Cover-Blowing Superpower: Difference between revisions

* A recurring theme in the ur-superhero novel ''Gladiator'', where Hugo Danner tries to keep his powers secret. When a man is trapped in an unopenable time-release bank vault, he tries to open it while not revealing his strength. He succeeds in both saving the man and preserving his secret, but {{spoiler|the president of the bank decides he doesn't want a man with a secret way of opening bank vaults walking around.}}

* ''[[Sword of Truth|Wizard's First Rule]]'' includes a scene where Khalan hesitates to user her power in a fight so as not to expose her nature to Richard. {{spoiler|Then she gets stabbed, and uses it anyway. Luckily Richard's back was turned at that moment. And then he starts catching on that ''something'' is up anyway.}}

* Somewhat like the ''[[Star Trek]]'' example below, Corwin in book 2 of the ''[[Chronicles of Amber]]'' is lugging huge stones around rather easily, despite not being at full strength—until somebody spots him, at which point he has to pretend the task is difficult.

* In [[Margaret Weis]]'s ''[[The Death Gate Cycle]]'', this is basically the story of Alfred Montbank. He is one of the last of the "Sartan", a race with godlike magical power, and is always nervous about doing magic in public for fear of being taken advantage of. The fact that he has a spine like a wet noodle doesn't help.