Christian Geek Central Forums

Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.

The Online Community Of Christian Geek Central


+3
UKSteve
AdamCollings
Paeter
7 posters

    Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question)

    Paeter
    Paeter
    Admin


    Posts : 5708
    Activity : 8030
    Geek-Cred : 60
    Join date : 2010-02-17
    Age : 45
    Location : Mesa, AZ

    Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question) Empty Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question)

    Post  Paeter July 20th 2017, 9:37 am

    There are two modes to this question.

    First, take your pick of a super power or power set (yeah, I'm being more generous than you usually get with this kind of question) and then describe what crazy fun fantasy you'd fulfill with it.

    At least CHOOSE that power/power set now before even reading the next part... (scroll down)






































    After describing your crazy fun power fantasy, give the situation a big dose of psychological realism. How do you think you would REALLY react to suddenly discovering you had this power? Would you tell anyone? Would you REALLY try to do any good with it? What would you say if people found out? (Answer any or all of these questions or just give some general thoughts about how you think the situation could realistically play out.)


    I usually go first when introducing topics like this, but I don't want to influence any thoughts accidentally. So who wants to jump in first instead?
    AdamCollings
    AdamCollings


    Posts : 1332
    Activity : 1755
    Geek-Cred : 11
    Join date : 2013-12-10
    Age : 45
    Location : Tasmania, Australia

    Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question) Empty Re: Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question)

    Post  AdamCollings July 21st 2017, 1:44 am

    I choose flying plus super speed ('cause flying is kinda useless without the speed)
    If I could push it a little further I'd also choose super strength, so I could carry people and belongings. That way I could save a fortune on air travel, just shuttle my family about. Really useful when you live in an island state.

    Plus, I've always wanted to fly like Superman, just because it's cool.


    So .. how I'd really react.
    Well, I'd probably freak out at first. My biggest question would be "How did I acquire this ability?"
    After I either obtain the answer, or realised I'd never know, I suppose I'd move on, but that question would always haunt me if left un-answered.
    If the ability had come through some kind of mutation or accident, I'd probably be quite squeamish and disturbed about it all.  affraid

    I would tell my wife straight away. I'd show her, because otherwise, she'd probably think me crazy (she's a mental health nurse after all)

    Would I use these abilities? Probably.
    Would I put myself out there as a 'superhero', saving people? I honestly don't know. I'd possibly be too timid and shy to do so at first, instead choosing to hide in denial, but I'd like to think I'd take this ability to God and seek his will for its use.
    Paeter
    Paeter
    Admin


    Posts : 5708
    Activity : 8030
    Geek-Cred : 60
    Join date : 2010-02-17
    Age : 45
    Location : Mesa, AZ

    Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question) Empty Re: Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question)

    Post  Paeter July 21st 2017, 8:49 am

    Well this may be obvious to some, but I'd go with the Green Lantern power set. "Force Manipulation" they call it in the DC Heroes RPG. Even if flying isn't in the bundle I could make a jet pack or wings when I wanted that. I'd start by doing some serious flying for sure. Then I would just go around squishing people who talk during movies at the theater.

    Okay, for realsies, though...

    I would freak the crap out. I might even think I'd lost my mind until the day I die. How? Why me? And why doesn't the Bible give any hint that something like this might happen to someone before Jesus returns? This is more power than any prophet, Jesus included, displayed on earth. Why no mention of this event happening to me! Am I the anti-Christ? Am I Jesus? Logic would go out the window and I would explore all the most insane theories before finally going nuts, I think.

    I would tell my wife for sure. And at least one or two pastors or elders at our church, I think. Then I'd probably spend however much time I needed to confidently get me and my family off-grid before doing anything public. Even if I was trying to help, the world would freak and plenty would cry "demon" or "anti-Christ" and go for me or my family, I'm sure.

    Much as the light fantasy is great, I can't imagine the realistic version ending well at all.
    UKSteve
    UKSteve


    Posts : 270
    Activity : 354
    Geek-Cred : 10
    Join date : 2010-07-09
    Location : England

    Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question) Empty Re: Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question)

    Post  UKSteve July 21st 2017, 10:16 am

    I'd choose time manipulation, mainly because my time travel bucketlist (we all have those, right?) is so long.

