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The ability to give superpowers to characters is acceptable. Naming the character Captain Franchise is not.
"It seems you have a reason to live...can you live if you have power?"
Simply put, the ability to give someone else an ability. It can be a super power, magic, or even oddball abilities.
There's five variants of this:
- Characters that are so powerful they can give fragments of their power to others. — Genies, gods, really powerful wizards.
- A character can gift the entirety of their own power to another, either permanently if about to die, or temporarily.
- Supercharge someone else's existing powers with a Spirit Bomb or Super Mode much like a living Amplifier Artifact.
- A character can turn another person into one of their own kind, powers and all. Usually it's a Viral Transformation, be it a vampire or werewolf's bite, an Emergency Transformation spell, or a witch training an apprentice.
- Sufficiently Advanced Aliens can tinker with the gene structure to grant them abilities.
It's uncommon but not unheard of for there to be a character for who this is his only power. They tend to be a Living Mac Guffin that must be protected, captured, or destroyed. They may be limited in their uses of this power by a Power Source, commonly Cast From Hit Points, which makes their empowering indiscriminately potentially suicidal.
See also Status Buff, Fusion Dance and Mental Fusion.
Examples:
Anime and Manga
- In Bleach, Ichigo's powers are first activated at the beginning when Rukia decides to share with him a portion of hers, as a voluntary type 2. It ends up being more of a type 1, though, as Ichigo takes nearly all of it without either meaning to. Ichigo's uncontrollable flow of spirit energy later spills into Orihime and Chad, giving them their own unique powers through simple exposure. What's more, it also affects his Quirky Minor Best Friends Squad Mizuiro, Keigo, and Tatsuki, since they saw them go to Hueco Mundo, among other things...
- CC (and VV) from Code Geass can bestow Geass abilities to people, as she did with Lelouch.
- In Dragon Ball Z, the Namekian Guru was able to unlock some huge reserves of power in Gohan and Krillin.
- The first Reinforce does a Type 2 at the end of the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha's second season, passing her magic and Psychic Link with the Wolkenritter over to Hayate before she performs her Heroic Sacrifice.
- Calumon, AKA the Catalyst from Digimon Tamers is a type 3, able to make other digimon digivolve.
- The protagonist of Tende Freeze is a type 3. The twist is that he's unaware of his ability.
- Wizards in Negima are Type 1, able to grant magical transformations or artifacts to others via Pactios.
- Do not push Yellow's Berserk Button. Her rarely surfacing rage will boost up her normally weakass Pokemon to the eighties.
- The Tailed Beasts in Naruto grant special abilities to their hosts. The titular character carries the Kyuubi (9-tailed fox), which grants him an almost bottomless well of chakra to draw from.
Comic Books
- In Lucifer, the title character bequeaths his Lightbringer power to Mazikeen before setting off for the Void outside Creation.
- In Superman: Emperor Joker, the Joker tricks the near-omnipotent Mr. Mxyzptlyk into giving him most of his power.
- Marvel Comics' Sage has the ability to "jump-start" other mutants. Initially this was depicted as the ability to activate the latent mutations of mutants who hadn't yet manifested, but at this point it's more or less an excuse to do whatever the current writer wants to do to another mutant's powers (for example: turning Beast from apelike to lion-like, and curing Gambit's blindness).
- And one of the ever-diminishing supply of X-Men ex-Morlocks has the power to supercharge other people's powers by jumping into their bodies (gross). This character is in limbo.
- And of course, there's Sabra, the Israeli superheroine who can grant up to half of her own life-energy into someone else, enhancing their strength, speed, stamina, and occasionally giving them super-powers. She can also take that energy back... at least once, killing the subject because they hadn't healed from the wounds that were the reason she gave them her life energy in the first place (It's okay; they turned out to be a bad guy).
- After losing his super-speed on M-Day, Quicksilver embedded mutation-inducing Terrigen crystals from the Inhumans into his own body, giving him the ability to restore lost mutant powers, albeit in an erratic and dangerously supercharged form.
- Gambit and Rogue pull a Type 2 when Gambit dies in various continuities. Rogue keeps Gambit's powers for awhile, either trading in her original or keeping both. They never stick permanently(powers and death).
