Powers that should be waaaaay more interesting than ususally written...

[DrNewGod]

One of my favorite things about a comic story is when a writer takes a well established ability of a character, and manages to do something really interesting with it. Examples include Thor using mjolnir to catch a falling bus by generating a tornado beneath it, or the Atom flipping a criminal that had grabbed him by suddenly taking on his full weight and screwing with said criminal's center of gravity. There's nothing being done that's not within the established parameters of the power, it's just being used cleverly.

There are some characters with abilities that never seem to get that treatment, even though their powers have immense potential. One that sticks out to me is Mister Miracle (and all the New Gods actually).

Anybody that can open a Boom Tube has a pretty dreadful weapon on their hands if you think about it. Imagine opening one right in front of someone with the other end at the bottom of the Marianas Trench. Or in out in deep space. Or just above the surface of the sun.

What are some other powers that have interesting or dangerous implications that we just never see?

[TriggerWarning]

Powers get nerfed all the time in comics and movies for the sake of action because an effective use of many powers would lead to boring looking fights on screen and page.

Take a telekinetic for instance. Most of the time all you see telekinetics do is throw things with their mind. It makes a great splash visual on screen or page to see a car flying through the air at the opponent who then uses their power to smash the car, slice the car in half, etc. But thats a wholly ridiculous use of your power. Just lift your oppenent and smash them repeatedly into the ground or wall head first. Unless they have a great counter to your power or are invulnerable you've won the fight almost immediately and there is no chance of you missing. But it won't look cool like throwing a car.

Or if you want a less potentially lethal option: pick them up and deposit them on top of the nearest tall building. Unless they can fly or teleport you've just removed them from the fight. In fact unless they have a long range attack all you have to do is lift them one inch off the ground and they are out of the fight until you put them back down. And many of the common long range attacks, like Cyclop's energy beams or anyone using guns, can be instantly countered by turning them around in mid air so they are facing away from you. If you want to put them down for the count in this position without actually hurting them just put them through a massive spin cycle in the air until they pass out from dizziness.

Or you could just use their TK power to compress the carotid artery on each side of the neck. They'll pass out within 15 seconds and will effectively stay out for at least 20 seconds once you relieve pressure. Even once they are awake they will be very out of it for a short time.

About the only time I've seen a TK use their powers creatively like this in comics was back in the original X-Factor days. Jean Grey stopped Rictors heart long enough to make him pass out. She also held Hulk's eyes closed so he couldn't see what he was attacking. The rest of the time it seems like its just throwing objects which is highly ineffective.

[Riv86672]

Captain Marvel’s Wisdom of Solomon.
There are a lot of interesting ways it can be used, and ramifications of a young man dealing w. that kind of all encompassing knowledge that could be explored.

[babyblob]

I always thought that Poison Ivy is written way under powered. I mean she can control plants. If done right she could be a threat to the world. She should be taking on guys like Superman, Green Lantern. Not Batman.

[kjn]

We just discussed this over in the Black Canary appreciation thread, about her being able to use her voice as a sonar or an ultrasound device.

Wonder Woman has super-empathy but that is constantly forgotten. She also has sisterhood with fire, but I don't think anyone has managed to work out what that is. And her ability to communicate with beasts is sadly underused. In a way, that's the flipside of power inflation: powers that are left forgotten and unused for the major high-tier heroes.

[Riv86672]

Nightcrawler can become invisible in dark places. I always that was pretty neat.
I can’t recall the last time he used it. Granted, I may have missed him doing it, no pun intended.

[K7P5V]

I know that I haven't any proof,
but I've always thought another reason Apocalypse gave Archangel blue-skin was because
he wanted Warren to blend into the night-sky for aerial sneak-attacks while using those razor-sharp/metallic-slasher wings:

[batnbreakfast]

I always thought that Poison Ivy is written way under powered. I mean she can control plants. If done right she could be a threat to the world. She should be taking on guys like Superman, Green Lantern. Not Batman.

Overpowered Ivy stops being interesting. I like the psychological challenge the rogues represent. Ivy can win everyone over and loves plants more than people. Superman and Green Lantern can keep fighting Mogul, Sinestro or whatever

[kjn]

Overpowered Ivy stops being interesting. I like the psychological challenge the rogues represent. Ivy can win everyone over and loves plants more than people. Superman and Green Lantern can keep fighting Mogul, Sinestro or whatever

How interesting a character is long-term has little to do with power levels, really. They can be one factor in the mix, but to me stuff like moral or psychological challenges in the character itself, or representing a moral or psychological challenge for another character are keys for long-term interest.

Right now, I think a high-powered Poison Ivy in a role similar to an angry Demeter seems both very appropriate and could be written very interesting.

Similar reasoning can be done with other characters of variable power level.

[Riv86672]

I’ve always felt shrinking characters are underplayed in terms of versatility (less so than they used to be but still).
In a battle where full grown men are tossing massive power bolts and more around at each other, someone who can shrink to the size of an ant or smaller, should have the advantage in getting the drop on a villain.
And while I don’t want these characters to be all bloodlusted or anything, again, a character that can shrink that small and then grow, should have many many options in taking down opponents.

[Kirby101]

The truth is, most villains could make a fortune using their powers in a legal or semi-legal way than being full blown criminals. This doesn't apply the "Rule the World" types.

[TriggerWarning]

The truth is, most villains could make a fortune using their powers in a legal or semi-legal way than being full blown criminals. This doesn't apply the "Rule the World" types.

There was an X-men issue years ago where Spiderman was guest teaching at the X-men academy. Spidey is explaining about all the good he does by catching common criminals. One of the students brings up how Spidey could make billions of dollars in various ways through the use of his powers and then use that money to benefit society.

[PaulBullion]

Nightcrawler can become invisible in dark places. I always that was pretty neat.
I can’t recall the last time he used it. Granted, I may have missed him doing it, no pun intended.

They literally removed the scene of him discovering that power in the reprint series Classic X-Men because it was never used, only for Alan Davis bringing it back during his second run on Excalibur a few years later.

[Riv86672]

They literally removed the scene of him discovering that power in the reprint series Classic X-Men because it was never used, only for Alan Davis bringing it back during his second run on Excalibur a few years later.

That’s a neat bit of trivia!
Seems like an unnecessary retcon, though.

[DrNewGod]

Nightcrawler can become invisible in dark places. I always that was pretty neat.
I can’t recall the last time he used it. Granted, I may have missed him doing it, no pun intended.

They literally removed the scene of him discovering that power in the reprint series Classic X-Men because it was never used, only for Alan Davis bringing it back during his second run on Excalibur a few years later.

They way it was drawn in the early Cockrum issues, it was almost like he was actually disappearing into the darkness. I wonder if Cockrum and Claremont kicked around a notion that Nightcrawler could partially shift dimensions when in the dark?