# Mutations: best and worst? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 22, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutations-best-and-worst/309441 "2005-06-22T21:29:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutations-best-and-worst/309441/1 "2005-06-22T21:29:24Z")
All these threads on mutants has me thinking. Who do you think has the best and worst mutations in the Marvelverse? I’d say: best - Mystique. How awesome would it be to be a shapeshifter? Very awesome, I am pretty sure. worst - Rogue. She got the short straw when they were handing out the mutant powers. (I’m not counting her strength, flying, and invulnerability, since those are acquired, not inherent, powers.) She can’t touch! And she’s nuts from all the psyches of the people she _has_ touched. Total evolutionary waste, since it is highly unlikely she’ll ever reproduce, due to the nature of the mutation itself. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutations-best-and-worst/309441/2 "2005-06-22T21:36:55Z")
Best: Magneto Gee! I can hold together whole spae stations with the power of my mind and fight a superbattle. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutations-best-and-worst/309441/3 "2005-06-22T21:43:45Z")
But then you have to wear that stupid helmet all the time. (He doesn’t take it off when he sleeps, does he?) Major fashion faux pas. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutations-best-and-worst/309441/4 "2005-06-22T21:54:17Z")
As an engineer, my vote for best mutation would be Forge’s “able to invent anything he wants” gimmick. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutations-best-and-worst/309441/5 "2005-06-22T22:05:21Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > But then you have to wear that stupid helmet all the time. (He doesn’t take it off when he sleeps, does he?) Major fashion faux pas. He doesn’t have to wear it. He only wears it to keep Charles Xavier out of his head. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2005, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutations-best-and-worst/309441/6 "2005-06-22T22:20:46Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > He doesn’t have to wear it. He only wears it to keep Charles Xavier out of his head. Well, I know, but he _does_ wear it, doesn’t he? It’s not like the professor would ever fuck with Magneto’s head anyway, he’s too ethical. Except maybe in Ultimate. Magneto’s just paranoid. ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutations-best-and-worst/309441/7 "2005-06-23T01:21:19Z")
I call dibs on Franklin Richards! 😃 Being able to affect reality would rock so hard. (Not counting the possibility of frothing insanity, though) ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutations-best-and-worst/309441/8 "2005-06-23T01:40:20Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > As an engineer, my vote for best mutation would be Forge’s “able to invent anything he wants” gimmick. Deus Ex Machina ability. That’s some bad ass shizzle right there. I’d also have to nominate Storm. When pushed, she can go full on global with the weather control. Hard to beat it. Rogue get’s the nod for worst, with a second going to the Blob whose power makes him a big fat ass. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutations-best-and-worst/309441/9 "2005-06-23T01:58:22Z")
Now that I think on it, Black Tom Cassidy and Pyro had some useless powers too. Black Tom can fire destructive energy blasts, but only if he is holding a stick. That’s silly. Pyro can control flame but cannot create it. While it means he is lethal to the Human Torch, he’s kind of a putz if you have a fire extinguisher. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutations-best-and-worst/309441/10 "2005-06-23T04:59:30Z")
Xavier and all other high level telepaths are obviously the best. You can (seem to) do anything with the power of the mind. Ignoring them, I’ve always liked Mimic’s abilities. Being able to exactly duplicate the skills, intelligence, and powers of everyone within a certain radius is awesome. Worst? Xorn? A black hole inside your head has got to suck. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutations-best-and-worst/309441/11 "2005-06-23T05:04:59Z")
> [@lizardling](#): > > I call dibs on Franklin Richards! 😃 Being able to affect reality would rock so hard. (Not counting the possibility of frothing insanity, though) While not a mutation, I’d prefer to have Reed’s stretching powers. For the one area where it matters. ---
**Author:** ![Lear\_s\_fool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/df788c/32.png) [@Lear\_s\_fool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lear_s_fool)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutations-best-and-worst/309441/12 "2005-06-23T06:18:28Z")
> [@Harborwolf](#): > > Black Tom can fire destructive energy blasts, but only if he is holding a stick. That’s silly. And now he’s a walking tree too. > [@Superdude](#): > > While not a mutation, I’d prefer to have Reed’s stretching powers. > > For the one area where it matters. you stop watching mallrats ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutations-best-and-worst/309441/13 "2005-06-23T06:21:56Z")
You know, I first remember hearing that joke in the book [How to Be a Superhero](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1561630519/qid=1119508511/sr=8-6/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/104-4571536-5602335?v=glance&s=books&n=507846), which predated _Mallrats_ by a good 3 years. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutations-best-and-worst/309441/14 "2005-06-23T12:34:20Z")
Nightcrawler has pretty awesome powers. I would LOVE to be able to teleport, since I could sell my car and cancel my insurance, travel anywhere without plane tickets, never be late for appointments, and even carry people and things with me. Even in a real-life fight scenario, nobody could land a punch on you! Teleportation is really underrated as a cool super power. Worst: Chamber. The guy is ripped open from his nose to his mid-torso, with energy leaking out of him all the time. That’s got to get old really fast. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutations-best-and-worst/309441/15 "2005-06-23T12:45:04Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > Nightcrawler has pretty awesome powers. I would LOVE to be able to teleport, since I could sell my car and cancel my insurance, travel anywhere without plane tickets, never be late for appointments, and even carry people and things with me. Not to quibble, but nightcrawler can only teleport limited distances (not more than a mile at a bamf iirc) without massive strain. Same goes for teleporting others. It makes them sick and really strains him. Then there’s the telltale bamf noise and the reek of brimstone. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutations-best-and-worst/309441/16 "2005-06-23T12:45:41Z")
Worst : Leech. Best : Prodigy, from the Guardians of the Galaxy timeline. He’s like Mimic on 'roids. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutations-best-and-worst/309441/17 "2005-06-23T14:16:44Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > You know, I first remember hearing that joke in the book [How to Be a Superhero](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1561630519/qid=1119508511/sr=8-6/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/104-4571536-5602335?v=glance&s=books&n=507846), which predated _Mallrats_ by a good 3 years. I believe the Hembeck cartoon of Sue on the Newlywed Game is older still. ---
**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:** [June 23, 2005, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutations-best-and-worst/309441/18 "2005-06-23T16:12:56Z")
> [@Steve MB](#): > > I believe the Hembeck cartoon of Sue on the Newlywed Game is older still. And Larry Niven did it even earlier. Hell, we used to joke about the idea back when I was in college. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutations-best-and-worst/309441/19 "2005-06-23T16:23:09Z")
Worst? [Doug Freaking Ramsey (Cypher).](http://www.marveldirectory.com/individuals/c/cypher.htm) Doug’s power is that he [doesn’t need these](http://www.languageresourceonline.com/languages/learn_French.html). Supervillains of the world, BEWARE! Best superpower? Healing factor, hands down. Adamantium skeleton or no, you’re one tough bastard. Age very slowly. Drink, smoke, drugs, you name it, no worries (of course, your mega-tolerance could get expensive). ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutations-best-and-worst/309441/20 "2005-06-23T17:02:23Z")
Worst: Jubilee. I like Jubilee, really. But Boomer had the same power first. And better. Best: Hard pick. I’d have to go with Storm. She can bring down destruction like no other. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutations-best-and-worst/309441.md?page=2)