    I'd also go back to all those times when I came up with the perfect witty response or put-down about three days after the conversation/argument, and leave myself a note of what to say. And I'd stop off in 2004, having finished my first novel, and tell myself that yes, actually ebooks are going to be a thing, hold onto that manuscript for a couple more years and instead of spending money on printed copies, buy a kindle - it's an ebook reader, you'll figure it out - buy a kindle - no, I don't know why it's called that, but that's really not important - just buy one as soon as you hear of them, and learn to make ebooks for it.

    Then on my way back I'd stop off a minute or two before Paeter started this thread and post this reply with no explanation, just to mess with his head...



    In reality... I'd probably do something really stupid like freeze time, panic, and render myself completely incapable of thinking clearly enough to unfreeze it. Or in a sudden movement to avoid killing a butterfly in the past, accidentally kill my grandfather.

    I'd almost certainly be so tempted to do something self-destructive and/or illegal while time was frozen (just because I can) that I'd spend a near eternity just wrestling with my conscience about how (or if) I should use this ability. Yeah, I could really level up my procrastination skills with that kind of superpower...
    Reed Benson
    Reed Benson


    Posts : 313
    Activity : 406
    Geek-Cred : 1
    Join date : 2016-09-13
    Age : 40
    Location : China

    Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question) Empty Re: Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question)

    Post  Reed Benson July 21st 2017, 8:50 pm

    For the longest time, I've desired to have the power of Cypher from the New Mutants: the ability to speak, write, and understand all languages. This, of course, is really just an emphasis of my laziness and lack of motivation to actually work hard and learn another language (particularly Mandarin). I'd rather be able to just download it like how Trinity became a helicopter pilot in The Matrix.

    While being fully fluent in every language would make travelling easier, it would also make living in China much less stressful right now. And from an outreach perspective, I would have a much better chance at building relationships with my neighbors here so as to more effectively share the Good News with them. This, in turn, would make me feel a lot more useful.

    I don't know if I would freak out when I discovered this power, but I would probably sit on it for a few days, testing it out in secret before telling any of my friends. I'd be afraid that it would disappear as quickly as it came. I'd show my wife right away, though; she'd probably be my main test subject! Publicly, I might be better served using it only around people I don't yet know well at first. People I do know would ask questions, and I'd be worried that the government might come after me to find out how I got the ability and how they can harness it. I wouldn't want to lie, but I'd probably want to give the impression that I was studying hard and improving quickly rather than just suddenly knowing everything.

    (You know, now that I see Paeter's choice of the Green Lantern's power set, I'm reminded that a Green Lantern ring does include an instant translator...)
    Rohelf
    Rohelf


    Posts : 100
    Activity : 142
    Geek-Cred : 0
    Join date : 2010-07-08
    Age : 42
    Location : Louisville, KY

    Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question) Empty Re: Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question)

    Post  Rohelf July 23rd 2017, 5:56 pm

    Telekinesis for me. It's a nice versatile power, and if you use it discreetly, no one will even realize that you're the one moving things around.

    If I woke up one day and realized I could actually do that, I'd probably have a quick freakout, run some tests to confirm I can actually do what I think I can do, and try to decide whether I should go to the doctor and make sure there's nothing wrong with me or AVOID the doctor from now on because they might detect me somehow. Freak out a bit more. Definitely tell my boyfriend (we actually have a rule about this- we both hate stories where the superhero is constantly lying to his/her SO). I seriously doubt I'd tell anyone else. Try to figure out why me. Try to figure out if there's any way I can use this power to make money without giving myself away. Try to figure out exactly the limits of my abilities.

    Doing good? Honestly, I doubt I would go looking for good to do. If the opportunity to do good dropped itself in front of me, and I didn't actively dislike the person, I probably would. But otherwise, I'd probably just use my powers to make my life easier. In fact, I'd probably do some mild evil with it. Because hey, who can blame me if my enemy trips and faceplants? Or a tree falls on their car? I'm all the way over here. I didn't do anything. (Hey, you said you wanted honesty.)
    AdamCollings
    AdamCollings


    Posts : 1332
    Activity : 1755
    Geek-Cred : 11
    Join date : 2013-12-10
    Age : 45
    Location : Tasmania, Australia

    Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question) Empty Re: Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question)

    Post  AdamCollings July 23rd 2017, 6:24 pm

    Rohelf wrote:  Definitely tell my boyfriend (we actually have a rule about this- we both hate stories where the superhero is constantly lying to his/her SO).

