# Fanwanks or fan theories you love (open spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 4, 2013, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fanwanks-or-fan-theories-you-love-open-spoilers/660148 "2013-06-04T20:11:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 10
**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:** [June 12, 2014, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fanwanks-or-fan-theories-you-love-open-spoilers/660148/181 "2014-06-12T02:19:14Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > When I was reading comics there was a serious dearth of holes from bullets and rays. If this has changed, I might start reading again. Start with _[Empowered](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empowered)_. > [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > A Star Trek Mirror Universe related theory of mine: > > Every so often, things will happen for no apparent reason, even major occurrences like planets exploding (The planet Ceti Alpha VI in the system Khan was left in exploding, for example). Also, events in the mirror and normal universes are connected somehow so closely that despite all the differences for centuries many people and things mirror each other; there isn’t the divergence you’d see with a normal parallel universe. > > Perhaps these things are connected. Perhaps the reason that Ceti Alpha VI exploded for no apparent reason is that in the mirror universe, mirror Ceti Alpha VI was blown up by a starship. If the mirror effect tend to ensure that things like people and starships are mirrored in both universes, perhaps the opposite is true and _destroying_ them in one universe tends to result in them being destroyed in one way or another in the other universe. Interesting idea. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fanwanks-or-fan-theories-you-love-open-spoilers/660148/182 "2014-06-12T13:43:19Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > A common reason why superheroines wear skimpy outfits is that their skin is _much_ tougher than any costume. The more exposed skin she has, the less likely it is she’ll have to buy a new costume when a bullet or death ray rips a hole in it before bouncing off her skin. Therefore, it’s cheaper for her to wear the minimum her standards of modesty allows. A variation of this issue came up once on **Lois and Clark**. Superman’s trying to clean his only costume, and has called Martha for laundry advice. Martha: “Is it a dirt stain or an oil stain?” Clark: “I don’t know, Mom. It’s a bomb stain!” ---
**Author:** ![Osiris\_the\_1st](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9de0a6/32.png) [@Osiris\_the\_1st](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osiris_the_1st)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fanwanks-or-fan-theories-you-love-open-spoilers/660148/183 "2014-06-12T19:11:24Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > The Neville = Chosen One doesn’t hold water, because the prophecy says that Voldemort would mark the child who would become his nemesis. Harry was marked by Voldemort, Neville wasn’t. Actually, in my opinion he was. Not physically marked, but maked as in “mark my words”. Voldemort marked him as an equal during the exchange they had during the Battle of Hogwarts. The book version of events more than the movie version, though I could make an argument for the movie version as well. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fanwanks-or-fan-theories-you-love-open-spoilers/660148/184 "2014-06-12T19:15:06Z")
> [@ryan](#): > > Jon Snow is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Ned Stark claimed him as his bastard to protect him from being killed after Robert’s rebellion. ohhh I like this one. (TV show only) I’ve always thought Jon was Robert’s son who Ned took on in order to shield him from the complications a ‘bastard of the king before he was king’ would create. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fanwanks-or-fan-theories-you-love-open-spoilers/660148/185 "2014-06-12T19:18:18Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > A common reason why superheroines wear skimpy outfits is that their skin is _much_ tougher than any costume. The more exposed skin she has, the less likely it is she’ll have to buy a new costume when a bullet or death ray rips a hole in it before bouncing off her skin. Therefore, it’s cheaper for her to wear the minimum her standards of modesty allows. Why wouldn’t that apply equally to male superheroes? ---
**Author:** ![Osiris\_the\_1st](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9de0a6/32.png) [@Osiris\_the\_1st](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osiris_the_1st)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fanwanks-or-fan-theories-you-love-open-spoilers/660148/186 "2014-06-12T19:28:50Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > The Borg are descended from humanoids who took being jacked into their Internet to the nth degree. I like the theory that the Borg were born from the joining of Will Decker and V’Ger at the end of ST:TMP. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fanwanks-or-fan-theories-you-love-open-spoilers/660148/187 "2014-06-12T20:14:11Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > The Sith species were introduced in the EU. > > [Sith (species) | Wookieepedia | Fandom](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Sith_%28species%29) Darn. I looked up Yoda, and I see that his species’ name has still never been revealed. