Super Hero Powers- Help!

[R. Zion]

Ok, here's the deal... I'm currently writing a young adult novel set in the super hero genre (yes, not a big genre as far as the written word goes, I know) and I need help brainstorming some unique powers and abilities to give to my characters.

If you don't mind me using some of your ideas, toss out a few! Let's brainstorm, people!

[Yeshua-Knight]

well, let me ask you a question, do you want the super hero to be more like a marvel hero or more like a dc hero? trust me, there is a difference

[R. Zion]

More mutant than supernatural/alien and no dimension shattering supermen/boys

[Yeshua-Knight]

ah, ok, that does clarify things
perhaps the idea for powers should come later once the personality of the character is developed, if you've already gotten that far, send me a pm telling me about the character and i'll come up with some ideas, k?

[Joshua Christopher]

The power of metallurgy? I'd imagine that being pretty useful.

[Raiden no Kishi]

Actually, that's a pretty cool idea. Reminds me of the time in Fullmetal Alchemist where Ed is arm-wrestling this large guy with a massive automail arm and he secretly transmutes the big guy's arm into a weaker metal in order to win. Sneaky, but effective.

I had an idea that's been bouncing around in my skull, but I'd rather hold onto that one for my own use.

How about . . . a superhero who permanently sees via X-rays or something similar? The advantage is that few things are hidden, but the disadvantage is that it's harder to distinguish people [at least initially . . . after all, he/she can only see their skeletons]? Both a blessing and a curse. Those sorts of powers seem good for writing, as they give opportunity for everyday conflicts to show the hassles of having miraculous powers. Likewise, there's the already-done idea of the constantly invisible person. The problem is that, with all the superheroes already created, the range of original powers is harmed. However, that only makes it more rewarding to find something original.

.rai//

P.S. I'll keep thinking.

[Sammy Boy]

A few aspects you could think about:

1. Individual powers

That is, powers that work regardless of the situation / environment.

2. Individual powers that work well together.

For example, one hero has the ability to detect feelings / emotions of other people, another hero cannot, but can be "fed" such feelings / emotions and convert it into destructive energy. Thus the two heroes work well with each other.

3. Passive abilities.

For example, natural toughness, resistance to certain environmental conditions, etc.

[Kiba-kun]

How about being able to change your body into one of eight elements? Fire, Water, Wind, Ice, Earth, Energy (lightning), Light and Darkness. But not just become a blob of that element like a mound of earth but apply it points of their body. Like changing his hands into nothing but pure energy but his hands still keep a human form. Or changing his lower legs and feet into wind and move weightlessly and quickly over the ground.

[Doubleshadow]

I always liked characters that had low key powers that required some thought to apply, as opposed to 'smash'em up'. How about eidetic memory, a perfect and uncanny sense of direction (so one can find anywhere, anytime), or, though this is an actual talent, the ability to win every argument.

[mitsuki lover]

I always thought having the power to control animals would be cool.You know like
Beastmaster.

[silverSky]

ListofComicBookSuperPowers


Pretty much everything you want to know about types of superpowers and they even get neat examples. ^_^

Enjoy.



silverSky

[Fish and Chips]

Wikipedia also has an extensive list of fictional butlers, should your hero require any assistance or tea time.

I always thought having the power to control animals would be cool.You know like
Beastmaster.

Meh, I've never be able to grasp the idea of a Beastmaster. Talking with animals, I've just never seen it pulled off in a way that's satisfying to me. Not necessarily a bad power, in fact I imagine it would be quite useful, but to me...there are better powers.

[silverSky]

Wikipedia also has an extensive list of fictional butlers, should your hero require any assistance or tea time.

I bet they do.

Meh, I've never be able to grasp the idea of a Beastmaster. Talking with animals, I've just never seen it pulled off in a way that's satisfying to me. Not necessarily a bad power, in fact I imagine it would be quite useful, but to me...there are better powers

Hmm I find it an interesting power sure its not as spectacular as the others but it is quite resourceful and useful, especially those litte ferrats. ^_^

silverSky

[SnoringFrog]

Being able to gain the memories of the owner of a particular object y being near it/touching it.