    I love that you have a rule about getting super powers. That's a true geek relationship!
    Rohelf
    Rohelf


    Posts : 100
    Activity : 142
    Geek-Cred : 0
    Join date : 2010-07-08
    Age : 42
    Location : Louisville, KY

    Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question) Empty Re: Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question)

    Post  Rohelf July 24th 2017, 2:11 pm

    AdamCollings wrote:
    Rohelf wrote:  Definitely tell my boyfriend (we actually have a rule about this- we both hate stories where the superhero is constantly lying to his/her SO).

    I love that you have a rule about getting super powers. That's a true geek relationship!

    Yeah, the two of us together form a critical mass of geekiness. Wink

    Actually, the rule goes further than that. If he develops superpowers that are in any way insect- or arachnid-based, I reserve the right to leave him. If it's just that his powers come from a bug bite, he can stay if he promises me the bug is dead and his actual powers are not too gross. (Organic webshooters are potentially really gross.) If it's just that he commands bugs, he can stay if he promises never to do it in the house or within 10 feet of me. If it alters his body to appear buglike, no, I'm sorry, I'll give him a fair division of our mutual stuff, we can maybe still be friends, but we're done as a couple. I just can't deal with bugs.
    ComiKate
    ComiKate


    Posts : 326
    Activity : 410
    Geek-Cred : 21
    Join date : 2012-07-01
    Location : Netherlands

    Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question) Empty Re: Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question)

    Post  ComiKate July 26th 2017, 12:09 pm

    This is such a fun post to read, you guys have awesome ideas!

    It's probably for the best I don't have Superman's or Wonder Woman's powers, though I would love to be superstrong, superfast, invulnarable, have laser eyes and be able to fly. I would probably develop a serious god complex.

    Even worse would be any magic or Jedi superpowers, which is what I'd truly desire as a superpower. I think I'd enjoy the power way too much and though I might do some good with it, I'd probably fall to the dark side without even realizing it (hello Anakin in SWIII).
    All the way I would have a perpetual super guilt trip over my sin of being either a witch (if a magician/jedi) or some transhumanist aberration (if superman) or - apparently - a nefilim halfgod (if wonder woman).

    That being said, it would be fun to have superpowers though Cool
    AdamCollings
    AdamCollings


    Posts : 1332
    Activity : 1755
    Geek-Cred : 11
    Join date : 2013-12-10
    Age : 45
    Location : Tasmania, Australia

    Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question) Empty Re: Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question)

    Post  AdamCollings July 26th 2017, 6:28 pm

    The more I read this thread and think about it, the more I realise the origin of the abilities would have just as much psychological impact as the abilities themselves.

    Katja mentioned feeling guilty if she had Jedi powers because they're a little too close to witchcraft for comfort.
    I wonder how this would all change if we assume the superpowers were a spiritual gift from the Holy Spirit.
    AdamCollings
    AdamCollings


    Posts : 1332
    Activity : 1755
    Geek-Cred : 11
    Join date : 2013-12-10
    Age : 45
    Location : Tasmania, Australia

    Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question) Empty Re: Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question)

    Post  AdamCollings July 26th 2017, 6:30 pm

    In fact, I kind of explored that in my very first (unpublished and unpublishable) novel manuscript. A character was a human/alien hybrid, caused by experimentation by a secret agency. He had telepathic abilities, from his alien heritage. He was also a Christian.
    He was a little messed up by this, because telepathy was a small step away from "psychic" which he considered sinful.
    Paeter
    Paeter
    Admin


    Posts : 5708
    Activity : 8030
    Geek-Cred : 60
    Join date : 2010-02-17
    Age : 45
    Location : Mesa, AZ

    Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question) Empty Re: Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question)

    Post  Paeter July 27th 2017, 9:09 am

    AdamCollings wrote:
    I wonder how this would all change if we assume the superpowers were a spiritual gift from the Holy Spirit.
    That's kind of where I would try to go. It would still be really hard to fathom, as the kind of powers I selected were fare more spectacular than anything God has done (on a one-shot basis or regularly) through a human in all of known history, including Jesus! So from there I would wonder if I am somehow part of his plans for the events described in Daniel or Revelation. I mean, this kind of thing would be far more than "wars and rumors of wars". It sounds "apocalyptic"!

