# Best superpower to have **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 5, 2009, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-superpower-to-have/502016 "2009-07-05T22:22:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@Nation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nation)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2009, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-superpower-to-have/502016/1 "2009-07-05T22:22:37Z")
They some great superpowers out there, but wouldn’t invisibility be #1 on the list? It would be on mine. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2009, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-superpower-to-have/502016/2 "2009-07-05T22:25:00Z")
Heck, no. Invulnerability trumps invisibility every time. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-superpower-to-have/502016/3 "2009-07-05T23:02:40Z")
Knowledge-related powers might be even better - telepathy, foresight, limited omniscience (knowing everything that is known rather than everything that can be known). With foresight, you’ll never be poor if you know the results of next week’s lottery - though once you’ve got your seed capital, playing the stock market might be a less obvious way of expanding your wealth. Limited omniscience can be easily hidden: “Oh I just read widely”. Telepathy would make you a fearsome poker player or spy, depending upon the range and your own linguistic skills. ---
**Author:** ![supergoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@supergoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supergoose)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2009, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-superpower-to-have/502016/4 "2009-07-05T23:09:12Z")
Self-healing. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2009, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-superpower-to-have/502016/5 "2009-07-05T23:11:35Z")
Agree with the OP. I can see invincibility and telepathy wreaking major havoc with my mental state. I don’t know if it would be possible to truly love someone whose mind you could read (though I guess you could block it or something, as in _Heroes_). And movies would totally be ruined for me. ---
**Author:** ![Nation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@Nation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nation)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-superpower-to-have/502016/6 "2009-07-05T23:20:09Z")
invincibility or self healing are legit superpowers. Plus, if you had those two, life wouldnt be too much fun after awhile… ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2009, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-superpower-to-have/502016/7 "2009-07-05T23:21:57Z")
I guess you’ll have to define what are acceptable super powers then… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-superpower-to-have/502016/8 "2009-07-05T23:38:12Z")
> [@Nation](#): > > invincibility or self healing are legit superpowers. Plus, if you had those two, life wouldnt be too much fun after awhile… Maybe not for you. I think otherwise, obviously. And invulnerability/healing factor are legit super powers. Just ask Superman or Wolverine. ---
**Author:** ![Nation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@Nation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nation)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-superpower-to-have/502016/9 "2009-07-05T23:54:45Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Maybe not for you. I think otherwise, obviously. And invulnerability/healing factor are legit super powers. Just ask Superman or Wolverine. Superman isnt invulnerable, and Wolverine is not a superhero. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-superpower-to-have/502016/10 "2009-07-06T00:17:01Z")
Super-speed, especially as utilized in Barry Allen Flash stories. He could effectively make himself intangible or invisible, he could run over water and up walls, he could make tornadoes…and on top of that, being able to get anywhere quickly must rock. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-superpower-to-have/502016/11 "2009-07-06T00:48:36Z")
> [@Nation](#): > > Superman isnt invulnerable, and Wolverine is not a superhero. OK, then. Have it your own (wrong) way. Define “superhero.” ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-superpower-to-have/502016/12 "2009-07-06T01:03:20Z")
Probability manipulation is a good one. Very powerful, and no one will know you are doing anything if you’re careful. You’ll just appear to be very lucky - and the people you don’t like, very unlucky. And you could create spectacular effects if you wanted to stop pretending to be normal. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-superpower-to-have/502016/13 "2009-07-06T01:35:47Z")
Omnipotence. The Spectre, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-superpower-to-have/502016/14 "2009-07-06T01:42:31Z")
Really bendy thumb. Sorry, that’s from an old Letterman Top-10 List of _worst_ super-powers and always cracked me up. ---
**Author:** ![wheelie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b4bc9f/32.png) [@wheelie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wheelie)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-superpower-to-have/502016/15 "2009-07-06T01:54:51Z")
Hmm, [Adamantium claws or Mutant Healing](http://www.cracked.com/video_17328_why-having-wolverines-claws-would-suck.html)? ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-superpower-to-have/502016/16 "2009-07-06T02:28:58Z")
I kinda liked Chevy Chase’s ability to give spontaneous orgasms, as depicted in [Modern Problems.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Problems) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-superpower-to-have/502016/17 "2009-07-06T06:12:22Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Heck, no. Invulnerability trumps invisibility every time. ITYM a +8 Spot check. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-superpower-to-have/502016/18 "2009-07-06T06:15:07Z")
I think Hiro’s power (from Heroes) would be the best. He has the ability to manipulate space and time, including teleporting, time travel, and freezing/slowing down time. Pretty useful and also fun, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Ferris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ferris/32/11573_2.png) [@Ferris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferris)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-superpower-to-have/502016/19 "2009-07-06T10:47:13Z")
Yeah, freezing time has to be my most favored. Good call. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-superpower-to-have/502016/20 "2009-07-06T11:45:01Z")
Stopping time aint gonna help you to stack boxes. (although teleportation might) I’ve always been partial to telekinesis. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-superpower-to-have/502016.md?page=2)