Top 10 Practical Superpowers

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fourpawsonthefloor
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Top 10 Practical Superpowers

Post by fourpawsonthefloor »

I find this article amusing to some level, but not nearly as much as the geek bickering that follows it over who DOES have the most practical superpower.

However Kurt with his teleportation made #3! Yay!

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Top 10 Practical Superpowers

Post by Freak »

I'm totally for invisibility and teleportation on #1 and #2. Any power that gets me into the girls' locker room is a good power :naughty
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Top 10 Practical Superpowers

Post by The Drastic Spastic »

I'd take invulnerability over regeneration any day.
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Post by Bamfing_Bob »

I don't know. Let's compare: Feel pain and heal, while living a long long life VS No pain or destruction with average lifespan. I agree Spaz, cuz sometimes life seems too long as is. All your friends would be dying while you stay healthy. I'd be jealous. Plus, you'd always win ro-sham-bo.
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Top 10 Practical Superpowers

Post by The Drastic Spastic »

Originally posted by Bamfing_Bob
I don't know. Let's compare: Feel pain and heal, while living a long long life VS No pain or destruction with average lifespan. I agree Spaz, cuz sometimes life seems too long as is. All your friends would be dying while you stay healthy. I'd be jealous. Plus, you'd always win ro-sham-bo.
Live a long time OR get to actually remember your life. Hmm hmm.

Weapon X memory implants? Or brain being endlessly wiped clean by repairs? That second one would make a good story. Every time he splits his head open, he forgets about another daughter.
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Top 10 Practical Superpowers

Post by NachtcGleiskette »

Originally posted by The Drastic Spastic
I'd take invulnerability over regeneration any day.
Agreed. Why wasn't telepathy higher? Are we trying to pretend we're not a society full of voyuers??
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My top five (most practical)

Post by stupidusername »

5. Telepathy- useful for playing poker, understanding your girlfriend, jedi mind tricks, ("you don't want to give me this ticket, officer") and knowing when people are lying to you. Unpractical side- everyone assumes you are reading or controlling their minds even when you are not. frequent headaches and catching stray thoughts you shouldn't have (like your parents' sex fantasies)

4. Telekinesis- useful for unlocking your car when you lock the keys in, picking up your apartment while relaxing on the couch, carrying all your groceries at the same time (and even open the doors at the same time!) Unpractical side- people tend to think you're possessed with the objects flying around, you get blamed if something falls off a shelf or some other random event, everyone uses you as their own personal servant ("can you lift this for me?" "can you carry my bags, too?" "Can't you just TK it for me?"- Note: this is also true of super strength)

3. Superspeed- useful for getting unpleasant things done very fast. (like raking leaves, cleaning your apartment, washing dishes, "busy" work, data entry, etc.) also useful for getting to work on time (I tend to be late) and because of your super fast reflexes, you are always first in everything. (first to respond, first to get in line, first to finish eating) You can read more books, too. Unpractical side- most people get paid BY THE HOUR, so doing something faster only means you have to do more of it. You are impatient, especially with other people because they aren't as fast as you. Not everything can or should be done faster (like taking showers, or cooking, or making out with your girlfriend. :) Hmmm) You also get bored very easily because you can accomplish so much with so little time.

2. Invisibility- useful in many different scenerios (and not just the girl's locker room, you pervs). useful for avoiding people (like ex-girlfriends), eavedropping on conversations, getting out of bad dates, changing clothes without being seen, sneaking into clubs/getting past bouncers, watching movies/plays/football games/concerts with having to pay for tickets. Being able to slip in and out of anywhere. Unpractical side- people tend to overlook you and treat you like you're never around. you have to fight the urge to abuse your power(shoplift, dine n dash, peeping tom, and playing mean tricks on them)

1. Flight/Teleportation- useful for getting to work on time, giving you freedom from cars/gasoline prices/road rage/traffic, not needing ladders, stairs, elevators anymore, can travel cheaply for vacation. there are too many applications to write. (and I am really tired) I included flight with teleportation because they are both locomotion powers. They allow the user to defy distance and get you from point a to point b faster than walking. They are also cooler than the other powers. Unpractical sides- Teleporters need to worry about teleporting into things or people. Flyers need to worry about obstacles both in the air and on the ground.
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Some powers are not practical

