"Super" useful by what definition
Feb. 21st, 2011 03:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tanithryudoI've been reading some comic parodies on scans_daily, and also been reading some comments/criticism of various comics posted there. I think everyone is aware that one of the downsides of serial comics is that it's so hard for anything to be written that actually affects the Status Quo (TM).
The thought did pop into my mind, though, that of all the highly popular comic heroes - that is, the ones with movies and their own TV series - there's only one that has a track record for doing work other than beating up various nemeses/villains. That's Superman, who is known for also helping around at various natural disasters, especially in the TV series and in ficdom. I seriously can't think of any other major superhero who can say the same.
Is it because they're not design to be helpful in that way? Well, I guess Batman can't really offer much to help out in person for an earthquake; Bruce Wayne's money would probably do more there. Iron Man? Probably in the same boat, I guess. X-Men? Too busy with their persecution complexes, despite the no-brainer positive publicity they stand to gain for their cause if they'd helped out with, say, Katrina. Spider-man? Daredevil? Ok, I guess transportation is a problem there.
So, anyway, here's a thought experiment. What kind of superpowers would be (the most) useful? Useful, defined by a world that didn't have revolving door asylums letting out masses of kooky supervillains. Let's see...
Superstrength - I wouldn't have thought this would be one of the most useful of things by itself, since it doesn't seem like you can do more than unload larger blocks of debris or something. However, if coupled with...
Flight - Definitely a 'force multiplier' of usefulness. Gets you over obstacles to reach the scene faster, gives you the flexibility to move things where normal physics/machinery/people can't, makes you wonder if Sept. 11 would've been able to gone down the same way... yeah.
Telekinesis - Probably more useful than superstrength, given you don't have to rely on your hands trying to unload debris. With TK, you can shield the victim under the rubble and then just heave up with your mind. Depending on the strength of the TK, might also be able to move masses of survivors to safety by air.
Telepathy - While it's doubtful that any telepathic information can be used in court due to the 5th amendment, it is useful to get intel on bad things that will happen 'soon'. I wonder, would it be useful for scanning for survivors in a first responder to a disaster area? It does have the caveat that the survivors have to be somewhat conscious to be picked up.
Teleportation - Well, the obvious usage is for transporting in supplies and personnel, while transporting out anyone that needs immediate hospital attention. I think this one is a no brainer.
Super-speed - Honestly not sure this is really useful in a *post-disaster* setting; but it is definitely useful for evacuating people from a danger area before it happens or even during/in the early stages.
Weather control - Another no-brainer, for weather-related disasters like Katrina, where even if the hero can't completely neutralize the disaster, any alleviation of the severity would still be useful.
Size-control - While at first glance, this seems to be poor cousin of superstrength, it occurs to me that if the size-changing can be conferred onto others, this might have its uses. Maybe, say, increasing the sizes of the sandbags/etc. during Katrina to prevent the levee from being overrun? Decreasing the size of rubble to free survivors? Hell, you could save a lot of property damage by shrinking buildings (comic physics!) and then carrying it off on a flyer/truck/etc until the disaster is over.
Energy blasts - Er, um, maybe for taking out road blocks that's in the way of the relief forces/supply chain?
Enhanced Senses - Well, if it's enhanced enough to hear heartbeats though rubble, it's probably a better method for finding trapped/buried survivors than telepathy.
Anything I'm missing? Some inspired/out-of-box usage of any of these superpowers that hasn't occurred to me? Or maybe some other well known super-powers that I'm missing here?
The thought did pop into my mind, though, that of all the highly popular comic heroes - that is, the ones with movies and their own TV series - there's only one that has a track record for doing work other than beating up various nemeses/villains. That's Superman, who is known for also helping around at various natural disasters, especially in the TV series and in ficdom. I seriously can't think of any other major superhero who can say the same.
Is it because they're not design to be helpful in that way? Well, I guess Batman can't really offer much to help out in person for an earthquake; Bruce Wayne's money would probably do more there. Iron Man? Probably in the same boat, I guess. X-Men? Too busy with their persecution complexes, despite the no-brainer positive publicity they stand to gain for their cause if they'd helped out with, say, Katrina. Spider-man? Daredevil? Ok, I guess transportation is a problem there.
