The pitfalls of Super Strength

So, if you think about superheroes and villains, what do they need to have, to survive their newfound abilites?

The answer, generally is multiple superpowers in a 'package'.

Why do they need a 'package of powers?

Take today's simple example for now. You get Super Strength. So (presumably) your muscles are now much stronger than before and can exert a far more powerful contraction (which is what muscles do). If they are anchored by ligaments to bones, a major contraction is likely to either a: tear the ligament off the bone (or snap the ligament) or b: break the bones as the muscles shorten.

So, in order to survive using your super strong musculature, you need denser and tougher bones.

But is that enough? Not really. Your heart muscle pumps huge volumes of blood around the body and now does so with increased power. So your blood pressure is going to rocket and you risk suffering strokes, blood bursting from your arteries and veins, or blood pouring through the skin under pressure. Exsanguination.

So now you have to have enhanced cells throughout the body, including the brain itself, simply to survive stronger musculature.

Then think about the physics and real life effects of using your Super Strength. You lift a tank which might weigh above 50 metric tons. Just trying to lift it will get your bones smashed and crushed unless you have all the other enhanced elements in a 'package'.

So you have the full 'package' of bodily upgrades to allow you to use your power. You go to lift the tank. How on earth do you manage to grab it to lift it, without the metal buckling under your hands. And how do you get the leverage to lift the thing?

If you want to jack up a car, you use special hardened jack points built to take the strain, or risk damaging the metal body of the car. Why should a tank be different, other than it has much tougher metals in its construction.Let's assume you are able to get leverage (you are just that strong you can grip it tight to lift) to pick up the tank, then it might be possible to lift as metal is extremely durable.

What about a building then. We are going up a notch here, assuming even greater strength? I am sure you have seen those comics where superheroes hold up a falling building? Or just throw one?

As you go to exert effort to lift it, the stone (far less durable than metal) will crumble in your hands or around you as the weight of the building itself collapses the materials, burying you. Your building looks like it was hit by an earthquake now, instead of balancing happily in your hands. Yes, you are holding up parts of the building directly above you perhaps, but be assured, modern buildings are modular builds which have good structural integrity ...to a point. They cannot cope with significant single point force applications in one tiny location while maintaining the integrity of the entire structure. Let alone allowing you to pick that building up to throw it.

Now, if you have some other powers that go hand in hand with the super strength, like a forcefield that can bind all the elements of the building in place, or a stasis power to hold all the atoms and molecules together, unmoving, then fair enough. Then you could maybe lift that building to throw it around.

So a simple case of Super Strength is not simple at all, but requires a number of additional changes to the body and extra powers to interact to utilise the power successfully. Otherwise, your new found Superpower is going to destroy you.

Next time we will focus on super speed.