Super Hero Powers

[Cerek]

Also, Immortality is not the same as Invulnerability or Immunity.

Suppose you develop Lou Gherig's disease or Alzheimers. Do you really want to continue living in that body for eternity?

[Zebodog]

Who wants to live forever. I wouldn't be able to handle knowing that I had to watch everyone I loved, and everyone I will ever love die. That would be a punishment, not a gift.

Now the ability to stop time...that would be cool.

[Yorick]

Originally Posted by Cerek Also, Immortality is not the same as Invulnerability or Immunity. Suppose you develop Lou Gherig's disease or Alzheimers. Do you really want to continue living in that body for eternity?

Aren't diseases the result of mortality?

[Cerek]

Originally Posted by Yorick Aren't diseases the result of mortality?

Not necessarily.

Immortality doesn't guarantee perfect health, it just guarantees you won't die. But perhaps the two diseases listed weren't the best examples.

If you are in a crippling accident or a get caught in a landslide or fall off a building or get bitten by a venomous snake, the immortality won't prevent the damage done to your body. It will just prevent the damage done from being fatal.

So if you have your back broken, you will be paralyzed forever. If you're bitten by a black mamba or a deadly viper, the venom will still attack your body tissue and organs, the immortality will just prevent the damage done from being fatal.

[VulcanRider]

Originally Posted by Cerek Not necessarily. Immortality doesn't guarantee perfect health, it just guarantees you won't die. But perhaps the two diseases listed weren't the best examples. If you are in a crippling accident or a get caught in a landslide or fall off a building or get bitten by a venomous snake, the immortality won't prevent the damage done to your body. It will just prevent the damage done from being fatal. So if you have your back broken, you will be paralyzed forever. If you're bitten by a black mamba or a deadly viper, the venom will still attack your body tissue and organs, the immortality will just prevent the damage done from being fatal.

Kinda reminds me of a Tales From the Crypt (or similar show) where just after a woman's husband dies she acquires a Monkey's Paw, which gives her 3 wishes. Of course she wanted her husband back, and (surprise!) each wish is granted exactly as she asked, but never what she really wanted -- hubby back alive & well. After her 2nd wish all she's got is the coffin with his body inside. Naturally, she uses the last wish to "make him live forever". He sat up in the coffin, looked at her, and started screaming in agony, writhing in pain, plus turning a greenish color.

He'd been embalmed...

[Yorick]

Originally Posted by Cerek Not necessarily. Immortality doesn't guarantee perfect health, it just guarantees you won't die. But perhaps the two diseases listed weren't the best examples. If you are in a crippling accident or a get caught in a landslide or fall off a building or get bitten by a venomous snake, the immortality won't prevent the damage done to your body. It will just prevent the damage done from being fatal. So if you have your back broken, you will be paralyzed forever. If you're bitten by a black mamba or a deadly viper, the venom will still attack your body tissue and organs, the immortality will just prevent the damage done from being fatal.

I dunno man, that's not my definition of "immortal". Immortal in my book is perfect health for ever. Free from disease and with healing that restores functionality no matter what happens to the body.

I mean, otherwise the immortality is just a supernatural awareness, apart from whatever happens to the body. If the body is destroyed, the awareness keeps going, for if the neck can break the heart should be able to stop, and the brain die.

Otherwise where do you draw the line? A vein can burst but the heart pumps no matter what? The brain can rupture and cause brain damage but keeps on existing? You cut off an arm and it doesn't grow back, means you can cut everything off except what? The heart? The brain? Which part is immortal and why?

I'd call immortality (for a super power anyway) the situation where no matter what, the body restores itself to it's correct situation, and functions for ever.

[Cerek]

The Highlander TV series dealt with the subject of an immortal developing brain cancer. The cancer would advance to the terminal stage, the immortal would "die", then come back to life and start the process all over because his body still had cancer - or at least the cancer would eventually reappear and kill him again.

In fact, that was the way the series dealt with any "fatal injury/disease". The immortal would "die", then come back to life and start over.

In another episode, Duncan was stalked (and eventually captured) by a former rival. Instead of killing him several centuries ago, Duncan had left the rival on a deserted island - where he eventually starved to death. Only to be reborn and starve to death again because he was still on a deserted island without food.

