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One would expect this to be a natural co-trope for a [[Puberty Superpower]], which makes it strange that until recently this was rarely the case -- most teen heroes seemed to know how their powers worked instinctively.
The name comes from [[Something Awful|Something Awful's]] randomly renamed and [[What Do You Mean It Wasn't Made On Drugs?|incredibly nonsensical]] "FYAD" subforum, where it originated as a quotable quote from somebody playing the ''[[Half-Life]]'' mod ''Natural Selection'' and trying to figure out the alien faction's special abilities (shooting webs). In his frustration, he posted [[Trope Namer|"how do i]] [[Memetic Mutation|shot web"]] repeatedly. It got quickly transposed to Spidey [[Rule of Funny|because it's funnier when he says it]]. It has since spread wide across the Internet, as such things are [[Memetic Mutation|wont to do]].
Often follows up [[Powers in The First Episode]]. Sometimes followed by [[Power Strain Blackout]]. The trope is the inverse of [[Power Overhaul]].
{{examples
== Anime & Manga ==
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** The Yotsuba executives (or rather, just {{spoiler|Higuchi}}) also learn some of its rules this way, for instance, giving someone a death condition that is physically impossible will result in that person simply dying of a heart attack.
* In ''[[Gate Keepers]]'', Ukiya Shun is blessed by the Gate of Wind. It took him several episodes just to even know how to properly summon the power again (which he did in the first episode by accident), and an episode testing a new technique (which he later perfects).
* The ''[[Rosario to Vampire]]'' manga has Tsukune kidnapped by a shapeshifter, who copies his form and goes out to fight Tsukune's [[Unwanted Harem]]. Unfortunately, the fellow runs into quite a few [[How Do I Shot Web]] moments as he tries (in vain) to kill them, not realizing that he's far, far weaker than they are in human form. When he wises up and copies Moka's [[Super
** Tsukune himself had a bit of trouble until he got some well-earned [[Training From Hell|training]] with Inner-Moka and Touhou Fuhai.
* Sort of happens to the protagonist of ''[[Prétear]]'', [[Magical Girl|Himeno Awayuki]] -- more of "How Do I Shot Wind". It is implied that she ''should'' know instinctively how her [[Elemental Powers|powers]] work, but the first time she is forced to fight a monster, she panics and can't figure out what to do. However, this wasn't enough to make her give up, and she actually demands to receive some training in order to learn to use her powers properly.
* Skuld gets this in ''[[Ah! My Goddess (Manga)|Ah My Goddess]]'' when she tries to develop her water powers. It doesn't work out, and she puts herself in danger by trying to accelerate things, this danger being caused by her proclivity for [[Tim Taylor Technology]].
* At one point, Padudu of ''[[Magical Play]]'' (aka ''[[Magical Witchland]]'') saves two other characters from death via [[New Powers As the Plot Demands|suddenly being able to fly]]. When asked by Pippin why she hadn't done that in the pilot, when she fell on Pippin and cost her a tournament, Padudu says: "[[Forgot I Could Fly|Oh, that time, I forgot I could fly!]]"
* In ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'', Ed learns of his ability to transmute without a circle by clasping his hands in frustration then grabbing a basin of water, heating it through alchemy to boiling temperature. Afterward, he has no clue how he managed to do it, and his attempts to reproduce the effect are unsuccessful until he finds himself in another emergency situation.
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* In ''[[Bleach]]'', Ichigo Kurosaki accidentally sets off his [[Took a Level In Badass|Getsuga Tenshou]] attack immediately following his achievement of Shikai. He doesn't learn how to fire it at will until he reaches [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|Bankai]].
** Heck, much plot with Ichigo concerns the fact he has great power, but no real clue how to control it. His sword is mocked explicitly for being a "Big ball of fluff".
*** It got even worse when Ichigo unlocked {{spoiler|his Fullbring}}. At least with a sword you know that the basic goal is to [[Buffy
** Chad and Orihime aren't exceptions, either. They have to learn how to summon their powers at will (with fairly amusing results at first, especially when Chad tries to remember what Ichigo's younger sister Karin looks like), although Orihime manages to improve to the point where she can use her Shun Shun Rikka without calling their names. In the Bount Arc, Uryu has these issues with the artifact that he uses to fight without his powers.
** Part of the reason for Renji's loss against Byakuya is that he didn't know how to control his Bankai, enabling Byakuya to disrupt its rhythm and leave him vulnerable. Byakuya claims that mastering bankai takes at least a century of training. Something that he has, and Renji (who had just achieved bankai ''that day'') lacks.
* In ''[[Super Dimension Fortress Macross]]'', whenever they figured out a new thing the ship could do, trying it always lead to embarrassing mistakes. The first time they tried to take off, the anti-grav units broke free of the ship. Using the fold system left them millions of miles off-course, surrounded by ''inhabited bits of the island'' they folded near, and the fold engine ''disappeared''. The first time they transformed the ''Macross'', they destroyed the entire city inside the ship. The shield generator overloaded and destroyed Toronto. They just don't have good luck with the thing....
** They were able to use that last one to {{spoiler|take down Dolza's flagship by using the Daedalus Maneuver to break through the hull and then activate the shield while inside}}. It nearly destroyed the ship, but it's still the ship's and crew's [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]].
** [[Macross Frontier]] has an excellent deconstruction of this trope, Sheryl Nome received some base training on how to operate a VF-25; when the time came to put it to the test, her eyes narrow and she even gets a [[Theme Music Power
** On a much smaller scale, Hikaru in the second episode is a very competent pilot... of airplanes. When his Valkyrie unexpectedly turns into a giant robot, he promptly tries to make it walk. He topples forward and wrecks Minmay's room in doing so, and needs a conveniently-passing-by seafood truck to right him again.
