City of IF

Shady Stoat · Joined: 02 Oct 2005 Posts: 2950 Location: England

This is a thread for pondering the deeper, more meaningful questions about life, the universe and the people in it. Or, if you prefer, to pose silly questions and get even sillier answers.

So, question one:

If you could have any superpower - any superpower at all - what would it be?

Smee · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 5215 Location: UK

Hmmm that's tricky.

Ordinarily I'd say to fly.. but that isn't that good unless it comes with a whole host of other powers, like not getting cold when flying at altitude, and power to cope with the lack of air up there.

If you decided to fly across the atlantic for a quick holiday, it wouldn't be so 'super' a power if people in a passing cruise liner saw you fly by, but wrapped in 17 duffle coats to keep warm!

"Is it a bird, is it a plane - no it's super blob of coats!"

Definately not cool!

It's hometime now, so I will have to think more!

Crunchyfrog · Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Posts: 3998

Teleportation skills. Here one minute, somewhere else the next. Without getting all your molecules mixed up.

:cool:

Tikanni Corazon · Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 8:35 am Post subject:

I'd like to be able to shapeshift into any animal that I please. And any size I please too. You never know when it might come in use to be able to change into a 20 ft bumblebee! Or a flea-sized fruit bat! :laf:

Tatkret Sos · Joined: 10 Nov 2009 Posts: 74 Location: UK

I'd Love to be able to fly! :laf:
Hmmm...Invinsibilty would be pretty cool too! :D
Oh what fun! :laf:
:poke:

scissorkitty · Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 10:17 am Post subject:

Hmm.. believe it or not, this is a conversation that I have with the WereHusband quite often. He wants to be Wolverine- his answer never changes.

My mind is never the same..

flight would be awesome- i assume it includes the necessary abilities to negate the problems Smee has mentioned.

I would love to be able to speak to animals and understand them- but I wouldn't want to have to make bear noises to a bear, for example. I would want to speak "human" and have them spead "animal" and still magically communicate clearly.

I would love to be able to shapeshift, assuming it was 100% under my own free will and control. (hmmm.. a little more muscle tone HERE, a little less curve THERE.... hehe)

There just so many OUT there, it's hard to decide! Sometimes I also wish I could just pop my head off my shoulders and walk away from it for a while. Is that a power?

Zeke · Joined: 31 Jul 2009 Posts: 56

How about Superman's unsung power of disguise?

I would love the ability to don a pair of glasses (or switch to contact lenses) and become completely unrecognizable by even my closest friends!

"By Krypton, that insufferable SuperGirl approaches! Pardon me, Lois, while I become Clark Kent for a bit? ... Pheeww...errr, ummm...thank you, Lois." :)

Smee · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 5215 Location: UK

My housemate is all about the Wolverine too :P

Thunderbird · Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 11:48 am Post subject:

Wow... I would have expected that question to come from myself, Stoat! :P

I agree with CF. Upon careful consideration, teleportation seems to be the most powerful of all powers. Little could not be achieved if you could be anywhere you wish in the blink of an eye. And I think Heroes has it right to some extent... if you could teleport in space, then theoretically, there should be nothing holding you back from teleportation through time as well, based on what we presently believe to be the laws of physics. (time and space are all a part of one continuum)

Though I must admit too, reality manipulation would be just as wonderful!

But then... that's what having 'power' is about isn't it?

Crunchyfrog · Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Posts: 3998

Thunderbird wrote:
Though I must admit too, reality manipulation would be just as wonderful!

I think quite a lot of people in this world already have a good command of such a power :lol:

Shady Stoat · Joined: 02 Oct 2005 Posts: 2950 Location: England

Real variety in the answers - and not a fireball in sight *sly glance at Smee*

As for ultimate power, I'm not sure I'd want that. It would make life awfully boring awfully fast. I think I'd go for something a little more modest myself.

Like... handy bendy stoat maybe. The ability to stretch and contort, maybe even change colour to blend in with things. Not a full shapechange, but something that would be handy for camouflage and escape from tricky situations.

Or time distort. Just enough so that you could make the good times last for ages, and the bad things - like going to the dentist - take a few seconds. That would be pretty aces.

