Boxing Lessons for Superman/Playing With

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Basic Trope: A superhuman or abnormal character learns some sort of ordinary skill, technique or information that makes them more effective and/or badass than they previously were.

  • Straight: Electro Man decides to take classes in electromagnetic radiation, electrical engineering, circuitry, and ionization in order to understand his Shock and Awe powers better, make them safer, and increase their range of use.
  • Exaggerated: Electro Man finds "The Big Book Of All The Cool Crap You Can Do With Electrical Powers" and, upon completing it, effectively becomes a Reality Warper.
  • Justified: Possessing superpowers is a a major responsibility that our hero takes seriously, so this knowledge will help keep himself and others safe and benefit the world as a whole.
  • Inverted:
  • Subverted: As Electro Man learns more about how electricity actually works, he unfortunately finds that his earlier ability to shoot "Electro Bullets" was mostly thanks to Achievements in Ignorance and now that he knows it should be impossible, he can't do it at all. Now hindered with technical knowledge of how electrons work, his imagination has been thoroughly inhibited and his abilities are near-useless.
  • Double Subverted: ...Until he finally figures out just how the hell he managed to create an "Electro Bullet" in the first place and uses his expertise to make them more powerful than ever.
  • Parodied: Electro Man goes to Electro School, where he learns how to make "Electro Planes", eat "Electro Ice Cream" and seduce hot "Electro Women".
  • Deconstructed: The Super Registration Act forces Electro Man to be trained by the government, but they only teach him abilties which are useful to them for the purposes of assassination or warfare. Electro Man becomes so efficient and powerful that he loses confidence in his abilities, because whenever he uses them, someone is sure to die.
  • Reconstructed: ...But when he's released from service, he learns new lessons on how to use his abilities in more practical, peaceful ways.
  • Zig Zagged: Last issue, Electro Man learned how to fly by using electromagnetism. This issue, he forgets he can do that.
  • Averted: Electro Man is Unskilled but Strong and completely relies on his raw, untrained power to win.
  • Enforced: Parents complain that Electro Man is a poor role-model for children because he uses his dangerous abilities recklessly. The executives relent and ham-fist a storyarc about him going to school to learn.
  • Lampshaded: "Sorry pal, just because I got superpowers doesn't mean I don't have skill!"
  • Invoked: Another super with powers similar to Electro Man shows up and dishes out a Curb Stomp Battle against the hero because he knows a thing or two about how electricity works. He then offers to train Electro Man to be more effective.
  • Defied: ...But Electro Man refuses and manages to beat the aforementioned character because his "Electro Bullets" make no practical sense but catch the opponent off-guard.
  • Discussed: "You know, I don't feel comfortable around a guy who can electrocute me with a thought and doesn't know a thing about electricity."
  • Conversed: Two characters talk about how Electro Man, after his training and studying, has become a vastly more badass hero.
  • Plotted A Good Waste:
  • Played For Laughs: Electro Man reads a few short Cliff Notes on electricity and somehow gains a Superpower Lottery up to and including Super Senses.
  • Played For Drama: Electro Man's Love Interest was killed because he tried to save her from his nemesis and his powers fried her alive. Now, he diligently studies so that this will never, ever happen again.

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