Dreams of Power...

[seawasp]

Many of us have wished to have some particular superpower or supernatural ability. For most of my life, the one power I would have wanted more than any other was simply flight -- of the Superman sort, just think "Up, up and away!" and be streaking through the sky, hovering, etc. (unspoken assumption is the power comes with basic safeguards that make it reasonable to use -- i.e., I don't freeze to death or suddenly go anoxic at high altitudes, for example).

However, I've recently found a new superpower that has utterly eclipsed even flight in terms of "dear GOD I'd love to have that": From Naruto, the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu or Shadow Clone Technique. This technique allows the user to duplicate themselves (depending on how much power they have, they can duplicate themselves a LOT), with each duplicate having the skills, knowledge, etc. of the original (so they can talk, fight, etc., just like the real one), can act separately or together, and -- the clincher -- whenever they are undone (killed, banished deliberately, etc.), the ORIGINAL GETS ALL OF THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCES OF ALL OF HIS CLONES.

This has so many cool applications it's mindboggling.

So, what's YOUR dream power?

Comments

[kgbooklog.livejournal.com]

Something similar to that clone thing was used in the webcomic Flaky Pastry, starting here (though that story arc represents almost half the story so far, so you may want to start at the very beginning anyway). The bit about gaining your clone's memories is used in Derek Landy's Skulduggery Pleasant series, with some interesting ethical considerations in the second book.

For myself, I'll take regeneration.