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fanwanks-or-fan-theories-you-love-open-spoilers/660148/188 "2014-06-12T21:14:27Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Why wouldn’t that apply equally to male superheroes? Maybe because they’re generally less concerned about the condition of their costumes? It’s a reflection of a double standard in societal perceptions, in a way: torn, stained clothing is often considered more acceptable on a guy. In some circumstances, it’s even beneficial to the male image–the rips, burn marks, stains, and so forth are viewed as emblems of hard work or fierce battle. A woman in equivalently dirty/damaged clothing would be more likely to be criticized for it. ---
**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:** [June 13, 2014, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fanwanks-or-fan-theories-you-love-open-spoilers/660148/189 "2014-06-13T06:39:09Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > [QUOTE=Der Trihs] > > A common reason why superheroines wear skimpy outfits is that their skin is much tougher than any costume. The more exposed skin she has, the less likely it is she’ll have to buy a new costume when a bullet or death ray rips a hole in it before bouncing off her skin. Therefore, it’s cheaper for her to wear the minimum her standards of modesty allows. Why wouldn’t that apply equally to male superheroes? [/QUOTE] Because male superheroes generally can’t get away with skimpy outfits without being mocked. Like Robin and his bare legged costume. I wish I could find the picture of Batman in a summer outfit version of his costume that someone posted on another forum in a discussion of this. It was quite silly looking. ---
**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:** [June 13, 2014, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fanwanks-or-fan-theories-you-love-open-spoilers/660148/190 "2014-06-13T09:47:29Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Because male superheroes generally can’t get away with skimpy outfits without being mocked. Like Robin and his bare legged costume. The only superhero who can get away with it is Ben Grimm. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fanwanks-or-fan-theories-you-love-open-spoilers/660148/191 "2014-06-13T11:23:52Z")
[Sometimes the men wear skimpy outfits](http://www.toplessrobot.com/2012/03/11_rather_risque_male_superhero_outfits.php). ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fanwanks-or-fan-theories-you-love-open-spoilers/660148/192 "2014-06-13T16:23:11Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Why wouldn’t that apply equally to male superheroes? Besides the fact that male superheroes would be mocked for wearing less, female superheroes have already been relentlessly mocked for attempting to, in the eyes of their mockers, play a man’s game. Thus, they have developed particularly thick skins compared to more sensitive types, like Bruce Wayne, who is used to getting his way all the time. I suggest female superheroes continue to wear skimpy clothing, but be depicted with a more pachydermal look. ---
**Author:** ![psiekier](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psiekier/32/116_2.png) [@psiekier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiekier)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fanwanks-or-fan-theories-you-love-open-spoilers/660148/193 "2014-06-13T18:36:07Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > > [@Clawdio](#): > > > > The theory that Princess Bubblegum is really the big bad evil villain of the Land Ooo, on Adventure Time. Watching the epidodes after hearing this almost makes it seem like the writers had this in mind or, at least, are playing with us since the theory popped up on the internet. Potentially, it could turn out to be true. > > Princess Bubblegum definitely isn’t always a nice person, but I get more of a mad scientist vibe from her. There have been episodes where she seems genuinely worried about the welfare of one of the other characters. One of the best theories I’ve heard is that Simon Petrikov fashioned Princess Bubblegum as a playmate for Marceline using the pink protoplasm he finds at the end of the episode “Simon & Marcy” before Petrikov finally went mad and became the Ice King. How much of the Candy Kingdom is his own invention (or a legacy of it), and how much of it Bonnibel created later by herself using the know-wots he imbued her with is just small potatoes. * * * In [this other thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=6218081&posted=1#post6218081), I mentioned how I always thought Indy’s acquiring the Lost Ark of the Covenant for the United States is what allowed the Allies to win World War II (“An army that carries the Ark before it is invincible”). I don’t think it was meant to be that way, though, and not very many people agree with me. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fanwanks-or-fan-theories-you-love-open-spoilers/660148/194 "2014-06-13T19:03:04Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I don’t think the idea that malnutrition delays the onset of puberty is particularly controversial, nor is the idea that malnutrition was widespread during the middle ages. …so…am I supposed to ask you for a cite that the nobility was malnourished or just assume everything you write is not particularly controversial? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fanwanks-or-fan-theories-you-love-open-spoilers/660148/195 "2014-06-13T19:35:25Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Why wouldn’t that apply equally to male superheroes? For that matter, most female superheroes are not as durable as She-Hulk or Power Girl. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fanwanks-or-fan-theories-you-love-open-spoilers/660148.md?page=9)