* In ''[[Zatch Bell]]'', almost every time Zatch and Kiyomaro learn a new spell, Kiyomaro still struggles to understand that the spells are powered by emotion and will. However when they learn their third spell, which magnetizes their opponent, Kiyomaro tries several unsuccessful attempts to test this spell (which he didn't know the effects of at the time), and eventually tried singing the incantation, very badly.
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* One of the deaths investigated [[Powers]] turns out to be an accident caused by someone losing control of his newly-acquired flight power. Walker finds him [[Driven to Suicide|too late]].
* In the [[Silver Age]], Superboy stories, Ma and Pa Kent were shown helping Superboy hone his powers. Particularly true with flight. Unlike in Smallville, he figured out the thrust mechanism early on but had trouble with steering. In the [[Modern Age]] New Krypton storyline, Superman was shown to be an elite soldier because of his extensive experience using his powers, leading to him training fellow soldiers in the New Krypton military. Supergirl, by contrast, was able to activate all her powers but struggled with holding back.
* [[Captain Atom]] is an interesting example. He didn't realize he had any powers at all at first; as far as he knew he just had a [[Chrome Champion|peculiar deformity]]. He realized he could fly only when he had to jump out of a rocket he had been stashed on, and then only discovered his [[Flying Brick|nigh-invulnerability]] when Dr. Megala had Babylon shoot him. He discovered some of his other powers while experimenting and training with Megala, and discovered others as time went on. What's particularly interesting about this case is that there may be [[Physical God|no actual limit to his powers]], but he only gradually discovers this. Of course, many writers [[Power Creep, Power Seep|remember or forget the extent of Cap's powers]] as is [[New Powers As the Plot Demands|convenient for the plot]].
* In ''[[All Fall Down (Comic Book)|All Fall Down]]'', Sophie suffers from this at first, using several powers by accident until she learns to bring them under control.
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* [[The Messiah|Luke]] [[Luke Nounverber|Skywalker]] spends much of the original ''[[Star Wars]]'' trilogy learning how to use his [[The Force|Jedi powers]], especially during his [[Training From Hell]] with [[Old Master|Yoda]].
* [[X Men First Class (Film)|X Men First Class]] shows more of this. Professor X hypothesises that Banshee's sonic scream should enable him to fly, so he encourages him to jump out of a second story window. Three guesses what happens.
* During his first flight as [[The Rocketeer (Film)|The Rocketeer]], Cliff Secord accidentally turns the rocketpack off as [[Look Ma, No Plane|he's saluting passengers aboard a plane]].
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** Following {{spoiler|the locket's removal}}, Gil remarks that she didn't break through so much as ''ease'' through.
* The first several chapters of ''[http://www.kip-comics.com/index.php Knowledge is Power]'' deal with these kinds of difficulties -- such as [http://www.kip-comics.com/?strip_id=65 when the gravity-manipulator tried to use his powers to move a water heater]...
* Happens frequently in ''[[Homestuck]]'', as the kids try to figure out what powers they have and how to use them. John takes an especially long time to figure out his [[Blow You Away|Heir of Breath]] powers but is ridiculously good at them once he learns the tricks; he also takes a while to master his [[Inventory Management Puzzle|Sylladex]]. Dave, figures out his [[Time Travel|Knight of Time]] powers relatively quickly, though he still [[Can't Catch Up]] with John in terms of raw power; his abilities are apparently more complicated, however, as he has to figure out how to navigate the game's [[Timey
** This trope is mostly averted when each of the kids reach God Tier. John, {{spoiler|Rose, and Aradia}} all display instant mastery. On the other hand, Jade, who inherited both God Tier and {{spoiler|First Guardian}} powers is still working her way through the latter abilities.
* Happens frequently in [[Kagerou]], one of the more notable examples being Kano learning how to use the magic sword he's given. He still hasn't quite gotten then hang of it despite ongoing training and having had to use it a few times to avoid being killed.
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** Which he did almost immediately, just the ring started running out of power shorty after he got it. There's a [[media:green-lantern-batman.jpg|reason for that.]]
* In "The N Men", an episode of ''[[The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron]]'', this kids almost destroy the entire town before they learn to control their newly acquired superpowers.
* In ''[[Darkwing Duck]]'', [[Evil Twin|Negaduck]] manages to gain the powers of the [[Quirky Miniboss Squad|Fearsome Four]] and basically goes [[One
** Come to think of it, Darkwing ('Arachnoduck', [[Spider Man]]-style stuff), Launchpad (''Heavy Mental'', psychic powers), and Gosalyn (''Slime OK, You're OK'', ooze-based abilities) don't fare any better when they get superpowers.
** Also multiple instances of people randomly getting suited in the Gizmoduck outfit by accidentally saying the command code "Blathering Blatherskates."
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* In [[Iron Man Armored Adventures (Animation)|Iron Man Armored Adventures]] Tony's first controlled flight in his Iron Man armor has him ding a few buildings but manages to pull it together. [[War Machine (Comic Book)|Rhodey's]] first foray goes so badly he creates a crater in the ground when he crashes and swears never to get in an armor again; that same episode [[The Fool|Happy Hogan]] finds the armor and manages to get the hang of it so fast that Tony can't stop gushing about how good he is with it.
* Averted in an episode of ''[[Justice League]] Unlimited'', "The Great Brain Robbery." After inadvertently swapping minds with the Flash, [[Lex Luthor]] seems to fare pretty well in his new body, and the other League members have a hell of a time trying to stop him.
* When Scott Lang from ''[[The Avengers:
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[[Category:Magic and Powers]]
[[Category:How Do I Shot Web]]
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