Does Vandal Savage have super powers?

[Batman 80]

Does he?

[The Green Hornet]

well imortality

doesnt mean he cant be killed though

he might be superstrong and supersmart as well-- sometimes depends on whos writing him

hes the last living neanderthal

[Karkull]

Well, Vandal Savage is a functioning immortal--meaning that he can't die unless something kills him. In addition, he has superstrength and is very durable.

He is also super-intelligent, possibly from the comet/meteor that he came into contact with, but more likely because he's lived for so damn long (for example, in the DC One Million mini-series, he recognized the vintage of a wine by the sound of it pouring).

[ether_lad]

i don't know that i would say being immortal is a "power." that's like saying, "hey aquaman, u can breathe under water. that's a super power." when really, it's not...it's a part of his physiology...all atlanteans can breathe under water. if you don't buy that example...he's another...hey, ordinary guy, you live an average of 70 years. that's a super power." i take savage's immortality as simply a part of who he is, not a power, despite that it was a side effect from whatever. :)

ether_lad

[The Green Hornet]

uhhh ether lad

savage's immortality--


its a side effect of a comet/meteor he came into contact with

its not a part of his physiology

its not natural, and thus is a "power"

[ether_lad]

i would say his immortality IS his physiology....

so the amazons all have super powers because they're immortal???
i still think it's like saying this: hey, your hair is exposed to sunlight and changes color...becomes lighter...hey, that's a super power!!

i'm not saying it's his immortality isn't a side effect from this comet/meteor, i would just never refer to it as a "power." after all, he has no control over it....

ether_lad

[The Green Hornet]

so spider-man's spider sense isnt a power because he cant turn it on/off?

PLENTY of super-powered people lack control over their powers

[Maxie Zeus]

Hmmm. What counts as a "power"?

I assume the ability to do something is what counts as a "power," as in, "the power to shoot lasers out of the eyes." And a "super power" would be a power not normally associated with humans. Thus, even though all Martians can shapeshift, J'onn J'onzz's ability to do so still counts as a "super power."

Humans are not normally immortal, so if it is a power it would be a super power. But, is immortality a "power"?

[ether_lad]

all i'm saying is i would never call immortality a "power" and i do not deny that savage has it.

that's a good point about spider-man's spider sense...but i dunno, it doesn't feel like the same thing. this extra sense comes and goes, where as savage's immortality does not...and i don't know that i would call "spider sense" a power either...maybe just a special ability or extra sense. think of it this way...remember the movie RAIN MAN? dustin hoffman's character counts all those tooth picks when the waitress drops them. normal humans can't do that. is that a super power?

does anyone remember CYPHER from the new mutants waaay back when? he had the ability to translate languages. i would never call this a "power." it was a mutant ability...i will give u that...but not a "power."

and i have to think about the martian manhunter example...j'onn's abilities are only super powers because we compare what he can do to ordinary humans? so compared to other martians, it's nothing? where do we draw the line?

and what about captain america or batman? they can do things that normal humans can't, altho they are humans...is captain america's ability to lead and inspire others a "super power"? and batman's keen mind and detective skills?

i guess i'm just looking for some diverse and accurate words to describe all the abilties and gifts fictional characters have.

nitpicking in the 30th century
ether_lad

[Maxie Zeus]

Originally posted by ether_lad
i guess i'm just looking for some diverse and accurate words to describe all the abilties and gifts fictional characters have.
ether_lad

I think the moral is: There isn't a good word.

Your excellent examples show just how hard it is to come up with some particular definition of what constitutes a "super power." Birds fly, but that doesn't seem to be a superpower because it is natural to them. Martians (in JL) can shapeshift, and that is natural to them. Why then is it a superpower?

You can go very far down this road. It is natural for Kryptonians to acquire the power of flight, of of immense strength, when exposed to a yellow sun. So that might mean that Superman hasn't got "super powers" only powers that are natural to him given the environment.

Similarly, it is hard to decide what exactly counts as a "normal" power as compared to a super power. Batman can do fantastic acrobatic tricks that are beyond the power of most of us. Is that a super power? Maybe. But what of Otis Gumm, who can fit a half-dozen flashlights in his mouth at one time. That's also something beyond the power of most of us. Is that a super power (albeit, a lame one)?

I think the conclusion is this: We know a superpower when we see it. But that doesn't mean we can come up with a cut-and-dried definition that can settle all problem cases.