We've all heard of the [[FlyingBrick standard superhero power deal]], of people with phenomenal cosmic powers, and of people whose powers [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway make people point and laugh]]. Sometimes, though, people like to mix things up and give someone with reasonable, or even cool, powers an additional lame or useless one.

Mostly just because it's funny to list someone's powers as [[{{Naruto}} "energy manipulation, telekinesis, shapeshifting and... can talk to slugs,"]] instead of just "energy manipulation, telekinesis, and shapeshifting."

Strategically, this power allows nasty surprise or emergency exit if no one ever takes it into account or it's just too wildly out of line to suspect. Which means character is "multiclassed" as a SpoonyBard or LethalJokeCharacter and standalone versions of these are avoided.

A subtrope to ComboPlatterPowers; compare with WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway where this is ''all'' a person can do. See also: ArsonMurderAndJaywalking for the comedic rule which makes this trope somewhat charming.
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!!Examples

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[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

* Mew Ichigo of ''TokyoMewMew'' has typical MagicalGirl leader powers that make her a particularly useful fighter, as well as the ability to jump high, always land on her feet, and... turn into a helpless kitten. [[InvoluntaryShapeshifting Unwillingly]]. This was played up in ''Tokyo Mew Mew - a la mode'' to the point where she literally had to turn into a cat after three minutes of fighting in order to let Berii take her spotlight and place as leader.
* Inverted a bit in ''{{Pokemon}}'': Misty's Psyduck has Scratch and Tail Whip as its ''primary'' attacks (in fact, this is the only time we ever see Tail Whip in the anime). But then the uber-powerful Disable, Confusion, and sometimes even Psychic when its headache is big enough. Bear in mind that Psyduck's time in the spotlight was almost entirely during the "Psychic beats everything" first generation of Pokemon.
* Mokona from ''TsubasaReservoirChronicle'' can take people through different dimensions and works as a universal translator. Another of its "secret techniques" is imitating voices.
** That is not a useless technique, You never know when you are going to need doing a BavarianFireDrill.
** Mokona's sort of a subversion of this. Every aspect shown of his however many secret technique skill has come in incredibly useful for the heroes or Yuuko.
* Incidentally, "energy manipulation, telekinesis, shapeshifting and can talk to slugs," is a neat sum-up of Tsunade's abilities from ''Naruto.'' Her [[LifeEnergy superb control over her own chakra]] gives her super strength, she is the best medical ninja (sort of telekinesis) in their world, she uses illusory techniques constantly to disguise her true appearance, and in battle she summons... giant slugs. Her former teammates summon giant frogs and giant snakes, making her look even ''more'' ridiculous.
*** Must be noted that Tsunade's summon is {{Kaiju}} sized, is nearly indestructible thanks to her splitting ability, and is arguably one of the more intelligent summons. Let's not forget the acid spit.
****Summoning a slug isn't a bad thing. In Japan, their version of rock-papers-scissors is slug, the frog, and the snake. Slug > Snake > Frog > Slug
** And then there's the fact that Naruto himself doesn't always get the summon he ''wants'' and is stuck with Gamakichi and/or Gamatatsu instead- "Can spontaneously create a thousand clones of himself, generate and weaponize a ball of pure energy, and summon... a couple of small, hungry talking frogs..."
*** This changes quite a bit in Shippuden, as Gamakichi and Gamatatsu have grown quite a bit bigger (as in, larger than any human, though they're still tiny compared to their father [[{{Kaiju}} Gamabunta]]), and even the snack-obsessed moron Gamatatsu can do a powerful combination jutsu with Naruto.
** Played straight/for comedy with [[spoiler:Killer Bee]], the host of the Eight-Tailed Beast. Being a jinchuriki gives you incredibly amounts of chakra (even when not using the beast's power), the ability to transform part or all of the way into the beast's form, and a special power depending on which one. Of what we know of, the One-Tailed lets you control sand, the Two-Tailed can make a weird spectral fire, the Four-Tailed can control/create lava, the Nine-Tailed give you a HealingFactor, and the Eight-Tails... lets his body produce ink. Despite this, he more than makes up for it with his control over the basic forms.
* Parodied in ''AzumangaDaioh'', when Tomo plans to take Chiyo's intelligence and Sakaki's athletic ability, and Osaka offers her forgetfulness. The theoretical super-Tomo shows up late and without her textbook, but does a triple flip into her seat and gives a perfect translation.
* Tsugumi Ohba of DeathNote [[WordOfGod said that]] Shinigami, among [[NighInvulnerability intangibility]], {{Flight}}, [[EvilEye the ability to see names above people's heads]] can also... taste. It should be noted that they don't need to eat.
* The skill set of Negi in ''MahouSenseiNegima'' includes various [[BlowYouAway wind]] and [[ShockAndAwe lightning]] spells, {{Status Buff}}s, {{Flash Step}}ping, [[spoiler:EnergyAbsorption]], etc., etc... Oh, and he also knows a spell for [[BreastExpansion breast inflation]].
** Negi has a secondary one involving [[spoiler: his artifact, which borrows the powers of his partners. This includes {{Telepathy}}, AntiMagic, a BookOfShadows, etc. It also includes a MagicalGirl staff that allows him to [[ExtremeGraphicalRepresentation surf the internet]].]]
** Then there's Jack Rakan, whose portfolio includes SuperStrength, invincibility, ability to [[CrazyAwesome disregard the laws of physics]], and... can [[TheNoseKnows locate enemies with alarming precision by the scent of their panties]]. Which [[PantyThief he stole right off of them]].

