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To Use Superpowers or Not?


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What would you use your superpower(s) for?
Good
25%
 25%  [ 21 ]
Bad
2%
 2%  [ 2 ]
A little of both
40%
 40%  [ 33 ]
Nothing. But, that's only because I'm pretending my power(s) don't exist.
7%
 7%  [ 6 ]
Personal gain only
20%
 20%  [ 17 ]
And this one's for all the spammers out there!
2%
 2%  [ 2 ]
Total Votes : 81

Author Message
Botan24



Joined: 30 Apr 2011
Posts: 684
Location: Northern Michigan
PostPosted: Thu Sep 06, 2012 9:14 pm Reply with quote
So, in this universe there are people who have superpowers, i.e. telekinesis, teleportation, ice, wind, x-ray vision...you get the idea.

What I am interested to find out is what one would use their abilities for. Would you ignore your power? Would you be a villain, or a good guy? Or are you a wild card dabbling in both? Or are you just out for yourself?

It really is a hard choice. I mean, how would you go about telling your family, friends, loved ones, "hey, I can melt stuff with my bare hands." Personally, I'd only confess to the ones I truly trusted, and keep pretending to be normal.

This subject came up when my husband and I were arguing how "normal" people would use their superpowers, if they had 'em. Feel free to list what superpowers you'd like, but it's not necessary. FYI: I'd be an illusionist.
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egoist



Joined: 20 Jun 2008
Posts: 7762
PostPosted: Thu Sep 06, 2012 9:20 pm Reply with quote
Personal gain mostly. I'd try to make billions to buy off an island and set up scientific, and aerospace engineering research centres. It would just require a lot of money to kick off the project and fund it for a couple of years, but from there the island should be self-sufficient by selling technology to various countries.
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Alan45
Village Elder



Joined: 25 Aug 2010
Posts: 9809
Location: Virginia
PostPosted: Thu Sep 06, 2012 9:47 pm Reply with quote
I assume you mean the flashy super powers like you mentioned instead of things like the ability to sell over priced electronics to half the world. I think that existed for awhile. Laughing

I would tell no one. Look at it from the other side. How would you like it if people had these abilities that couldn't be controlled and you didn't? I would try very hard to make sure people thought I was normal. Perhaps very good at something but basically normal.

I really don't buy that people with super powers would automatically go around doing good (and wearing spandex). I would be suspicious of their motives, I suspect many others would.
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DuskyPredator



Joined: 10 Mar 2009
Posts: 15433
Location: Brisbane, Australia
PostPosted: Thu Sep 06, 2012 10:00 pm Reply with quote
I said good because I am way too much of an optimist in things, I find it really hard to play the villain in RPGs. Chances are the whole superhero thing would not work in real life, so finding another outlet would be needed, sometimes I wish I had that I could use telekinesis to pick up items people drop or pick trash up.

I don't really come across crimes so that would probably reduce the usefulness. I suppose I could go full idol and encourage stopping bullying and stuff.
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egoist



Joined: 20 Jun 2008
Posts: 7762
PostPosted: Thu Sep 06, 2012 10:11 pm Reply with quote
Alan45 wrote:
I assume you mean the flashy super powers like you mentioned instead of things like the ability to sell over priced electronics to half the world. I think that existed for awhile. Laughing


We call them Apple.
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Saffire



Joined: 25 Nov 2007
Posts: 1255
Location: Iowa, USA
PostPosted: Thu Sep 06, 2012 10:44 pm Reply with quote
I think it would depend on the power, honestly. If I suddenly developed the ability to set human flesh on fire, or the ability to see through clothing...maybe I keep those quiet. Telekinesis though...I don't think I could restrain myself.
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Alan45
Village Elder



Joined: 25 Aug 2010
Posts: 9809
Location: Virginia
PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2012 8:01 am Reply with quote
@ Egoist
I was thinking of Steve Jobs specifically, he seemed to have an ability not given to normal mortals. I wonder how well Apple will do without him. I would put Bill Gates in the same catagory. In sports, Michael Jordan.

@ Saffire
Most guys have the ability to see through clothing, it is called imagination. Laughing
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Touma



Joined: 29 Aug 2007
Posts: 2651
Location: Colorado, USA
PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2012 8:56 am Reply with quote
I would use my powers for what I consider to be "good," but that does not necessarily mean that you would think that it is good.Wink

I would not hesitate to use my power for personal gain if I did not hurt anybody while doing it. Maybe I would be a bounty hunter, then I could make money from catching the bad guys. Of course the fugitives would not think that it was very good.
It would really depend on what my power was.

As for what power I would like, all of them.Smile
But if I could have only one I would choose invulnerability.
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DuskyPredator



Joined: 10 Mar 2009
Posts: 15433
Location: Brisbane, Australia
PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2012 10:00 am Reply with quote
Touma wrote:
I would use my powers for what I consider to be "good," but that does not necessarily mean that you would think that it is good.Wink

I would not hesitate to use my power for personal gain if I did not hurt anybody while doing it. Maybe I would be a bounty hunter, then I could make money from catching the bad guys. Of course the fugitives would not think that it was very good.
It would really depend on what my power was.

As for what power I would like, all of them.Smile
But if I could have only one I would choose invulnerability.

The bellow picture came to mind.
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kaydub



Joined: 28 Jul 2011
Posts: 318
Location: Cincinnati, OH
PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2012 10:25 am Reply with quote
Alan45 wrote:
@ Egoist
I was thinking of Steve Jobs specifically, he seemed to have an ability not given to normal mortals.

There actually is a term for that, it's called the Reality Distortion Field.
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The Lost Prophet



Joined: 16 Feb 2012
Posts: 46
Location: Australia, Adelaide
PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2012 10:25 am Reply with quote
I would do good, but covertly. If people knew you had super powers, there's no telling what's gonna happen, you can be sure to wake up to the media every day though.
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Polycell



Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Posts: 4623
PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2012 10:58 am Reply with quote
Personal gain. If that happens to involve helping people, so be it. My personal beliefs clash too drastically with the majority of people's for me to impose my will on them, even if doing so weren't also against my beliefs(economic blackmail is A-OK, though).
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Botan24



Joined: 30 Apr 2011
Posts: 684
Location: Northern Michigan
PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2012 11:05 am Reply with quote
In regards to Steve Jobs (and others like him): Super genius is...not really a superpower, but it definitely borders the line between mortal and godly.

Moving on, I'm so glad people actually are voting! Smile This is my first poll, and I was wondering how seriously others would take my topic.

Also, I'm happy that I'm not alone in not using my power. And, I'm intrigued to see that Good and Personal gain are very close.
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Polycell



Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Posts: 4623
PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2012 11:25 am Reply with quote
Well, technically it all falls under the banner of "personal gain".
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Alan45
Village Elder



Joined: 25 Aug 2010
Posts: 9809
Location: Virginia
PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2012 12:11 pm Reply with quote
Super intelligence has been used as a super power (Tao in the Wildstorm Universe) but not often. It is not flashy enough to make a good grapic and to pull it off the writer has to be enough smarter than the fans to make it look good. That doesn't happen often. Confused
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