powers and abilities beyond what is "normal" for a specific species.
6
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5answers
255 views
Explaining pyrokinesis powers
I write sci-fi, and I don't love fudging important things. I have a character that was a victim of genetic experiments (I know how original). I want to find a semi-reasonable way to explain this.(not ...
0
votes
0answers
73 views
If everyone has telekinesis, how would people fight? (1v1, wars, etc)
Main Goal: A general idea of fighting, or a specific example of a fight that fits (like general strategies all use, or a single fight where "fast users" beat "strong users". Traps laid in advance, or ...
1
vote
1answer
84 views
What society/government would be stable if people get superpowers randomly? [closed]
To refine the question:
Goal: a society/government capable of lasting centuries. This takes place somewhere within a technological time period (1000BCE to 1000CE). No gunpowder or explosives. I'm ...
23
votes
5answers
5k views
What problems would a superhuman have whose skin is constantly hot?
The basic premise is about a metahuman whose skin always emits large amounts of heat. It's usually around 300-500 F (150-260 C) degrees, but when he gets mad, in pain or in a serious fight, it can ...
4
votes
3answers
222 views
How could my hard telekinesis work?
So, in my setting, telekinesis is divided into two sub-fields:
Soft telekinesis allows for precise manipulation of objects but doesn't pack a punch. Newton's third law is negligible for this type.
...
1
vote
0answers
43 views
What's the elemental form used in conjuring a super power/ability? [closed]
Example: kinetic energy used for psychic abilities and chakra for ninjas and so on. What more forms are there?
If a knight(mage/magical knight) were to use his 'superpowers', what form of energy ...
4
votes
3answers
132 views
Performance enhancing drugs (mostly realistic)
I have a character in my story who is immortal and heals very quickly (think Wolverine). Ignoring physical side effects (but keeping in mind psychological ones) what sorts of drugs could he take to ...
4
votes
12answers
1k views
Guns against regular people [closed]
In my story a group of people (around 18-20 years old) get superpowers but only slight ones and invulnerability is not one (e.g. perceiving time slower and breathing underwater) and only a couple so ...
9
votes
6answers
1k views
What is a good way to explain how a character can produce flames from their body?
So in a webtoon that I am drawing/writing everyone is born with 1 or 2 psychic abilities that can range anywhere from teleportation, sensory manipulation, thermal conductivity, elemental kinesis ...
5
votes
7answers
292 views
How can someone be immortal and still age?
I need an explanation for how one could be immortal and still age. If one was truly immortal one would remain an infant forever. How could this be explained?
I'm working on a character who is ...
2
votes
1answer
377 views
Splitting the atom with a hammer
In a world of superheroes the job of blacksmith is given to the very strongest of them.
Question
Is splitting an atom in a human-scale piece of work by using a human-scale tool even theoretically ...
-2
votes
1answer
56 views
Voice Activated Reality Warping [closed]
Okay, so before I start this probably 95% completely opinionated but I would really like some feed back and overall help with this.
I’m writing a story where everyone has a specific power or a gift ...
2
votes
2answers
203 views
How to test a mutant to know all of his/her abilities?
I've read a lot of question about testing, so this may be a duplicate, but so far, I've been unable to find this question.
Settings
Following WW3, and its scenarium-radiating super-weapons, mutants ...
5
votes
7answers
242 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-...
-7
votes
3answers
171 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
89 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 ...
-1
votes
3answers
145 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
109 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
711 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
175 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 ...
1
vote
4answers
193 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 ...
32
votes
13answers
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
147 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
205 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
206 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
171 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!
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votes
2answers
135 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
340 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
271 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
249 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
104 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
271 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
175 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
242 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
242 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
87 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
485 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
221 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
113 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 ...