Someone having the ability to actualize what they dream would be interesting. When they first discover the power, they would have problems when they slept because they would bring their dreams, good or bad, into the real world and thus would have to learn to control them well or not sleep.

Being able to pass into and out of other's dreams and possibly 'teleport' by going through various people's dreams and coming out of them to be where they are.

Some type of ability dependent on emotions would be interesting, one that has varied effect due to emotions, but instead of having the expected anger = desturction compassion = healing, switch it so the healing and fixing things comes through anger and compassion and caring causes desturction.

[mitsuki lover]

Well being able to communicate with animals comes in a darn sight better when someone's trying to feed you to their pet crocodiles.

[Ingemar]

How about the ability to mimic the abilities of others, and recall them by remembering how the person made you feel?

no wait, that's Peter Petrelli, scratch that.

[Alice]

Being able to gain the memories of the owner of a particular object y being near it/touching it.

Someone having the ability to actualize what they dream would be interesting. When they first discover the power, they would have problems when they slept because they would bring their dreams, good or bad, into the real world and thus would have to learn to control them well or not sleep.

Being able to pass into and out of other's dreams and possibly 'teleport' by going through various people's dreams and coming out of them to be where they are.

Some type of ability dependent on emotions would be interesting, one that has varied effect due to emotions, but instead of having the expected anger = desturction compassion = healing, switch it so the healing and fixing things comes through anger and compassion and caring causes desturction.

Say, that's pretty cool.


My idea? Being able to boil water by looking at/concentrating on it. "The human microwave." And of course that could be used other ways once he / she learned to control it. But it could get pretty gruesome.

[Lady Macbeth]

Say, that's pretty cool.

My idea? Being able to boil water by looking at/concentrating on it. "The human microwave." And of course that could be used other ways once he / she learned to control it. But it could get pretty gruesome.

This is a form of pyrokinesis - the more familiar and recognizable variant is that demonstrated by the little girl in Stephen King's "Firestarter." Boiling water requires the ability to heat the water molecules; an ability that can do this would stand a very good likelihood of being able to similarly heat other molecules, even to the point of combustion (as hydrogen and oxygen are the components of water, and hydrogen is plentiful and oxygen is common elsewhere in the universe).

If you wanted it to truly be a form of "the human microwave," you would want to understand the kinetic energy of microwave radiation specifically. The reason superheroes often "look at" or "concentrate on" something that they want to change with their mind is because they are specifically and intentionally directing a change in the atomic structure of their target. If it were to be microwave-specific, they would be intentionally directing a change in the wavelengths of the energy surrounding the target into microwave radiation.

I am personally fond of "superpowers" that are simply an enhancement of a natural ability. Communicating with animals is one such power (as some people have a better ability to communicate with animals than others naturally), as is hypersensitivity of any kind and unnatural strength or speed of any kind. To keep such a character believable in these aspects requires research on how those attributes work naturally, which is much easier research to do than something that falls into the realm of the supernatural or the metaphysical.

[silverSky]

Someone having the ability to actualize what they dream would be interesting. When they first discover the power, they would have problems when they slept because they would bring their dreams, good or bad, into the real world and thus would have to learn to control them well or not sleep.

Being able to pass into and out of other's dreams and possibly 'teleport' by going through various people's dreams and coming out of them to be where they are.

Cool, I had character that had a power that was somewhat similiar or at least along those lines.

silverSky

[Kaligraphic]

How about a character who can cause rodents to explode.

[Ingemar]

How about some lame superpowers? Example:

A man who can ignite himself a la the Human Torch, but doing so causes him to burn to death.

"The Divider," a man who can divide himself in two--but only once (see above).

The power to manipulate the metal Zinc.

The power to turn yourself hot pink!

Breakdancing power.

[indyrocker]

how about this Gas man his power is that he can create and direct his farts at will and his belt has nothing but mexican food and cans of beans on it!

[SnoringFrog]

A man who can ignite himself a la the Human Torch, but doing so causes him to burn to death.

ROFL, That'd be an interesting ability to work with. If it caem down to it, you might be able to ignite part of your body to save yourself from some undesireable situation, but doing so would severly burn that bod part.