Reed Richards Is Useless: Difference between revisions
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* There was this one Marvel webcomic focusing on a documentary exploring whether or not Galactus was a myth. There were commercials advertising products only available in the Marvel Universe. This troper never read the comic book, only read about it. If anyone knows the name of the story, please share it.
* One arc of [[Power Pack]] has the Power's mom in the hospital, barely clinging to life, after being injured by a super-villain shoving her aside with super strength. When Katie decides to be [[Lonely Together]] with the various heroes the group has met and she invites [[Cloak and Dagger (comics)|Cloak and Dagger]] as well as some Morlocks to Thanksgiving dinner with them. Dagger's healing abilities and the Morlocks knowing fellow Morlock [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|Healer]] are never mentioned. Used literally when Reed Richard's son is working with Power Pack and his parents are either out of town/off planet or subjected to [[Adults Are Useless]].
* Then we have [[X-Men/Characters/80s Members|Rogue]]. The poor girl was [[Blessed With Suck]] due to [[Power Incontinence]] for most of her career, being unable to touch another person without her power stealing their powers and memories, and while this is ''usually'' a temporary setback for the victim, using it on Ms. Marvel caused a permanent transfer, the stolen memories (which she often could not distiguish from her own) bringing her to the brink of madness. She has never found out exactly why that happened, and her greatest fear is the possibility that it might happen again. Yet despite the fact that every [[Evil Genius]] in Marvel seems capable of building a [[Slave Collar]] that nullifies mutant powers, nobody on the heroes' side (not Xavier, Reed, or Stark) seems able to duplicate such a device for someone like Rogue who ''wants'' a way to turn her powers off.
* Downplayed with Kitty Pryde, another mutant who has had [[Power Incontinence]] problems from time to time. In the most extreme case where she was stuck in an intangible state and could not become solid again, Reed made an honest attempt before admitting he had no idea how to help her. Then [[Doctor Doom]] showed up and claimed ''he'' had the solution - and he did, [[Villainous Crush|all he wanted in return was one date with Storm.]]
==== Ultimate Marvel Universe ====
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== Film ==
* Discussed throughout '[[Cracked.com]]''{{'}}s [http://www.cracked.com/article_19037_7-movies-that-ignored-world-changing-discoveries.html 7 Movies That Ignored World-Changing Discoveries].
* In the [[Superman (film)|''Superman'' films]] our hero has a Fortress of Solitude filled with "the accumulated scientific knowledge of dozens of different worlds". Rather than flying around stopping accidents and robberies, wouldn't he make a far greater contribution to mankind if he just used that technology, to, say, cure cancer? Looks like Luthor was right about him: "Gods are selfish beings who fly around in capes don't share their power with mankind."
** The first film has Jor-El's order to not interfere in human history, giving reasons like over-reliance from humanity and making a target out of his loved ones. And the one time he tried a direct approach was in ''Superman 4'', the lesson here apparently that trying to force humanity forward will result in people trying to capitalize on your attempts.
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** But why won't Tesla make use of the technology, especially since his lab was just destroyed by [[Thomas Edison|Edison]]'s goons? He considers it an abomination, even though it could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. Factories would be unnecessary. You would just need to make 1 of everything and then keep copying it, as long as you have enough power.
*** So the machine - if available everywhere - would actually create something akin to a post-scarcity economy (endlessly replicating fuel would create endless power) and change society beyond recognition in ways we still find hard to fathom. If enough people had the machines, Tesla wouldn't even really be "rich" in our sense of the word.
* [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] in ''[[Back
* The ''[[Men in Black (film)|Men in Black]]'' possess enormous amount of confiscated advanced technology. While they ''do'' release some of the technology to the public, holding the patents on numerous alien technologies sold to the public—velcro, microwave ovens and CDs, to name a few—they are doing great deal of constant memory erasing to hide alien existence to avoid possible panic.
* In ''[[Star Trek (film)|Star Trek]]'', Scotty (with a little help from the future) quickly modifies a transporter so it can send people across vast interstellar distances. This is used, of course, to get Scotty and Kirk onto the Enterprise (which has been travelling away from their starting point for hours at [[Faster-Than-Light Travel|high warp speeds]]). So the transporter modification is used to resolve a dramatic point in the plot, but no-one seems to realise it could also be used for [[Casual Interstellar Travel|mundane travel between star systems]].
