Reality warping

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Reality warping is a superpower in superhero fiction. It is the ability to reshape matter and energy, create or alter life forms, turn a person's thoughts or desires into reality, simulate any and all other powers and abilities, bend time and space, and possibly even rewrite the laws of physics.

All things are possible for a reality-warper, making them seem omnipotent with the only limit on reality warping being the users imagination. The Joker, wielding the power of Mr. Mxyzptlk as "Emperor Joker", was even able to rewrite logic itself, for example, making the whole world believe that 2 + 2 equals "fish".

Some of the most extreme reality warpers, like Beyonder and James Jaspers, are not even limited by their own physical bodies and can alter their own stature and appearance at will to become whatever they want to be, no matter how bizarre it might be. In DC comics, the fifth-dimensional imps that sometimes visit the DC universe, of which Mxyzptlk is the most common and well-known, seem to be the most common and also the most powerful reality warpers[citation needed].

Rarely in fiction are reality warpers depicted as heroic or benign. Reality warpers in fiction are almost always antagonists, villains or otherwise depicted as dangerous. This generally is a necessity of the plot; a reality-warping protagonist would face few, if any, true challenges. Reality warpers exhibiting a childlike (such as Anthony Fremont) or insane personality (like Proteus or Mad Jim Jaspers) are also common. Often, in the few cases of protagonists having such power, they have difficulty using it: in Ben 10: Alien Force, the hero, Ben Tennyson, can transform into a powerful alien form dubbed "Alien X" (also stated as the most powerful force in the universe), who has reality-warping powers but also contains two other distinct and powerful personalities which must agree to any action before it can be done. The two personalities are completely opposed to one another and have been arguing for an eternity; this makes the form and its powers virtually useless to such a level that Alien X cannot even communicate to the outside world: to others, Alien X is little more than an immobile statue.

Another typical theme in fiction is for the protagonist to be granted this ability and then struggle to resist abusing the power for their own personal benefit. Reality warpers are also commonly affected by their subconscious minds, which cause reality to change against their will (like Magician of Ultimate X-Men or Doctor Doom with the Beyonder's power).

A common issue with characters with the ability to warp reality is that they may not be aware of their talent, and, having less conscious wishes, rarely manifest their powers (as in The Man with the Power). Often, excessive want and distress causes them to become threats to themselves and those around them so that the supporting characters must attempt to mollify the situation so that the reality warper does not cause any major damage or discover their power (like Haruhi Suzumiya). In other cases, a reality warper is not inherently evil or dangerous, but his/her lack of forecast or sanity can cause a hard time for anyone around him/herself. For example, Nutty Ned from Jimmy Five comics is an innocent, but deranged young adult whose imagination literally comes to reality, something that annoys Jimmy Five since that he unwittingly and unwillingly comes along with Nutt Ned.

In cartoons, the effects of reality warping are often shown to be temporary. For example, in Superman: The Animated Series, reality returns to normal after Mr. Mxyzptlk is tricked into going back to his dimension.

It is important not to confuse reality warping and matter manipulation. Characters like Vulcan, Mister M, Darkseid, Apocalypse, Gog[disambiguation needed ] and the Silver Surfer can change and manipulate matter, but they cannot alter the fabric of reality itself. Another misconception is that 'reality warping' and 'magic' are the same. Reality warpers are capable of creating new mediums while witches and wizards can only harness the magical medium.

Contents

[edit] Types of reality warping

There are different kinds of reality warping, some types are more powerful than others and some have more severe limitations than others. There are four generalised types of reality warping.

