Superhero Power: Electrical Control

[Umbran]

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.

Well, in the OP it was stated we are talking about control, not generation - so we aren't talking about being able to generate a current of electrons in the body, but to manipulate currents already present.

Sure, if you run a stream of energetic electrons through a body, stuff happens. Done wholesale, you stop hearts. Done with great precision, you stimulate individual muscles and neurons. The human body is a pretty poor conductor, and there aren't many free electrons flowing around or even free to be manipulated like there are n a metal.

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...

Given the speeds involved (the speed of light) the time period should not be an issue in penetration - unless the body is light-seconds across, the field is going to go as far as it will go on a timescale faster than the chemical creations the body acts upon can respond.

Lack of penetration is more an issue of what the body's composed of, and what happens at interfaces between air and body.

In the case of something more sustained many different cellular systems get disrupted.

As I said, if you are applying it with precision, on the level of cells, you're okay - but few superheroes will have that level of precision.

Thinking about it, I'd like to revise a little something I said in response to pawsplay earlier.

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?

In genre, that's called "telepathy", and is a separate power. Using the power of electrical control to mimic telepathy is kind of like using a Hoover household vacuum cleaner to extract nuclei from cells for cloning experiments. Yes, technically in theory the basic principle is there, but it is the wrong tool for the job.