How would you evolve the powers of less powerful mutants?

[Michael Watkins]

I would establish that most of Mister Sinister’s underlings have augmented or radically altered powers. Slab used to be short and super humanly dense. Gorgeous George was scrawny and slightly elastic. Ruckus could only mimic sound instead of amplifying it. Etc. sometimes all you need is the implication that a character is more powerful. But, since it hasn’t been put to paper, I think that Hairbag’s razor sharp hairs should be coated in some kind of irritant.

To save space...

Flambé would be able to control her flames but not enhance their size and intensity the way Pyro does.

Vague’s touch is temporarily debilitating creating a sense of not having a physical form

Briquette is a lot heavier than she looks and can turn the heat on or off

Thumbelina can extend her shrink field to include one other person or an equal amount of equipment as long as she is in physical contact with that object or person

Strobe can see in extreme darkness

Amelia Voght (if she can’t already) kill someone by partially or permanently “misting” them

[marhawkman]

I would establish that most of Mister Sinister’s underlings have augmented or radically altered powers. Slab used to be short and super humanly dense. Gorgeous George was scrawny and slightly elastic. Ruckus could only mimic sound instead of amplifying it. Etc. sometimes all you need is the implication that a character is more powerful. But, since it hasn’t been put to paper, I think that Hairbag’s razor sharp hairs should be coated in some kind of irritant.

To save space...

Some of these are already said to be among the most powerful mutants around.

Flambé would be able to control her flames but not enhance their size and intensity the way Pyro does.

Not read any book with her, but the wiki suggests she's a full-on fire bender, so that's more of an added limitation? She seems to have no real limit to how much fire she can make other than getting tired. Since her power is seemingly psionic and not physical, maybe let her create flame constructs?

Vague’s touch is temporarily debilitating creating a sense of not having a physical form

Wut? the wiki claims her powers are based on light bending. I'd make it so she can create invisibility or darkness fields to hide her entire team or blind people. Maybe also let her "eat" light and redirect it as an attack? Since she doesn't have any actual offensive powers

Briquette is a lot heavier than she looks and can turn the heat on or off

Um, pretty sure she already can choose to not be burning hot. I'd give her a flame aura that can act as a protective barrier.

Thumbelina can extend her shrink field to include one other person or an equal amount of equipment as long as she is in physical contact with that object or person

This makes a lot of sense actually.

Strobe can see in extreme darkness

Strobe is probably actually the most powerful MLF member. She can fly around protected by a forcefield, and use energy blasts at will. If Strobe is present, there is no "extreme darkness" because she's a walking sunlamp. But the way writers sometimes write her, she has a limitation(seemingly) of only being able to pulse her power in keeping with the name "Strobe". Is this an actual limitation or do writers just like doing this?

Amelia Voght (if she can’t already) kill someone by partially or permanently “misting” them

#1 thing people get wrong: Voght isn't a teleporter. She can and has misted people end left them to die... somewhere, or misted parts of things. The worst part with her is that most weapons can't hit her.

[Veitha]

I agree on Vague and I would also let her be able to "play" with light using her body/the psionic field that surrounds her skin like a reflective material and such. In broad daylight she could turn herself into a highly reflective surface to blind opponents, or redirect and focus light to make lasers (but she'd have the limitation that she cannot create light by herself like say Dazzler but she's limited on ambient light).

Briquettes powers could be fun to play with too, since she's not the usual character that simply projects heat or flames but she needs contact. Enhancing her control could be cool to give her protection (let's say you shoot a projectile at her, the heat around her body is so strong it will melt and such). But I wouldn't let her project too far because otherwise she'd be Firestar 2.0

I would give a version of Ruckus powers to Icarus btw.

[Sutekh]

No mutant should be defenseless without their powers. Just learn how to fight like any other person. They are already naturally athletic. I would have her become a serious jiu jitsu practitioner because of the prevalence of mental walls. And, like Mesmero, I would give her enough control to be a silent passenger in someone’s mind. By that I mean they would have no clue that she already has a hold on them until she actively needs to direct their actions. And it would not have a range limit. I don’t think it makes sense to give her a force attack. Doesn’t fit her personality. And if I had my way, she’d still have pink hair and both legs. It’s ridiculous to remove someone’s limbs to make them more interesting. Wasn’t making her obese harmful enough?

