History Main / PubertySuperPower

* Mutants in the WhateleyUniverse usually manifest around age fourteen. It's a good thing there's a [[SuperheroSchool high school]] to ship them all off to...

* In Diane Duane's ''YoungWizards'' series, the Powers most often offer Wizardry to kids in their teens; Nita is considered a bit early, at 13, Kit even earlier, at 12, and Dairine is shockingly young at just 10. The younger a wizard is when they start, the more raw power they have; however, the Powers generally want kids to have as much of a childhood as possible before offering them the magic.

* Mostly averted in the novel ''Franchise/{{Starcraft}}: Ghost: Nova'' with the titular character who is an extremely-powerful [[PsychicPowers telepath]] and [[MindOverMatter telekinetic]]. While, normally, psychic individuals are required to be turned over to the Ghost Academy, Nova is from one of the Old Families of Tarsonis, and her father uses his considerable influence to keep her "gift" hidden. It's mentioned that she's been able to do things from infancy and always appears to know what people are thinking and feeling. However, it's not until she's in her teens that her powers start approaching "critical". When her parents are killed in front of her by a bunch of rebels, she literally goes nuclear, wiping out the rebels and any innocent bystander nearby, as well as shattering the penthouse dome, which is rated for nuclear strikes.

* Inverted in ''A Coming of Age'' by TimothyZahn: Children do not develop their telekinetic powers at puberty, but at approximately 5 years of age, however they instead [[GrowingUpSucks lose]] their powers at puberty.

->''"And like all puberty induced superpowers, it comes at night, while thunder claps."''

[[folder: Anime & Manga]]

[[folder: Comic Books]]

** The X-Men spin-off ''Comicbook/NewMutants'' is explicitly this trope; all team members have powers that appeared with puberty, a varying number of years in the past (Xian's the longest ago (she's 19), Rahne's only a month or two before (at 13)).

* While her father got it from a [[ILoveNuclearPower radioactive spider-bite]], ''[[Comicbook/SpiderGirl Spider-Girl]]'' Mayday Parker got her powers in the middle of a high school basketball game.
** [[spoiler: Her younger brother Benjamin however turned out to have superstrength and the ability to shoot organic webs as an infant. Luckily, as it turned out, as he was thus able to save his own and his mother's life.]]

* Horrifically inverted in the back-story of Billy Butcher from ''Comicbook/TheBoys''. After Butcher's wife was [[RapeAsBackstory raped by]] [[BewareTheSuperman a superhero]], she dies when the unborn super-powered fetus literally rips itself out of her womb.

* In ''Comicbook/SexCriminals'', middle-school girl Suzie finds out that [[ADateWithRosiePalms having an orgasm]] somehow [[spoiler: freezes time for the entire world and everyone in it except her]].

[[folder: Film]]
* Notable film exception: Pixar's ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'', regarding Dash and especially Jack-Jack (who was modelled after Franklin Richards, in keeping with the ''Comicbook/FantasticFour'' references throughout the film). In a DVD extra showing an early opening scene that wasn't used, Violet uses her powers as a baby as well.

* ''Film/{{Carrie 1976}}'' dealt with this theme. Note that {{superhero}}es aren't the only ones with super-powers...

* ''Film/TeenWolf'', [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin if it wasn't obvious]].
* Similarly, ''Film/TeenWitch''
* The whole point of the Disney movie ''Film/UpUpAndAway'', where the middle child of a superhero family is quickly approaching his 14th birthday. All superheros receive their powers before this age. If they don't, then they remain ordinary humans. His younger sister, though, got her EyeBeam powers at the age of two (now imagine for a second a two-year-old who can shoot lasers out of her eyes), so 14 is just a cut-off age. He remains a human at the end but comes to term with it, and his best friend suggests he still becomes a masked hero [[BadassNormal but without powers]]. On the upside, he can touch [[KryptoniteIsEverywhere aluminum foil]].
** In order not to cause his father (a respected local hero named Bronze Eagle) to be embarassed at having a normal son, the kid fakes having superstrength (by rigging a patio door to fly off its hinges when he opens it) and flight (by throwing a ball at a tree and running away). His grandfather (a retired hero named Steel Condor) sees right through him and urges him to tell his father the truth.

[[folder: Literature ]]
* Channelers in the ''{{Wheel of Time}}'' get their abilities as teenagers (or early twenties for men).

[[folder: Live-Action TV ]]

* Averted on ''{{Series/Merlin}}'' - the titular character could use his magic 'before he could talk'.

