What Superpower?

We've all participated in those awkward "ice-breakers" before, where they ask you questions like, if you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you bring? And you think to yourself...but...I'm not stranded on a desert island. And how would I bring three things? And why would I have that choice? And for all those people who say their TV or ipod...is there electricity on desert islands? And you grunt and cross your arms and say typical things like...a TV and an ipod.

But the question I would like to focus on is, If you were a superhero, what superpower would you have? And personally, that blows my mind because there are just sooooo many options, and I'm quite indecisive. Lately I've gotten into Heroes, and all the ideas of the different superpowers make my brain start hurting with all the awesome possibilities. I will do a painting based on one of these images of Peter Petrelli, because he is just that awesome. I photoshopped the original to look blue. What do you think? Which one is better?



But back to the question. What superpower? Maybe regeneration like Wolverine from X-men or Claire from Heroes. But who would want to live forever? And as a side note, Claire has got to be the biggest masochist if she voluntarily subjects herself to the kinds of pain that she does in the show, e.g. cutting off her toe with scissors or plunging her hand into boiling water.

I'm choosing to get distracted again, but the reference to X-men reminded me of it. I was banned from watching X-men cartoons when I was about seven because my brother and I were "playing X-men" with our friends (three boys about 4, 9, and 11) and we were dueling each other. My brother and the other two older boys fought, as Gambit, Cyclops, and Wolverine (this is how my brother got so good at throwing cards, which was not to my advantage when he decided he would chase me around the house at times launching cards at my head). This was all very well for them, but I was faced with a four year old to duel. I don't even remember which X-man he was. I also faced a dilemma because I was Storm, and how exactly was I supposed to call up lightning and zap the kid? Left with no other choice, I promptly walked over and sat on him.

He started crying.

I darted behind the couch to hide, but it was too late. His mother and my mother gasped and scolded and exaggerated and banned us from X-men. And that was the end of X-men for us. My bad.

But back to the best superpower. I think I would have to choose telekinesis. This is a very broad category of powers, but no one ever said that there were limits to the answers, so I would choose telekinesis and everything that falls under it. This way, I would never have to get up again. I could do everything while sitting/reclining/lying down. And it would be awesome. And theoretically I could even make myself fly. Some skeptics told me that I couldn't do this, because after all, Jean Grey aged pretty fast when she tried to do too much, and she was the Phoenix! But hey, it's a simple ice-breaker question, and no one ever said there were limits.