# What would be the best chemical elements for a shapeshifter to turn into?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-best-chemical-elements-for-a-shapeshifter-to-turn-into/917895>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [August 12, 2020, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-best-chemical-elements-for-a-shapeshifter-to-turn-into/917895 "2020-08-12T15:35:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Cmyers1980](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyers1980/32/11814_2.png) [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2020, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-best-chemical-elements-for-a-shapeshifter-to-turn-into/917895/1 "2020-08-12T15:35:52Z")

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If someone had the ability to shapeshift into any chemical element, compound, form or material while still maintaining normal human speed/motion like [Metamorpho](https://www.reddit.com/r/respectthreads/comments/fosjjf/respect_metamorpho_dc_post_crisis/) and Absorbing Man what would be the best and most versatile elements to turn into for combat, surveillance, evasion, crime fighting etc?

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**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2020, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-best-chemical-elements-for-a-shapeshifter-to-turn-into/917895/2 "2020-08-12T16:32:56Z")

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Is it presumed that our hero will survive the experience, no matter what?

If he’s smoking at the time, becoming pure concentrated hydrogen should clear the room pretty fast. Sodium would be fun underwater.

Becoming nitrogen should allow him to be pretty stealthy, at least in earth’s atmosphere.

Becoming titanium would be probably good for general-purpose combat.

Becoming polonium would just be rude.

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**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2020, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-best-chemical-elements-for-a-shapeshifter-to-turn-into/917895/3 "2020-08-12T17:46:37Z")

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If I just had to pick one I’d go with Nitrogen. Killing people would be simple and in most cases they’d never notice and you could always pull back and just knock them unconscious so that covers crime fighting and combat. Surveillance and evasion would be simple since you would just be air and would be invisible in most circumstances and could get into most rooms undetected.

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**Author:** ![Acierocolotl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acierocolotl/32/6241_2.png) [@Acierocolotl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acierocolotl)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2020, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-best-chemical-elements-for-a-shapeshifter-to-turn-into/917895/4 "2020-08-13T01:38:24Z")

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Let’s make a true superhero of him.

The answer is rhodium. Assuming he still sloughs off dead “skin” cells and can afford to part with fingernail trimmings and the like, he could produce a metal that’s vital to catalytic converters and help make the world just a bit cleaner.

Or he can help push science by transforming into the really exotic, g-orbital elements we know nothing about, one or more of which might actually be reasonably stable.

That would be a real hero. Not a great comic book, I’ll warrant, but somebody I’d deeply respect.

Or I guess he could turn into tungsten or something and just punch stuff, but c’mon. “Bulletproof PunchMan with Very Hot Vision ™” would be better for the job anyway.