I'll leave the big powers to big critters ;)

The Meaning Of Fear · Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 2:11 pm Post subject:

The ability to not forget every single bloody thing that's happened more than 5 minutes ago.

Because I really need it. :-o

Chinaren · Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 2:46 pm Post subject:

Mmm, immortality or teleport probably. Mind you, a 'Matt Parkman' kind of power would be quite good too, and I'd use it as well, not like that loser.

If you chose teleport you could also effectively fly if you wanted to, but teleporting a short distance each time, even just a couple of inches at a time. Or even teleport in the 'same place' over and over, to hover.

That said, telekinesis would also be better than flight, as if you were strong enough, you could 'push' yourself away from the earth and fly that way. Plus you could throw things/people around etc. Just look at what power Syler uses most. :)

Fats_Masterson · Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 2:56 pm Post subject:

My favorite power, hands down, (and I think I've said this before) has got to be Microkinesis. The ability to move atoms with your mind. Being strong enough (ie. being able to move a large amount of atoms, gogols of mol's) you'd be able to recreate all kinds of powers, teleportation, telekinesis, the ability to make an innert element radioactive. Lot's of crazy stuff.

Smee · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 5215 Location: UK

*glances at the stoat* There's time for fireballs yet, I haven't decided yet!

Although thinking about it - just fireballs would be boring. Would have to have complete array of mage-like powers.

How about the power of one of the wands from Harry Potter... those things are pretty tricksy! Apparation, conjuring, a variety of offensive and defensive options options, and all manner of transfiguration.

*admires Fat's Microkinesis* A gogol of mols sure is a lot of atoms!

Nshade · Joined: 04 Dec 2009 Posts: 30

I'd like to have telekenesis, anything or reading minds, but I know I already know how to read others feelings why read their minds when I can have telekensis, better to lift someone up a few stories high and also make them feel asif their flying with you, you can fly and also make others fly. anyway also drop them a few stories and catch them again.

scissorkitty · Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:01 am Post subject:

HEHE! This is turning into a pretty avid discussion- and revealing all the Heroes nerds hiding out here.. myself included.

Hmm.. you make a great point about telekinesis...

HAAA! Superman's powers of disguise!!! That was awesome I laughed and spit a little tea into my keyboard. (expect a bill sometime soon :-D )

Shady Stoat · Joined: 02 Oct 2005 Posts: 2950 Location: England

Here's another question for you to ponder:

If you could come back in your next life (yes, it assumes you have to accept the theory of reincarnation. Live with it, it's just a bit of fun) as a creature of your choice - anything but human - what would you choose to experience life as?

Smee · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 5215 Location: UK

Dolphin - find out how intelligent they actually are, and if some books are to be believed, actually be more intelligent than humans! :D

Fats_Masterson · Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 10:06 am Post subject:

Bart Simpson wrote: "A butterfly, they never suspect the butterfly. Mwahahahaha!"

But seriously, I would want to come back as a cat in egypt. Worshipped as a god and still able to act with indifference to everything.

Phantomfan · Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 10:09 am Post subject:

A dog. We always portray them as such Happy Happy Happy all the time, but they really have a huge ability for empathy and AWESOME senses.

Or a bird! Even though their intelligence isn't exactly the best, I'd still want to see what it would be like to fly. But definitely a predatory bird- like a falcon, or an eagle. The bigger and fiercer, the better. :-D

scissorkitty · Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 11:42 am Post subject:

I'm with Fats on this one (surprise surprise, i know. CAT PEOPLE UNITE!... Or at least lounge indifferently near eachother).

I just think- dogs are fountains of unending love for lots of people and things. Cats, however, choose maybe just ONE person to love- and even then, it's a timely thing and dependent on all the little nuances of that one person being a perfect minion to the cat. Animals in general, i think, are really higher on the moral evolutionary chain:

They don't lie, cheat, steal (except snacks, and maybe jewelery).. they are always 100% honestly themselves. They don't dabble in politics (only mind control), and have found a way to live lives of comfort, pampering, and with free healthcare.

Crunchyfrog · Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Posts: 3998

I also lean towards the cat side of things. o-)

Thunderbird · Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 12:35 pm Post subject:

I'm not entirely certain I'd like to be coming back as any Earthen creature, but since I don't know what OTHER creatures out there might exist, I'd say probably a Dog... they've got it made... well... most of them. It'd be just my luck that I'd end up being one of those strays that get put to sleep early...

