Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Heroes and Their Abilities...

Hello again Internet.  I'm going to delve into my mind a bit.  Won't you join me?

So I've long thought about the idea of super powers or abilities.  And boy, are there been many of them.  But really, how many of them are there?  Right now, I can only really say, in my opinion, there are 5 different forms of super powers.

"Woah, what am I thinking", you may be...uh...thinking.  But let me explain.

I've broken down the categories into the following...


  • Enhanced Mental and Physical Abilities
  • Biological Change
  • Psychic Abilities
  • Energy Projection
  • Time Based Abilities

Enhanced Mental and Physical, is everything that the human body and mind can already do, it's just that the super abilities take them a step further.  (Super strength, enhanced speed, super intellect, invulnerability, etc.)

Biological Change, would be something the body does, that it normally can't do at all.  (Shapeshifting, poison secretion, growing/shrinking, duplicating)

Psychic Abilities, would be what you would imagine them to be.  Powers that use the mind, in a state that a brain can't normally do.  (Mind control, telekinesis, telepathy, flight, illusions)

Energy Projection, is some form of energy, that was held or sent through the body, and discharged in any way, shape, or form.  (Flame, force fields, sound, light, kinetic energy)

And lastly, Time Based Abilities.  Any ability that can go against the grain of time.  I couldn't figure out how to categorize this in any other category.  (Time travel, slowing time, stopping time)

Now that you have my opinions on what these groups are, I'm going to give some scenarios and examples, fleshing out my theory.

Take the Fantastic Four.  Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Human Torch, and The Thing.  
  • Mr. Fantastic falls into 2 of these categories.  He has a genius intellect, which would be an enhancement of the human body and mind, and his biology can change as well.  He essentially shapeshifts his body.  He can take any form he chooses, as well as, stretch his limbs.  Who's to say that isn't like the shape shifting Skrulls he so often encounters?
  • Invisible Girl can fall into a few categories, depending on how you take her abilities.  She has energy projection, because she can make platforms on which to stand, or to bubble herself and others into, but it's her invisibility that is really interesting.  Is it mental or physical?  Does she just project mentally to others that she is simply not there?  Or is it a physical change in her biology that refracts the light around her, making her appear not there?  Another could argue that it could also be another form of energy projection, making light refract around her as well.
  • The Human Torch, of course has energy projection to expel all of the flame from his body, but what makes him fly?  If it's the science that heat rises, could he control his flight through updrafts of heat?  Or does his flight manifest itself through some latent psychic telekinesis that he may not even be aware of?  If that's the case, could he fly without "flaming on"?
  • And of course The Thing.  While his appearance is a change in his biology, through some sort of shape shifting beyond his control, his other abilities are purely physical.  He has super strength and stamina, that is above a normal human being.  He is also a skilled pilot.  Not a super ability, mind you, but its something that not every Joe Blow on Yancy Street can do.

Now these were just some examples of just 4 heroes.  There are a thousand other heroes out there and I bet you with a little thought, can be categorized, in these 5 groups.  The topic is open for discussion, and I would love to chat about it.  Hit me up here, or you can chat me up on Facebook.  Thanks for stopping by, Internet.

But before you go...

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