# If you could manifest or pick Mutant Powers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 18, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-manifest-or-pick-mutant-powers/189409 "2003-07-18T15:51:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Aslan\_of\_Narnia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aslan_of_Narnia)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-manifest-or-pick-mutant-powers/189409/21 "2003-07-19T06:11:29Z")
I’d probably get the Taskmaster’s powers, whcih is the ability to learn something just by viewing it. And that does mean anything. So if I see a person perform a martial arts move at the level of a black belt, I too could perform that move with no previous training. It would be the same thing if I were to view a grandmaster chess player playing a game. _Thank god I’m only watching the game, controlling it…_ 50 geek points to the person who can tell me where I got that quote from. I’d also go with being able to influence someone thru emotions. While you could do the same thing by just changing into the president or the person you wanted to affect’s loved one, they’d still be doubting. I could tell them what I wanted, and cause various emotions to remove doubt or questioning from my request. Having the power of the Resurrection Man would be pretty nice. Every time you die, you come back as a different person with a power based on how you died. You could be unstopppable, being able to rule the world because like a cockroach you’d never die for real and you’d evolve quickly from what killed you. They shoot you, you come back bullet proof. Out of the three, I’d most likely go with the first one, because I’m very clumsy, don’t really like to manipulate people or have people become violent or have myself perform violent actions. ---
**Author:** ![Hazel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Hazel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazel)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-manifest-or-pick-mutant-powers/189409/22 "2003-07-19T06:24:07Z")
I don’t know if this counts as a superpower, but I, for years, have wanted the heriditary “lucky gene” (can’t remember what it was really called) from Larry Niven’s **Ringworld.** When I aproach an intersection, wishing to cross, the light is _always_ green. When I arrive at a bus stop, subway platform, or the like, the bus, subway, or whatever immediately pulls up. And, naturally, any bus, subway, train, airplane, or whatever that I’m on encounters absolutely _no_ delays as long as I’m aboad. Wherever I am, the temperature is always to likeing. Whatever I want to buy is always in stock. No TV program I like is ever pre-empted. No TV program I like is ever cancelled. If I had this power, you can bet that Doubya would not currently be the President! Nor would the latest Iraq war have occured. Naturally, I’d be quite wealthy, as anything I bet on (lottery tickers, sports events, stocks & bonds, etc.) would win. When a guy appeals to me, he’ll of course fall in love with me – when I get tired of him, he’ll fall out of love with me. I realize that the lack of adversity that this life entailes would cause me to remain immature. I can live with that. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-manifest-or-pick-mutant-powers/189409/23 "2003-07-19T07:01:18Z")
I’d have the ability to turn back time. Learn the lotto numbers, then go back and bet. Flunk tests, get the right answers then go back and get an A. It would come in real handy when you think of the perfect comback two minutes after the fact. Just turn back time and use it. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-manifest-or-pick-mutant-powers/189409/24 "2003-07-19T07:13:06Z")
The power to bring other life forms back from the dead. I would publicly announce that I’d be happy to use my power on behalf of others…for a price. The ressurection of murder victims, $5,000 each. Dead pets, $500 each. For people like Gandhi, Yitzhak Rabin, and Lee Harvey Oswald…I’d start the bidding at one billion dollars, each. For Mohamad, Jesus, or Buddha…I think a subcontinent would suffice. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-manifest-or-pick-mutant-powers/189409/25 "2003-07-19T09:58:09Z")
I’ve decided on the ability to project a field around my body that negates other’s mutant powers. Usually it’ll be just around my skin but I can puff it out to about 12 feet. Maybe sometimes I can even take a ball of that field and project some distance to disable some bad mutant after me rendering him normal and succeptable to supremely trained martial artist body. Man, if I hit Magneto with one of those bad boys when he’s flying around 20 stories up … splat! I’d also be safe from all you mindcontrollers. My weakness would be people can stand far off and hurl TVs and cars at me. But the biggest plus is that now I can hit on Rogue safely. ---
**Author:** ![Reepicheep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@Reepicheep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reepicheep)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-manifest-or-pick-mutant-powers/189409/26 "2003-07-19T11:07:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aslan of Narnia \* > \*\*_Thank god I’m only watching the game, controlling it…_ 50 geek points to the person who can tell me where I got that quote from. > > \*\* Claiming my geek points the quote is from the song \* One Night In Bangkok\* by Benny Anderson, Tim Rice, Bjsrn Ulvaeus from the musical **Chess**. Murray Head did the song as a single. My superpower would be the power to _grant_ wishes. ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-manifest-or-pick-mutant-powers/189409/27 "2003-07-19T15:35:42Z")
I think telekinesis would be a singularly useful power. _I want telekinesis!_ Shapeshifting would be cool, although I’d always wonder what’s going to happen to my clothing. The power of flight, just as soon as I can find a really good pair of goggles. ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Dracul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/50afbb/32.png) [@Vlad\_Dracul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Dracul)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-manifest-or-pick-mutant-powers/189409/28 "2003-07-19T16:43:39Z")
Does Q-like omnipotence count as a mutant power? ---
**Author:** ![New\_Improved\_Scott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f17d59/32.png) [@New\_Improved\_Scott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Improved_Scott)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-manifest-or-pick-mutant-powers/189409/29 "2003-07-19T16:48:15Z")
Full and complete control of my body on every level. Ate a pie, time to crank that metabolism. Nervous at an interview, hold back those sweat glands. Bad haircut, grow it back and try again. Yup. ---
**Author:** ![Quantum\_Butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e79b87/32.png) [@Quantum\_Butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quantum_Butterfly)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-manifest-or-pick-mutant-powers/189409/30 "2003-07-19T18:47:01Z")
> [@](#): > > ## quote: > > Originally posted by Aslan of Narnia > Thank god I’m only watching the game, controlling it… 50 geek points to the person who can tell me where I got that quote from. > > * * * > > Claiming my geek points the quote is from the song One Night In Bangkok by Benny Anderson, Tim Rice, Bjsrn Ulvaeus from the musical Chess. Damn, somebody else got there first! ☹ I have the Chess soundtrack… was just listening to it the other night. Moving on… I’m with **Wang-Ka** and co., I wanna be a shapeshifter! That power has fascinated me since I was a wee one. Now it fascinates me in other ways as well 😉 I’m assuming we can have powers, plural, here. Flight comes with shapeshifting (fly like an eagle…). I would personally like to have telempathy; the ability to share emotions and memories with others. So many times, I’ve been frustrated by the sheer inability of language to convey a feeling. And I could make Mr. Bad Guy suffer just like he made me suffer! ::devilish grin:: Oh, and limited immortality. I could be killed (not easily, but it’s possible) but I wouldn’t age or die of old age. That’s enough, I think. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-manifest-or-pick-mutant-powers/189409.md?page=1)