* In {{Series/TheTomorrowPeople}}, new teeps begin manifesting their powers in a dramatic "breaking out," their head suddeny crowded with overheard voices via telepathy and, more dangerously, teleporting instinctively with no destination in mind, winding up stuck in hyperspace forever. (The revival solves that problem, at least, by means of a beacon which would draw any undirected teleports to a single location, letting them learn how to 'jaunt' safely and bringing them together to learn from each other, like teen girls dragging a friend off to the bathroom to explain the facts of life or deal with an embarassing period accident.)
* Latent telepaths in ''{{Series/Babylon5}}'' often manifest at puberty, though some (like [[spoiler: Susan Ivanova,]] manifest substantially earlier.

[[folder: Tabletop Games]]

* In both ''[[TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse Werewolf: the Apocalypse]]'' and ''[[TabletopGame/WerewolfTheForsaken Werewolf: the Forsaken]]'', werewolves or other fera/changing breeds generally go through First Change around puberty at the earliest. Depending on circumstances, it can happen significantly later in life, or ''very'' rarely [[KidHero earlier]]. In the ''TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness'', puberty is also a common time for psychic powers or the more innate forms of thaumaturgy to manifest.

[[folder: Video Games]]

* In ''VisualNovel/MagicalDiary'' it appears that magical powers manifest at thirteen. They're then [[BroughtDownToNormal sealed again]] and not released until the young witch or wizard is [[DangerousSixteenthBirthday sixteen, and therefore old enough to be in a dating sim.]]

[[folder: Webcomics]]

[[folder: Web Original]]

* The adult fiction series ''Tim, the Teenage MC'' both plays this straight and averts it. Tim is born with his telepathic powers switched on, but "grows out of them" shortly after learning to talk. He forgets about them until they reactivate around puberty.

* In ''{{Literature/Worm}}'', most parahumans appear to get their powers in their teenage years.

* In ''ArrowAndAce'', powers are mentioned multiple times to manifest around puberty. The catch, people don't always realize when that happens, leading to some HowDoIShootWeb.

[[folder: Western Animation]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'': When Mr. Cat and [[spoiler:Stumpy]] hit puberty, [[spoiler: they gain invisibility powers. Subverted though as the two were actually suffering from a disease, and had not hit puberty yet.]]

* Interestingly enough Creator/HannaBarbera gave us one of the few inversions on this trope. Bamm-Bamm Rubble whole super powered as a baby loses his in his teen years on WesternAnimation/ThePebblesAndBammBammShow only to regain them in adulthood in later movies. Essentially making his puberty superpower being that he ForgotAboutHisPowers

* In the appropriately-titled ''StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' episode "Mewberty", the title character goes through the Mewni equivalent of puberty. This consists of her becoming boy crazy and sprouting acne-like purple heart stickers when exposed to them. Those stickers eventually overtake and cocoon her, transforming her into a six-armed flying butterfly monster with super strength and Spider-Man web powers that kidnaps and imprisons every boy she can find. Then it arbitrarily wears off after a few hours, leaving her with only a pair of small vestigial wings as a reminder.

* Parodied [[RefugeInAudacity to hell in back]] in ''WesternAnimation/HarveyBirdmanAttorneyAtLaw'', where Peanut gaining superpowers is used [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything as a stand-in for puberty]]. He's embarrassed by [[RagingStiffie his solar shield manifesting during a meeting]], is caught [[ADateWithRosiePalms shooting off his power bands to pictures of supervillains in the bathroom]], and nervously asks [[{{WesternAnimation/Superfriends}} Black Vulcan]] about [[TheirFirstTime his first time facing off against a bad guy]].

* Mostly averted in the novel ''{{Starcraft}}: Ghost: Nova'' with the titular character who is an extremely-powerful [[PsychicPowers telepath]] and [[MindOverMatter telekinetic]]. While, normally, psychic individuals are required to be turned over to the Ghost Academy, Nova is from one of the Old Families of Tarsonis, and her father uses his considerable influence to keep her "gift" hidden. It's mentioned that she's been able to do things from infancy and always appears to know what people are thinking and feeling. However, it's not until she's in her teens that her powers start approaching "critical". When her parents are killed in front of her by a bunch of rebels, she literally goes nuclear, wiping out the rebels and any innocent bystander nearby, as well as shattering the penthouse dome, which is rated for nuclear strikes.

* Played straight [[http://www.webcomicsnation.com/eddurd/everydayheroes/series.php?view=single&ID=72716 here]] in ''Webcomic/EverydayHeroes''.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'': When Mr. Cat and [[spoiler:Stumpy]] hit puberty, [[spoiler: they gain invisibility powers, only to [[StatusQuoIsGod lose them later]]. Later parodied when the now-visible Stumpy, upon seeing his body, thinks he now also has the power to see the invisible.]]

* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', magical talent typically sets in at puberty, but people only begin to achieve their full power [[WizardsLiveLonger at age 100]]. This emphasises how BadAss Harry is, as he isn't even 40 and is among the top twenty most powerful wizards on the planet.

* Parodied [[RefugeInAudacity to hell in back]] in ''HarveyBirdmanAttorneyAtLaw'', where Peanut gaining superpowers is used [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything as a stand-in for puberty]]. He's embarrassed by [[RagingStiffie his solar shield manifesting during a meeting]], is caught [[ADateWithRosiePalms shooting off his power bands to pictures of supervillains in the bathroom]], and nervously asks [[{{WesternAnimation/Superfriends}} Black Vulcan]] about [[TheirFirstTime his first time facing off against a bad guy]].

*** There is also Jamie Madrox aka. Multiple Man, whose mutation showed itself directly after birth when he created several copies of himself after getting the usual slap on the behind. Under writer PeterDavid, it's been suggested that mutants-who-manifest-at-birth ''aren't'' technically mutants, but rather something mysteriously other.

* The titular character of ''Literature/{{Carrie}}'' unlocks her psychic powers after she begins menstruating.

[[folder: Anime & Manga ]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* Most later versions of Comicbook/{{Superman}}, e.g. ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', although pre-Crisis Comicbook/{{Superman}} continuity (including the 1978 movie) has him lifting cars (or at least adults) as a baby. Read any Pre-Crisis ''Superboy'' comic featuring "Superbaby" to see [[GooGooGodlike why most writers don't let babies have super powers]].

[[folder: Film ]]

* Almost every superpower in ''WomenOfTheOtherworld'' is a puberty superpower. Werewolves first begin to change at the end of puberty; the average age of their first change is 18, although it can happen anytime between 15 and 21. Witches can begin practicing minor spells at a young age, but after their first [[NoPeriodsPeriod period]] can perform a ritual that greatly increases their magical strength. Half-demon powers also start showing up at the beginning of puberty, and increase in strength until their late twenties. In fact, the parallel young adult series focuses on adolescents just coming into their powers.

* Averted in ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'', where the [[WitchSpecies witch-children]] are shown using magic even as infants. Of course they're [[HalfHumanHybrid half-mortal]], so their abilities may be atypical.
** Endora brags that Samantha was able to fly on her own by age five, but then adds that Samantha had been precocious for her age.
* ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' claims that half-witches come into their powers on their [[DangerousSixteenthBirthday 16th birthday]], before which Sabrina's aunts had engaged in an elaborate {{Masquerade}} to keep the other world a secret from her -- though this does not jive well with the later implications that witches are generally comically bad at dealing with things in the usual mortal way, and that deliberately avoiding magic is unhealthy for a witch. This is also {{retcon}}ned in ''WesternAnimation/SabrinaTheAnimatedSeries'', where a 13-year-old Sabrina has full knowledge of the other world.
** That or the cartoon was just following the path of the original ''ComicBook/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' comic books, where Sabrina is shown with her powers even as a child (in a few "Little Archie" stories).

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* In ''Franchise/MassEffect'', due to biotics being caused by a fetus undergoing Element Zero exposure whilst ''in-utero'', it's possible for newborn infants to manifest biotic abilities at birth, while others remain latent biotics until secondary exposure later in life.
** According to WordOfGod, all biotic classes of Commander Shepard are the latter, having undergone secondary exposure and subsequently manifested their biotic potential at 17. After joining the Alliance Military a year later, they were then fitted with L3 implants.

[[folder: Webcomics ]]

[[folder: Web Original ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* The alien race Starfire of ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' belongs to is born with powers, but undergoes a metamorphosis during the teen years (with puberty metaphor fully in place) that may grant additional abilities.
** And it varies per individual. Starfire started with a huge zit before other mutations came in and eventually became a chrysalis. She came out of it with EyeBeams. Compare this to her older sister Blackfire, who turned violet for a couple of days.

* [[spoiler: Inverted]] in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated''. [[spoiler: Sari realizing her robot heritage and upgrading herself with the Allspark key actually ''causes'' her to go through puberty.]] It's never really explained how this works, nor is the disorienting nature of [[spoiler: going from eight to a teenager in an instance]] addressed in any way.
** Since Sari is a [[spoiler: Cybertronian, it was probably just an upgrade to her body; happens all of the time in {{Transformers}}.]]

** They just [[DawsonCasting look 21]].
** Justified or Handwaved (your choice). One magician did outright say abusing the power ages you (along with making go insane). One characters father was only about 45 yet looked 100. They're teens with magic. Do the math.
** It's stated that using magic is ''extremely'' addictive, especially after they "Ascend" (hit 18). Someone who isn't warned about it and doesn't limit himself will get hooked.

