History Main / NewPowersAsThePlotDemands

** ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' had him flying around the world backwards to reverse time, though some consider this a visual metaphor taken too literally. Superman ''could'' and did travel through time in the comics by flying faster than the speed of light; apparently in the movie we're seeing this from his point of view, rather than him physically causing the earth to spin backwards and this somehow causing time to reverse.

*** Superman creating fake duplicates of himself that are intangible or shatter when touched.

* In the video game ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfDragoon'', the character [[spoiler: Meru]] is revealed to be a descendant of an ancient winged species, sprouting wings of energy. Multiple times thereafter, she uses this ability for various reasons. Another character, [[spoiler: the villain Lloyd]], is also revealed to be this same species.

** In one episode of the TV show, the villains finally wised up and took away his utility belt (they couldn't [[JustEatGilligan just kill him]] because they needed him to ... extract musk from some weasels). So he asked for a couple of glasses of warm water, this being somehow essential to the musk-extraction process ... and proceeded to pull out ''dehydrated Bat-utility belt capsules'' from somwehere and reconstitute them.

* Franchise/{{Marsupilami}}, the EnsembleDarkhorse do-anything pet of ComicBook/SpirouAndFantasio. Although somewhat grounded in animal capacity, Marsupilami was intelligent, agile, strong and tough (even moreso when driven into a berserker state, where he was powerful enough to ''tear trees apart''), and gifted with an absurdly long and perfectly prehensible tail. He was also amphibious, capable of perfect mimicry, and extremely resilient against many things, including being able to effortlessly shrug off the Zorglwave (a device that could either paralyze a person or brainwash them into a perfectly obedient slave). Other abilities popped up as needed.

** R2-D2 manages to do just about anything when the plot requires, especially in the prequels. Like fly. According to the expanded universe, R2-D2 doesn't fly in the original trilogy because he damaged his rocket boosters in the interm between Episodes III and IV and could not get them replaced as the company that manufactured them was shut down by the Empire.

** [[MonsterClown Makaras]] seem to have a nack for getting new abilities. Such as Gamzee being able to manipulate fears and materialize objects based on them, including [[spoiler:Li'l Cal himself]], Kurloz having a form of mind control similar to those of the Serket's, and [[spoiler:Gamzee being extremely difficult to kill on account of being a clown]]. The first two, and possibly other abilities, at least have some kind of linking theme of being related to fears, and are possibly part of their Sgrub-given powers. Their aspect, Rage, has not yet been properly defined after all. But the last one makes no sense and the closest foreshadowing it gets is [[spoiler:the lack of any form of Gamzee having died on-screen and the lack of any ghosts of him in the Dream Bubbles, even though it was implied that (B1) Jack Noir took out his dreamself]].

** The episide "Ice Sore" centers around Blossom discovering that she has ice breath ability, conveniently in time to stop a flaming asteroid from crushing the city. In what might be a deconstruction, she actually notices that her new power is ostracizing her from her sisters and doesn't ''want'' to use it to stop the asteroid. She later uses the ice breath in later episodes, although not really more than her other powers.

* PlayedForDrama in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited''. The Ultimen are prone to developing new powers at the drop of a hat... because they're genetically unstable clones with extremely short shelf-lives. The new powers are signs of the instablity increasing.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}': The narrative says that Quack-Quack has superpowers, but never specifies what exact powers he has, which means that an episode can introduce Quack-Quack having a superpower the audience has never seen before and nobody bats an eye, with Quack-Quack retaining these powers in future episodes.

** In one episode of the Franchise/{{DCAU}}, Superman teams up with Robin to search for Batman, and displays his super-mimicry, explained as him having extraordinary control of his vocal muscles, to first mimic Batman, then Robin himself. This completely freaks Robin out, and he demands that Supes [[NeverSayThatAgain "Never. Do that. Again."]] Superman never uses this power again.

* ''ComicBook/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'': Is there anything the handy Master Sword can't do? In addition to its established powers (deflecting Agahnim's magic and paralyzing Ganon), it can channel Link's rage into energy, causing electric storms.

* Near the end of ''Literature/Breaking Dawn'', Alice has a vision of [[spoiler:a massive battle with the Cullens and their allies on one side, and the Volturi on the other]] that involves the shapeshifters and Renesmee. This is despite the fact that she's supposed to be ''incapable'' of having visions involving shapeshifters and/or half-vampires. (It's almost as if the scriptwriter(s) wanted a fight scene while also keeping to the book, really....)

