Superpowers From Books I Totally Want (But Honestly Probably Shouldn’t Have)

It’s no secret that I absolutely LOVE books that involve superpowers. Any sort of superpower, whether it’s the traditional superhero book or magic or just amazing people who are obviously superheroes whether they know it or not.

It may surprise some of you, but I’m a very normal, non-super human. Trust me, no one’s more disappointed in this fact than I am. I mean, technically, I might have superpowers. I did, after all, somehow survive my childhood, a fact that pretty much everyone who knows me is surprised about. In fact, I did it without even breaking any bones or sustaining any serious injuries, which . . . okay, if you knew anything about me, sure, might seem extremely suspicious given how clumsy and unlucky I tend to be in general. But I don’t think that just not dying through pure dumb luck actually counts as a superpower, sadly.

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is about bookish superpowers, which I’m taking to mean powers from books that I totally wish I had. But also, if I’m honest, I probably shouldn’t have any of these, because I’m a bit of a walking disaster. And that doesn’t pair well with superpowers. Allegedly.

Of course, just because I shouldn’t have them doesn’t mean I don’t still want them. Because I’m a contrary bookwyrm who is perfectly fine with potential casualties if it means I get any of these superpowers. It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make!

Resurrection

Vicious

As far as superpowers go, this one certainly isn’t going to help you save the day or protect yourself or do anything particularly heroic. Buuuut who wouldn’t want the ability to bring someone (or something) back from the dead? Aside from the obvious application of this in terms of loved ones and lost ones, think of all the amazing pets I could’ve brought back as well.

To be fair, there doesn’t seem to be much restriction to this, except that every time something is brought back, it seems a little more of it is lost. So maybe not something that could be done sustainably, technically. But still. The whole one more day idea, yeah? And I know, I know, that this is honestly a terrible idea and likely a horrible mistake. I’d still do it anyway. Because obviously I’m a glutton for punishment.

Also, there’s this tiny little problem of becoming cold/numb for a time after using the power. But you know, I’ve already got the whole depression and emotional detachment thing, so it’ll be fiiiiine.

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Gifting & Instant Regeneration

Steelheart

This is from a character that shall not be named, because I’m doing my best to avoid spoilers. Plus, it’s not really integral to this post. The who doesn’t matter as much as the what. And the what is freaking awesome!

As I’ve mentioned previously, I am very prone to injury. Through no fault of my own, of course. It just . . . happens. So do you have any idea how useful instant regeneration would be?! Also, as someone with an autoimmune disease, this would be soooo life-changing. I mean, sure, these powers come with the potentially negative effect of giving their users a sense of grandiose and a marked reduction in morality when they’re overused, buuuut . . . if I’m being honest, that’s more your problem than mine. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The second part is my (rather generous) gift to humanity: the ability to then impart my powers to other people or things. It would revolutionize healing! See? So I solve the problem I cause. At least I’m thinking ahead!

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Conducting Electricity

Flash Fire

I couldn’t even begin to tell you where my love for electricity-based superpowers comes from. All I know is that I’ve felt a sort of kinship and affinity for it. Maybe because I used to be terrified of thunderstorms, particularly the lightning, which slowly morphed to awe and wonder as I got older and started sitting out and watching the storms. Maybe just because electricity-based powers just look super cool all the time. Whatever the reason, out of all the powers in this book, that’s the one I’m most drawn to!

Not to mention that the electricity wielder in Flash Fire happens to have the ability to travel through power lines. It may not be as convenient as teleportation, but it’s pretty darn close and I’ll take it!

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Telekenesis

The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind

If I’m honest, what I really want is Teagan’s superpower to always come up with the perfect, most sarcastic comebacks at any given time. It’s not technically a superpower, but daaaaang is this girl a professional when it comes to sarcasm and banter. Respect.

As a close second consolation prize, I suppose I’ll settle for her telekenesis. Because I’ve always wanted to move things with my mind, from my earliest days of watching X-Men. I’ve spent more time mindlessly staring at things and willing them to move in the hopes that perhaps I’ll discover a latent ability that chose right then to blossom into existence. Hey, weirder things have happened.

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Weredog/Werewolf Shifting

Lumine

This is also technically not a superpower so much as something these characters are born with. (Although, I would argue that most superpowers are things people are born with, so there.) This is a world of witches and werewolves (though nearly extinct) and weredogs. They key being, of course, that the latter two are able to shift at will, not just under a full moon. If I’m honest, I wouldn’t care so much whether I was a werewolf (who are generally larger and more powerful) or a weredog. I’m not picky and I’d accept either.

