The Superhero Debate Redux

[antemortem]

About a year and a half ago, Arago proposed an interesting new idea in the form of Superhero debates. It didn't last very long but I liked the idea and here I am resurrecting it from the grave! A grand majority of us have had at least some exposure to superhero culture, and the game is fairly simple so why not show us what you've got? Just use your knowledge of superheroes to argue for or against the provided statement. Everyone who partakes has a chance at scoring a sweet emblem for their collection, so there's no drawback!

Current debate topic: Do you believe it's more beneficial to have powers at birth or developed later in life?

 

[Trogd0r917]

It depends on what said powers are. If they're born with any powers that can harm others it would probably be better to develop them later on. For example Black Bolt was born with a voice so powerful that a whisper could level a city and as a result spent nineteen years in a soundproof chamber being trained to never make a sound.

 

[Klippy]

Depends on the individual. Those that develop them later in life tend to base their persona/identity on their past experiences. If an individual is not the best of people morally, you get your super villains and bad guys that exploit their abilities to rob banks or cause destruction. If the person is raised well, like Peter Parker or Bruce Wayne, their experiences of injustice and crime shaped their identities.

When they are given from birth, such as with Kal-El/Clark Kent, you really have to have a strong moral compass guiding their control and use of such powers. If not for Clark's adoptive father, he could have been the Earth's destruction, rather than its Superman.

:)

 

[Lotus the Cat]

I'm not sure being born with the powers would necessarily lead to fire-wielding babies, etc. When born, humans have the capacity to walk and talk, but we aren't capable of doing those things straight off the bat. I would think that, like other natural things that we develop as we grow (that we are essentially born with), if born with the powers they would develop over time. As babies and young children are fast learners, this is a perfect time for them to understand and learn to control their ability. That being said, there would likely still be some... accidents.

However, if the ability were to come on later in life (particularly suddenly - which is often what happens), I think it's far more likely to be used by the individual for nefarious deeds. Let's be honest, most people are jerks and we get more cynical with age. I'd rather not have someone testing the limits of their newfangled power to pursue whatever twisted power fetishes they may have.

 

[acatfrommars]

A lot of the more powerful heroes like Superman, Martian Manhunter, Namor were born with powers. However, many other super strong heroes like the Hulk, Dr. Strange, Nova and the Flash hadn't received their powers until they were teenagers or even older. It's a really tough question, because it doesn't really depend when you get your powers; more so it depends what your powers are. I think it would be more beneficial to be born with your powers so that as a kid you can use your powers and develop them at a quicker rate than if you gained them as an adult. However, it seems that heroes who were born with powers are more vulnerable to objects, such as Superman with Kryptonite and Martian Manhunter with fire. Like, the Hulk and Flash aren't going to lose to an object.