So, anyway, here's a thought experiment. What kind of superpowers would be (the most) useful? Useful, defined by a world that didn't have revolving door asylums letting out masses of kooky supervillains. Let's see...
Superstrength - I wouldn't have thought this would be one of the most useful of things by itself, since it doesn't seem like you can do more than unload larger blocks of debris or something. However, if coupled with...
Flight - Definitely a 'force multiplier' of usefulness. Gets you over obstacles to reach the scene faster, gives you the flexibility to move things where normal physics/machinery/people can't, makes you wonder if Sept. 11 would've been able to gone down the same way... yeah.
Telekinesis - Probably more useful than superstrength, given you don't have to rely on your hands trying to unload debris. With TK, you can shield the victim under the rubble and then just heave up with your mind. Depending on the strength of the TK, might also be able to move masses of survivors to safety by air.
Telepathy - While it's doubtful that any telepathic information can be used in court due to the 5th amendment, it is useful to get intel on bad things that will happen 'soon'. I wonder, would it be useful for scanning for survivors in a first responder to a disaster area? It does have the caveat that the survivors have to be somewhat conscious to be picked up.
Teleportation - Well, the obvious usage is for transporting in supplies and personnel, while transporting out anyone that needs immediate hospital attention. I think this one is a no brainer.
Super-speed - Honestly not sure this is really useful in a *post-disaster* setting; but it is definitely useful for evacuating people from a danger area before it happens or even during/in the early stages.
Weather control - Another no-brainer, for weather-related disasters like Katrina, where even if the hero can't completely neutralize the disaster, any alleviation of the severity would still be useful.
Size-control - While at first glance, this seems to be poor cousin of superstrength, it occurs to me that if the size-changing can be conferred onto others, this might have its uses. Maybe, say, increasing the sizes of the sandbags/etc. during Katrina to prevent the levee from being overrun? Decreasing the size of rubble to free survivors? Hell, you could save a lot of property damage by shrinking buildings (comic physics!) and then carrying it off on a flyer/truck/etc until the disaster is over.
Energy blasts - Er, um, maybe for taking out road blocks that's in the way of the relief forces/supply chain?
Enhanced Senses - Well, if it's enhanced enough to hear heartbeats though rubble, it's probably a better method for finding trapped/buried survivors than telepathy.
Anything I'm missing? Some inspired/out-of-box usage of any of these superpowers that hasn't occurred to me? Or maybe some other well known super-powers that I'm missing here?
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(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-22 05:35 am (UTC)Also, magic. I mean, really, even Superman has to bow down to its superiority.
Regarding the edit, you'd be amazed at how stupid the voting public can get/the congressmen can become. Think about this: First responders to the 9/11 disaster are now being denied federal health insurance for cancer induced by the toxic gas during the rescue. If Homo sapiens sapiens is capable of turning our backs on individuals of our own species whose only difference is ... well, nothing, do you really think that public attention at disaster sites is going to make any kind of difference?
(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-22 05:40 am (UTC)If we're really going by comics magic, it's of the *I wave my hands and reality reshapes itself* kind. Which means the planet will never experience deaths or disasters, ever. It also won't be recognizably Earth or humanity anymore, given enough time. So I wasn't going to put it down.
I moved the edit to another post, so I'll respond here.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-22 05:57 am (UTC)Here's another one: Mind control. You will finally be able to make everyone do the right thing and then people will be competent instead of having rescue be delayed due to stupid bureaucratic red tape. Hell, that was half the problem with Katrina, the fact that the government was so entrenched in red tape that FEMA couldn't even respond until 3 days after.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-22 06:36 am (UTC)So: Superman for flight & super-strength, Prof. X for telepathy, Jean Grey for TK, Nightcrawler for teleportation, Flash for super-speed, Storm (or Thor) for weather-control, Cyclops for energy blasts, Pym particles for size control, Daredevil/Wolverine (also Superman) for enhanced senses.
Which means Magic would be equated to Dr. Strange/Dr. Fate/Scarlet Witch/Zatanna... which is the reality warping kind.
Mind control falls under the telepathy package. Maybe I should specify this was an exercise on how superpowers can be useful in helping out within the acceptability levels of the public, not how superpowers can be useful in taking over the world. :P