Talk:Phasing

Superfluous Gallery?

I added a gallery to this page. However, the information is covered in the Examples section. Can these two sections be merged? I love the pictures, but I don't think having all the info from Examples is a good idea to put in a caption. Shoule we leave them as separate sections? I'm mostly asking because I'd like to add a gallery to some of the other individual power pages as well. Thoughts on combining? - RyanGibsonStewart (talk) 23:34, 7 December 2006 (EST)

• • Seems alright as it is on this page and others to me. --Ted C 13:07, 13 December 2006 (EST)

Speculation

If DL alters the object he is going to move through to phase, then it's likely that his phasing ability is inherently harmful to any person he affects with it. On the other hand, if he alters his own body, it's more likely that he has to intentionally cause harm (by partially re-solidifying in the other person, for example). --Ted C 13:07, 13 December 2006 (EST)

Active Concentration

I think it's safe to say that Phasing requires active concentration, since DL did not spontaneously phase to avoid injury from Jessica's first sniper shot in Fallout. --Ted C 18:34, 19 December 2006 (EST)

I agree - good move! - RyanGibsonStewart (talk) 18:52, 19 December 2006 (EST)

Power Name

OK, it's nagged at me long enough. I don't like calling D.L.'s power "phasing". "Phasing" is a term that Marvel comics coined to describe Kitty Pryde's ability to move through things, and Star Trek perpetuated the term with episodes like "The Next Phase", but it has no basis in reality. I would prefer a term like "intangibility", which more accurately describes that the power does without implying any mechanism. "Phasing" implies that some kind of phase alignment shift is involved, when there is no evidence of any such thing (nor any scientific plausibility to the concept). --Ted C 13:05, 7 May 2007 (EDT)

• Actually, the term "phasing" does apply. The logic behind it is that in physics, two objects on the same dimensional plane cannot exist in the same place at the same time. So phasing is the change of dimensional planes to allow for the objects to coexist in the same place at the same time (this is the basis of Kitty Pryde). Now in reality, a phase can also occur on a quantum level. There's some book in the school bookstore I flipped through about superhero powers in physics, where the author discussed Kitty Pryde's power, and how it could exist, in theory, because of phasing through quantum states. Intangibility makes it seem like he's physically unstable, so I'd prefer phasing personally.--Bob 15:06, 7 May 2007 (EDT)
  • I don't know if this is a case of the tail wagging the dog or not, but the transcripts for Better Halves, Nothing to Hide, Fallout, Godsend, and The Fix all use some form of the word phase to describe D.L.'s power. — RyanGibsonStewart (talk) 20:19, 7 May 2007 (EDT)