  • Principle Intensification: The most basic form of reality warping and also one of the most rarely used forms. Beings who use this technique cannot break the laws of physics, but they can bend them a little. The technique revolves around applying abstract physical concepts in unusual ways (usually based on quantum mechanics). A textbook example of 'Principle intensifiers' are The Weeping Angels (Doctor Who) and the entire premise of 'Strange Days at Blake Holsey High' revolves around such beings and devices. This type of reality warper is severely limited in what it can accomplish and can usually be stopped by a person with superior knowledge and problem solving skills. It is also debatable whether or not they should still be classified as a reality warper. Some other examples of 'Principle intensifiers' are Schrödinger (Hellsing), The Mathter (Kim Possible) and The Traveller (Star Trek: The Next Generation).
  • Imposition: When you observe an animated character performing a seemingly impossible feat (e.g. producing a mallet out of thin air), it is important to note that such a feat may be perfectly possible in their own universe. 'Imposers' are beings who can exist on different planes of existence and are capable of imposing the physical laws of their own universe on another. Most cartoon characters exhibit such abilities, making it the most commonly used form of reality warping by default. Such beings are still limited by their own physical laws and can sometimes only apply this technique on certain planes of existence. The two most common forms of 'Imposer' are those who operate using Cartoon physics (e.g. The Mask (comics & movie), Newton (Ned's Newt) and Guu (Haré+Guu)) and those who operate using computer logic (e.g. Neo (The Matrix), XANA (Code Lyoko) and Jobe Smith (The Lawnmower Man)). The Great Old Ones (Doctor Who) and The Ancient Lights (The Sarah Jane Adventures) originated from the previous universe, so although they do not all possess cosmic powers, they are all essentially 'Imposers'.
  • Physics Manipulation: The general form of reality warper, 'Physics Manipulators' can invent their own physical laws and impose them on the rest of the universe. In the case of some protagonist reality warpers (e.g. Freedom Ring, Ambrose Chase (WS), and Crusader (Marvel Comics)), the effect is limited over a small volume (reality bubble). Instead of confronting a 'Physics Manipulator', most non-reality warpers try to outsmart them. Various story tellers possess this ability and use it for comic effect (e.g. The Artist (The Dandy and The Beano), The Voice-over Man (The Basil Brush Show) and The Narrator (George of the Jungle)).
  • Logic Manipulation: The rarest and most powerful form of reality warping, 'Logic Manipulators' can not only defy the laws of physics, but also the laws of logic and reason. Many cultures depict their God as possessing this level of reality warping. The difficulty with a logic manipulating character, is that it is difficult to portray a being capable of performing a feat so abstract that it cannot be perceived by a rational mind (e.g. existing and not existing at the same time). It is impossible to determine which characters possess the powers of logic manipulation, as they are required to perform a feat that is not only impossible, but also inconceivable. They are so powerful, they appear to be practically omnipotent. There are only seven confirmed 'Logic Manipulators':

Some characters possess a combination of these abilities (i.e. You could think of Schrödinger (Hellsing) as being a 'Logic Manipulator' as well as a 'Principle intensifier', as he can will himself into existence). Logic manipulation is usually regarded as an extension of physics manipulation; Zarlack is an exception, as he is required to be in a certain place to perform any large scale reality warping feat.

[edit] Manga's reality warpers

[edit] Marvel's reality warpers

The Marvel Universe is known to have a large number of individuals who can manipulate reality. Characters with the potential for reality warping encountered in Marvel comics include:

Also, anyone wielding certain artifacts gained reality warping powers:

[edit] Other comics reality warpers

Apart from the MU reality warpers, many other different beings in DC and other comics also possess reality warping powers, or powers which might potentially be used for reality alteration. These include, amongst others:

[edit] Non-comics reality warpers

Apart from comic characters, there has been a number of science fiction and fantasy characters who have exhibited reality-warping powers of various forms, at least within the boundaries of certain environments and/or restrictions. Such characters include:

[edit] Limited to probability or uncontrolled reality manipulation

Character Media Publisher(s)/Series Source
Amos Fortune Comic books DC Comics Inherent
Black Cat Comic books, animation Marvel Comics Induced
Calamity King Comic books DC Comics Inherent
Domino Comic books Marvel Comics Mutant
Jinx Comic books, animation DC Comics, Warner Bros. Animation
Kunogi, Himawari (九軒ひまわり?) Manga, anime xxxHolic Inherent
Longshot Comic books Marvel Comics Inherent
Lord of Games (LOG) Video games Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts Inherent
Major Disaster Comic books DC Comics Inherent
Mat Cauthon Novels The Wheel of Time Inherent
Kuramitsu, Mihoshi (九羅密 美星?) Anime Tenchi Muyo! Inherent
Kuramitsu, Mitoto Anime Tenchi Muyo! Inherent
Roulette Comic books Marvel Comics Mutant
Sakuraba, Milfeulle (ミルフィーユ 桜葉?) Manga, anime, video games Galaxy Angel Inherent
Scarlet Witch Comic books, animation Marvel Comics Mutant
Shamrock Comic books Marvel Comics Mutant
Suzumiya, Haruhi Anime, Manga Haruhi Suzumiya Unknown
Tetsuo Shima Anime, Manga Akira
Janemba Anime Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn Attained
Ponyo Anime Studio Ghibli Attained

[edit] Artifacts with reality warping abilities

In addition to individuals, objects in fiction have also been attributed with the ability to alter reality, typically in response to its owner's thoughts and/or desires.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Dream Weaver (Dr. Strange foe)
  2. ^ Kelly (Captain Marvel (Genis) character)
  3. ^ Comixfan Forums - Chase, Trevor
  4. ^ Willie Evans Jr. and Grunt (Fantastic Four/Iron Man/X-Factor character(s) )
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