* Near the end of ''[[Literature/{{Twilight}} Breaking Dawn]]'', Alice has a vision of [[spoiler:a massive battle with the Cullens and their allies on one side, and the Volturi on the other]] that involves the shapeshifters and Renesmee. This is despite the fact that she's supposed to be ''incapable'' of having visions involving shapeshifters and/or half-vampires. (It's almost as if the scriptwriter(s) wanted a fight scene while also keeping to the book, really....)

** All the Kryptonians shooting HandBlasts.
** Superman creating fake duplicates of himself that are intangible or shatter when touched.

* Hawk and Dove. Holy crap, Hawk and Dove. Geoff Johns likes them so much that one of them will just have whatever powers they need for the plot to work. Army of unstoppable zombies? Well hey, Dove just happens to have an anti zombie laser inside her. Boyfriend dies? Dove can totally hear ghosts all of a sudden. Dove's in trouble? Hawk just happens to have the ability to sense when Dove's using her powers even though he's never had that power before. Sigh.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': As early as the first episode, it's hinted that Ruby's silver eyes are special in some way. At the end of the third season, Ruby activates the secret powers her eyes have, freezing the [[{{Kaiju}} Grimm Dragon]], but not outright killing it, in place and defeating SuperMode![[ArcVillain Cinder]] off-screen. Afterwards, it's explained that "Silver Eyed Warriors" have special powers that allow them to beat even apocalyptic [[TheHeartless Creatures of Grimm]] with ease. The next season then reveals that the Four Maidens, legends hyped up throughout the last season, happen to be weak to Silver Eyed Warriors, sidestepping how Cinder could be defeated and crippled despite having stolen the Fall Maiden's powers. However, she's considered a novice by the people who have dealt with her kind before, and as it turns out, her powers don't really work on normal humans, giving her a critical weakness.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'': "Dude, no one tells me anything!" While 21 doesn't quite develop new powers, it seems that he's informed of the costume's latest capability the second it becomes necessary.

* In the Film K-12 Crybaby Played by ''Music/MelanieMartinez'' as well as her friends gain GodModeSue levels of power which they simply didn't have in the last album (which K-12 is a sequel of). Her new powers contain everything from levitating (both herself and busses), telekinesis, mind control, teleportation, seeming omniscience at least in one scene and of course the ability to lift the ENTIRE SCHOOL IN A SPIT BUBBLE in a bizarre way of destroying it. One wonders exactly how the character is ever in any real danger when [[AssPull she can pull a new power out of her ass every time a new problem emerges.]]

** Although Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} was created in the late Silver Age and she was so overpowered like her cousin, she was not liable to come up with new powers every issue. Still she had super-intuition -a power unique to her-, used super-ventiloquism, in ''Comicbook/ActionComics #258'' she used super-aiming and in ''[[ComicBook/Supergirl1972 Supergirl Vol 1]]'' issue #1 she uses [[VacuumMouth Super-Suction Breath]] to capture a serial killer (she draws out the air out of a cab so the man in there faints).

** In ''Comicbook/UltimateSpiderMan'' [[spoiler: Peter Parker later comes back from the dead after it turns out that the serum that empowered him (as well as Miles Morales and Norman Osborn) makes them functionally immortal. Thereby explaining Osborn's JokerImmunity.]].
* Comicbook/TheAvengers have ComicBook/ScarletWitch, who has possibly the most ill-defined set of powers in all of Marvel Comics. DependingOnTheWriter she can be a mutant RealityWarper, a mystical sorceress, both, or something else altogether.

** For a brief period during the Silver Age, Comicbook/{{Quicksilver}} suddenly gained the ability to fly by vibrating his legs. The writers ditched this idea pretty quickly, though.