- Redbeard from the Savage Dragon line of comic books granted random powers, from the stupid to the insanely dangerous.
- The Big Bad of Seth Green's Freshmen has the ability to temporarily give others he touches superstrength and nigh invulnerability, but it has the same side-effects as taking mundane steroids.
- Hal Jordan's power ring has the ability to produce power rings. Kyle uses a copy of Hal's Ring to distribute rings to John Stewart and Jade. Later, Hal tries to give Clark Kent a power ring near the end of a year Clark had spent being powerless.
- When he loses his ring very early on in the comics, after saving the boy who'd found (and couldn't control) it we see him exchanging it for a created replica which did nothing but glow at will. For a young boy with friends, that's a different type of Super Empowerment.
- Also in DC Comics, the titular Mac Guffin in "Dial H For Hero" is an old-fashioned telephone dial that can transform the user into a random superhero for a short period.
- The shortlived DC series Touch (which focused on a world with superpowers but not superheroes) had as its main character a man who could give others superpowers.
- How can we forget the most famous guy? Galactus has the power to grant his Heralds the status equivalent of a Physical God.
- The New Universe has the Star Brand; each user can pass the Brand on to anyone or anything else, while still retaining a portion of the power. (Passing it into an inanimate object is... not recommended.) And it is responsible for giving all the powers to all the Paranormals on Earth.
- Valiant Comics Harbingers were thought to be natural mutations. Turns out Reality Warper Solar is unconsciously responsible. And Sting and Harada both had the power to locate and activate latent Harbingers.
- John Byrne's Next Men has an unusual twist; having sex with the Next Men "triggers" a genetic superpower mutation. It's all Hand Waved with Evolutionary Levels. As one character describes it, benevolent mutation is now an STD.
- Marvel Comics has a company called the Power Broker, which sells superstrength. There's also a drug called Mutant Growth Hormone or MGH, extracted from superhumans (not just Mutants) that bestows various temporary powers.
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- Christine Trelane from the Wildstorm Universe possesses the superpower to activate latent powers in humans and transform them into post-humans.
Film
- In Disney's Aladdin, Genie grants Jafar's final wish: to be a genie himself.
Literature
- Ivy from Xanth had the ability that could selectively supercharge people's properties, including their magical talents.
- Her husband can do the same thing by canceling out magical properties, when they're turned back on the built up energy causes the powers to come back by multiple times.
- The blue box in Animorphs is basically Super Empowering through technology.
- Wild Cards' Sleeper temporarily gained the power to spread the Wild Card Virus; those few who survived unscathed sometimes got powers, most notably turning Snotman into the incredibly powerful Reflector.
- Also, during a flashback in a later book, we meet Damsel, a Type 3 who can boost the powers of her designated "champion" (such as turning a levitator into a bona-fide human jet).
- The Cyborg and the Sorcerers series by Lawrence Watt-Evans has sorcerers whose "magic" (Psychic Powers) originated from Mutants in an After The End colony world nuked back to the Dark Age. They learned how to psychokinetically alter other's neurons to pass on their powers, and by the time of the story, the only way to get magical power is from another wizard; the original gene has long since died out.
- In Nina Kiriki Hoffman's book A Red Heart of Memories and its sequel, three of the characters were turned into powerful witches by a ghost who cursed them when they invaded the house he was haunting. However, the ghost was only able to do so because it was Halloween and the house itself(which is sentient and magical) wanted to welcome them and give them magical power.
Live Action TV
- In Angel, the Visions can be transferred through intimate touch.
- In Heroes, Ando's power is version 3.
- Also D.L.'s mother, but only in the online comic books.
- This is apparently the gimmick of the Karmanians of the Power Rangers universe - and how the red Ranger of Power Rangers Ninja Storm acquired his battlizer. The Sentinel Knight of Power Rangers Operation Overdrive also qualifies, recharging some retired Rangers' powers and becoming Mack's battlizer.
