What Would I Do with Super Powers?

First off and most importantly I must consider what my super power would be before determining the action I would take. This factor can have significant influence on your actions.

Take for example, the power to command aquatic creatures. This would give me absolutely no advantages in robbing a bank, unless of course it was the First Credit Union of Atlantis. Likewise, being able to see through walls will provide almost no advantage in taking on a thug in hand-to-hand combat.

I have considered many powers to bestow upon myself, like the ability to control water on a molecular level. Bursting pipes, causing tidal waves, and pulling a person to pieces like a set of legos one molecule at a time would be only a sampling of my ability. Or perhaps the ability to inhabit shadows or to enter mirrored surfaces, making me the perfect assassin. Some of these powers are pretty specific, but I must admit I have also fantasized about the more general and popular powers.

Many times I have heard "super strength" and "super speed" and... well pretty much anything with the word super in it. I have also heard people talk about pyrokinesis, telekinesis, telepathy, regeneration, teleportation, invisibility, precognition and unassisted human flight. Other more powerful attributes would include invulnerability or the ability to manipulate reality, but I don't want to be too powerful on account of I like challenges.

So which power? My fondest recollections of super-powered beings would be the hulk and those like him. I would, however, like to be able to retain some of my composure and cognitive faculties. So my specific power would be super strength and durability.

Now having that been established, I can consider my actions. So I am strong enough to throw a car and durable enough to take a tank round to the chest, so naturally I would become a supervillain. This is an hardly decision at all because villains have it so much easier. Heroes go where the crime is. They are working on another person's schedule, your schedule. Also, if you are a successful villain the payout is much higher. I'll take money over the appreciation of random citizens who don't even know who I am and charges of vigilantism any day of the week.

Villains can be categorized into two types in this writer's opinion. First there is the thug. The thug is more often than not a physically imposing fellow, and his behavior and blatantly obvious disregard for others reflect his need to satisfy his desires above all others. The thug has no greater purpose, and most times no intricate mission or agenda. This does give the thug some advantages. Greediness and a self serving nature gives the thug a much stronger sense of self preservation. This is the villain that has a good chance of escaping to fight another day because he won't risk what he consider the most important thing in the world-himself.

The second villain is commonly called the mastermind. The mastermind can take any form. Some masterminds take full advantage of this fact and choose to operate out of sight and maintaining anonymity. Other masterminds display slightly more arrogance by operating out in the open for all to see. Regardless of the theatricality of their exploits (or lack thereof), masterminds all have the same distinct characteristics, although to a varying degree from one individual to the next. They are intellectuals. They respect the power of their minds and use that power to achieve ends. Also in many cases, the mastermind is driven by a greater purpose, something that gives their life meaning and transcends common material needs.

I would categorize myself as a mastermind. I am not saying that I am a criminal genius, but I do consider myself more of the intellectual persuasion than the physical. Also, I would be driven. I would take a mission or quest upon myself. One of the many that I would seek vengeance against would be the American government and the greater global power structure that it is a part of. I consider the system under which the world operates to be flawed. The power structure of the world in general begs purging, and I would make certain that I would be the tool of its destruction. I would perform a systematic attack on the heirarchy, taking from the populous the authorities on which they rely in crisis. The resources and officials to which people defer to in the event of a state of emergency would be the first of my targets. My attitude about government and people in power is shared by many, so I suspect that along the way my crusade would develop a following. It is through these individuals that I would spread espionage and dissent throughout many parts of the world. I would revel in sowing the seeds of discord among all people indiscriminately. I would show all peoples the same disregard.

In conclusion, let me assure readers that I would be a villain. Some may reason that I would be a hero if I were fighting to topple a corrupt system. I would not be fighting to right a wrong, I would be looking to boast my great power and dominance by finding the most formidable foe and laying waste to them. I would enjoy every moment. Fortunately for everyone in the world, I do not have any superpowers and it does not look like I will be getting any soon. I can dream though.