30 replies to this topic

[xman4life]

better yet how about reality warping vs matter manipulation.

[Delta Force]

better yet how about reality warping vs matter manipulation.

I would think turning reality into your bitch beats turning people into solid gold.

[xman4life]

whats the difference? Those powers are so close you don't know where one ends and one begins? Sersi(matter manipulation) in Marvel can do almost anything proteus(reality warping) can. turn people to frogs, gas, glass, and ant on a whim.

[Ruinus]

Invulnerable vs Super Speed
In a fight being invulnerable seems much handier than super speed. An invulnerable person can simply outlast most opponents. Sure, being invulnerable itself won't help you beat, for instance, the Flash, but the knowledge that you'll come out of any and all fights alive is great.

Flight vs Teleportation
Teleportation is better, since you can't be engaged in combat on your way to your destination. Depending on how it works, it can also be used offensively, Jumper shows examples of this. In a fight you teleport away to a highway, grab a bus and teleport back into the fight facing the opponent, watch as the bus slams in the opponent. Also depending on how teleportation works, you can simply teleport into people and telefrag them.

Superhuman Reflexes vs Master Tactician
Superhuman reflexes (and, presumably the secondary power to actually act on those superhuman reflexes) seems better than "tactics" (whatever the *vulgarity* that means in a fight). Fighting a four star general probably isn't going to be any worse than fighting some random private in the military. Fighting a guy who can react to your punches and kicks as if you were in slow mo? Yeah, that's worse.

Super Strength vs Energy Manipulation
Energy Manipulation. Depending on how far this stretches (how much energy I can manipulate, what types, how easily, etc) allows for so much LOLHAX abilities. Example, I'm fighting Superman. He throws a punch at me at 40 times the speed of sound. If I react fast enough (like, if I had those super reflexes from earlier) I reduce the kinetic energy of his punch to that of a wet tissue being thrown at me. I take a rock and throw it at Superman. While its in mid-air I add to its kinetic energy so that it impacts Superman with the energy of a slug from a rail gun.

Hell, it doesn't even have to reach a fight. Superman comes at me and I reduce his body energy level to zero. Superman can't fight me anymore as his body doesn't work anymore.

If I'm really feeling like a dick I look at the Sun and imagine it's current output of 3.8E26 J. I suddenly decide that it's higher, say it's 4.8E42 J. That means, that according to E=MC² the Sun is now burning more fuel to balance out the equation. It also means that more sunlight is hitting the Earth. So if I really wanted to, I can hold the Earth ransom by either allowing more or less sunlight to hit us, and in the long run hold the Solar System ransom as I speed or slow down the lifespan of the Sun.

Superhuman Senses vs Superhuman Stamina
Senses, as they'd allow you to figure out if you are in danger (hearing a sniper pause his breath, or smelling an mugger down that alleyway).

Self Sustenance vs Healing Factor
I have no clue what the first one is, and I'm assuming Healing Factor is the crazy Wolverine style one. If so, healing factor, since if I started to starve I'd just eat my arm and have it grow back later on anyway.

Weather Control vs Geokinesis
Got no clue what geokinesis is.

Magic vs Cosmic energy
All of these superpowers so far as magic, so there should be no distinction between magic and any of these.

Telepathy vs Matter Manipulation
Matter Manipulation. At extreme levels (and in case no one noticed, I'm taking all of these to their extreme levels) Superman comes at me like an angry god.

I turn his heart into kryptonite.

[AVP vs The Terminator]

whats the difference? Those powers are so close you don't know where one ends and one begins? Sersi(matter manipulation) in Marvel can do almost anything proteus(reality warping) can. turn people to frogs, gas, glass, and ant on a whim.

No. Reality warping is sooooo much more versatile.

[sirmethos]

@Xman4life: Reality warping, at high levels, can change things so Matter Manipulation doesn't even work. Reality Warping, at high level, is the most powerful power.

