Interesting superpower questions

[Celadon's Penultimate]

*ahem* WHD, Myself, the Marvelous Miscreant requires your presence down in the RP section, for avatar fittings.

I repeat, the Marvelous Miscreant requires your presence down in the RP section, so you can have fittings for the upcoming super-awesome Forum Picture Day extravaganza.

[Smackgiver]

I wholeheartedly concur, (after a moment of circumspection).  If I were to wax philosophic on all crimes that coulda/shoulda/woulda been prevented by my super-powered intervention, we will inevitably change the course of human history to the point of unrecognition.  

That being said, if we were to offer a specific scenario with which to test this paradigm, I offer the group the opportunity to judge our response to WHD's question within the context of the Avenger's movie plot.

If the Chitauri invaded Earth at the command/control of Loki, would we choose the JLA or Avengers?  The movie clearly demonstrates that the Avengers would prevail,  but would the JLA be more successful (specifically, tuned towards the possibilities of quicker resolution and lower collateral damage)?

I would say (painfully) that, yes, they would.  I'd love to hear any disagreements. How long do you think Loki would last against Superman or Green Lantern?  Granted, Superman does have a vulnerability to magic, but the duel on Stark tower would last less than a second, if I'm in the writer's captain's chair.

[Smackgiver]

Actually,  after having read my last comment, I must offer a counter-perspective. I think I spoke too quickly.  If I were in the captain's chair (writing), Thor would've dispatched Loki pretty darn quick, according to the canon of Marvel lore.  Loki's only advantage over Thor in comics depends solely on his ability to plan and manipulate the chessboard.  That duel would never have had the length it did on the silver screen.  Thor would've taken Loki out much quicker/easier if Joss had adhered to the comic realm's statistics.  

Still, though, considering the rest of the JLA roster, I think the JLA would resolve the matter more effectively than the Avengers did.

Just my $0.02.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

 They seem to show less concern for property damage than The Avengers.

It's not a matter of if they CAN prevent property damage--sure, they CAN--but the Justice League never seemed to really care about preventing property damage, so much as repairing after things have been damaged.

[Myself]

*Gets up, hair sticking up and stumbling around, crashing through walls.*

I was just, uh, sleeping. Woah, why am I in human form right now?

I shall attend to the matter at hand!

[Whd]

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[Celadon's Penultimate]

 Marv wants to do one for everybody.

Just go here.

[Smackgiver]

Here's a question I'd like to float to the group of Superpower Philosophers - if an enemy uses Power Theft and attempts to steal your super powers, is that considered an "attack"?  

[Celadon's Penultimate]

 I believe so, in a sense.

It's a direct action against a foe's abilities. It attacks their powers.

[Smackgiver]

I agree.  I just wanted another perspective.  

Would anybody object to it being considered an attack?  

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

I do. An attack to me is an act of violence against a person, something that will hurt them. Stealing someones power is basically the same as pickpocketing their wallet: no harm is done directly to the victim. It's also not as though you're taking something from them that humans have naturally.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

 I can certainly see this perspective.

Perhaps it would be more of an attack if the foe used Entropy Manipulation to make powers backfire.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Hm...on the topic of powers...

Imagine you could take artistic and developmental control of a superpowered character (or a normal character in a superpowered world, whatever). You get to redesign their look and/or origins and/or personality and/or skills and/or powers.

Pick as many as you like, even feel free to constantly come back to this question, as new ideas pop up in your mind.

As for me, I start off with Captain Planet. Personally, I think his story could be amazing, if folks took him seriously.

Shadowulf1 (Wulf) wrote

Now, before you burst into utterly hysterical laughter at the concept, think about it. This movie could give the whole series concept a greatly needed rework! Okay, stay with me.

Remember the fact that Captain Planet is supposed to be an emissary of Mother Earth, Gaia? Well, what if instead, Gaia did not actually show up in person? Instead, each of the five kids (Wheeler, Ma-Ti, Kwame, Linka and Gi) found shrines or temples in their respective home lands dedicated to an elemental nature goddess from that land's culture?

Within those temples, each kid finds a ring, corresponding to one of the elements. For example, Wheeler is Fire, so he'd find the temple of a fire goddess in North America somewhere. Kwame, an African earth goddess. Linka, a European wind goddess. Gi, an Asian water goddess. Ma-Ti, a South American life/fertility goddess.

Their powers combined would not SUMMON Captain Planet, but would AWAKEN him. Once. Not for a thirty minute special, and then they need another ring-bump to awaken him again; once he's up, he's up. And he only needs the kids to be his eyes and ears around the world, so he knows what needs defending. And even then, he can still move of his own volition, and go on his own missions, at will. He's Earth's guardian, but he has a mind and feelings of his own, too.

And, at first, his issues would be against deforestation, or pollution of the skies, or pollution of seas, or overfull landfills, or people not recycling and being green. But his foremost foes would be an alien race, on a mission of conquest, who see the planet as ripe with resources (wind, water, solar, etc) that its inhabitants never use anyway. Not to mention, a whole planet full of human labor. Score, for them, if they win. Which is why the villains we know from the show (with new, not-lame names), are working with the aliens, in hopes of being spared enslavement, and getting in on the profits.

They don't count on a green haired blue guy in red pajamas, though. And this guy is coming with all the powers of the planet at his disposal. Aside from strength, speed, durability, stamina, regeneration, reflexes, senses and awareness attuned to the planet's own power, he can manipulate earth, water, fire, air and plant and animal life on an epic scale. Of course, not enough to make him over-powered, and instantly kill off everybody, but enough to put up an interesting and entertaining fight.

And if he absolutely must have a ridiculous weakness, rather than have him grow weak and weary in the presence of pollution (I mean, really, he's strong enough to stop polluters and other defilers of the planet, otherwise he's really helpless to save the planet he's here to defend), he could have reduced power over processed elements (ie plastics), or be weakened by prolonged absence from his planet. Being teleported into the depths of space, for example, would render him gradually weaker, and even this would take a while to weaken him.

So...what do you guys think? Am I being delusional over a series that I really enjoyed in my youth, or does this superpowered eco-friendly do-gooder really have the potential to give 'going green' a good name?

And while the above quote is more along the lines of pitching a movie, I think a comic series and a DC-style TV show reboot would be awesome, too, if done right. In fact, I think he'd be great if he was handed over to DC as a property.

[Whd]

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[WonderDrow]

So since you bring them harm by taking the power away it's considered an attack.
Ok.

But what if you only copy the power? And the "victim" doesn't loose the power and isn't harmed in the process?

Is that still an attack?

[Myself]

I believe so. It is an undesired action against a third party which leaves them in a worse condition in which they were before said action.

[WonderDrow]

I don't see how they are in a worse condition. They still have the power.

[Whd]

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[Smackgiver]

Spot on analysis.  I concur.

[Smackgiver]

I would say no, that copying a power isn't an attack