Let us be honest: If you were super...

[Bells]

So, let me just get this out there for the main question

Basically, if not all of us most of us can "self classify" as nerd, geek, dork etc etc etc... right?

And the main point of the label is "to be definied as different", and in the world as a whole, different is still bad ... And i wouldn't be surprised if a few os us here got bullied or laugh at because we knew the name of the first 151 pokemon after the afe of 20.

That being said... the ultimate Nerd fantasy is that "Different = Superior" as in, people hate you because you are smarter or "gifted" and, so, make them be aware of their own dumbness or limitations.

So, ok.

Now let's hop to fantasy... what if you actually WERE different? Super powers, Magic Abilities, mutant powers, unique skills or maybe you have a freaking laser gun or giant robot from space, i dunno.

At this point, if you were honest to yourself... in today's age, where would it all go? Would you join your countrie's military force? Would you oppose it? Would you be a prick going after everyone that ever done you wrong? Would you go in defense of those people against the other people that gained super status?

[Krylo]

Conquer the world, and then get all SMB on its ass.

[Nikose Tyris]

I'd keep it a secret and annoy the ever loving piss out of everyone.

[Overcast]

It really just depends on what they gave me. Different powers ask for different activities.

[Amake]

I want super motivation so I can get my stories done and people will read them and have super fun.

Or if we're going more fantastical I'd build another planet on the other side of the sun to hang with my friends and fly and laser shit in peace. Or maybe I already did that.

[Geminex]

Conquer the world, and then get all SMB on its ass.

Prediction: You would have to contend with the half million other nerds who also want to rule the world.
Prediction: One of them would be me.

[Kim]

Re-enact the Watchmen.

[Melfice]

Probably nothing much.
Certainly not go public.

If I can help out somewhere, I'd use those powers, but I'd try to use it covertly. Bad shit happens when it becomes known you're a super.

[MuMu]

Fly all day and not give a single shit

[Professor Smarmiarty]

My existence contradicts my own beliefs- showing a predetermined overclass with potential that cannot be reached by the masses, genetic predeterminism. Nazis were correct. Massive existential dilemma. Suicide

[ChaoticBrain]

If I was invisible, then I could just watch you in your room.

[Bells]

If I was invisible, then I could just watch you in your room.

What? No spooning? You selfish bastard!

I would love to have a super science lab, cause that way i could recruit the lot of you fuckers and send you on missions while i play tetris all day.

But you all would get your own Voltrons from me, so it's all good.

[Torque]

But you all would get your own Voltrons from me, so it's all good.

Fuck Voltrons. I want a giant goddamned Tyrannosaurus Rex!
Also, I agree that different powers ask for different activities.
FURTHER, I would love to say I'd be all http://www.audiobooksonline.com/media/By-the-Light-of-the-Moon-Dean-R-Koontz-unabridged-compact-discs-Random-House-Audiobooks.jpg with my powers. You know... secret society of badass crimefighters yo.
And can we call our super secret hero base "The Catapult"?
Seriously, play FF5 and then tell me it's not the most awesome thing to call your base.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Prediction: You would have to contend with the half million other nerds who also want to rule the world.
Prediction: One of them would be me.

And another is me. Though it would entirely depend on what powers I got really. High level TK; world conquering. Teleportation; international supertheif. etc etc.

As long as I don't get stuck with something shit, like telepathy.

[Geminex]

Hey, telepathy is awesome!
Broadcast your thoughts directly into others minds? Do you have any idea how effective that is at winning people over?

[Marc v4.0]

I would be such a super villian

[bluestarultor]

Probably do absolutely nothing with them, just like most of my innate abilities.

Put simply, I'm trying to have a life. If someone found out I could nuke the moon with eye lazorz, things would get in the way of that. Really, having that kind of power is more trouble than it's worth and trying to live normally is for the best unless someone's already found out about it, in which case you'd be best off using them in your own defense if necessary.

In the case of a world like Marvel's, having massive numbers of people like that just means witch hunts and wars.

Basically, if you can the ability to fart lightning, best idea under all circumstances is to keep it under your hat.

[Marc v4.0]

a smoldering hat that smells funny?

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Hey, telepathy is awesome!
Broadcast your thoughts directly into others minds? Do you have any idea how effective that is at winning people over?

It really isn't though, what with the usual inability to not switch it off and being overburdened with other peoples thoughts bullshit. Ok yeah it may be useful for like, blackmailing people and whatever, but do you really wanna know what shit people are thinking? Really??

[Grimpond]

I'd have a magical character sheet of myself, complete with a magic pencil to alter it as i see fit

[bluestarultor]

It really isn't though, what with the usual inability to not switch it off and being overburdened with other peoples thoughts bullshit. Ok yeah it may be useful for like, blackmailing people and whatever, but do you really wanna know what shit people are thinking? Really??