@Ruinus: Geokinesis is the ability to control earth and minerals through the force of your mind, like Pyrokinesis is the ability to control Fire, Aerokinesis is the ability to control air and gasses, hydrokinesis is the ability to control water/liquids, etc. Self Sustenance is not needing to eat, drink or breathe(and in some cases, sleep).


That said, aside from Reality Warping(and even that, at low levels), there is no way to say which ability/power is inherently 'better'. It all depends on the levels of power, and the circumstances of the fight.


To give a few examples:

Super Speed vs. Invulnerability: X has Super Speed, he can run from point A to point B at a speed of 200 Km/H. Z has invulnerability, he is completely immune to any kind of damage. In this particular example, Invulnerability is the superior ability, since X might be able to run faster, but the speed of his punches/dodging, etc. isn't really much faster, so once he actually tries to attack, he just gets pummeled. Also, if he tries to hit Z, while at top running speed, he simply breaks his hand.

Same abilities: X has Speed, like Quicksilver, he can move/run/think at speeds faster than light. Z has invulnerability(same as above). In this example, Super Speed is the superior ability. X can move up to Z, leg swipe him, and bury him under a few tons of earth, before he can even react. Despite Z being impervious to physical damage, he is still immobilized, and will eventually(in a few minutes at most), die from lack of oxygen.


Telepathy vs. Matter Manipulation: X has Telepathy, he is able to read minds. Z has Matter Manipulation. Z turns X into stone, or simply disintegrates him.

Same Abilities: X has Telepathy, he can read and manipulate minds. Z has Matter Manipulation. Now it's a matter of 'first strike', if X hits first, he can erase Z's mind, or control him, making him kill himself, etc. etc. If Z strikes first, see the above example.

Etc. etc. etc. ad nauseum.

[Djgambrell]

@Xman4life: Reality warping, at high levels, can change things so Matter Manipulation doesn't even work. Reality Warping, at high level, is the most powerful power.

I might have to disagree with you there. I would think High level time manipulation would be better vs a Reality warper. Possibly depending on reaction time.

[Ruinus]

A reality warper can just warp reality so that he has arbitrarily high reaction times and slows down the passage of time around him. A reality warper could give himself any other power (for instance, his opponents time manipulation)... and take it away from people.

EDIT: There should never be anything called a "low level reality warper". Say a character can only change/alter/erase one rule of reality per day. So, a reality warper that can only do one cool thing per day. What this character should do is simply jump from "1 move per day" to "I can now use my power whenever I want to".

[force_echo]

A reality warper can just warp reality so that he has arbitrarily high reaction times and slows down the passage of time around him. A reality warper could give himself any other power (for instance, his opponents time manipulation)... and take it away from people.

EDIT: There should never be anything called a "low level reality warper". Say a character can only change/alter/erase one rule of reality per day. So, a reality warper that can only do one cool thing per day. What this character should do is simply jump from "1 move per day" to "I can now use my power whenever I want to".

Its not the number of things the reality warper can affect, its the degree of natural laws he can affect. In Marvel, reality warping isn't a set power where you either have it, and can change any law you want, or don't have it, and can't can't change anything. Also, theirs a hierarchy of power in the MU, a reality warper can't affect another reality warper who's "higher up" than he is

[sirmethos]

I might have to disagree with you there. I would think High level time manipulation would be better vs a Reality warper. Possibly depending on reaction time.

With Reality Warping, you can simply change the nature of time(i.e. how 'time' works), and violá, the Time Manipulator's powers don't work anymore.

[Ruinus]

Its not the number of things the reality warper can affect, its the degree of natural laws he can affect. In Marvel, reality warping isn't a set power where you either have it, and can change any law you want, or don't have it, and can't can't change anything. Also, theirs a hierarchy of power in the MU, a reality warper can't affect another reality warper who's "higher up" than he is

My point is, however, that a reality warper should be able to affect themselves to allow greater reality warping.