Superhero Motivation

[Screampunk]

Hopefully this'll be a good place to ask.
I'm writing a story about a scientist who receives the power to manipulate the laws of physics when one of her experiments goes disastrously wrong, putting her lab partner in a coma after he tried to save her when he was already busy helping everyone else there.

The problem is, I'm having a hard time coming up with a believable, human reason why she'd use those powers to become a superhero.

In the current draft, she comes across a mugging in an alley and remembers her partner's "sacrifice" (for lack of a better term since he didn't exactly die). She realizes it'd be rather ****** to ignore it when she can do something, steps in to try breaking it up, and gets beaten up badly. On random instinct, she defends herself with her new powers, and in the panic of the situation, tries to use them consciously, succeeding but barely making it out alive.

The idea I've got so far is that when the guy she saved thanks her, she realizes that as a scientist (who loves knowledge & learning), she can't waste this opportunity to start experimenting with her powers in a way that could benefit humanity. I.E going around stopping crimes and studying how her powers work at the same time (this could play into some comedy such as beating up a thug and then having him answer a questionnaire when he clearly needs an ambulance).

I'm not sure if this would be a viable motivation; it just doesn't feel "human" enough. Like, I can't exactly see a real person coming to that conclusion. In my opinion, if it took me that long to think up, then someone in her position wouldn't think of it on the fly.

I'm thinking maybe she's got a bit of a complex where she's nervous about trying new things, but once she gets even the smallest bit of experience, she begins to overestimate her abilities. This would explain how she gets into that mindset of "I'm invincible, now to run some tests and have fun learning while doing the right thing".
It would also throw in a contradiction in her personality, such as how a person can think they know everything while claiming to care so much about knowledge. I find that flawed personalities like that create more believable characters.

What do you think? Can I make her motivation more believable?

 

[Spooderman]

Maybe you can have her be mugged and beat up instead of a stranger, so it's more personal.

Or she could use her powers to defend herself and decide to help others.

 

[HighOnPoker]

I agree with Spooderman that it works better if she is the would-be victim, because self-preservation is an instinct we can all understand. How about, as a scientist, she studies her abilities, but is unwilling to use them outside of the lab. She is working late one night testing her abilities. When she leaves, she is attacked by the would-be assailant. She escapes using her abilities and knocks him out (or worse), resulting in his arrest or death. Maybe afterwards, she reads about how her assailant had victimized another person or a few other people before her, and she realizes that her abilities cannot be confined to the lab. It's a powertrip for her, with just a dash of guilt for good measure.