# So, your superhero friend just obliterated India... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 21, 2016, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-your-superhero-friend-just-obliterated-india/743726 "2016-01-21T00:09:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [January 21, 2016, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-your-superhero-friend-just-obliterated-india/743726/21 "2016-01-21T09:55:22Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > I chew her the hell out. I condemn her to her face. I explain how very contemptuous I am of anyone who would misuse their powers this badly. I’d tell her to go to hell and never talk to me again. So you’d condemn her without hearing her side of the story? ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-your-superhero-friend-just-obliterated-india/743726/22 "2016-01-21T10:09:13Z")
She told her side of the story. She said every single person in India had wronged her and was judged deserving of death, which she then supplied. That’s 1.2 billion people, by the by, just vaporized. I’m sure she’s got a hundred different excuses, but no, I’m not really interested in hearing them. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-your-superhero-friend-just-obliterated-india/743726/23 "2016-01-21T14:10:01Z")
“Netflix and chill?” ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-your-superhero-friend-just-obliterated-india/743726/24 "2016-01-21T14:13:03Z")
I would break down crying. Just fall apart. 90% of my family are still there, including some people I love very much. I think I might try to cultivate my own super powers just to get revenge. Radioactive spiders anyone? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-your-superhero-friend-just-obliterated-india/743726/25 "2016-01-21T14:29:12Z")
I’m definitely letting it go to voicemail. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-your-superhero-friend-just-obliterated-india/743726/26 "2016-01-21T14:48:48Z")
I would talk to her. I live in a world in which super powers exist. If she’s calling to say that it wasn’t her – that there’s a super villain whose powers are shape shifting and orbital bombardment, and that I should have known she wouldn’t do any such thing – after all, since when has she had the power of bombardment? – I can at least listen. Obviously, I would be interested in what evidence exists for her story. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-your-superhero-friend-just-obliterated-india/743726/27 "2016-01-21T15:19:25Z")
Caller ID doesn’t work for international calls. So I’d know she was actually a telemarketer and ignore the call. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-your-superhero-friend-just-obliterated-india/743726/28 "2016-01-21T18:51:20Z")
“Indira, what you did was wrong, wrong, wrong! I cannot condone such actions. However, since there’s no point to closing the barn door now, do you need a sidekick? I’ve got this list…” ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-your-superhero-friend-just-obliterated-india/743726/29 "2016-01-21T19:12:37Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > I do not think people from India will appreciate Americans joking about genocide of their country. Especially given the fact that English imperialism has cost India enormous losses. Yes because America should really pay the price for the UK’s colonialism. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-your-superhero-friend-just-obliterated-india/743726/30 "2016-01-21T19:15:39Z")
The OP is British anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-your-superhero-friend-just-obliterated-india/743726/31 "2016-01-21T19:29:48Z")
Um . . . bootlick? I’d like to think I’d take a Principled Stand, but honestly, if she can obliterate India, the US is small potatoes. Maybe “ally” myself with her, try to get as close as possible, then assassinate her. Or provide information to help the FBI/CIA/etc. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-your-superhero-friend-just-obliterated-india/743726/32 "2016-01-21T19:40:25Z")
We get dibs on all of the erstwhile Bharat except the North East and Tamil Nadu. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka can have them. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-your-superhero-friend-just-obliterated-india/743726/33 "2016-01-21T20:27:19Z")
This is a superhero we’re talking about? So first we’ve got to rule out: Holograms Mind Control over the hero Shapeshifters Masters of Disguise Illusions Mind control of everyone else–we just THINK she obliterated India because some evil dude is mind controlling us. Robot Duplicates Alternate evil dimension versions Evil twins Evil Clones Time traveling evil future versions Superdickery–she didn’t actually obliterate India, she’s just tricking me into thinking she did so I’ll reveal whether I know her secret identity or some other goofy premise that exists only so the cover can show me sobbing “ **WHY? WHY** DID YOU OBLITERATE **INDIA**?” with her smirking and saying “I HAD MY REASONS, **LEMUR-BOY** ”, while the inside story bears almost no resemblance to the cover. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-your-superhero-friend-just-obliterated-india/743726/34 "2016-01-21T20:51:42Z")
Since continental destruction seems not only out of character for her, but impossible based on what I know of her personality and powers, I think my first assumption is that someone else wore her costume and nuked India. I would definitely pick up the phone and figure out what’s going on. If she did it, I’d probably do my best to 1) hide and 2) alert the authorities. However, I might be unable to answer the phone, being emotionally distraught about American guilt-by-association for English imperialism and the possible implications of karma. Oh wait, India was a British colony too. So they’re equally guilty for their own genocide and have paid the price for karma already. So, yes, definitely take the call. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-your-superhero-friend-just-obliterated-india/743726/35 "2016-01-21T21:19:33Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Caller ID doesn’t work for international calls. So I’d know she was actually a telemarketer and ignore the call. It works fine on my cell phone. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-your-superhero-friend-just-obliterated-india/743726/36 "2016-01-21T21:25:24Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > So you’d condemn her without hearing her side of the story? She just destroyed India. Fuck, yes. There is no “her side” of the story. I’ve never heard Pol Pot’s side of the story either. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-your-superhero-friend-just-obliterated-india/743726/37 "2016-01-21T22:05:56Z")
I’d answer the phone and do my best impression of [Anthony Freeman’s father](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_a_Good_Life_%28The_Twilight_Zone%29). Let’s not antagonize the the nice young lady with her finger on the button of the doomsday device shall we. Also as other’s have said it may be a doppelganger. ---
**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:** [January 23, 2016, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-your-superhero-friend-just-obliterated-india/743726/38 "2016-01-23T11:04:36Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > This is a superhero we’re talking about? I’m surprised it took as many as 33 posts for someone to fight the hypothetical. You omitted the simplest alternative explanation: the meteor storm was a purely natural event and she just took advantage of 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:** [January 23, 2016, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-your-superhero-friend-just-obliterated-india/743726/39 "2016-01-23T13:52:18Z")
Probably take the call…as, 1. Maybe there is some exonerating circumstances—i.e. “it was my evil counterpart,” “I was being mind controlled,” etc. Hey, superpowers are apparently a thing, so weirdness is conceivably still on the table. 2. There might have even been _justification_ for what she did—I mean, slaughtering millions upon millions of people, many or most of them apparently innocent would require a preeeeety big-ass argument to even be understandable, let alone condoned, but I know only that I know nothing—_maybe_ they were all Skrulls, or infected with Solanum, or it was determined after careful calculation to be the only way to avert WWIII. All I know for sure is what I watched on TV, in my thoroughly soiled pants. 3. I _really_ don’t want to risk pissing her off. I don’t relish the thought of her leveling my continent in a fit of pique, or tracking me down and slowly removing and force-feeding me my own cytoplasm. I’d at least try and make it friendly and non-judgemental. “Hey…‘sup? ‘s goin’ on? Ol’ buddy?” And, hey, maybe best (?) case, it’s actually just another superhero who found Indira’s phone, and they’re going through her contacts for clues on what happened, and how to stop her. Or at least to find “loose ends” she hasn’t killed, yet, and get them under protection. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-your-superhero-friend-just-obliterated-india/743726/40 "2016-01-23T14:19:55Z")
Hang up. Never communicate with her again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-your-superhero-friend-just-obliterated-india/743726.md?page=1)