Aside from that, people don't think in pure, clean sentences, either. It's more like stream-of-consciousness writing only even less coherent and with no goal to arrive at or real point to the narrative. Thoughts are generally a huge, jumbled mess of half-ideas, concepts, and rapid flitting around unless a person is actually focused on something.

Assuming you can, in fact, be selective about it, you'll quickly find most people are concerned with very basic things once you pick through it all anyway.

[Azisien]

Very basic, sexy things.

[Krylo]

The only time the inability to shut it off/be selective is prevalent, is when someone is trying to write some kind of mutant superpower version of 'be careful what you wished for'. Xavier can shut it off, Martian Manhunter can shut it off, Jean Grey can shut it off, etc. etc.

Also: Mind Control--Part of telepathy.

[Funka Genocide]

Given the state of the economy at this point, I think being not poor actually constitutes a super power.

Living the fucking dream yo.

[Pip Boy]

I'd take Omnivoyance. No combination of super strength and laser eyes will ever be able to compare with the power to know what is happening in all places at all times. I would, of course, find some way to use it to cheat at gambling and to watch every single girl in the entire world at the same time.

[The Sevenshot Kid]

I honestly wish I could just have Superman or the Flash's powers. I'm not naive or some guy who thinks he's morally superior to everyone, but I would genuinely want to help people. All my biggest role models (who aren't writers) are people who are cops or in the military and they've instilled in me a desire to do good. So yeah, no world domination or crime waves, just me trying to help people. Plus, it might be a little fun to do.

[akaSM]

Basically, if you can the ability to fart lightning, best idea under all circumstances is to keep it under your hat.

Hehe, people must look funny at you when you're wearing a hat. I mean, IIRC the "hat wearing area" is normally different from the "farting area".

Also, I would probably use them in some stupid non-hero way, or even better, stay away from people (screw the civilization, I got powers) and maybe pay a visit or two and see what's mankind up to. People are such asses that maybe showing them you can do cool stuff isn't a good idea.

[Cloud Strife]

I'd keep it a secret and annoy the ever loving piss out of everyone.

Because, honestly, I never really wanted SUPER powers. I just want the ability to change my eye color at will to whatever color I choose. I could totally fuck with SO many people.

[bluestarultor]

Just to toss my hat in on the actual powers end of things, my choices would be healing and/or fire, ice, lightning, and water magic.


Healing is one of those that people would love to study, and maybe might get amoral about, but anyone with even a shred of humanity wouldn't really be able to hold it against you if you were a reasonable person. Healing is one of the few useful powers that's impossible to weaponize (since it's used for the exact opposite purpose). They'd probably do tests for a sizable chunk of the rest of your life, but ultimately, they'd probably treat you pretty well if you weren't a total wad about it. And by "total wad" I mean "well above and beyond just wanting to be left alone."

Like, seriously:
"Subject 2940275. In preparation for spending the rest of your life in a pickle jar, please state your ability."
"I cure cancer."
"Well, don't I just feel like an asshole..."



In terms of attack-based powers, having the four aforementioned elements would be useful as thus:
- fire: burn things, obviously, melt metal and plastic, destroy solids via heating and then rapidly cooling via ice or vice versa, depending on the material, light your way through dark areas, cook food, etc.
- ice: freeze things to death, encase things in ice, freeze various appendages to the ground or other surfaces, plug guns, create stairs and slides, make ice weaponry, form shields, preserve food, etc.
- lightning: destroy electronics, possibly sap energy, ball lightning is quite explosive, stop hearts, restart hearts, detonate explosives at range, zap a person from above and claim it's an act of God, etc.
- water: create drinking water for yourself easily (skipping ice+fire), wash oneself easily, help grow a garden, create obscuring mist, blast others away with nonlethal force, pull a trick with a water attack which you subsequently freeze, set up a lightning-conduction trap, put out fires for your own safety, "flight" via high-pressure streams, cut things via thin high-pressure streams, etc.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

I just want to say if your elemental powers control actual water/fire/ice/lightning and not fantasy-supercharged versions of the you couldn't do basically anything on your lists.

[bluestarultor]

I just want to say if your elemental powers control actual water/fire/ice/lightning and not fantasy-supercharged versions of the you couldn't do basically anything on your lists.

I was assuming fantasy-supercharged. Or, rather, if you'd prefer to think of it in terms of telekinetic abilities, rather than "I can make fire dance slightly differently," pyrokinesis is making atoms move so fast the material ignites/melts/whathaveyou, astrakinesis is the manipulation of electrons, cryokinesis is the slowing of atoms until they freeze, and the only thing really affected is the ability to move water, which would just be a lesser use of cryokinesis to condense it from moist air and could still be applied to most of the more passive things I listed.