Post by stupidusername »

invulnerability- So you can't be hurt. So what? How does that help you in day to day life. Walk in front of cars? Jump off buildings? Pick fights with people bigger and stronger than yourself? At least with regeneration (healing factor) you get the enhanced senses like Wolverine's got. This power is very powerful, it is just not practical. In order to use this power, you have to put yourself in harm's way.

chance manipulation- (luck power) You can manipulate odds like nobody's business. This enables you to be at the right place at the right time. It also allows you to win at gambling and possibly the lottery (depending on how powerful your ability is). But think of Domino from X-force. Just having a power like that is going to cause you to take unnecessary risks just for the chance to use your power. Once again, powerful, but not practical. I guess if it was subconscious, like Longshot's is, it might be practical. It would mean that everything would just go your way. Random things would just happen to you that help you along the way. That way you get the benefits of good luck without the risks of the luck-chasing thrillseeker.
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Top 10 Practical Superpowers

Post by Trigger »

How did Pyrokinesis even make the list? That has to be one of the most impractical powers ever. Cool? Yes, but its not really going to help you unless your power is down and you need to light a candle. :torch
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Post by Bamfing_Bob »

Originally posted by stupidusername
5. Telepathy- useful for playing poker, understanding your girlfriend, jedi mind tricks, ("you don't want to give me this ticket, officer") and knowing when people are lying to you. Unpractical side- everyone assumes you are reading or controlling their minds even when you are not. frequent headaches and catching stray thoughts you shouldn't have (like your parents' sex fantasies)

4. Telekinesis- useful for unlocking your car when you lock the keys in, picking up your apartment while relaxing on the couch, carrying all your groceries at the same time (and even open the doors at the same time!) Unpractical side- people tend to think you're possessed with the objects flying around, you get blamed if something falls off a shelf or some other random event, everyone uses you as their own personal servant ("can you lift this for me?" "can you carry my bags, too?" "Can't you just TK it for me?"- Note: this is also true of super strength)

3. Superspeed- useful for getting unpleasant things done very fast. (like raking leaves, cleaning your apartment, washing dishes, "busy" work, data entry, etc.) also useful for getting to work on time (I tend to be late) and because of your super fast reflexes, you are always first in everything. (first to respond, first to get in line, first to finish eating) You can read more books, too. Unpractical side- most people get paid BY THE HOUR, so doing something faster only means you have to do more of it. You are impatient, especially with other people because they aren't as fast as you. Not everything can or should be done faster (like taking showers, or cooking, or making out with your girlfriend. :) Hmmm) You also get bored very easily because you can accomplish so much with so little time.

2. Invisibility- useful in many different scenerios (and not just the girl's locker room, you pervs). useful for avoiding people (like ex-girlfriends), eavedropping on conversations, getting out of bad dates, changing clothes without being seen, sneaking into clubs/getting past bouncers, watching movies/plays/football games/concerts with having to pay for tickets. Being able to slip in and out of anywhere. Unpractical side- people tend to overlook you and treat you like you're never around. you have to fight the urge to abuse your power(shoplift, dine n dash, peeping tom, and playing mean tricks on them)

1. Flight/Teleportation- useful for getting to work on time, giving you freedom from cars/gasoline prices/road rage/traffic, not needing ladders, stairs, elevators anymore, can travel cheaply for vacation. there are too many applications to write. (and I am really tired) I included flight with teleportation because they are both locomotion powers. They allow the user to defy distance and get you from point a to point b faster than walking. They are also cooler than the other powers. Unpractical sides- Teleporters need to worry about teleporting into things or people. Flyers need to worry about obstacles both in the air and on the ground.
I agree with all this. But I usually put all the "easy travel" powers in a category. Super-speed, flight, and teleportation all rock. But like in the article, if the flight wasn't fast, it wouldn't be so effective. But I would give anything to fly, or run the speed of light. I think 'porting would be really useful, but not as fun as the other two.
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Top 10 Practical Superpowers

Post by Daycrawler »

Oh My G! I almost died laughing at that article.. I am hoping I didn't wake anyone up. hehe man it sure is fun to analize stuff to much. hehehe
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Post by stjohn »

Fonzie has the most practical superpower. His power of "Cool" causes machines to function when he taps them, makes women swoon when he snaps his finger, and much like Paige in the RP his hair is always perfect. The man clearly has it all.