    But yeah, assuming it was from God somehow would still be the most sane path for me to take, I think, despite the huge remaining questions that would leave.
    ComiKate
    ComiKate


    Posts : 326
    Activity : 410
    Geek-Cred : 21
    Join date : 2012-07-01
    Location : Netherlands

    Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question) Empty Re: Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question)

    Post  ComiKate July 27th 2017, 5:18 pm

    Paeter wrote:
    AdamCollings wrote:
    I wonder how this would all change if we assume the superpowers were a spiritual gift from the Holy Spirit.
    That's kind of where I would try to go.
    If they were we would have to be in our new spiritual bodies. #superawesome

    If I got any real superpowers in this life, I don't think they would come from God. I would assume the worst and probably seek deliverance.
    Reed Benson
    Reed Benson


    Posts : 313
    Activity : 406
    Geek-Cred : 1
    Join date : 2016-09-13
    Age : 40
    Location : China

    Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question) Empty Re: Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question)

    Post  Reed Benson July 28th 2017, 4:50 am

    ComiKate wrote:If I got any real superpowers in this life, I don't think they would come from God. I would assume the worst and probably seek deliverance.

    I've mulled over this concept for a story or two I've wanted to write. I've got a werewolf character and a vampire character both in my head, and I've been wanting to explore them trying to embrace Christianity. I've had trouble coming up with ways that it could work without ending it with them either going evil or being healed in a cheesy manner.

    On top of that is the fear that having a character like this accept both their Christianity and their "powers" might come across as me saying the church should accept certain things that I actually don't think it should.

    Still thinking.
    ComiKate
    ComiKate


    Posts : 326
    Activity : 410
    Geek-Cred : 21
    Join date : 2012-07-01
    Location : Netherlands

    Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question) Empty Re: Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question)

    Post  ComiKate July 28th 2017, 4:12 pm

    Reed Benson wrote:
    ComiKate wrote:If I got any real superpowers in this life, I don't think they would come from God. I would assume the worst and probably seek deliverance.

    I've mulled over this concept for a story or two I've wanted to write. I've got a werewolf character and a vampire character both in my head, and I've been wanting to explore them trying to embrace Christianity. I've had trouble coming up with ways that it could work without ending it with them either going evil or being healed in a cheesy manner.

    On top of that is the fear that having a character like this accept both their Christianity and their "powers" might come across as me saying the church should accept certain things that I actually don't think it should.

    Still thinking.

    Interesting concept. And I get your dilemma.
    Perhaps the story could be a character study about their inner wrestlings. Like their struggle with staying on the right path in spite of their being a vampire/werewolf. And/or not practicing their powers. It could be scifi literature.  
    However, if I'm going to be boring and take this out of the realm of fantasy, I'm thinking there's no way you could be an undead creature and a christian at the same time. The one excludes the other.
    So perhaps your undead characters could develop some kind of desire to shed their unholy lives. Perhaps they could encounter some interesting warrior people of God which after some furious struggles could - maybe - lead to their conversion. Which would require your undead ones to voluntarily give up their somewhat godlike powers - sort of a Jesus's temptation in the desert moment. What would they choose....? And would this be the end of your story, or only just the beginning...?

    Anyway, as many here have told me the past couple of days in the creative content creators post: "Don't give up!"
    Reed Benson
    Reed Benson


    Posts : 313
    Activity : 406
    Geek-Cred : 1
    Join date : 2016-09-13
    Age : 40
    Location : China

    Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question) Empty Re: Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question)

    Post  Reed Benson July 28th 2017, 5:52 pm

    ComiKate wrote:
    Interesting concept. And I get your dilemma.
    Perhaps the story could be a character study about their inner wrestlings. Like their struggle with staying on the right path in spite of their being a vampire/werewolf. And/or not practicing their powers. It could be scifi literature.  
    However, if I'm going to be boring and take this out of the realm of fantasy, I'm thinking there's no way you could be an undead creature and a christian at the same time. The one excludes the other.
    So perhaps your undead characters could develop some kind of desire to shed their unholy lives. Perhaps they could encounter some interesting warrior people of God which after some furious struggles could - maybe - lead to their conversion. Which would require your undead ones to voluntarily give up their somewhat godlike powers - sort of a Jesus's temptation in the desert moment. What would they choose....? And would this be the end of your story, or only just the beginning...?