** Dave Cockrum used to drive Claremont nuts by constantly giving Comicbook/{{Nightcrawler}} new powers almost every issue back in the earlier X-Men days. Such as invisibility in shadows, or wallcrawling (the first of which got [[OrwellianRetcon Orwellian-retconned]] in reprints, with the latter just being quietly dropped)

* ''Comicbook/TheIncredibleHulk'' #3 inexplicably gave the Hulk the power to fly, a development so surprising and out of nowhere that [[https://static.comicvine.com/uploads/scale_large/11/117763/2464606-hulk003.jpg it was even referenced on the cover]]. The new power didn't last long, though, as the Hulk's flight was hastily {{Retcon}}ned into [[InASingleBound super jumping]] the very next issue.
* The ''Comicbook/DoomPatrol'' villain "The Quiz" had "every power you haven't thought of". Literally; to fight her, you had to start shouting power names so she couldn't use them.

* Inverted in an arc of ''Comicbook/{{Exiles}}'' in which the team arrives on an [[AlternateUniverse Earth where the Skrulls have ruled since the 19th century]], and several of them are thrown into a gladiator arena to fight other superpowered beings. Mimic, a mutant with the power to copy and hold onto the abilities of up to five other mutants, strikingly showcases "all four" of his various powers as he fights his way to higher tiers of the arena, until he finally comes up against "The Champion", that universe's version of ComicBook/CaptainAmerica. The Skrulls are expecting an epic fight, when Mimic ends it in ten seconds by letting loose optic blasts he copied from the ComicBook/XMen's Cyclops. The reader knows he has this power (if he's been paying attention, since Mimic had been using it since the start of the series), but the in-universe audience is shocked.

* ''Comicbook/DialHForHero'' is based around a mysterious dial that enables an ordinary person to become a superhero for a short time, by selecting the letters H-E-R-O in order. Each time it is used, the dial causes its possessor to become a superhero with a different name, costume, and powers. The twist here was that the hero usually didn't get a power that would solve whatever problem he was facing in the most obvious and direct way. The trope was played straight, though, in that the power always turned out to be useful for the current situation, even if ''how'' it could be useful wasn't apparent at first. The basic plot of a Dial H For Hero story can be summed up as "figure out how being a human slinky helps you put out a forest fire."

* The ComicBook/{{Daredevil}} and ComicBook/JessicaJones villain the Purple Man was hastily {{Retcon}}ned to possess a HealingFactor to explain how he'd survived getting punched to death by [[Comicbook/SubMariner Namor]] during the ''Emperor Doom'' graphic novel.
* ''ComicBook/{{Darkhawk}}'' is an interesting variant on this trope, in the sense that Chris Powell [[HowdoIshotWeb didn't get an instruction manual along with the fancy amulet that transforms him into Darkhawk]], so he ended up discovering many of his powers by trial and error, most notably in reacting to new and stressful situations.

** ''FanFic/MagnoliaCinderellaCupcake'' has her [[TrappedInAnotherWorld fall into Middle-earth]], where she is "the most desirable lady ever" and has new powers. She uses each power once and then forgets it. Some of these are EyeBeams, SuperStrength and SuperSpeed.

* Marrissa Roberts from ''FanFic/{{ITS MY LIFE}}!''. Her powers include electric fight abilities, [[BatmanCanBreatheInSpace being able to fly to and breathe in space]], MEGA PAWNCH, "nerotksin" immunity, a super detective power and being able to materialize stuff out of nowhere.

* Link in the [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Legend of Zelda]] fanfic, ''Fanfic/ZeldasHonor'', can [[spoiler: summon up horses, bows, torches and just about anything else as the plot demands]] because of his [[spoiler: Nevachrean heritage]]. He also can defy [[spoiler: death by an eleventh hour appearance of Navi]]. Can't beat the villain with the powers he has now? No problem! Just [[spoiler: put on the Fierce Deity Mask that you just recently restored using the innate temporary healing powers from the newly reawakened Triforce of Courage within you and due to the new Hylia like qualities Navi bestowed upon you, become a righteous god of terrible power]]!

** In ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'', Star-Lord and his team crash into the Dark Aster to stop Ronan the Accuser from destroying Xandar with the Power Stone. While they're in a dark hallway, Groot puts out glowing spores to light the way. Drax asks when he was able to do that.

* In ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'', Comicbook/KittyPryde now somehow has the ability to send people's consciousnesses back through time. (In the comic books, it was done by telepath Rachel Summers, daughter of Comicbook/{{Cyclops}} and Comicbook/JeanGrey. In the comics, it was ''Kitty'' who got Series/{{Quantum Leap}}ed into her past self; letting her be the sender was something of a MythologyGag that let her be involved in the plot even though it's naturally [[WolverinePublicity Wolverine]] who travels. It's still clearly this trope, though, as intangibility has nothing to do with sending a consciousness back in time, and we're not given any idea of how she can suddenly do this.)

