Questions tagged [super-powers]
For questions about the development and usage of powers and abilities beyond what is "normal" for a specific species.
18
votes
16answers
6k 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 ...
8
votes
4answers
225 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
88 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
7k 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
5answers
176 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
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
130 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
166 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
93 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
81 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
122 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 ...
5
votes
6answers
287 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
189 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
161 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 ...
34
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
74 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
246 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 ...
35
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
128 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 ...
11
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
201 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
217 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
72 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
449 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
194 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
98 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
261 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
153 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
169 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
124 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
199 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
141 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
701 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
235 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
130 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
357 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
167 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 ...
97
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 ...
32
votes
26answers
12k views
Why would a healing factor superhero still be afraid of things?
So, I have a superhero, and his name is Logan Wotowski, the indestructible man.
He can survive and heal from gunshots to the head, knives to throat, getting hit by cars, fire, electrocutions, high ...
7
votes
5answers
232 views
What required secondary powers does my speedster need in order to be able to accelerate at 2,250 ft/s^2 without harmful effects?
This question was originally posted in the Sandbox. It's set in the same world as this question, but is not related to it.
I have a speedster character whose top speed is Mach 2. She holds back a lot ...
-2
votes
3answers
173 views
Why would an electrokinetic be unable to create weapons made from electricity?
In my setting, there are these super-powered individuals that can draw upon an invisible energy source in order to enhance their physical abilities and use physics-defying abilities such as ...
1
vote
3answers
120 views
Differentiating a Power from Dr. Manhattan [closed]
I want to create a character with matter manipulation powers, down to the atomic level. However, I've become aware that this is essentially exactly what Dr. Manhattan from Watchmen does- rearranging ...
48
votes
7answers
4k views
Learning new physics from a superhero
Last week, a young woman came by my physics lab. She demonstrated the telekinetic ability to rotate things from a distance. We did some quick tests, but we couldn't find any previously known ...
2
votes
4answers
264 views
What superpowers or tech would actually make sense to use for theft? [closed]
The recent question about Fort Knox brought back a long-time concern I've had regarding super-villainous behavior: most super abilities could earn as much money (or vastly more) through legitimate ...
0
votes
1answer
127 views
How dangerous would this pyromancer be? [closed]
A pyromancer has the ability to increase or decrease the temperature of both objects & air within 57,600 square feet. No matter what the object is the character can manipulate it as long as it's ...
-2
votes
6answers
167 views
How to explain why a force fielder can’t ride their force fields? [closed]
In my superhero world, there is a hero. Her name is Monica Fairson. She is able to generate force fields. What might be a plausible reason why Monica wouldn’t use her force fields as transportation, ...
35
votes
24answers
13k views
Why might the government keep the gold at Fort Knox, even though super-villains steal it all the time?
So, I’m creating a world were superheroes, and villains, are real and exist in the real world. Everything else is the same, like the gold depository in Fort Knox, Kentucky, which brings me to my ...