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[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* Gambit from ''Comicbook/{{X-Men}}'' used to have a power which had no practical applications but meant he could touch Rogue. Though this was useful as the two were lovers. ([[RuleOfDrama He lost it, of course]].)
** He also had a "charm" power, which everyone except ChrisClaremont completely ignored.
* The Sleeper from ''WildCards'' gained a new form and powers every time he woke up. However, one power stayed with him: He could generate sad piano background music by saying [[BeamMeUpScotty 'Play it again, Sam']].
* {{Superman}} used to have the power of Super-Ventriloquism, which he used surprisingly frequently. Also whenever Superman used to use his powers to do something more efficiently writers would call it Super-, so "weaving at Superspeed" became "[[http://superdickery.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=36&Itemid=53&limitstart=4 Super-Weaving]]".
** Don't forget the infamous "Rebuild The Great Wall Of China Vision" from the movies.
*** This was originally supposed to be another example of applied SuperSpeed, but they didn't have the budget for it.
** And the "throw a cellophane S-shield to wrap around you and then dissolve" power from the second.
*** This was clearly a Kryptonian gadget, not a power. Like the multiple copies of himself and the reversed DePower chamber, it was traps he had set up to frustrate his opponents until they fell for his last ploy.
** Of course, [[http://www.superdickery.com/ Superdickery]] features plenty of completely ridiculous (and fortunately, temporary) powers.
***The worst case of which is a simple multiplication, which Supes calls "Super-Mathematics" ''while he gets the answer wrong''.
* {{Spider-Man}} got one of these in "The Other" powerup mini-arc before Civil War. He gained such powers as seeing in the dark, tracing vibrations through his weblines, poison stingers in his arms... and the ability to identify the species of any spider on sight. At least he didn't end up shooting webs out of his behind.
** The spider identifying thing had minor plot importance and this troper thought it was kinda cool besides. Other than that...
* Namor the Sub-Mariner had super strength, could fly, could breathe both air and water, could charge his body with electricity, had telepathic control over undersea life... and could puff himself up like a puffer fish. The latter powers (thankfully) haven't been seen since his reintroduction into Marvel in the 1960s.
* The {{Hulk}} has super-strength and durability... and the ability to see astral forms. Which is more useful than you might think, but not ''that'' much more useful.
* It's more a RequiredSecondaryPower, but Scott Summers, aka. Cyclops has a natural grasp of spatial geometry: Usually he uses it to bounce his eyebeams off stuff, but he has used it for other things (like throwing rocks and baseball) at least occasionally. {{Wolverine}} once noted that this means it's a very bad idea to play against Cyke in a game of pool.
* {{Empowered}}'s hypermembrane, [[ClothingDamage when intact]], grants her an impressive, if unreliable, array of superpowers, such as SuperStrength, energy blasts, WallCrawling, and invulnerability. It can also turn invisible. Not turn ''her'' invisible, just turn ''itself'' invisible. You can guess how Emp and her body-image issues feel about ''that'' little trick.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Webcomics ]]

* In ''SlightlyDamned'', Kieri the water angel can fly, shoot icebolts, and has [[CursedWithAwesome a curse]] that let her turn into a cute bunny.
** Being said cute bunny restricts Kieri's ability to fight and (I think) it weakens her magic. However, it crosses into CursedWithAwesome when Kieri becomes unhittable due to small size and increased rabbity agility. After all, Toski did refer to it as a gift!
* ''[[SomethingPositive Super Stupor]]'': While not a weak power by any means, the very... [[DeusSexMachina intimate]] contact necessary for one superhero's truth power to work makes him very reluctant to even admit that it exists.[[http://www.superstupor.com/sust11262007.shtml]].