I guess this goes back to the idea of wanting to morph into animals. Even if this is just one animal, imagine all the practical uses! I suppose being a werewolf would be more helpful, given that they heal quickly and generally are much sturdier than their smaller weredog counterparts. Given my proclivity for injuring myself, I imagine that would be rather helpful.

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Legendary Blacksmith

Overgeared

While technically not a superpower, I would take Grid’s ability to be a legendary blacksmith in a heartbeat! In any (MMO)RPG I’ve ever played, I am always the crafter. I’m that weirdo who’s just out exploring the world, hoarding everything I come across, and spending a ridiculous amount of time making random things to sell to other players.

If you’ve ever read Overgeared, it may not be a surprise that the way Grid stumbles upon this ability is entirely on brand for me, too, which gives me hope. Basically, Grid’s entire existence is this strange tango of misfortune with incredible luck. Whenever something incredibly lucky happens, the other shoe is always bound to fall shortly after. Which is honestly relatable. All things considered, I would Grid’s ability in a heartbeat and live out the rest of my digital life happily crafting more and more ridiculous things.

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Animal Morphing

Animorphs

If, like me, you grew up reading grandiose stories of the war between the Yeerks and Andalites and scanning the skies and trees for humans in animal form, you might just recognize this power deep in your soul. (And surely, you’ve spent just as many hours as I have wondering when you’ll have the chance of meeting a dying Andalite to grant you such a cool power. Or, you know, a living one with a strange sense of generosity. The Andalite dying isn’t technically a requirement.)

If you haven’t . . . well, you need look no further than the new graphic novel remake of the classic Animorphs series to understand. Essentially, the characters of this have the power to morph into any animal they touch. Pretty cool, huh?!

A power like this, of course, comes with limitations. The big one is, obviously, they need to actually touch the animal to transform into it. Which, okay, I confess, that could cause some problems for me, but I’m willing to give it a good go. This power is worth being eaten by a bear while desperately attempting to gain its DNA to morph into it. Because priorities. Another rule is a little easier to follow: no more than two hours in a form or you won’t be able to return to being human. I mean, sure, given my ADHD and inability to keep track of time, this is harder than it sounds, but I’m willing to give it a go. Worst case scenario, I end up being, like, a dog or cat or horse or . . . panther? Doesn’t sound like an awful life, to be honest. I think I could make it work.

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Bonding With Beasts

The Accidental Apprentice

Technically, this isn’t a superpower, since it’s sort of just a facet of this world. But since it’s not a thing in our world (because we live in the most boring world ever), I’m still counting it. Basically, in this world, you can bond with wild creatures (think Pokémon) that then become your companions but also let you borrow some of their power. This power depends on the creature, of course, and there are a wide variety of creatures to choose from.

I’m honestly not picky. So many of the powers (and creatures) in this book sound really cool! There’s also a benefit of not just getting a superpower but also a sidekick, so it’s really a two for one sort of situation.

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Magical Baked Goods

A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking

This power is partially for myself and partially for the people around me. Which, if you think about it, applies to a lot of the powers on this list. In this book, Mona is able to infuse her baked goods with a little bit of life, which manifests in different ways, from a curmudgeonly starter to goods that actually get up and move around. Just imagine: an entire bakery filled with delicious creations that are as pleasing to look at as they are to eat! Inanimate objects with just a teeny bit of the animate in them (but not so much that you feel bad to eat them, of course).

I’ll confess that I’m not a great baker, by any means, but I do enjoy it when I do it, and I love learning new techniques and trying new recipes. Honestly, with a superpower like this, I’d settle down and open my own little cozy bakery somewhere and lead a cozy little life, I’m sure of it!

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Knowing Exactly What Patrons Need

What You Are Looking For Is In the Library

As a librarian, I rather pride myself in being pretty good at finding books for patrons and being able to discern what they may or may not enjoy. But I wouldn’t call it a superpower. Certainly not like Sayuri Komachi in this book. In fact, Komachi never gives a patron what they ask for; she gives them what they need. Anyone who’s ever worked with the public will realize that’s a vastly different thing.

I really admire Komachi’s ability to look at a person who asks for A and see straight through them, to the heart of their being, and know what they need is B. But she doesn’t tell them that’s what they need, of course, because people are frustratingly stubborn things that refuse to listen to reason. Instead, she gives them just the right book, every time, and lets them discover it for themselves. Anyone who’s ever worked in a library will know how magical that can be!

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