Making her a hand to hand physical fighter would be interesting in that moving to physically strike someone who has any sort of training or instincts tends to 'force' them to assume a defensive posture, either blocking or evading the attack, which would seem to give her an 'in' to controlling their mind, by essentially getting them psychologically in the 'mode' of responding to her prompts, opening them up to her more directly influencing their actions. She'd be launching a punch or kick, in the physical world, while her mind is waiting for the target to *react* to her action, and so swallow the bait of responding to her prompts, and opening themselves up to being trapped in a state of 'reacting' to the actions of her choosing, and not acting on their own volition.

Then again, that sort of psychological arglebargle might be a bit much for a comic-book.

Still, a nice 'Lady Mandarin' suit of body armor, and a gun or blade (or both!) would hardly go amiss, for when mind control takes too long, or proves unreliable (say, versus giant purple robots, which are not an unexpected thing to face for a mutant...).

The 'silent passenger' thing (riding someone's mind, but not taking direct control, or even making one's presence known) would also partner up well with martial arts. She can *feel* the attacks you are launching against her as your muscles tense and your eyes move to their intended targets, and she's ready for it. She's in his mind, as he tenses in preparation for his next assault, and knows as much about his next move as he does!

And yeah, her and Hellion both deserve to get their missing limbs back. Xavier is walking (again!), what's with leaving all the little people missing parts, Chuck?

[Michael Watkins]

Some of these are already said to be among the most powerful mutants around.

Not read any book with her, but the wiki suggests she's a full-on fire bender, so that's more of an added limitation? She seems to have no real limit to how much fire she can make other than getting tired. Since her power is seemingly psionic and not physical, maybe let her create flame constructs?

Wut? the wiki claims her powers are based on light bending. I'd make it so she can create invisibility or darkness fields to hide her entire team or blind people. Maybe also let her "eat" light and redirect it as an attack? Since she doesn't have any actual offensive powers

Um, pretty sure she already can choose to not be burning hot. I'd give her a flame aura that can act as a protective barrier.

This makes a lot of sense actually.

Strobe is probably actually the most powerful MLF member. She can fly around protected by a forcefield, and use energy blasts at will. If Strobe is present, there is no "extreme darkness" because she's a walking sunlamp. But the way writers sometimes write her, she has a limitation(seemingly) of only being able to pulse her power in keeping with the name "Strobe". Is this an actual limitation or do writers just like doing this?

#1 thing people get wrong: Voght isn't a teleporter. She can and has misted people end left them to die... somewhere, or misted parts of things. The worst part with her is that most weapons can't hit her.

I didn’t know that they had wiki entries. But I’m good with what you suggested for Vague. Honestly Flambé didn’t seem nearly as versatile as you’re describing. She just blew on her fire sticks to simulate a flamethrower. I will say that she’s incredibly strong.

[Paleo_Rage]

Some of these are already said to be among the most powerful mutants around.

Not read any book with her, but the wiki suggests she's a full-on fire bender, so that's more of an added limitation? She seems to have no real limit to how much fire she can make other than getting tired. Since her power is seemingly psionic and not physical, maybe let her create flame constructs?

Wut? the wiki claims her powers are based on light bending. I'd make it so she can create invisibility or darkness fields to hide her entire team or blind people. Maybe also let her "eat" light and redirect it as an attack? Since she doesn't have any actual offensive powers

Um, pretty sure she already can choose to not be burning hot. I'd give her a flame aura that can act as a protective barrier.

This makes a lot of sense actually.

Strobe is probably actually the most powerful MLF member. She can fly around protected by a forcefield, and use energy blasts at will. If Strobe is present, there is no "extreme darkness" because she's a walking sunlamp. But the way writers sometimes write her, she has a limitation(seemingly) of only being able to pulse her power in keeping with the name "Strobe". Is this an actual limitation or do writers just like doing this?

#1 thing people get wrong: Voght isn't a teleporter. She can and has misted people end left them to die... somewhere, or misted parts of things. The worst part with her is that most weapons can't hit her.

What do you mean Amelia is not a teleporter? She can teleport .....

[Havok83]

#1 thing people get wrong: Voght isn't a teleporter. She can and has misted people end left them to die... somewhere, or misted parts of things. The worst part with her is that most weapons can't hit her.