- In its fourth season, Danny Farrell in The 4400 gains the ability to mass produce Promicin and diffuse it in the air. Problem is, it has a 50% mortality rate, and he quickly creates an 'infection' effect where everyone in Seattle is exposed and would die or gain an ability. In the end, he's overwhelmed with the guilt of indirectly killing thousands, and since the only way to stop the spread of the Promicin was by putting him on an inhibitor which was slowly killing him, his brother Shawn is forced to kill him.
- If Vorlons get their hands on you, you will be Touched By Vorlons. Or dead. They genetically created telepaths in many species.
- Q of Star Trek occasionally does this for his own entertainment.
- Bites him in the ass at least once.
- Trill symbionts don't grant superpowers, other than allowing a person's memories to live on past their death.
- The Tok'ra in Stargate SG 1 grant their hosts a highly extended lifespan, perfect health, and access to their own memories, as well as letting them operate Goa'uld tech and sense the presence of Goa'uld in others. This "blending" is also voluntary, and the human is allowed to remain in the driver's seat, as opposed to the Grand Theft Me nature of the Goa'uld. Jacob Carter (Sam's dad) was cured of terminal cancer this way.
- Stargate Atlantis had a type 5 occur to Rodney and Weir.
- Rodney accidentally manipulated his own DNA structure resulting in him developing telepathic and telekinetic abilities, greatly enhanced intelligence and hearing, among others; all due to his brain becoming more active than that of an average human. Eventually his brain became so advanced that he was unable to keep himself alive if he doesn't ascend or find a way to turn himself back. Thankfully, Atlantis' medical department kept a DNA sample from everyone so they turned him back.
- Weir became infected with Replicator cells but Rodney managed to shut them down before they took control. Later, she suffered brain injury so he reactivated them. She instantly gained super-healing and the ability to mentally tap into the Asurans' subspace network, stealing information and temporarily freezing other Replicators. When she became fully Replicator, she was able to stick her hand into another Replicator, making it fall apart to a pile of cells; prior to that, she was uploaded into subspace and essentially became an AI able to infect and control computers to an extent (she was so powerful that Atlantis' systems gone wacko from her presence until she rebuilt FR An and possessed it).
- If it comes to that, even Teyla counts: due to her possessing Wraith genes, she has Wraith telepathic abilities as well as detecting their presence (hell, she mind controlled a Wraith queen). And maybe Chaya too but that's justified by the fact that she's an ascended Lantean in physical form.
- An unintended type 5 due to the Lanteans interbreeding with humans. The result? The ability to control Lantean tech with the mind, also known as the ATA gene (Sheppard has a so powerful gene he doesn't need to concentrate at all); straight type 5 when Beckett managed to figure out how to imprint it artificially (he also has it naturally, so does O'Neill).
Tabletop RPG
- The GURPS advantage Affliction with the Advantage special enhancement gives the ability to temporarily give people powers, depending on the advantage in question.
- The Celestial Exalted receive their power from a shard of the Celestial Incarnae, the most powerful gods in the setting.
- Furthermore, almost all forms of supernatural can learn charms to perform this role themselves, such as the Solars' 'Power Awarding Prana', which allows the target to use essence and Solar charms for as long as the Solar maintains the charm.
- Though it depends on the setting, divine spellcasters in Dungeons And Dragons usually receive their powers from the gods. Similarly, Warlocks gain their powers from consorting with strange otherworldly powers.
- Clerics can learn a spell known as Imbue With Spell Ability, enabling them to donate some of their other spells to the target, who can cast them at his own discretion.
- The Wish and Miracle spells can also enhance basic attributes by up to 5 points (which is quite a bit).
- In Witchcraft, there are various powers (including Incantations and Necromancy powers) that can be gained by divine patrons. They usually demand you work in their interests, and/or conduct sacrifices.
- The Changeling and Vampire gamelines in The World Of Darkness have this happen to human PC's. In Changeling, humans who spend enough time in Arcadia become changelings either through eating the food there, surviving the abusive tasks of their keeper, or their keepers' magic changing them. They can also bestow minor blessing and sometimes even abilities to mortals through Pledges. Vampires do the whole embracing thing, as well as ghouling mortals with vampire blood. It doesn't kill them, but it does addict them and give them a small access to vampire powers and agelessness.
