Would you fight crime if you had superpowers?

[Wedge Antilles]

The powers I would consider to become a full time crime fighter:

-telepathy
-magnetism a la Magneto
-super speed a la Quicksilver
-teleportation
-manipulation of electronic devices

Any one of those I listed would allow me to fight crime while maintaining a relatively low profile.

As far as making a living, I would try to see how much I can pilfer off of the criminals (I would rob their wallets before they get taken away), if it's enough to survive and be reasonably happy then good. If not I would seek a paying position with the police. Plan C is somehow parlaying my power to money making (i.e. gambling, insider trading, etc).

[Ghost Rider TheHellfireDemon]

I'll also add being a bounty hunter another possibility. Get paid for the job and get to use force if necessary. That's another possibility, possible it would be mobsters, drug lords, street gang members, etc.
Also find a way to contact dog the bounty hunter see if I could talk to him about giving me a job.

Any listed below would be ideal powers for me
Energy blasts, energy bolts, energy darts, manipulation of energy for offensive purposes.
Psionic blasts
Energy cubes, plates same as those used at gyms, darts, etc or anything similar that can be thrown
Telekinesis
Optic blasts ones you can control different than cyclops also not needed a visor or sunglasses
Manipulation of water, light, fire, darkness, etc avalanches
Titanium fists:'Fists that are hard as titanium steel done through sheer concentration to alter the fists.

[Fenris]

As for me, yes I would fight crime, but only if it's right in front of me, and as to what I would do for money to pay bills and sh*t like that, I would just keep some of the money from the mafia crime lords and heroine cartels that I knock over every so often. I won't take all of it, just enough for bills, food, and a diamond plated Ferrari for me and my friends. The rest of the money will be left for the authorities to seize.

Edit: It wouldn't matter what powers I have, I will find a way to fight crime lords and keep their money.

That could work, though there would be complications. (Aren't there always.)

You might want some kind of job, just for basic economic cover. Most apartments are unwilling to give you a lease if you're unemployed; and saying, "It's okay, I'll pay the entire year in advance, in cash" makes you look like a drug dealer. The IRS might also get interested.

Come to that, the police are eventually going to notice that your superhero's crime busts always seem to be missing money. (How soon? I don't know; it all depends on how much money you take, and how lucky you are.) But taking money away from a crime scene is itself criminal; so it won't be long before they start putting up wanted posters.


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Hopefully none of the cash is marked bills!

[Xiroteus]

With the power set I have in mind it would be more about helping then the standard way of comic crime fighting. Money would not be an issue has the power set I picked would allow me to change matter anything anything else. So I could create, restore anything I required and other items of value for items I cannot.

[The MunchKING]

Or you can just keep the money from the mafia crime bosses.

keep the bounties for bringing them in...

[The MunchKING]

Come to that, the police are eventually going to notice that your superhero's crime busts always seem to be missing money. (How soon? I don't know; it all depends on how much money you take, and how lucky you are.) But taking money away from a crime scene is itself criminal; so it won't be long before they start putting up wanted posters.

Being a vigilante is inherently illegal already.

[JaggedFel]

Depends on the powers and how powerful I am. If I was Superman absolutely, you are virtually unstoppable and at no real risk from any type of damage. If I am spider-man then hell no I can still be swiss cheesed with bullets.

[Shawn Hopkins]

keep the bounties for bringing them in...

Nope. How would you set up a bank account as an anonymous crime fighter? They won't pay in cash. And even cash could be traced by serial numbers or surreptitiously marked bills. You'd be on a lab table within a week.

[The MunchKING]

Nope. How would you set up a bank account as an anonymous crime fighter?

Don't? Set it up as "Quasi-Awesome Man" or whatever your Super Hero Identity is.

Why be Anonymous when your goal was to get RICH doing this schtick?

They won't pay in cash. And even cash could be traced by serial numbers or surreptitiously marked bills. You'd be on a lab table within a week.

They'd have to catch you and hold you down long enough to get you there first.

Has ANY of the powers suggested on this thread suggest "easily taken down by cops"? Most people wanted a much bigger safety margin on the powers before they would fight crime, much less the law.

[The MunchKING]

Depends on the powers and how powerful I am. If I was Superman absolutely, you are virtually unstoppable and at no real risk from any type of damage. If I am spider-man then hell no I can still be swiss cheesed with bullets.

Spiderman dodges bullets all the time.

[Fenris]

Being a vigilante is inherently illegal already.

That's very true; they're probably not going to be overjoyed about us in any circumstances. (Mental note: if you have a secret identity, you also need the "unidentifiable DNA" power.)

But they have some discretion in how hard they go after a vigilante. The police are bound to look differently on the vigilante who just helps them bring in crooks, and the vigilante who helps himself to evidence.


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Especially if that complicates their court case!

[JaggedFel]

Spiderman dodges bullets all the time.

True enough but I quite prefer to be impervious to bullets then merely able to dodge them.

[The MunchKING]

That's very true; they're probably not going to be overjoyed about us in any circumstances. (Mental note: if you have a secret identity, you also need the "unidentifiable DNA" power.)

Or be like "Screw the rules I'm Superman tier". Either one.

But they have some discretion in how hard they go after a vigilante. The police are bound to look differently on the vigilante who just helps them bring in crooks, and the vigilante who helps himself to evidence.

True enough.

That's why you want to look into merchandising rights!!

Just make sure your costume doesn't look like anything Marvel or DC has already done, lest you face the wrath of Disney Lawyers (or whoever owns DC these days). YES, Even "Paper Bag Man".


And make sure to think of your witty repartee ahead of time if you're going to actually use it. Nothing's quite sad like when your improvised comedy falls horribly flat.

[The MunchKING]

True enough but I quite prefer to be impervious to bullets then merely able to dodge them.

Fair enough. The MunchKING's got both, so who am I to judge?

[Fenris]

Or be like "Screw the rules I'm Superman tier". Either one.



True enough.

That's why you want to look into merchandising rights!!

Just make sure your costume doesn't look like anything Marvel or DC has already done, lest you face the wrath of Disney Lawyers (or whoever owns DC these days). YES, Even "Paper Bag Man".

Ha!
After all these decades of comic books, coming up with a superhero name/look that's really unique would be hard. Unless you take a cue from car companies and just pick a random word that doesn't mean anything.

("Behold... the Awesome Outlinear!")

Superpowers or not, the Mouse Lawyers are not people you want as enemies. Brrrr.

And make sure to think of your witty repartee ahead of time if you're going to actually use it. Nothing's quite sad like when your improvised comedy falls horribly flat.

Or when criminals in jail realize that you're recycling the same five or six lines on all of them. That would just be embarrassing.


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But it's hard to think of these things on the spur of the moment!