Immortality is NOT the same as invulnerability. If you strap an immortal into an electric chair, it may not kill him but it will definitely cause some serious damage. Now maybe the body repairs that damage or maybe it just prevents the damage from reaching the point of fatality. While an immortal may be extremely difficult to hurt/damage, they are not immune to damage. If they break their back, they're gonna be paralyzed. If you cut off an arm, the wound may heal, but the arm won't grow back. Immortality is not the same as a healing factor or regeneration. The body does repair itself when damaged, but it does not always repair the damage completely (otherwise we would never have scars). Perhaps a broken spine could be repaired eventually, but it will take many, many years and - in the meantime - you will be paralyzed and in serious pain as your body slowly knits itself back together.

[Yorick]

Originally Posted by Cerek The Highlander TV series dealt with the subject of an immortal developing brain cancer. The cancer would advance to the terminal stage, the immortal would "die", then come back to life and start the process all over because his body still had cancer - or at least the cancer would eventually reappear and kill him again. In fact, that was the way the series dealt with any "fatal injury/disease". The immortal would "die", then come back to life and start over. In another episode, Duncan was stalked (and eventually captured) by a former rival. Instead of killing him several centuries ago, Duncan had left the rival on a deserted island - where he eventually starved to death. Only to be reborn and starve to death again because he was still on a deserted island without food. Immortality is NOT the same as invulnerability. If you strap an immortal into an electric chair, it may not kill him but it will definitely cause some serious damage. Now maybe the body repairs that damage or maybe it just prevents the damage from reaching the point of fatality. While an immortal may be extremely difficult to hurt/damage, they are not immune to damage. If they break their back, they're gonna be paralyzed. If you cut off an arm, the wound may heal, but the arm won't grow back. Immortality is not the same as a healing factor or regeneration. The body does repair itself when damaged, but it does not always repair the damage completely (otherwise we would never have scars). Perhaps a broken spine could be repaired eventually, but it will take many, many years and - in the meantime - you will be paralyzed and in serious pain as your body slowly knits itself back together.

I still think that's a flawed understanding Cerek my old friend.

Your Highlander descriptions describe re-mortality. (no matter what they call it) Endlessly reincarnating, not Immortality. Immortals can't age, get sick, disease.

I mean take the brain cancer thing. Once all the cells are killed, the cancer is gone. The cancerous cells are killed along with the healthy ones. That's the whole thinking behind chemotherapy! Kill the cancer cells (along with healthy ones unfortunately)

A true immortal wouldn't even get cancer.

Anyway, what kind of immortal would hang out waiting to starve to death? Swim brother, swim!

I WOULD equate immortality with invulnerability. A mortal is vulnerable. (mortally wounded?) One who is not mortal is therefore not vulnerable.

[Legolas]

In my view you have Invulnerability = Immunity to harm from outside the body (beatings, falling), Eternal Youth = Immunity to harm from inside the body (illness, ageing), and Immortality = inability to die, perhaps with some unnatural vigour thrown in to keep you going once you're old and grey (or bald).
Then there's Regeneration which regrows lost tissue while the body is alive to do so, Resurrection which doesn't alter your allotted time (even though age alone doesn't kill anyone) but lets you get back up whole after your death, and Reincarnation which as a superpower lets you be reborn after death with most of your memories intact.

I'd say there's a whole list of powers which have to do with harm and dying and they usually come with some restriction to give your arch nemesis a fighting chance.
Even if it's by taking your powers away with a glowy green space rock.
But yes, the whole "I will always be at the peak of my strength and never get ill, old, damaged or hurt" package probably sounds appealing if you don't mind living an unfeeling life forever.

[Variol (Farseer) Elmwood]

Boy, seems like a lot of time spent a mute point to me.

It's all just hypothetical, as I think we are all aware. The original quest was: What 2 super hero power would you choose?

I don't know all that many Super Heroes. I don't any that are immortal. To me, if they were, they would be 1 day old and perpetually stay that way. Otherwise, you would age and die, eventually.

For me, and as the apostle Paul said:
"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain". Philippians 1:21

That simple acceptance "has" given me immorality! I really don't want to derail things, but wanted to throw in here.

I think the question was looking more for abilities like: incredible strength, the ability of flight, heat vision, etc.

Flying would be nice. I would save me a lot on airfare!