# Choose a Superpower...first come, first served! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 11, 2018, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822 "2018-10-11T21:37:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822/21 "2018-10-12T01:57:59Z")
Having had any physical contact with a person I will have access to all their memories as if they were my own for 24 hours or until I touch someone else. I’d be the world’s greatest interrogator. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822/22 "2018-10-12T02:08:16Z")
Super charisma - see [STARFOX](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starfox_(comics)#Powers_and_abilities) ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822/23 "2018-10-12T02:24:14Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I’d team up with **Wesley Clark** to form the Straight Dope Brainiac Team. I’ll be the librarian to his super-intelligence. Screw that, I’m going to be busy building technology that gives me all the other superpowers listed in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822/24 "2018-10-12T04:17:14Z")
I’ll take the ability to grant wishes. EDIT: Oops, that’s probably too much like “omnipotence”. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822/25 "2018-10-12T05:25:55Z")
Speling. ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822/26 "2018-10-12T05:26:23Z")
Well, looks like I should have looked at this thread before all the good ones were gone so I’ll take: [Hindsite](http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Carlton_LaFroyge_(Earth-616)) ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822/27 "2018-10-12T05:38:02Z")
The ability to convince anyone of whatever truth I want to convince them of. If I try to convince them of a falsehood it won’t work. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822/28 "2018-10-12T06:14:34Z")
Passing through solid matter, i.e. walk through walls. If I had invisibility, that’s what I’d use it for most often - getting into places - so if I can’t have that, this is the next best thing. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822/29 "2018-10-12T08:24:25Z")
What, nobody’s said teleportation yet? So teleportation. I want to think of a location and immediately transport myself, whatever I’m carrying and maybe another person or two there immediately. I’ll travel the world for free, and if I need cash, I’ll just pop into a bank vault and grab a few bills. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822/30 "2018-10-12T08:45:06Z")
A lot of good ones are already taken. I’ll go with the ability to travel to alternate timelines. Like what the main characters had in Roger Zelazny’s Amber series or Matt Howarth’s Bugtown series. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822/31 "2018-10-12T09:51:03Z")
I’ll have the ability to assume the bodily form of any other person, past or present, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Jumpbass](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jumpbass/32/147_2.png) [@Jumpbass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jumpbass)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822/32 "2018-10-12T14:33:05Z")
I want the ability to summon demons to do my bidding. For good, of course. Really. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822/33 "2018-10-12T14:43:02Z")
The ability to steal other people’s superpowers. As much of them as I wish, and forever. Come’re, suckers… ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822/34 "2018-10-12T15:15:16Z")
> [@JB99](#): > > Green Lantern Ring. I think that’s not really a superpower _per se_, rather an item of equipment. The Green Lanterns are really just ordinary people\* which personally I found made them rather more interesting than a lot of ‘superpowered’ characters \*for various definitions of ordinary > [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Mind control. > [@K2500](#): > > Telepathy please and thank you! > [@Balance](#): > > Precisely controlled shapeshifting with unlimited duration (i.e., once I change, I stay in that form until I make the effort to change again). Mental faculties retained across changes, of course, but otherwise I would assume the natural abilities of anything I turn into, with the reflexes to use them. The “precisely” is specified to cover being able to change only partially or make fine adjustments to an assumed form. > [@RTFirefly](#): > > I’ll have the ability to assume the bodily form of any other person, past or present, thanks. It can be really hard to delineate if some of these are just variations on the same power or different enough to count as something seperate. 🙂 > [@begbert2](#): > > Telekinesis, such that cars can easily tossed and collapsing building caught with a thought. > [@Quartz](#): > > I want the power of super-knowledge - knowing everything that is known, from Steven Hawking’s last work on black holes to the latest iron-forging techniques, to with whom Mrs Miggins downstairs is having an affair. And it can be difficult to decide what counts as ‘over-powered’ or not, tossing a car around is probably OK, catching a collapsing building is a little too powerful I think. As is knowing everything and everything. Hey, I don’t make the rules! This thing comes with an instruction manual. 😉 > [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser](#): > > The ability to steal other people’s superpowers. As much of them as I wish, and forever. > > Come’re, suckers… The first part, sure, I think the second falls into the ‘over-powered’ bracket. How about a restriction on the number of powers you can have at once and/or a time limit for how long you can use them for? ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822/35 "2018-10-12T15:32:52Z")
> [@Atomic\_Alex](#): > > The first part, sure, I think the second falls into the ‘over-powered’ bracket. How about a restriction on the number of powers you can have at once and/or a time limit for how long you can use them for? Hey, your OP gave two restrictions: only one power at the same time, which I’m fine with, and none of the individual powers could be godlike, which I have no problem with. Are you going to shift posts now? ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822/36 "2018-10-12T16:19:30Z")
> [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser](#): > > Hey, your OP gave two restrictions: only one power at the same time, which I’m fine with, and none of the individual powers could be godlike, which I have no problem with. > > Are you going to shift posts now? How is stealing other people’s powers, as many as you wish and for as long as you wish not ‘over-powered’? Are you suggesting stealing only one at any given time then losing that when you take another? But this is supposed to be a fun and light-hearted thread, not one for arguments. It was basically to see what people would choose once all the more classic and useful powers had already been chosen. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822/37 "2018-10-12T16:25:28Z")
> [@Atomic\_Alex](#): > > How is stealing other people’s powers, as many as you wish and for as long as you wish not ‘over-powered’? Are you suggesting stealing only one at any given time then losing that when you take another? > > But this is supposed to be a fun and light-hearted thread, not one for arguments. It was basically to see what people would choose once all the more classic and useful powers had already been chosen. Nononono. This is serious business. Of course, I could only use one power at a time, as per Rule 1, so no flying while invisible. But rule 2 only restricts how powerful any ability can be. Allow me to quote: _“And no abilities that are over-powered by definition, like ‘omnipotence’ etc”_. The abilities I’d steal would be the same. There’s no number restriction. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822/38 "2018-10-12T16:26:01Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#): > > The ability to convince anyone of whatever truth I want to convince them of. If I try to convince them of a falsehood it won’t work. Are you able to convince them based on what you _believe_ to be true, or objective truth? Because if it’s it objective truth, it’s an unwieldy sort of omnipotence. “Bob? There is intelligent life on other planets.” “I don’t believe you.” “Okay, then, let me call up NASA and tell them they can save a few billion dollars on space probes.” What about if it’s one of those philosophical questions that doesn’t have an answer? Or an opinion? Or kinda true depending on how you look at it? ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822/39 "2018-10-12T16:30:06Z")
> [@Atomic\_Alex](#): > > It can be really hard to delineate if some of these are just variations on the same power or different enough to count as something seperate. 🙂 So you’ve got an issue with **The Other Waldo Pepper** and **K2500** but not me? Where are we drawing line line here friend? ---
**Author:** ![Knight\_Of\_Few\_Words](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@Knight\_Of\_Few\_Words](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knight_Of_Few_Words)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822/40 "2018-10-12T16:34:51Z")
So while you so-called good guys are messing around and having fun with your god-like powers, I guess I’ll have to take the ability to regulate CO2 levels and save the planet. Tremble before the responsible biospherical management of _Thermostat_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-a-superpower-first-come-first-served/822822.md?page=3)