List, or at least name, your favorite(s).
I believe every power should be capable of at least one of these three: 1. Offense: attacking an enemy; 2. Defense: defending against an enemy, and 3. Saving: saving someone from anything. How good a power can do any of these and how many of these the power can do I think help define how good the power is.
Here's my ranking of the powers I would like to have that have so far appeared on Heroes. I didn't include Peter's or The Haitian's powers or Sylar's ability to take other peoples' powers with their brains because their powers would only be useful in a world where there were superpowered beings around. However, I did include the powers Sylar exhibited that seemed to be (or were confirmed to be) 'stolen'.
1. Telekinesis (Sylar): I think this power would be the most useful in everyday life and being a true 'hero', especially if it was as strong as Sylar's, who effortlessly scalps heads and tosses locker doors and humans across rooms like a sack of potatoes. Think of this the next time someone is trapped under a car or can't get out of a burning building because their window is too high up. It definitely meets all the credentials on my list.
2. Bending space & time (Hiro): Whoever had this would be enormously powerful, but if I had it I'd probably be frightened in a way. To paraphrase Hiro: "What if I stepped on an insect?" It'd still be a really cool power and one of it's advantages could be described as ultraspeed (Hiro decorates an entire restaurant with the paper cranes in an instant because he stopped time).
3. Flight (Nathan): If only for the sensation of feeling the wind in your hair thousands of feet above ground and the fact that I'd never be late anywhere ever again because of Miami's horrible traffic jams.
4. Freezing (Sylar): While Sylar uses it to freeze an innocent father and remove his brain, this power could be extremely useful for a would-be hero. Freezing a fire or using a large column of ice to elevate said hero are just some of the ways it could save a person, not to mention sheets of ice being used as shields and all kinds of freezing attacks.
5. Invulnerability (Claire): This is arguably the last power on my list of favorites that does all three of the things a great power should. Because of how reckless a hero would be in battle (Wolverine's countless escapades across comics, cartoons, and the big screen are evidence of this) it serves as a good offensive and defensive power, and because you wouldn't be afraid of injury, it'd be easier to save someone (take Claire rushing into the fire, for example).
6. Telepathy (Matt): Reading people's minds can be a great defensive tool and a great tool for saving people because you know what is gonna happen and what has happened based on people's thoughts (it would be excellent for police work, as Matt has shown quite a few times), and what guy wouldn't like to know what is running through the mind of every girl around him at will? Still, I don't think it serves much of an offensive purpose (aside from perhaps a pre-emptive strike, but then you'll still be only as strong as a regular human) unless the powers are developed to the point of Xavier's from the X-Men, who can actually control people.
7. Emitting Nuclear Energy (Ted): This power is great both offensive and defensively ('come any nearer and I'll explode' XD) and there could be a few situations where it would be able to save people, but it would probably be very difficult to control (it seems difficult for Ted to control it) and could end up causing more harm than good, at least until complete control of the power is taken. Imagine the threat of exploding in the middle of a crowded theater without being able to help it.
8. Phasing (DL): A pretty cool power that could rescue people in certain situations (people stuck somewhere), be an EXCELLENT defensive power (DL survives a sniper shot to the head), and a good offensive power (try reaching into someone's chest and then making your hand go solid). Not one of my favorites, but still pretty damn cool.
9. Painting the future (Isaac): This power seems pretty cool, until you realize that Isaac can't control what he paints and usually his paintings are open to interpretation and aren't always what to they seem. As much as you'd like to, if you had Isaac's power you couldn't just say 'I wanna see if she'll say yes when I ask her out tomorrow' and paint your answer. You'd have to go into a trance and paint an obscure painting which you'll then have to interpret. If you can get to someone in law enforcement (or someone with the abilities in numbers 1 - 8) after you've decided what your painting is about and stop it, however, you could save a lot of people.
10. Persuasion (Eden): It would be great to get anyone to do whatever you wanted with a whisper, and you'd have an excellent career as a politician or hostage negotiator. But I shudder to think at what I (and most men) would do with this power
11. Huge capacity for learning/impeccable memory (Charlie): My grades would be amazing and I'd have a great career, but I wouldn't be much of a 'hero'.
12. Technology Power (Micah): The ability to fix or reconfigure any piece of equipment would sure come in handy, but I don't think someone with that power would be more than a side-kick to someone with the powers in 1 - 8.
13. Evil twin with superstrength (Nikki): A horrible power for the obvious reasons. I mean, even the Hulk can sometimes control himself. This ***** be running wild!
