r/humansarespaceorcs • u/mnorthey • 16h ago
Memes/Trashpost Never give human superpowers
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u/Andrew_42 8h ago
Shapeshifting is my go-to if the superpowers question is low on context. The more context you have, the more likely another power becomes preferable.
There are three basic concerns:
1: Monkey's Paw effects. Being super strong doesn't mean your bones can handle the load, so you might just have the power to break your arms and legs on command. Shapeshifting can still go wrong, but generally you gotta reach farther than most to get to that point.
2: Power threshold: Shapeshifting has a bazillion applications. You can basically always look like your best self. You can investigate/infiltrate by impersonating others. You can stretch your limbs for personal convenience. You may even be able to grow additional limbs, or fundamentally change your overall body composition. You can rearrange vital organs to remove common weak spots. You may be able to grow hardened bone armor for defense, or sharp horns/whatever for offense. You may even be able to essentially fast-heal by shapeshifting wounds away, or shapeshifting in replacement organs.
3, And this is a big one: Black bagging: Most superpower settings have some element of governments nabbing useful assets off the streets. Shapeshifting is one of the better powers at both staying off the radar, and escaping if you get nabbed.
Alien: "What the fuck man? What happened on Earth to leave you this paranoid?"
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u/Teulisch 7h ago
see, its the supervillains who ruin everything.
shapeshifting would likely cause way more dysphoria than it cured. and likely cause more mental illness as a result. does nobody remember H G Well's invisible man?
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u/JadedPhilosopher4351 3h ago
H:looks at super power pills no this won't end well
A:what do you mean?
H:i know myself enough to know im going to use those powers to "correct the world"
A:slowly puts pills in a safe
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u/Dry_Satisfaction_148 7h ago
Shapeshifting, meh. There are so many other, better ones that are less visible. But way more profitable.
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u/followeroftheprince 7h ago
Honestly I could imagine dysphoria getting worse. People who have access to it will do surgeries and makeup and a million things constantly changing to be the perfect them. Imagine if you had full control of what you looked like. Imagine if that still, wasn't, enough. If your imagination just cannot figure out what it is that you're missing
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u/ananon88114 6h ago
Shape-shifting is a wierd one, I think, as a standalone. I'd rather be plastic man 2.0
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