Writer's Block: Super-human

[seawasp]

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TheFull-power (as in, assume I have lots and lots of power to back it up) version of "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu", the duplicate-yourself power from Naruto. It has an INCREDIBLE number of applications in real life as well as in superhero situations, especially when you have enough power to manage not just one, but dozens or even hundreds of yourself.

Comments

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

Just imagine what you could accomplish with all those clones!

[seawasp]

It's even better than it seems. With Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, when you dismiss the clones -- which you can do at any time -- you keep all the knowledge and experience of all the clones, AND IT IS ADDITIVE DIRECTLY. This means that if, for instance, I decided I wanted to learn martial arts, I could go take some lessons and then go practice with, say, 100 clones for a few days, and when I went back the next week it would be as though I had practiced for a YEAR.

[shanejayell.livejournal.com]

Two versions of you to write and proof a manuscript? *lol*

[seawasp]

The clone process doesn't give you abilities you don't have; I don't "proof" manuscripts. :)

[rasmusb.livejournal.com]

But what you start arguing plot points with yourself?

Or is it more like 1 brain - multiple arms?

[ross-teneyck.livejournal.com]

I have two choices bucking for my "what superpower would I choose" slot:

(1) Wolverine-style regeneration. Not only does this allow you to laugh at most any injury short of complete disintegration, it also means you don't have to worry about cancer, diabetes, asthma, heart disease, HIV, or any of the other unpleasant conditions that tend to bump us off. Also also it means your lifespan is greatly extended.

(2) Global-range teleportation, a la the movie Jumper (haven't read the book, although I'm assured it's better.) You could visit every place in the world you were even remotely interested in, without having to take extensive vacations and spend massive amounts of money on travel expenses. Plus, it would take all the sting out of commuting to work.

It would be a tough choice between those two. I'd probably have to come down on the side of regeneration for my first pick, though.

The Book is Different

[tamahori]

It's mainly a 'coming of age' story, with very little of the direct conflict that shows up in the movie. Jumping also works somewhat differently, and ... well, really, there isn't much in common between the two books once a) other Jumpers show up (never happens in the book) or a dedicated anti-jumping group shows up (also, never happens in the book).

In some ways the sequel book, Reflex, is a bit more like the movie, but still radically different. I rather liked the two books, but your mileage may vary.

On the actual topic of this thread, I can never decide on a super-power ... though when I'm building characters for games, I've got a real tendency to go for 'summoner' style characters ... though that's a cheat, because those kinds of characters, like your comic book mages, can generally find a way to mimic any other given ability (in the case of a summoner, summoning up something to do it for them).

-- Brett

[ckd]

I'd also have to go with healing factor/regen. Major bonus points if it's communicable in some way (blood transfusions?) or replicable (a spell, or Suitably Advanced NanoTech Indistinguishable From Magic™) so that I'm not the only one who can take advantage of it.

[kengr]

The first two books (yes, there was a sequel) are pretty good, and very different from the movie.

The third book runs sort of a riff off the movie.

[von-krag.livejournal.com]

#1 Reed Richards/Dr Doom intelligence

or

#2 Magical device building, forcing physics to do just what you want

[sub-musashi.livejournal.com]

Do you have control over them, or do they have free will? The latter could get messy.

[seawasp]

They have free will, but know what the purpose of their creation was, and that EVEN IF THEY'RE KILLED all their experience is not lost -- in other words, "you" can't die unless the original dies.

Watching multiple people use it, all the duplicates know that they are duplicates, even though there's no apparent way for anyone ELSE to tell unless you KILL them.

Also, they have a finite lifespan (though with sufficient power that lifespan is measurable in many hours), so it's not like going solo is an option.

[rasmusb.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... not sure if it's a super-power -- but shapeshifting. Being able to take an animal form yet keep your human intellect -- that would be fun. :D

(Not to mention the usually benefits of increased/instant regeneration, heightened senses {sight, smell} & strength).

[burger-eater.livejournal.com]

I still have to go with Flash-level superspeed. Read an entire library in a day? Love to.

[kengr]

Well, my pick is likely the "power" (more a related suite of abilities that are all essentially derived from a sort of TK/gravity thing. That gives flight, (limited) forcefield around self, and several other things.

I even worked out that it'd give some "super strength" with limits in that even if you are actually using a forcefield "skin" as a sort of powered armor, you can't *move* any faster than normal. Which puts some interesting limits on some of the usual "super strength" stunts. :-)

[seawasp]

If we're taking SUITES of powers derived from one thing, I'd be tempted to take the power of The Defender, one of my first superhero characters. Technically had only ONE power: the power to be able to fly ten times as fast as anything made by mankind. But it came with the ability to survive USING the power, so effectively gave invulnerability, super-strength, adaption, super-senses, etc.

[kengr]

That's sort of how the "I can fly" stuff evolved over the decades from a few dreams (and daydreams).

Flying at any sort of speed pretty much requires a personal force field for streamlining. Then you need that plus something else for "life support" once you get more than 20-30,000 feet up.

Now that I'm trying to shoehorn the character into the Whateley universe, all sorts of interesting goodies are dropping out of the basic power set.

Also sets up for a lot of "say what" moments for the powers testing boffins.

[kengr]

Hmm. Secondary thought. The "finder" ability combined with the sort of twisty mind any SF-fan/gamer/author has allows for a lot of fun tricks.

It also lets you live comfortably if it's "general" enough to let you find lost silver and gold stuff or old buried cash.

On the other hand, it's a real downer if it'll let you figure out where that missing person on the news (or worse, missing kid) is... Because even if they are alive, getting the cops to pay attention in time and *without* getting you either arrested as a possible accomplice (or becoming the target of everybody smart enough to figure out how useful you are)...

[lilfluff.livejournal.com]

Jumping in a year later, I've realized a few things about this answer.

1. I'm stealing it. I do believe it's now my answer to the "What super-power do you want?" question.

2. It's also a great technique to have when attending conventions. This past year I actually had a case where there were five simultaneous panels that I would have liked to have attended. A few clones would have been nice right about then.

3. I agree with you that you couldn't Man-Month a novel into existence in a day by just producing a few dozen clones. And if you don't do proofing well, you could still pop off a few clones to do last minute research, keep the coffee cup full, all that personal assistant stuff but without needing a paycheck.

3b. Day Job or Writing? Yes. Clone for one, you for the other. If not for the inevitable visit from the local IRS agent, one could go for wealth enhancement by holding down multiple jobs at the same time. "Yes, we see you attached twelve W2s to your form 1040. Two full time jobs, advances on three books, ... and finally that you were also working the night shift at KwikiMart. Going by your records you're working over a hundred hours *a day* and still found time to write... Right."

4. It would also help with getting through the "To Be Read" stack.

[seawasp]

"Going by your records you're working over a hundred hours a DAY and still found time to write... right."

"Allow me to explain. KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"