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Defence Mechanism Superpower: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
A character has a superpower that only works when they're threatened - they can't initiate it at will, and occasionally [[Power Incontinence|they can't stop it either]]. This kind of situation is a common cue for [[Die or Fly|heretofore unknown powers to develop]] or for existing ones to undergo [[Power Creep, Power Seep|a dramatic boost in power]], either temporarily or [[Took a Level
Can be used in a similar way to [[Always a Bigger Fish]], with a cowering hero looking up to discover their aggressor has mysteriously been blasted into dust, and muttering innocently "Did I do that?". Compare [[Desperation Attack]], a similar trope in video games.
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* One of the [[Kudzu Plot]] elements of ''[[DC Universe|Countdown]]'' was Jimmy Olsen suddenly getting all of his [[Silver Age]] powers at the same time thanks to getting the New Gods' souls jammed into him. One of them would activate when he was seriously threatened.
* [[Empowered]]'s existing powers get much more effective when Ninjette is busy disproving the Law of [[Conservation of Ninjitsu]], as well as in a couple of other situations of extreme danger.
* Darwin of ''[[X-Men]]/[[X-Factor (comics)|X-Factor]]'' sounds like the most literal example. His superpower is nothing but defense mechanisms, of any imaginable variety, for any and all situations, cranked up to the point of invincibility. It's just too bad he doesn't really have anything for offense. So while he can ''survive'' almost anything, he rarely has the ability to actually ''win'' a fight. One one notable occasion, his powers decided the best way for him to survive fighting the Hulk was to teleport him to the next state over.
** However in at least one what-if dealing with Vulcan who was prepared to murder everyone in the X-men to cover up how he'd killed all the X-men trapped on Krakatoa in a Superboy-Prime kind of 'No I didn't mean to!' situation Xavier guided Darwin into taking a more proactive, controlled use of his power as he fed it information on what was happening resulting in Darwin's power forming the ability to destroy the part of Vulcan's brain that accessed his powers rendering him permanently powerless.
** Before that, there was Lifeguard, a short-term member of the team whose powers were "whatever's necessary to get people out of harm's way." Under fire? Armored skin. Someone's falling from a building? Sprout wings. And so on.
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[[Category:Magic and Powers]]
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