Video Games
- The Pokemon move Helping Hand does nothing but multiply the other Mon's attack strength by 1.5 for one turn. Only works in Double Battles.
- The "Plus" and "Minus" abilities also do this, empowering each other. However, said abilities are only available on Pikachu expies Plusle and Minun, respectively.
- There are also moves like Light Screen, which help protect the team, even after the user switches out, and Baton Pass, which passes all stat boosts on to the next Pokemon to come out. This is very useful when a mon boosts itself automatically, such as with the ability Speed Boost.
- In their Emergency Transformations, Red and Asellus get superpowers and Mystic powers, respectively in Saga Frontier.
- The Naaru in the Warcraft universe can bestow the powers of the Light on mortals. And they can also be taken from them, forcefully, as the Blood Elves did.
- As it's been revealed that was a Xanatos Gambit on the Naaru's part to give the Blood Elves more of a connection to the Light than their offworld leaders desired, we're no longer positive about the latter.
- The leaders of the Burning Legion are also capable of granting powers, though in a somewhat ruthless way. Sargeras gave Illidan the ability to see magic by replacing his eyes by a sort of magical smoke. This forced him to wear his iconic blindfold because the sight is somewhat unnerving to others.
- In Chrono Trigger, Spekkio can unlock the latent magical powers of the descendants of Zeal. He can't technically grant them though, as demonstrated by Ayla (who was born millions of years before Zeal), Robo (who, as a robot, is not genetically descended from humans), and Magus (who does not have latent powers to unlock).
- To empower or not to empower yourself with Gig's power in Soul Nomad forms the bulk of the story.
- Princess Peach can do a variant of this, producing items for Mario and Luigi in certain games.
- Dancers and similiar classes in Fire Emblem are pretty much defined by their ability to do this. They can allow an ally to take another turn or, depending on the game, empower them for a short time.
- Pharaohs do this to buildings in Age Of Mythology. If they target a ressource building, workers delivering to it also work faster.
- To rein in Ares' Roaring Rampage Of Revenge in God Of War, the gods grant Kratos some of their signature powers, culminating with making him the next God of War. In the sequel, it turns out that Kratos is too good at his job. To help Kratos with his Roaring Rampage Of Revenge, the Titans grant Kratos some of their powers.
- Grahf from Xenogears is an evil version, giving power to sufficiently angry, revenge-minded individuals and turning them and their mecha into super-powerful monsters.
- The Chozo in Metroid were a Type 5, gifting Sole Survivor Samus Aran with "Chozo blood" (probably a form of genetic engineering). This granted her enhanced strength and athleticism, as well as letting her use Chozo technology like the Power Suit.
Web Comics
- Lady Lillith in Cat Legend is the first type. Other powerful faeries are probably capable of the same.
- In the Exalted-themed Keychain Of Creation, The Elegant Nova Of Progression is trying to figure out how to do this, and has had some successes (though not without setbacks).
- In the RPG-themed Adventurers!, Karn gains a Super Mode near the end of the "game", giving him several new moves. One of these moves is Truth Buster, which enables him to give his other party members their own super forms.
Western Animation
- In an episode of Static Shock, there was an old man whose superpower was to temporarily give others random superpowers. Unfortunately, it resulted in a druglike addiction, causing a Does This Remind You Of Anything type Aesop for Richie.
- Static himself was a minor example, as it was secondhand exposure to the Bang Baby gas residue on him that gave Richie his permanent Gadgeteer Genius power.
- On one episode of the Aladdin series, Genie transfers his powers to Iago.
- In the Donald Duck cartoon Trombone Trouble, the gods Jupiter and Vulcan give Don some of their power so he can get revenge on a trombone player who is bothering all three.
- In the newer episodes of Storm Hawks, Piper gets an abilty call binding which she gives Aerrow superpowers via Crystals. But for Piper using the power comes with a price...
- Will's power in the first season of WITCH was simply triggering the Transformation Sequence with the Heart of Kandrakar , essentially giving all the others their Elemental Powers. Well, What Kind Of Lame Power Is Heart Anyway? This was Adaptation Decay from the comics and corrected in Season 2.
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