* In VideoGame/{{Touhou}} Imperishable Night; apparently, ''everyone'' has the ability to cause an endless night in order to restore the original moon. It makes sense with [[RealityWarper Yukari]] and [[TimeMaster Sakuya]], but the rest seemed to incidentally have some sort of magic in order to do it.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

** Comicbook/{{Raven}} can do pretty much whatever she wants depending on the situation. She mainly relies on {{Flight}} and [[MindOverMatter telekinesis]], but has demonstrated the ability to use clairvoyance, [[TimeStandsStill stop time]], [[{{Intangibility}} pass through walls]], see brief [[{{Seers}} glimpses of the future]], create monsters and [[VoluntaryShapeshifting change her appearance to a monster]] to "persuade" a villain to help them, among [[DemonicPossession other]] nasty [[MindRape things]].

*** Ironically [[spoiler: he would be defeated by Comicbook/{{Cyborg}}'s own new plot-based power, which was to magically leech parts from Blood until Cyborg regenerated all of his mechanical components, conveniently rendering Blood incapacitated. He even lampshades this at the end, where Beastboy remarks now Cyborg is part magical, with Cyborg retorting that it was just a one-time thing. Oh and the power was said to be of love and friendship]].

* In general, most role-players have characters with predetermined skills and abilities. If the player characters run into a monster/enemy/whatever that is nigh unkillable, sometimes the storytellers may bestow the characters with a new power to help them combat the threat. While instilling new powers on the fly can help create a more exciting story, it can also seem like a cheap ass pull when done too much (making the player characters look like they can't do anything until the plot says otherwise) or done badly. Leveling can also have this effect in some systems.

** The most infamous new power, from ''Film/SupermanIVTheQuestForPeace'', "Rebuild-the-Great-Wall-of-China Vision". Superman was originally supposed to fly around fixing this at superspeed, but they ran out of money so he had to use EyeBeams instead.

** [[Characters/MarvelComicsApocalypse Apocalypse]] is one of the most egregious offenders, he generally seems to have whatever powers needs to threat at the time or whatever the current writer finds cool. And that's not even taking into account what powers are naturally is and what ones are given by his technology. The in-universe justification is that his true mutant ability is the power to [[MasterOfYourDomain shapeshift at a subatomic level]]. Since mutant abilities are genetic in nature, he can alter his own DNA to give himself whatever power he wants.

** Superman started out faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound and invulnerable to anything less than a bomb. Since then he's learned to fly, to blow like a hurricane, to survive nuclear explosions (though just barely), chill things with a [[SuperBreath puff of breath]], shoot [[EyeBeams lasers from his eyes]], and use XRayVision. And that's just the powers that have lasted.

* A very '90s miniseries called ''The Psycho'', by James Hudnall and Dan Brereton, is set in a world where people gain superpowers by taking [[PsychoSerum various drugs.]] At one point, the title character develops the ability to breathe underwater-- or maybe he had it from the start; after all, there's no way of knowing until someone's trapped you in a flooded room...

* Gems in ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' often reveal bizarre powers they'd never used before, which in a few cases are never seen again. Pearl, for instance, has been shown controlling [[SandBlaster sand]] and [[BlowYouAway wind]] in exactly one episode each. With [[KidHero Steven]], these powers are [[NewSuperpower things he's discovering along with the audience]], but the other gems are implied to have always had these powers and just not used them.
* Justified in ''WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender'', as the Paladins are new to the Voltron lions and are learning on the fly what they can do, separately and as Voltron.

* Mocked in a ''Podcast/RiffTrax'' riffing of the film ''Superargo vs. the Faceless Giants''. When the titular Superargo is shot by a brainwashed girl but survives, he tells his mystic companion that he would have been dead had his costume not been bulletproof. Mike responds with "Your costume is ''bulletproof''?! Maybe ''lead with that'' next time someone asks why you wear it!" as he's constantly talking about his past as a wrestler. When a later scene has Superargo leap several stories, Mike muses that, by act three, he'll have [[EyeBeams heat vision]] and time travel.

