Useless Superpowers: Difference between revisions

Common in series like ''[[Bewitched (TV)|Bewitched]]'', where the characters are given almost unlimited powers at the beginning, and the writers have to come up with more and more [[Weaksauce Weakness|arcane limitations]] to create a new conflict each week.

A form of [[Holding Back the Phlebotinum]]. Compare [[Coconut Superpowers]]. For [[Stock Super Powers|superpowers]] that are actually useless in and of themeselves see [[What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?]] or [[Blessed With Suck]]. When the depowerment happens just when it would've been necessary, then it's [[Plot-Driven Breakdown]]

* At the start of ''[[Cardcaptor Sakura (Manga)|Cardcaptor Sakura]]'', [[Fairy Companion|Keroberos]] is unable to use most of his powers because they are sealed away due to being stuck in his [[Sleep Mode Size]] until [[Gotta Catch Em All|all the Clow Cards are captured]]. Unsurprisingly, he is quick to reassure Sakura that [[Transformation Sequence|once he can return to his normal form]], he will be very powerful and 'cool' ([[Crowning Moment of Awesome|and so he is!]]). But...even after he is freed to be his [[Mega Neko]] self whenever he wishes in the second season, invariably [[Weaksauce Weakness|one barrier, spell, or complication after another crops up that renders his powers fairly useless]]--or they just plain don't have much of an effect. Of course, this is usually because in most cases [[Xanatos Gambit|he's unknowingly trying]] [[Omniscient Morality License|to combat his own creator's powers]], but still... Awesome look, sadly lame powers. ([[Rule of Cool|Except for when he blocks attacks with a shield of fire!]])

* The [[Silver Age]] version of [[Superman (Comic Book)|Superman]] was so all-powerful that making any problem last longer than three panels took some doing. As such, [[Kryptonite Is Everywhere]], with just about everyone having some Superman-nerfing... something.

** In ''[[Discworld (Literature)/Thud|Thud]]!'', a Discworld novel, after government inspector A.E. Pessimal is dragged along to observe the Watch quelling a riot, he asks Commander Vimes why they couldn't recruit the wizards to help stop a potential riot by magicking away the weapons. Vimes indicates that they ''could'', but crap would happen, like missing fingers... to say the least.

* In the later ''[[Callahan's Crosstime Saloon (Literature)|Callahans Crosstime Saloon]]'' novels (the ones set in Jake's Place), Spider Robinson has introduced so much [[Applied Phlebotinum]] that he has to jump through some pretty ridiculous narrative hoops to justify why the regulars can't easily use it to solve whatever problem they currently face (''Callahan's Con'' is particularly [[Egregious]] in this regard).

* ''[[Sabrina the Teenage Witch (TV)|Sabrina the Teenage Witch]]'' falls in the same category as ''[[Bewitched (TV)|Bewitched]]'' here.

* The ''[[Charmed (TV)|Charmed]]'' Ones are magically restricted from using their magic for personal gain. Try to predict the winning lotto numbers? The ink on your ticket disappears.

* By the end of the first season of ''[[Heroes (TV)|Heroes]]'', Peter Petrelli, who could copy any superpower he saw, gained almost godlike status. In season 2, he can't use his superpowers because he has amnesia and can't remember most of them. In season 3, {{spoiler|he is trapped inside another body and can't access his powers. This ends when he has his powers taken away, and gets a new one, which is a largely toned down version of the power he originally had}}.

* In ''[[Farscape (TV)|Farscape]]'', the sound of Jool's scream can melt metal. She screams every time she is surprised, unhappy or scared. She inexplicably does not scream in a few situations where she is being attacked by someone using delicate, metal weapons.

* It is never explained why ''[[Mega Man (Video Game)|Mega Man]]'' teleports to the start of the [[Death Course]] instead of the boss's lair. Jamming stations?

** [[Fridge Logic]] applies on the first one, particularly with ''[[Mega Man X (Video Game)|Mega Man X]]''. In that game, even if you've defeated that board's boss already, you ''still have to fight the mooks'' if you teleport there!

** And on that note, ''[[Megaman Battle Network]]'' as well. It seems Mega Man is the only navi that can't choose where he jacks in. Once you fight through all the viruses, everyone else just pops in.

* In [[Casey and Andy (Webcomic)|Casey and Andy]] Satan herself is Andy's girlfriend. Author had to come up with reasons she doesn't want to use superpowers to resolve story arcs immediately.

* Used constantly on ''[[The Fairly Odd Parents]]''. This series mostly avoids the problems ''[[Bewitched (TV)|Bewitched]]'' had, however, by [[Magic A Is Magic A|explaining the rules the fairies work by at the beginning and then sticking to them]]. And yet, despite the exaggeratedly large size of the rule book, it only contains about 20 or so rules, with a new one popping up whenever the plot calls for it.

* And ''[[Ben 10 (Animation)|Ben 10]]'' only manages to sidestep that category by showing fairly early on that the hero is absolutely ''clueless'' about how his [[Imported Alien Phlebotinum]] works.

* In the [[Animated Adaptation|animated]] version of ''[[Beetlejuice (Animation)|Beetlejuice]]'', the title character can do pretty much whatever he wants once Lydia calls him into the living world. However all of his spells backfire or have ridiculous drawbacks, or he [[Literal Genie|literally interprets a wish]] or [[You Just Had to Say It|underestimates the penalties involved.]]

* There's an episode of ''[[Super Friends]]'' involving a damaged nuclear submarine. You'd think [[This Looks Like a Job For Aquaman]], but he's acting even more useless then normal just to let the other star of the episode, Black Vulcan (who has ''electricity powers'') do most of the work.