@skitty: I think animals only have more advanced morality because they don't have the elements of the brain that we are so 'gifted' with to allow us to give morality consideration. Since they don't really think about it, they are naturally perfect at it. Just goes to show that its our 'advanced' minds that get us into trouble :?

Nshade · Joined: 04 Dec 2009 Posts: 30

To me I'd be a cat. A panther for that matter. (Can I ask a question? And this is for Smee? You read shrudinger's kittens latley?)

Smee · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 5215 Location: UK

Never

Nshade · Joined: 04 Dec 2009 Posts: 30

It's also about teleportation and particles, but as I've heard it's a crazy book

scissorkitty · Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 12:28 pm Post subject:

Well.. just to butt in, the theory of Shroedinger's Cat, it's all about quantum mechanics and theories about reality.. so i guess that cat's kittens must be all kinds of messed up in science. :P

Phang · Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 1:32 pm Post subject:

A whale. Wooshing about, doing whatever, avoiding the Japanese.

Geek_girl72 · Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 5:56 am Post subject:

Hands down I'd be a Minotaur

Phang · Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 9:45 am Post subject:

Not fair, I didn't know mythical creatures counted.

Shady Stoat · Joined: 02 Oct 2005 Posts: 2950 Location: England

New question then :)

Someone has loaned you their time machine, for one trip only. When would you go, and what would you do?

Just for clarity, there are no consequences to stepping on ants and killing your own grandmothers etc. Whatever you do on the trip will not affect your current life adversely. :cool:

Crunchyfrog · Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Posts: 3998

Ah. Now Lordy is supposed to be building me a time machine because we were planning on going on a historic holiday. :D

Personally I'd like just to pop back 150 years ago, if only to see what the area where I live looked like back then, when all the old buildings around were new. And maybe ride that old commuter line I know so well when it was first built.

I would be also be fascinated to go back to those periods where there is little written evidence about what went on - and see what the people were really like. I'd like to watch what happened when Stonehenge was actually in use. :)

Emperor · Joined: 02 Nov 2004 Posts: 477 Location: San Diego, CA

This thread reminds me of the old QOD days, love reading these replies.

Thunderbird · Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 12:55 pm Post subject:

wow... that'd be a tough one. Always wanted to see dinosaurs but ONE trip?!? Yeah, maybe Sumerian times but wow what a culture shock that'd be, or perhaps go live with the Native Americans before we whiteys ruined the continent, but probably I'd just go back and help myself out to avoid all those critically bad decisions I've made since High School... :lol:

Geek_girl72 · Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 2:02 pm Post subject:

Assuming that traveling in distance isn't a problem for the time machine, I'd go the Renaissance. Despite all the differences, there were some strong cultural similarities, and would be an exciting time to live in for a while.

My second choice would be traveling about a thousand or so years into the Future, Phillip J. Fry style.

scissorkitty · Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 6:40 am Post subject:

OOo! F5 Crunchy about the Stonehenge idea. That would be pretty wicked. Medieval or pre-medieval times, i suppose, if I could bring along a camper with a functional washroom and a wee bit of hand sanitizer? :) Back to the 1940s so I could stock up on clothes and accessories on the cheap!

Zeke · Joined: 31 Jul 2009 Posts: 56

The problem with time travel is that I'd just keep getting older while the rest of the world didn't. Let's add a caveat that I wouldn't age. I'd also need a little prep time. I'd need to learn Arabic.

HalfEmptyHero · Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 7:32 pm Post subject:

Zeke wrote: The problem with time travel is that I'd just keep getting older while the rest of the world didn't. Let's add a caveat that I wouldn't age. I'd also need a little prep time. I'd need to learn Arabic.

اللغة العربية؟ لماذا تحتاج إلى تعرف تلك؟
Trans: The Arabic Language? Why do you need to learn that?

DeadManWalking · Joined: 24 May 2006 Posts: 1005

Just to be the person who decides to wish for more wishes, I'd transport myself to the future where time travel machines widespread and easy to use, get one, and use that instead.

:P