Superhero Power: Electrical Control

[Nifft]

Now, here's something interesting to think about. The brain and head has its own electrical signature, an EMF "cloud." What would happen if you manipulated that?

Depends on the transitivity between "cloud" and brain activity. Since the brain tends to be a poor inductor, probably not much would happen.

The body has its own signature, called oily "fingerprints". What would happen if you manipulated that? Answer: you could mess with people looking for that signature, and that's it.

Cheers, -- N

 

[LightPhoenix]

A note (mostly for those who are trying to make sure players don't go farther than you want with powers): While the brain runs on "electrical impulses" that doesn't mean the power works on the nervous system.

This is *not* how your neurons do things. To oversimplify - imagine the neuron to be a pipe. The neuron transmits an electrical signal by moving ions (charged atoms) not along the length of the pipe, but through the wall of the pipe. Ions pop out in one place, which causes more to pop out next to them a little way down the pipe, then next to those a little farther down. Each ion moves only a small distance across the cell membrane, and back again, and that produces a wave of ionization to travel along the length of the neuron.

I don't mean this to overly pedantic, but the whole system works because there's a voltage gradient across the cell membrane to start with. The ions move through voltage-gated ion channels. Mess with that gradient, you disrupt the whole system.

My point was, take most fictional super-powers, and apply them to the real world, and they're more powerful than portrayed in comics.

 

[Umbran]

And an electromagnetic pulse is pretty much like running a truck into that pipe.

Given that people and animals are largely unaffected by EMP, I think it is more like running a truck into the stadium stands - you can mess up a whole lot of monkeys, or maybe one or two elephants.

Now, here's something interesting to think about. The brain and head has its own electrical signature, an EMF "cloud." What would happen if you manipulated that?

Well, by real world physics, not a whole heck of a lot - that "cloud" is a result of neural activity, not the cause of such activity. Imagine that as the elephants do the wave, they toss baseballs in the air - how much of an effect does moving the baseballs have on the elephants? Unless you're really careful, and hit one of the elephants in the eye, not a whole lot.

If you subject the brain with electromagnetic fields of great strength, you can have an effect on the brain, yes. You probably also need microscopic-level control in order to have that result in predictable changes in behavior of the creature. So, Magneto can do it, sure, 'cause he's made of villainous awsomeness.

 

[Sunseeker]

My point was, take most fictional super-powers, and apply them to the real world, and they're more powerful than portrayed in comics.

Of course they are. But that's not to say there haven't been writers who've taken this into consideration. Depending on which comic you put under the spotlight, especially the long LONG ones, you'll generally come across a series where the powers seem to have as close to real-world physics applied to them as possible.

And you're right, it makes their powers INCREDIBLY insanely powerful.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Such as when DC writers took Swamp Thing's ability to accelerate the growth of any plant to it's (superheroic universe) logical extremes...

 

[Jeff Wilder]

The thing that amazed me was how long it took the DC editorial staff to realize that Firestorm was basically a god. Hell, I realized that when I was 10 years old.

 

[Umbran]

I don't mean this to overly pedantic

I'm a physicist - I don't think it is possible to get overly pedantic with me.

but the whole system works because there's a voltage gradient across the cell membrane to start with. The ions move through voltage-gated ion channels. Mess with that gradient, you disrupt the whole system.

Well, let's not forget some real-world practical facts - if you mess with the gradient, you do disrupt the system, but in real-world tests, even the EMP created by nuclear detonations have no noticeable effect on living organisms. So, even application of massive fields externally doesn't mess with the gradient.

Thus - if your hero can apply those powers down not just on the cellular level, but sub-cellular (across not entire cells, but across cell membranes), and discriminate between cells, then sure, you can argue for it. But short of that, not so much.

 

[LightPhoenix]

I'm a physicist - I don't think it is possible to get overly pedantic with me.

Biochemist/engineer here, so likewise.

Well, let's not forget some real-world practical facts - if you mess with the gradient, you do disrupt the system, but in real-world tests, even the EMP created by nuclear detonations have no noticeable effect on living organisms. So, even application of massive fields externally doesn't mess with the gradient.

I've done research on the effects of electrical currents and fields on cells, as did several people in my department. So I feel confident saying there are definitely effects on the cellular level.

In the case of something like an EMP that's basically instantaneous there won't be much of an effect at all. You probably don't get good penetration, and living systems are more resilient than electronics as well. In the case of something more sustained many different cellular systems get disrupted.

Of course, in the end, it's probably just easier to lightning bolt them. As you said, it wouldn't be easy, and I'd argue it wouldn't be terribly effective, but I'd argue with enough training and fine-control it would be possible.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Grughhhhhh! Hgruughhhhh!"

"Aaaannd making that funny noise?"

"Gruhh...ah Hell! If you MUST know, I'm using my supreme mastery of electricity to control your mind and nervous system...and when I'm through, I'll use my powers again to erase the neurons of your brain regarding this day! It will be as if this conversation never happened! So...grrrUGHHHHhh!"

"Mmmmmm...nothing happening on this end."

"What?!?! DAMMIT!!!" *points* sssZZZAAAT!

"gurgle..."

 

[Saeviomagy]

Other killing possibilities for 'manipulation of electricity'

Hit someone with a lightning bolt (yawn)

Broadcast radio messages by making current flow at the right frequency.

Microwave someone's brain, killing them or incapacitating them with a risk of brain damage, same method as radio communication.

Depending on the definition of electricity and the degree of control you could cause matter to cease to exist(if you're allowed to do wacky things like change the charge on an object and you can do it on a subatomic scale). That would probably be accompanied by a massive release of energy.

Even simple stuff like flight has massive implications for the world of physics (since most superheroes seem to be just generally ignoring gravity when they fly).