That's my list, anyway.
I believe every power should be capable of at least one of these three: 1. Offense: attacking an enemy; 2. Defense: defending against an enemy, and 3. Saving: saving someone from anything. How good a power can do any of these and how many of these the power can do I think help define how good the power is.
Here's my ranking of the powers I would like to have that have so far appeared on Heroes. I didn't include Peter's or The Haitian's powers or Sylar's ability to take other peoples' powers with their brains because their powers would only be useful in a world where there were superpowered beings around. However, I did include the powers Sylar exhibited that seemed to be (or were confirmed to be) 'stolen'.
1. Telekinesis (Sylar): I think this power would be the most useful in everyday life and being a true 'hero', especially if it was as strong as Sylar's, who effortlessly scalps heads and tosses locker doors and humans across rooms like a sack of potatoes. Think of this the next time someone is trapped under a car or can't get out of a burning building because their window is too high up. It definitely meets all the credentials on my list.
2. Bending space & time (Hiro): Whoever had this would be enormously powerful, but if I had it I'd probably be frightened in a way. To paraphrase Hiro: "What if I stepped on an insect?" It'd still be a really cool power and one of it's advantages could be described as ultraspeed (Hiro decorates an entire restaurant with the paper cranes in an instant because he stopped time).
3. Flight (Nathan): If only for the sensation of feeling the wind in your hair thousands of feet above ground and the fact that I'd never be late anywhere ever again because of Miami's horrible traffic jams.
4. Freezing (Sylar): While Sylar uses it to freeze an innocent father and remove his brain, this power could be extremely useful for a would-be hero. Freezing a fire or using a large column of ice to elevate said hero are just some of the ways it could save a person, not to mention sheets of ice being used as shields and all kinds of freezing attacks.
5. Invulnerability (Claire): This is arguably the last power on my list of favorites that does all three of the things a great power should. Because of how reckless a hero would be in battle (Wolverine's countless escapades across comics, cartoons, and the big screen are evidence of this) it serves as a good offensive and defensive power, and because you wouldn't be afraid of injury, it'd be easier to save someone (take Claire rushing into the fire, for example).
6. Telepathy (Matt): Reading people's minds can be a great defensive tool and a great tool for saving people because you know what is gonna happen and what has happened based on people's thoughts (it would be excellent for police work, as Matt has shown quite a few times), and what guy wouldn't like to know what is running through the mind of every girl around him at will? Still, I don't think it serves much of an offensive purpose (aside from perhaps a pre-emptive strike, but then you'll still be only as strong as a regular human) unless the powers are developed to the point of Xavier's from the X-Men, who can actually control people.
7. Emitting Nuclear Energy (Ted): This power is great both offensive and defensively ('come any nearer and I'll explode' XD) and there could be a few situations where it would be able to save people, but it would probably be very difficult to control (it seems difficult for Ted to control it) and could end up causing more harm than good, at least until complete control of the power is taken. Imagine the threat of exploding in the middle of a crowded theater without being able to help it.
8. Phasing (DL): A pretty cool power that could rescue people in certain situations (people stuck somewhere), be an EXCELLENT defensive power (DL survives a sniper shot to the head), and a good offensive power (try reaching into someone's chest and then making your hand go solid). Not one of my favorites, but still pretty damn cool.
9. Painting the future (Isaac): This power seems pretty cool, until you realize that Isaac can't control what he paints and usually his paintings are open to interpretation and aren't always what to they seem. As much as you'd like to, if you had Isaac's power you couldn't just say 'I wanna see if she'll say yes when I ask her out tomorrow' and paint your answer. You'd have to go into a trance and paint an obscure painting which you'll then have to interpret. If you can get to someone in law enforcement (or someone with the abilities in numbers 1 - 8) after you've decided what your painting is about and stop it, however, you could save a lot of people.
10. Persuasion (Eden): It would be great to get anyone to do whatever you wanted with a whisper, and you'd have an excellent career as a politician or hostage negotiator. But I shudder to think at what I (and most men) would do with this power
11. Huge capacity for learning/impeccable memory (Charlie): My grades would be amazing and I'd have a great career, but I wouldn't be much of a 'hero'.
12. Technology Power (Micah): The ability to fix or reconfigure any piece of equipment would sure come in handy, but I don't think someone with that power would be more than a side-kick to someone with the powers in 1 - 8.
13. Evil twin with superstrength (Nikki): A horrible power for the obvious reasons. I mean, even the Hulk can sometimes control himself. This ***** be running wild!
That's my list, anyway.
