Heroes

[Nique]

Although, considering how many people believe in the Christian conception of God, I guess conservation of mass and energy, and the universality of physical laws don't really enter into most Americans' minds in a given day.

What the hell? Can we NOT go there?


On HEROS; I just watched it for the first time last night. I really dont think they are actually going to reveal the source of the powers as 'evolution' - that might be a big part of it as they are already mentioning it... but it's early yet in the show.

As for the powers themselves... Well,

But, for fuck's sake, it's 2006! I think most people now know that you can't get the power to stop fucking time from "evolving." OK, NBC? Stopping time never made sense, ever, especially when it happens via genetics. That's pretty much as absurd as it gets. I mean, basic physics, people.

Maybe it's more localized. Like, not that he is actually halting time, but that he himself is moving through time differently than the rest of us.

Flying, as in the case of superman, has been explained before via a telekinetic control of gravitational forces. Gravity has always played a role in Superman's Powers, so this seems somewhat plausible.

I think the idea of learning how to control these suddenly occuring powers is something that hasn't been done much in comics or comic-based movies. I mean, sort-of with X-men, and sort-of with Spider-Man, but it always seems like they know how to use their powers effectivly within a very short period of time. Heros is markedly different in this respect.

[Fifthfiend]

Although, considering how many people believe in the Christian conception of God, I guess conservation of mass and energy, and the universality of physical laws don't really enter into most Americans' minds in a given day.

What the hell? Can we NOT go there?

Agreed. Drusus - watch it with that.

[Tydeus]

Sorry -- as a militant-atheist/douchebag, I have a reflex to shit on certain belief systems, and there's nowhere in the world where it's harder to control that reflex than internet forums. That said, I'll try my best to stop.

Oh, and, as to the powers -- I still think they make about as much sense as Pat Robertson (not bashing religion here, just Pat), but like I said, I can ignore that. The show is still cool, I'm still hooked, and I'm still going to be watching it in the future.

I do think people need to get more creative with super-powers, but, at the end of the day, it's the story and the characters that really matter, and so far, Heroes has got me interested.

EDIT -- for example (as to more creative super-powers), for a sci-fi setting, why not use entanglement? I mean, first, we probably have to just concede that Einstein was wrong, and there are tachyons (if this show/book/comic involves FTL travel), and then, we have people who are cyborgs, and the machine part of them allows them to quantum-entangle subatomic particles. Thus, by entangling the neutrons/protons in someone's heart with those in the fiery core of the sun, you can blow people up with your mind, for instance. Also, summon anything at will from constituent particles (if you're really good).

Just a thought -- it's slightly more plausible than stopping time, and at least it isn't beating a dead horse.

[Roy_D_Mylote]

But all those powers would be so boring in a fight.

"No, Luke! I AM your father!"

"NOO--oh wait."

Then Vader just blows up.

Terribly anti-climactic, no?

[Tydeus]

Originally Posted by Roy_D_Mylote

But all those powers would be so boring in a fight.

"No, Luke! I AM your father!"

"NOO--oh wait."

Then Vader just blows up.

Terribly anti-climactic, no?

Believe me -- I wrote a novel-and-a-half using these powers; trust me, you can make it work.

Mainly, not everyone is that good at it, and also, if anyone else has these powers, they can simultaneously counter-act what you try to do, so it stays balanced in big battles. There's room for small stuff, but go for anything big, and other people will pick up on it, and put a stop to it (you can't do it instantly, btw. It takes time to entangle everything. The bigger you go, the longer it takes).

But, these specific powers aren't really even the point -- the point is people should be at least trying to make powers with at least some plausibility, that aren't totally derivative.

[TBrauns]

Supahiro > You ALL

[Nique]

But, these specific powers aren't really even the point -- the point is people should be at least trying to make powers with at least some plausibility, that aren't totally derivative.

I hear that. It does sort of take you out of it when you can say 'hey, that girl heals like wolverine' or 'hey, that guy tells the future like madam cleo' or 'those guys fly like superman' etc...

But on the other hand, it's sort of difficult to come up with original powers... at least ones that are accessible. It'd be weird to have a charecter that have physic powers but only be able to read certain types of thought or whatever. Or telekinetic control over, I dunno, plastics or something.

I think a cool idea for a power would be something like absorption... but again, that's an aspect of many 'Super heros' power's that is already used frequently... directly with Rouge or Leech of X-men fame, or Parasite in the DCU, less so with Electro or other power'd people who absorb electricity or other elemental energy source.

It takes some thinking to get a good concept for a power that is both original and interesting... and then to get the backstory and charecter development to make it all worthwhile? yeah.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

There are no original superpowers left. Every superpower can be classified and categorised and already have been. Observe.

Every power ever used has been used more than once, in some cases by many people. Almost any power you can think up has most likely been used already. Everything from animal characteristics to molecular control, energy absorbtion in all it's many forms, control over every element you can think of and all the way up to complete omnipotence has been used in some form.

Also, how can you complain that a superpower is useless anyway?! It's still a superpower, and therefore grants the posseser of said ability more power than a normal person. It is not the level of power or even the type of power that matters either, it is how that power is used.

[Tydeus]

Well, the source of the power can be new, and, there's a difference between using a relatively unused power, and a power that's totally derivative of a character who's just starred in 3 major motion pictures (e.g. Cheerleader's Wolverine-style healing).

And, the plausibility complaint is still valid.

Although, in all honesty, plausibility really demands that everything be set in a sci-fi universe, with the possible exception of discovered/given alien technology.

It just seems like NBC didn't even try. You know?

And like I said -- the show still rocks as long as you're able to suspend your disbelief.

[Roy_D_Mylote]

Well...if you wanna go there, then none of the superpowers of anyone who was born with them make a "lick" of sense. So, I mean, yeah, you've gotten suspend the dibelief there.