    Anyway, as many here have told me the past couple of days in the creative content creators post: "Don't give up!"

    Thanks. I never thought to make that connection with the desert temptation. That definitely gives me more to consider. Idea

    P.S., sorry if I derailed the thread, but when I saw someone bring up a similar topic to what I'd been thinking, I felt like I couldn't waste the opportunity for input.

    Paeter
    Paeter
    Admin


    Posts : 5708
    Activity : 8030
    Geek-Cred : 60
    Join date : 2010-02-17
    Age : 45
    Location : Mesa, AZ

    Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question) Empty Re: Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question)

    Post  Paeter July 31st 2017, 9:33 am

    Reed Benson wrote:
    I've mulled over this concept for a story or two I've wanted to write. I've got a werewolf character and a vampire character both in my head, and I've been wanting to explore them trying to embrace Christianity. I've had trouble coming up with ways that it could work without ending it with them either going evil or being healed in a cheesy manner.

    One route could be to remove the supernatural elements and treat them as biological conditions, as the Underworld movies largely do.
    Reed Benson
    Reed Benson


    Posts : 313
    Activity : 406
    Geek-Cred : 1
    Join date : 2016-09-13
    Age : 40
    Location : China

    Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question) Empty Re: Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question)

    Post  Reed Benson August 1st 2017, 10:03 pm

    Paeter wrote:
    Reed Benson wrote:
    I've mulled over this concept for a story or two I've wanted to write. I've got a werewolf character and a vampire character both in my head, and I've been wanting to explore them trying to embrace Christianity. I've had trouble coming up with ways that it could work without ending it with them either going evil or being healed in a cheesy manner.

    One route could be to remove the supernatural elements and treat them as biological conditions, as the Underworld movies largely do.

    That's one way I've been trying to make it work, but my thought process has been complicated. I've had trouble coming up with an origin for the condition(s). And then I see a squirrel...
    engmuffin
    engmuffin


    Posts : 6
    Activity : 8
    Geek-Cred : 0
    Join date : 2015-01-13
    Age : 34
    Location : Sussex, England

    Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question) Empty Re: Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question)

    Post  engmuffin January 23rd 2020, 12:12 pm

    As much as I love writing about characters with all sorts of superpowers or magical powers or whatever, there's only one I would really want in real life, and that's a teleporting power. (A safe one, obviously.) And a teleporting power that also allows me to take other people with me.

    For the big things, it would remove all obstacles to seeing my brother and his family, who live on a different continent. No cost, no jet lag, just pop across the Atlantic for a coffee and a cuddle with my baby niece, and come back again. Also I have a very long list of places in the world I want to travel to, but no funds for it and travelling exhausts me. I could go anywhere on my bucket list without having to fly or stay overnight, just pop home to bed and go back the next morning.

    For the small things, I'm a bit scatterbrained, so it would cut down on the amount of walking around I do whenever I'm looking for something. And if I could teleport objects to me, even better. I'd never lose anything again!
    Paeter
    Paeter
    Admin


    Posts : 5708
    Activity : 8030
    Geek-Cred : 60
    Join date : 2010-02-17
    Age : 45
    Location : Mesa, AZ

    Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question) Empty Re: Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question)

    Post  Paeter January 24th 2020, 11:47 am

    engmuffin wrote:there's only one I would really want in real life, and that's a teleporting power.

    it would remove all obstacles to seeing my brother and his family, who live on a different continent.

    So fun to see this topic revived! I went back and read some old responses and enjoyed them all over again.

    I thought about my choice and the benefits of yours, then thought how I could still fly across oceans if I needed to, it might just take a few hours. But then I realized I might easily get lost or lose my sense of direction over the ocean. Then I thought, well I could use the GPS on my phone. Then I imagined possibly dropping the phone into the ocean accidentally while trying to change from one podcast to another. Then I imagined how I would probably panic until I found land and civilization somewhere to get help. Then I remembered this is all in my imagination and I have work to do.

    LOL!

    Thanks for the little break!

    Sponsored content


    Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question) Empty Re: Your Choice Of Superpower (A Silly AND Serious Question)

    Post  Sponsored content


      Current date/time is March 28th 2024, 7:35 pm