* The film ''Film/SkyHigh'' only has the main character as having his powers first activate on-screen whilst he was in his teens, and it does kinda say that what with the powers being in the blood, the PubertySuperpower is the last possible point for someone to gain superpowers (unless you have a vat of toxic waste), afterwhich its pointless to have that cape at the ready.

* ''{{Spaced}}'': The comic Tim is working on is about an orphaned kid who is exposed to some weird chemical by an amoral 'Doktor' as part of some twisted experiment. Absolutely nothing happened and the Doktor destroyed his research. Then when puberty hit, the dormant chemicals in his bloodstream activated and the orphan kid mutated into the comic's titular Bear.

* Parodied [[RefugeInAudacity to hell in back]] in ''HarveyBirdmanAttorneyAtLaw'', where Peanut gaining superpowers is used [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything as a stand-in for puberty]]. He's embarrassed by [[RagingStiffie his solar shield manifesting during a meeting]], is caught [[ADateWithRosiePalms shooting off his power bands to pictures of supervillains in the bathroom]], and nervously asks [[{{Superfriends}} Black Vulcan]] about [[TheirFirstTime his first time facing off against a bad guy]].

* Averted in ''SupremePower'': toddler [[AlternateCompanyEquivalent Hyperion]], upset by a barking puppy, incinerates it with his eyes.

* Another exception: [[http://nodwick.humor.gamespy.com/ps238/comics/index.php PS238]], which deals with "prodigies", who are elementary-school students with superpowers (one of the titular school's taglines is "ComicBook/PS238: Making sure the next generation doesn't break too much of this generation's stuff").

* The age is thirteen in ''MermaidMelodyPichiPichiPitch''. Any mermaid with her pearl becomes a legal adult in the mermaid world, as well as summoning an apparition of Aqua Regina, who may or may not upgrade her power.
* In ''{{Karin}}'', vampires are born outwardly normal and attend school like anyone else until their vampirism suddenly kicks in and they become weak against sunlight and so forth, which can happen any time up to high school.
* ''OmamoriHimari'': Yuuto's demon-hunting powers were supposed to have awakened when he turned 16. His powers took a little longer to manifest, however.

* In ''StrikeWitches'', magic powers usually surface in girls around age 12 and mostly disappear by age 20.
* The "Topless" of ''Anime/DieBuster'' manifest in certain humans at the onset of puberty and disappear when puberty fades, similarly to ''StrikeWitches'' above. The organization of the Topless, the Fraternity, has numerous allusions to childhood and its trappings as a result.

** ''[[XMenEvolution X-Men: Evolution]]'' [[AlternateContinuity reworks continuity]] to put most of the main characters ''in'' their teens.

* In ''{{Smallville}}'', while Clark had super-strength and super-speed as a child, most of his other powers didn't manifest until he was in his teens. In one memorable case, his heat-vision first manifested due to sexual arousal... make of that what you will.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Season 8'': Due to the new rules of the Slayer line, Potential Slayers now become full-fledged Slayers when they reach suitable maturation; one such Slayer, Soledad, activating at 16.
* Most later versions of Comicbook/{{Superman}}, e.g. ''{{Smallville}}'', although pre-Crisis Comicbook/{{Superman}} continuity (including the 1978 movie) has him lifting cars (or at least adults) as a baby. Read any Pre-Crisis ''Superboy'' comic featuring "Superbaby" to see [[GooGooGodlike why most writers don't let babies have super powers]].
* ''Comicbook/{{X-Men}}'': As mentioned above, this franchise is very much the TropeMaker. Mutant powers usually manifest at puberty. This happens on ''birthdays'' more often than is statistically warranted.

-->-- '''WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick's''' [[http://blip.tv/nostalgia-chick/nostalgia-chick-teen-witch-1284605 review of]] ''Film/TeenWitch''

** Magical ability, however, is 'generally accepted' as revealing itself at 7 years.

* Yet another notable (and extreme) exception: In RobinMcKinley[='=]s ''Spindle's End'' (an [[AdaptationExpansion expansion]] of the various "Literature/SleepingBeauty" stories) magic permeates everything and the Fairies are actually normal people who just happen to have the inborn ability to control it. Some Fairies come into their power fairly early. A few manifest powers very early, a phenomenon known in the novel as "Baby Magic". As cutesy as that sounds, it's actually very dangerous and unpredictable. A baby Fairy may be able to understand AnimalTalk. Or, he may be able to [[BalefulPolymorph transform the nanny into a terrier]] and pull a OneWingedAngel act ''every'' time he has a tantrum...

* ''PowerPack'' is an exception, where the Power siblings gain their powers from an alien, with Alex at 12, Julie at 10, Jack at 8, and Katie at 5 when the comic first started.