* This happens to Seere in ''VideoGame/{{Drakengard}}'' as part of a ludicrous HandWave that was necessary because [[TheWorldIsAlwaysDoomed they were all doomed]], and the ending couldn't be "[[KillEmAll Everyone was eaten]]."

** It seemed that Tahu was going to demonstrate this trope at one poine, as WordOfGod refused to state how many Makuta powers he had absorbed from the Golden Armour. However the story got LeftHanging before we could have found out.

** [[Characters/MarvelComicsApocalypse Apocalypse]] is one of the most egregious offenders, he generally seems to have whatever powers needs to threat at the time or whatever the current writer finds cool. The in-universe justification is that his true mutant ability is the power to [[MasterOfYourDomain shapeshift at a subatomic level]]. Since mutant abilities are genetic in nature, he can alter his own DNA to give himself whatever power he wants.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'':

%%* Happens to ComicBook/{{Aquaman}} every so often. In that case, it's just as much New Powers as [[NeverLiveItDown Lack o]][[AtlantisIsBoring f Respect]] Demands.

* The ''Film/{{Superman}}'' movies were even worse than the comics with this. The movies introduced:

** 1984's ''Film/{{Supergirl}}'', Kara is able to [[ChangingClothesIsAFreeAction change her clothes and hair color]] by walking behind a tree and shoot EyeBeams that make flowers grow.

* After Mask de Smith from ''VideoGame/{{Killer7}}'' is defeated in a duel with one of the Handsome Men, he suddenly transforms into a Franchise/KamenRider-esque figure with a new super attack and no reloading. Mask transforming and getting stronger is actually a game mechanic, but normally only happens when he finds a new mask, while the transformation with the Handsome Men is completely out of the blue and goes without a word by anyone.

* Deconstructed in the ''VideoGame/HenryStickminSeries''. Henry can pull out abilities, items and techniques out of his stick butt at seemingly any moment, but they're never a guarantee that they'll save the day or work the way you would think.

* ''WebAnimation/DSBTInsaniT'': Lamphsaded in 'Untamed and Uncut' when Alex and Seth are fighting Robo-Wolf. They point out all of the all of the new abilities Robo-Wolf has, such as flying and supersonic howls.

** ComicBook/{{Magneto}} started off with the ability to control metal magnetically, then developed the ability to fly with a reasonable enough explanation. Then, as stories became more ambitious, he was suddenly able to control the entire electromagnetic spectrum, which effectively made him invincible, so long as no one managed to get in a cheap shot. He could even go toe to toe with the freaking Phoenix (admittedly, this was before the retcon of the Phoenix being a vastly powerful cosmic entity, but even so, it's no mean feat)! Of course, then there's the ''Planet X'' story by Creator/GrantMorrison, in which he's powerful enough to (somehow) control gravity and ''time.'' (Grand Unified Theory?) Of course, in that case, he was retconned into being Xorn posing as Magneto, while the real Magneto was living in the ruins of Genosha. However, stories like ''ComicBook/AvengersDisassembled'' when he demonstrated the ability to basically stargate across continents to get his daughter, which are canonically him, don't under-sell his ludicrously vast pwers. And ComicBook/{{Ultimatum}}, in which ComicBook/UltimateMarvel Magneto is able to use his powers to [[spoiler: shift the magnetic poles of the Earth, [[ArtisticLicensePhysics which causes massive weather shifts, which causes massive tidal waves to destroy almost all of the East Coast]].]] Admittedly, he needed Mjolnir to do it.

** Darwin, whose body will [[AdaptiveAbility evolve on the fly to meet the problems in the situation]], even though Darwin has no control over what evolves or how it works. Lampshaded during ''World War Hulk'' when his power decided the best defense against a rampaging Hulk was...to not be there, as illustrated by his teleporting away. Which was pretty brilliant, although the power originally created a Gamma Energy Draining power to drain power from the Hulk to weaken him, but the Hulk is one of those sorts who fit the 'generates more energy than the enemy can hope to drain' trope so Darwin was getting nowhere and after being knocked unconscious by the Hulk his power reasoned it had no hope of defending against the Hulk directly and got Darwin several states away where it was relatively safe.