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{{quote|'''Raoul Puke''': So the Neweyes fart tells them that he can use the time machine to travel back in time to grant the wishes of all the children of the world. I would have used it to stop 9/11... unethical jackass. I mean, the Kennedy assassination? The bombing of Pearl Harbor? Really? None of these are more important than entertaining whiny little bastard children? Well, while you're taking requests, [[Godwin's Law|here's a kid named Hitler]]. He just wants to start his own Third Reich and bring joy and happiness to the world. Why don't you grant him that wish? Huh? HUH?}}
* ''[[Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (film)|Charlie and The Chocolate Factory]]'': Willy Wonka can make an entire meal come out of gum, an ice cream that stays cold and doesn't melt in the sun, build a chocolate palace without a metal framework, teleport things into TV screens, and has anti-gravity technology - yet he only applies his know-how to candy. [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] by Mike Teavee in the 2005 movie: "Don't you realize what you've invented? It's a teleporter! It's the most important invention in the world! And all you think about is ''chocolate''!"
* ''[[Scooby
** The gang goes to visit a friend who has made a video game based off their adventures only for them to discover that he has invented a laser that can digitize and rebuild matter (ala ''[[Tron]]'') but instead of testing it as a possibility to solve world problems like hunger or extended/more efficient space travel he store real items in his game for lazy coding; {{spoiler|And eventually Mystery Inc. is transported in and out as well showing that even living things could be moved over great distances.}}
*** Velma says at the end that the professor is a suspect because he "...could make a quarter of a million dollars..." at the competition the game and invented laser was being entered into instead of pointing out he could take control of the world with a sustained and protected power source and a few petabites of memory.
** The Phantom Virus, the title "ghost," is sent out from a virtual world and acts upon real objects with super natural powers. It knows to chase the real Mystery Inc. but leaves the virtual ones alone until they interfere showing some semblance of AI. Same with the virtual Mystery Inc. who have chosen to stay on the most diverse level.
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* Averted in ''[[Megamind]]'';{{spoiler|when [[Face Heel Turn|he becomes the hero]], Megamind uses his advanced technology to rebuild the damage to the city caused by the super-battle against Tighten.}}
** In the sequel short, he proceeds to {{spoiler|sell all his evil inventions at a garage sale}}.
* The video ''[http://www.cracked.com/video_18175_why-batman-secretly-terrible-gotham.html Why Batman Is Secretly Terrible for Gotham]'' by ''[[Cracked.com]]''{{'}}s Dan, Katie, Michael and Soren not only made a case of batman’s [[Superhero Paradox]], but implies that Bruce Wayne Is Useless Too: In all his comics, animated and movie incarnations, he is an entrepreneur who is part of Fiction500. If he really wanted to stop crime, he could have tried to boost Gotham’s economy and then crime would naturally fall. They remember the monorail that Bruce’s father built (and Batman himself destroyed) in Batman Begins and the [[Sinister Surveillance]] implemented to stop Joker in [[The Dark Knight]]. They compare Bruce Wayne to an Enron [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]] that is using the corporation’s winnings to finance his hobbies (fight crime in his own terms).
** It's also factually incorrect: [http://glitterpancake.tumblr.com/post/110382878890/bruce-wayne-outside-of-batman Bruce Wayne's philanthropic efforts in the comics] have been repeatedly and thoroughly lampshaded across multiple authors and editorial eras, and are vast and lavish to the point that you wonder how even his vast fortune can possibly pay for it all.
* The premise for ''[[Batman: The Movie]]'' and [[Batman (TV series)|the ''Batman'' TV Series]] is that that incarnation of Batman only is useful to fight supervillains (and nothing more). At the end of the movie, Batman quickly refuses Robin's idea to better the world by making a [[Freaky Friday Flip]] with the United World Organization security council, arguing that they shouldn't try to tamper with the laws of mother nature. Then happens exactly that, (but arguably, the [[Status Quo Is God]] still applies) and Batman takes responsibility just before going out inconspicuously throught the window.
{{quote|'''Batman''': Who knows, Robin? This strange mixing of minds may be the greatest single service ever performed for humanity! Let's go, but, inconspicuously, through the window. We'll use our Batropes. Our job is finished. }}
* In the movie ''[[Dungeon Master]]'', the main character has invented a pair of glasses that can control numerous electronic devices such as traffic lights, and ATM machines. He doesn't bother to market the invention, and remains stuck as a low-paid IT assistant.
== Literature ==
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