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

* Angel from ''MaximumRide'' has [[FlyingBrick Super Strength, Flight,]] Telepathy, borderline MindControl, and... can talk to fish.
** Don't forget Nudge, who can sense stuff about people through what they've touched (important - she can guess any computer password), and she's magnetic(not so important - they play with it on a plane for awhile, then it's promptly forgotten). [[SoYeah Yeah.]]
*** It was probably pointed out that being magnetic and having to touch computers (to get passwords) don't mix.
* Aquerna, at [[SuperheroSchool Whateley Academy]] in the WhateleyUniverse. Strength, quickness, leaping ability, and.. she can talk to squirrels (although some of the time this one is her ''best'' power).
** Makes sense once one considers that she gets her powers from a (possibly the) squirrel ''spirit''. She gets overshadowed by many of the flashier super-teens at the school, but it's actually a pretty neat and consistent package.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* Marty Hopkirk in ''[[RandallAndHopkirkDeceased Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased)]]'' has a bunch of useful Ghostly powers and... voice mimicry. Usually this would be a possibly useful power, but Marty is the [[OurGhostsAreDifferent type of ghost]] that very [[SpiritAdvisor few people can see or hear]] so it's only useful in EigenPlot situations.
** An even better example would be at the start of the second season (in the remake, anyway), where he gains the ability to... ''shrink shoes''.
* Illyria from ''{{Angel}}'' initially has the powers of an [[PhysicalGod Old God]] - including outstanding physical strength, invulnerability, shapeshifting, time-manipulation... and the ability to talk to plants.
** She actually seemed quite upset about losing that last one.
* ''[[TheSecretWorldOfAlexMack The Secret World of Alex Mack]]'' is a show about a girl who, after being dosed by chemicals, gains telekinesis, the power to send out electric shocks, turn into a puddle (which is a lot more useful than it sounds), change colour when upset (which isn't) and burp bubbles.
* In the ''Dinosaurs'' episode (puppets count as Live Action, right?) where Earl becomes a super-hero, he has the abilities of [[FlyingBrick Flight, Heat Vision, Super-Strength]] (I think), and can guess anyone's weight to the nearest pound. A news anchor even refers to him as the "Weight-Guessing Wonder."
* In ''Series/{{Heroes}}'', Sylar's current set of abilities includes, among others, {{telekinesis}}, [[PsychoElectro lightning blasts]], an incredible {{Healing Factor}}, and...[[http://www.nbc.com/Heroes/novels/downloads/Heroes_novel_123.pdf being a printer]].

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* All three ''PowerPuffGirls'' are [[FlyingBrick superstrong and can fly]], can shoot EyeBeams, and have several other cool powers. Blossom also has freezing powers, Bubbles can speak any language (including animal languages), and Buttercup can... roll her tongue like a taco.
** That's not even a superpower. ''This troper'' can do that.
*** Apparently, no one else in Townsville can do it though.
*** Could be quite useful when she [[FetishFuel gets older]].... I'm an awful person.
*** Classic PowerPerversionPotential
*** Later on, Buttercup's secondary power would be a green tornado. Presumably to make her on par with her sisters.
* During the second season of ''{{WITCH}}'', the girls gained some interesting secondary powers. Among the quirkier of their new powers, Irma gained the power of persuasion and the ability to turn people's clothes pink, while Will gained the ability to talk to electrical devices.
** The ability to talk to electronics comes from the comics, and is actually surprisingly handy as she can use it to get an alarm to deactivate itself for example. [[SoYeah But yeah]].
*** Even more useful, she can make electronics (and non-electronic appliances, too) work ''without power.''
* Lampshaded in {{Jackie Chan Adventures}}, where the villains split the 12 talismans between the four of them, letting them rob banks with super strength, laser eyes, and the ability to turn cops into chickens, among other things. Finn, however, gets the powers of astral projection, motion-to-the-motionless and balance (spiritual, sadly). Luckily, he complains enough so that comparatively-{{Badass Normal}} Hak Fu trades with him...and then he makes a ''second'' trade with Ratso when this gives him flight and ''two'' healing powers (which later turns out to not actually be redundant).
** The show partially subverts this, as the form-shifting talisman (the above-mentioned turn-people-to-animals one) is made MUCH more useful than it would be in other shows.
*** Such as when Jade turns Jackie into a chinchilla, partially because she wasn't sure what a chinchilla ''was''.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

* ''DarkSun'' {{sourcebook}} "The Will and the Way" has a kit "Tribal Psionicist" whose main feature was the combination of usual class development and random wild talents (acquired without learning all the prerequisites and synergetic with normal learning). That may happen to be [[GameBreaker overpowering]] or almost useless, at whims of RandomNumberGod.
* Solars in ''{{Exalted}}'' are blessed by the Unconquered Sun. What sort of powers does this give them? They can become awesome at just about anything, fight well enough to kill gods, dodge attacks that are undodgeable, make a person do almost anything with their powers of persuasion, learn the most powerful sorcery in existence, and even shape primordial chaos into concrete reality. But there are two abilities they all have in common: the power to make their foreheads glow, and to know the time of day at will.
** Hey, the forehead thing is useful. Who wants to shell out for torches?
*** Or watches?
** [[KeychainOfCreation Marena]] used the light-from-the-forehead thing, and Misho was implied to be using it as well. So far, though, nobody has had occasion to use the time-of-day thing.

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