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By: Ralf
Date: 4/18/00 6:48:23 AM
# Replies: 13
If I could choose only ONE Super Power, it would be:
#1. The power of Flight.
#2. Super Strength.
Rules:
#1 assumes a maximum of sub-sonic speed (+/-630 MPH at sea level), not supersonic nor instantaneos travel. If you travel in space you must still carry oxygen & life support with you -- this is not a free ticket to the galaxy. #2 assumes enough Super Strength to lift an aircraft carrier, and possibly hurl it, but not enough to destroy the earth or anything silly like that. Neither Super Power grants immunity from harm (or prosecution); you may be able to crush your enemies like a melon, but one six-year-old with a gun can still ruin your day. Extra fancy bonus points for those who describe their typical day using their newfound Super Power.
Response #1
By: Gowan McGland
Date: 4/18/00 8:11:42 AM
Well, given the conditions, I can't choose either. Without some type of invulnerability, both powers have a high degree of risk without the benefit of the actual power.
I can't begin to imagine the amount of damage the human body would take if it flew in excess of 200mph without the benefit of some type of protection. Even some kind of full body suit would eventually be destroyed by the increasing speed. Without invulnerability, the skin and hair would literally be ripped from your body.
Super-strength, on the other hand, wouldn't be very helpful either without some limited invulnerability for your musculature and skeletal systems. Lifting something as heavy as an aircraft carrier would rip every muscle and crush every bone in your body.
Response #2
By: Da Sissop
Date: 4/18/00 6:09:27 PM
Me, I'd pick flight. No law says I'd *have* to fly at maximum speed, does it?
I'm a big fan of birds. You know how you'll sometimes see birds walking on the ground, maybe scavenging for garbage in a parking lot, minding their own business, and you'll walk toward them and they'll see you coming, so they'll start walking away to get out of your path, but you keep walking toward them because you're intrigued by the funny little creatures, and when you're getting too close they'll suddenly flap their wings and fly off? Well I'd like to have that option.
Besides, I *hate* sitting in rush hour traffic.
Response #3
By: Homer The Brave
Date: 4/19/00 2:17:35 AM
"J'ai tendu des cordes de clocher a clocher,
des guirlands de fenetre a fenetre,
les chaines d'or d'etoile a etoile,
et je danse."
-rimbaud
Flight. I'm already strong enough to survive in the world, so why not hop from steeple to steeple?
(How many of these things are there going to be?)
Response #4
By: Ralf
Date: 4/19/00 4:36:30 AM
How many do you want?
I'm surprised nobody's interested in Super Strength. The ability to open a beer with your lips or carry a keg on your shoulder would impress an Ale House barmaid or two.
Response #5
By: rorschach
Date: 4/19/00 10:32:47 AM
actually, super strength is not a bad idea personally, Flight would be cool, but with super strength, you could essentially do the same thing... just jump high enough and you could skydive all you like.... but flight isn't able to do anything else for you.. strength can...
Response #6
By: Homer The Brave
Date: 4/19/00 11:36:30 PM
If you've got super strength enough to jump to simulate flight, do you have super strength enough to survive the landing?
Response #7
By: Gowan McGland
Date: 4/20/00 6:44:37 AM
And just how high up can you go if you've "the strength to lift an aircraft carrier"? Would you leave orbit? If so, how would you get back down?
Response #8
By: rorschach
Date: 4/20/00 10:32:22 AM
well, likely you could go onto orbit (would have to do the math but there is a helluva lot of kinetic energy in a flying aircraft carrier...)but hey, there's always parachutes....
on that subject....
I heard about a guy that during the 60's performed an experiment for NASA (dunno if this is true, just heard it) where he dived out of the gondola of a high altitude balloon (higher than any aircraft can fly) while wearing a space suit and parachute to see if it were possible for a human to survive the descent. apparently he did, but the aerodynamic heating was rather high.
Response #9
By: Ralf
Date: 4/20/00 12:40:45 PM
It's true. Must be so because I saw it on Discovery channel.
He skydived from a little less than 90000 feet. It was supposed to be 75000 feet but he got tangled up in his harness and couldn't free himself. Meanwhile the gondola's still rising.
At that height wind resistance was nothing -- things were nearly silent. After a few miles it quickly built to a roar and then the fun started with aerobraking...
Response #10
By: rorschach
Date: 4/21/00 10:15:11 AM
cool, I'll have to get somebody to tape it for me (not having cable/Sat TV and all.....)
Response #11
By: Seventh of Seven
Date: 4/28/00 3:24:56 PM
i think the answer all depends on if you have to wear a cape when you fly.
on a related note: which is sexier in your partner: super strength or the ability to fly?
What if your partner only has genital talent?
Response #12
By: Homer The Brave
Date: 4/28/00 10:30:24 PM
I think the prospect of sex with someone who is flying is a really attractive one.
Response #13
By: Zane T. Dark
Date: 4/28/00 10:44:10 PM
While super strength might be inviting, would there be a chance that if someone spooked you while you were putting your contacts in that you'd jab yourself in the brain? Would a simple, but violent sneeze break your neck or result in lung matter on your hanky?
I'd take flight myself. Then I would take a trip to Toys R Us and buy the biggest, nastiest Super Soaker, water rifle I could find. Fill it full of ice water, and sneak up on people in traffic talking on thier cell phones and *bang*, right in the window!
Or get an industrial size containter of shoe polish and write "Zane Was Here, and Boy Are His Arms Tired!" or "Don't Panic" on randomly selected skyrise windows downtown. Or better yet, take a quick flight to Redmond and write 'Bill Gates wets himself' on every window in the Microsoft complex, then wisk away.
I'd build a big ballon shaped like a flying saucer with a flood light in the bottom of it,then float it over the park at noon with everyone watching, activate the light, and float up into the balloon kicking and screaming 'I don't want an anal probe!'
Or put on a robe and walk across Lake Conroe to harrass the bass fishermen.
...the possibilities are endless...