Ability immunity: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 01:37, 2 November 2008
| Ability immunity | |
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 The "rule of Ted" dictates that Ted cannot be harmed by his own ability. | |
| Ability to: | Possess immunity to the adverse effects of one's own ability |
Many evolved humans demonstrate immunity to various effects of their own special abilities. Not all abilities come with such protection, however.
Examples of Immunity
Cushing generated an acid strong enough to eat through metal in seconds and burn flesh. His own hands, however, seemed no worse for wear. (Trust Issues, Part 1)
Connie Logan can change the appearance of others, but cannot use her powers on herself. (Assignment Tracker 2.0)
Nathan is able to fly at apparently supersonic speeds without suffering any harm from friction with the atmosphere. Similarly, West is able to fly to altitudes of tens of thousands of feet without suffocating or freezing in the thin, cold atmosphere.
Tracy can freeze people, even to the point of killing them (The Butterfly Effect), but when she activates her ability, no part of her body even lowers in temperature (I Am Become Death).
Stephen Canfield is normally immune to the effects of his own vortices: when producing gravitational vacuums, he is generally not attracted towards them. He could, however, voluntarily cancel this immunity: he allowed one of his vortices consume him. (Angels and Monsters)
Ted was never harmed by his own ability: while his wife was poisoned by his radiation (Seven Minutes to Midnight), he remained healthy. He is also immune to the powerful explosions and extreme levels of heat caused by his ability. Ted was the epicenter of explosions in the Bennets' home (Company Man), FBI Headquarters (Seven Minutes to Midnight), and in front of his cabin (How Do You Stop an Exploding Man?, Part 2). Though these explosion burned and killed many people nearby, Ted walked away virtually unharmed.
Peter and Sylar have also absorbed and used this ability. Unlike Ted, they both used the ability to create atomic bomb-sized explosions, but nonetheless neither of them ever had any lasting effects from it. Peter exploded above New York City (How to Stop an Exploding Man), but the radiation did not affect him (Four Months Ago...), though he also had rapid cell regeneration at that point. Also, in a possible future, Sylar caused a nuclear-scale explosion destroying most of Costa Verde, California (I Am Become Death). Sylar also had rapid cell regeneration, but his condition after the explosion was unknown.
When Claude and Peter become invisible, nobody else can see them. However, they can still see themselves and see each other. (Godsend)
Maya's poison kills others, but does not kill herself. (Four Months Later...)
Both Flint and Meredith appear unharmed by the fire and heat created by this ability. In fact, Meredith is even immune to the indirect effects of her ability, allowing her to breathe in a shipping container whose oxygen was consumed by her fire (One of Us, One of Them).
Both Echo and Jesse have severely hurt others with their powers--Echo even killed a man (Going Postal, Part 2)--but neither have ever been harmed by the destructive sounds they have made.
When Hiro or Peter stop time, everybody and everything around them freezes. However, when one of them stops time in the other's presence, both continue to move normally and can interact with each other. In fact, this happens involuntarily. (Collision)
When Niki Sanders -- or her alternate personality Jessica -- performs feats of superhuman strength, she does not injure herself, even though the force she applies would sometimes be sufficient to break her own bones.
Examples of Lack of Immunity
Rollo Fusor's accomplice can be affected by her own ability. While she was able to normally touch herself, once she activated her power, Haram turned her hands towards her, dehydrating her until she died (Golden Handshake, Part 4). However, it has been noted that portions of the file that the Golden Handshake series is based on was falsified.
Eric Doyle specifically asks Michael whether he is immune to the lasers he generates. When he learns that Michael is not immune, Doyle proceeds to control his movements, murdering Michael by forcing him to shoot a laser at himself. (Doyle)
Elle can create electrical currents; usually Elle is not affected by her lightning, but she has the potential to be harmed nonetheless. Most notably, this happens when she is in contact with water, making her unable to produce electricity without receiving part of her own electrical discharge. (Cautionary Tales)
While an agent's ability allows him to absorb all sound waves directed at him, including even Echo's devastating sonic blasts, he is not immune to the adverse effects of is power, rendering him permanently deaf. (Going Postal)
Notes
- While Ted, Peter, and Sylar are immune to their ability to generate radiation, Amid Halebi from the unaired pilot had severe radiation burns on his hands.
- Writers Aron Coleite and Joe Pokaski commented in an interview about the ability immunity demonstrated by some evolved humans, calling it the "rule of Ted", in reference to Ted Sprague's ability to be unharmed by the radiation he creates. The writers said "the oven can't be hurt by the heat".