Yes she is. She has the ability to turn to mist and access the astral plane which allows her to reappear elsewhere. Thats teleportation

[marhawkman]

I didn’t know that they had wiki entries. But I’m good with what you suggested for Vague. Honestly Flambé didn’t seem nearly as versatile as you’re describing. She just blew on her fire sticks to simulate a flamethrower. I will say that she’s incredibly strong.

I used the marvel Wikia: https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Flambé_(Earth-616)

The wiki ways she was only in two comics ever, and I didn't read those so I'm not really sure of the details of how her powers worked. your description suggests she mostly just used her powers as a flamethrower?

Yes she is. She has the ability to turn to mist and access the astral plane which allows her to reappear elsewhere. Thats teleportation

Well, it's kinda like classifying Magneto as a "telekinetic" because he can move things with his powers. Voght's power has teleportation as one aspect of it, but that's just part of it.

[coveredinbees]

I used the marvel Wikia: https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Flambé_(Earth-616)

...Well, it's kinda like classifying Magneto as a "telekinetic" because he can move things with his powers. Voght's power has teleportation as one aspect of it, but that's just part of it.

She teleports. I wouldn't change it. It's the best power. She has massive range, too. She went from Avalon to Earth once. She only got sick because Scott hit her with his car mid-teleport.

X-Men -1

I used to think would be neat if she could become different gases or make a fog or choke someone, but as I get older I understand the benefits of a fast commute.

[Magnetic]

So EZ. Just make them Omega - done.

[Havok83]

The wiki ways she was only in two comics ever, and I didn't read those so I'm not really sure of the details of how her powers worked. your description suggests she mostly just used her powers as a flamethrower?Well, it's kinda like classifying Magneto as a "telekinetic" because he can move things with his powers. Voght's power has teleportation as one aspect of it, but that's just part of it.

Its still teleportation no matter how you try to slice it

[marhawkman]

Its still teleportation no matter how you try to slice it

I'm not saying she CAN'T teleport, just that it's already one item on a list of things.

[Havok83]

I'm not saying she CAN'T teleport, just that it's already one item on a list of things.

Then whats your point? This whole discussion began bc you tried to correct people by saying she isnt a teleporter. She being able to do other things doenst negate that she on the contrary actually is

[marhawkman]

Then whats your point? This whole discussion began bc you tried to correct people by saying she isnt a teleporter. She being able to do other things doenst negate that she on the contrary actually is

Ok, maybe I should have phrased it s "just a teleporter"?

At any rate the main discussion is about how to make various mutant more powerful without drastically changing them, and Voght is already a mutant with impressive powers.

[Sutekh]

Thumbelina can extend her shrink field to include one other person or an equal amount of equipment as long as she is in physical contact with that object or person

I like that one, in particular. Comics are full of people who personally shrink (or grow), but few, if any, who, like the old Legion villain 'Size Lad' affect others with their powers. Her sneaking up on someone and shrinking them to the size of an action figure and then drop-kicking them thirty feet (or just trapping them under an overturned paint can or something...).

Lots of personal transformation / alteration powers could be interesting used offensively. Someone able to phase, like Kitty Pryde, but also able to 'phase' an unwilling person for a set time (say, 60 seconds with a single touch? Longer with prolonged contact?), with the subject having no control of the power and being unable to 'unphase,' could be an interesting attack. Kitty tags some physical fighter, even someone physically potent like the Juggernaut, and now he's intangible, no threat to anyone who isn't also intangible (like her...). Perhaps as a built in limitation, she has to remain phased to keep them involuntarily phased, so that she can protect everyone else from the Juggernaut, by phasing him, but sort of 'brings him into her phase' and makes herself vulnerable to him, so that she has to use her superior experience at being phased, and innate agility, to stay the hell away from him for the duration...

Ditto other sorts of powers. Teleportation is cool, but imagine a character who doesn't personally teleport, but can only teleport others, calling people to her, or sending them away, at her whim.

I also like the idea that Sinister may recruit mutants with 'eh' powers and using his traditionally sketchy morals, tinker with them to make them a bit more 'oomph.' (With results that may sometimes be halfway-decent, but other times end up in the Power Broker model of 'yikes, let's just dump this one into the sewers and forget about it...')