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Post by NachtcGleiskette »

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Top 10 Practical Superpowers

Post by steyn »

two things come to my mind.

No. 1
The people leaving the hate comments there are horrible. Are there really idiots like that in the world? Clearly I surf the web on the shallow end.

No. 2
what's the difference between Invulnerability and Invincibility again?
Anyhow, the power of not dying can be such a pain. Think about it, you walk down the street, a drunk in a truck rams into you, you break every bone in your body, and you end up paralyzed, but you'll still survive, because you can't die. Now you live the rest of your life in a wheelchair, being taken care of. And don't forget all the pain you go through, so chances are you'll end up an addict on painkillers.
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Post by NachtcGleiskette »

LOL Steyn I hadn't even read the comments but went back to take a look. This one really made me laugh:
It is obvious that whoever wrote this and the additional comments from the "peanut" gallery did not take into account the powers that come with being a JEDI.

The ability to repel lazer blasts with your light saber and move objects with your mind and control the mind of the "weak minded" definately has its advantages.
*pat pat* awwww poor Star Wars fan. How on EARTH (or any planet) could we forget the JEDI?!!! Whomever wrote that article should be FIRED or at very LEAST forced to go head to head with Al Sharpton on his radio show.
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Top 10 Practical Superpowers

Post by Daycrawler »

Originally posted by stupidusername
invulnerability- So you can't be hurt. So what? How does that help you in day to day life. Walk in front of cars? Jump off buildings? Pick fights with people bigger and stronger than yourself? At least with regeneration (healing factor) you get the enhanced senses like Wolverine's got. This power is very powerful, it is just not practical. In order to use this power, you have to put yourself in harm's way.
Not necesarly, it would do most as the same as healing only you will not really have to feel any pain or actually at all get hurt, it would be pretty much like in the movie Unbreakable. You'll just go around your everyday life wituth having to worry about car crashes, plane crashes,fires, satelithes falling from the sky... and why with the healing factor would you get enhanced senses? Maybe you just get normal everyday human senses. Well maybe you would have perfect sight and hearing but that doesn't nesesarly mean extraordinary just normal.

And has anyone considered the fact that having superpowers like flight and telekinesis would probably use a lot of energy so you would probably end up very tired if you use them a lot making people to lazy to use them anyways? I don't know why I think that.
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Top 10 Practical Superpowers

Post by stupidusername »

I was going off the marvel "healing factor=enhanced senses" that Wolverine and Sabretooth have. True, not everyone with healing factor gets enhanced senses. I see it now. Invulnerability means not having to worry about burning your hand in the oven. Or falling off the roof. Or getting your hand mangled in the garbage disposal. Things like that.

Still doesn't make my list cause it doesn't do the two things I consider the most important. One- it doesn't give me control over people or my world and Two- it doesn't give me the freedom to go where I want.

My number six (next practical) is phasing. Walk through walls, not need doors, Walk on air. Once again, it gives you the freedom to go where you want. However, it is slow. Trying to phase to work, doesn't help me at all. :D

EDIT: The whole "you can fly, but you are really slow" argument does not have merit. Who in all comicdom has the ability to fly, but not travel faster than they can walk?

But I hear you about the energy question. Really powerful mental or physical powers would most likely use more energy, thus decreasing their use.

[Edited on 4/11/07 by stupidusername]
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Top 10 Practical Superpowers

Post by Daycrawler »

Yes it would be dumb to fly slowly, I mean I would think if you can fly you would at least reach the spead a bird can fly and that has to be faster than what we walk. Heck even gliding on air like the gargoyles did would be faster than simply walking.
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Post by Bamfing_Bob »

Yeah, flying is assumed to be quick in any superhuman.
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