* Inverted in an arc of ''Comicbook/{{Exiles}}'' in which the team arrives on an [[AlternateUniverse Earth where the Skrulls have ruled since the 19th century]], and several of them are thrown into a gladiator arena to fight other superpowered beings. Mimic, a mutant with the power to copy and hold onto the abilities of up to five other mutants, strikingly showcases "all four" of his various powers as he fights his way to higher tiers of the arena, until he finally comes up against "The Champion", that universe's version of ComicBook/CaptainAmerica. The Skrulls are expecting an epic fight, when Mimic ends it in ten seconds by letting loose optic blasts he copied from the ComicBook/XMen's Cyclops. The reader knows he has this power (if he's been paying attention, since Mimic had been using it since the start of the series), but the audience is shocked.

* Marvel's ComicBook/DoctorStrange makes even Silver Age Superman look downright consistent by comparison. One week he might say it's impossible to change the past, the next week he might casually rewind time by twirling his little finger and prevent the villain from ever being born. At his worst, it was less a case of him getting new powers as the plot demands, but more a case of him being able to do absolutely anything, ''unless the plot specifically required that he couldn't.'' This is probably one of the major reasons why the writers eventually stripped him of his Sorcerer Supreme title and most of his power.

** On the topic of Flash villains, Mirror Master's powers have never been clearly defined. So as long as whatever he's doing is related to mirrors he can do pretty much anything.

* In ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'', Comicbook/KittyPryde now somehow has the ability to send people's consciousnesses back through time. (In the comic books, it was done by telepath Rachel Summers, daughter of Comicbook/{{Cyclops}} and Comicbook/JeanGrey. In the comics, it was ''Kitty'' who got Series/{{Quantum Leap}}ed into her past self; letting her be the sender allowed her to do more even though it's naturally [[WolverinePublicity Wolverine]] who travels. It's still clearly this trope, though, as intangibility has nothing to do with sending a consciousness back in time, and we're not given any idea of how she can suddenly do this.)

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': As early as the first episode, it's hinted that Ruby's silver eyes are special in some way. At the end of the third season, Ruby activates the secret powers her eyes have, freezing the [[{{Kaiju}} Grimm Dragon]], but not outright killing it, in place and defeating SuperMode![[ArcVillain Cinder]] off-screen. Afterwards, it's explained that "Silver Eyed Warriors" have special powers that allow them to beat even apocalyptic [[TheHeartless Creatures of Grimm]] with ease. The next season then reveals that the Four Maidens, legends hyped up throughout the last season, happen to be weak to Silver Eyed Warriors, sidestepping how Cinder could be defeated and crippled despite having stolen the Fall Maiden's powers. However, she's considered a novice by the people who have dealt with her kind before, and as it turns out, her powers might not work on normal humans, giving her a critical weakness.

* In ''Literature/{{Worm}}'', Eidolon explicitly has this as his power. In any given situation, he can focus on the powers that he needs to combat it and end up with up to three major powers. They take time to build to full strength, but when he's prepared he is effectively worth any three high-level heroes.

* ''WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'' mercilessly spoofs the original series' tendency to randomly change up the rules of Duel Monsters or add new powers to the Millennium Items.

"Now I shall use Mega-Ultra Chicken's secret ability that I just this second made up to convert my Life Points into Attack Points, merging me with the beast itself!"

** Same for Ben himself. The writers decide to give him photographic memory so that he can remember some runes that the BigBad had activated.

** Processor-over-matter from ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated,'' which seems to be concentration/meditation as a CharlesAtlasSuperpower that allows for telekinesis, is not seen or mentioned until the season 2 finale, where cyber-ninja Prowl uses an incomplete version of the skill to escape some handcuffs that also paralyze the 'bot they're used on. However, the ability is not immediately forgotten and Prowl spends the rest of the series trying to master it, eventually succeeding.

* In WesternAnimation/KungFuPandaLegendsOfAwesomeness, Po gets new powers each time some mystical artifact passes by the Jade Palace which he eventually has to use against some bad guy who wants it (even though he's responsible for causing property damage along the way). Of course, most of these powers are never mentioned again.
* Mocked in the "Good Time with Weapons" episode of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark''. When the boys were all playing as ninjas, Cartman kept on giving himself all sorts of powers, much to friends' annoyance.