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Talk:Aura absorption

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Ability Naming Conventions
The following sources are used for determining evolved human ability names, in order:
1. Canon Sources Episodes
2. Near-canon Sources Webisodes,
Graphic Novels,
iStories,
Heroes Evolutions
3. Secondary Sources Episode commentary,
Interviews,
Heroes: Survival
4. Common names for abilities Names from other works
5. Descriptions of abilities Descriptions
6. Possessor's name
If no non-speculative
description is possible

Note: The highlighted row represents the level of the source used to determine the name for Aura absorption.


The name

Well, we may as well get right into it. Suggestions? --Piemanmoo 05:33, 19 February 2008 (EST)

  • "Just like she said... 'After I steal his power.'" That leads me to ability theft, but there's a page for that. =/ --NellaBishop 06:09, 19 February 2008 (EST)
  • It's not power theft as we have defined it for Sylar, unless we want to rework that page by moving the Sylar information to the article on Sylar's power or Sylar's article and then make the Ability theft article the article for Linda's power. --Snow Leapord 07:39, 19 February 2008 (EST)
  • "Stealing" abilities are not the natural intention of the ability, it's actually how Linda used it. That's why we don't call Sylar's ability but his actions as "Ability Theft". I think "Power absorption" is okay, and notes can be made on the Ability theft and Empathic mimicry article. 08:40, 19 February 2008 (EST)
  • It reminds me of either Parasite (dc comics, or at least he showed up in the Superman Animated series not sure about the comics) or Rougue (marvel) except it appears more permanent, similar in regards to Sylar, only through a different method of obtaining abilities. So any name in regards to stealing, absorbing abilities is fine with me. --Dman dustin 09:05, 19 February 2008 (EST)
  • Power absorbtion? --PeterDawson 10:37, 19 February 2008 (EST)
    • I'm sticking with "'steal his power'" so it's Ability Theft for me. I'm not sure what to do with the original ability theft page, so all I've got is to make it a "Stolen Abilities" page. --NellaBishop 10:50, 19 February 2008 (EST)
      • I have a problem calling it power absorption or power theft since 1) That's the name associated with Sylar's actions, and 2) We don't know if that's what the power is, or if that's just what Linda was going to do with it. For instance, if we only saw a telekinetic person slice tomatoes with his power, we wouldn't call the power "food slicing", it would still be telekinesis. We know so little about this power (and pretty much what we do know is something that some unknown and possibly unreliable person told this shady character Linda) that it's difficult to come up with any name that's not jumping to conclusions. -- RyanGibsonStewart (talk) 11:15, 19 February 2008 (EST)
        • See, this is more of my failing at reading comics. I didn't realize the blue box was Linda's monologue, not Linderman's. So yeah, Ryan's right again. :P --NellaBishop 11:30, 19 February 2008 (EST)
        • We don't know yes/no whether Linderman would have still been able to access his ability after Linda was finished, so I agree that "power theft" is not yet valid. However, Linda did claim to be able to absorb Linderman's ability, so I think "ability absorption" is broad enough not to be speculative as it doesn't imply how Linda could use the ability after she absorbed it. Sylar's actions are referred to as power/ability theft since we know the person loses the ability after he takes it and, for Linda, this is not necessarily the case.--MiamiVolts (talk) 13:49, 19 February 2008 (EST)
  • Maybe "Touch power absorption". They way it sounded to me, Linda's ability is like Sylar's , only she doesn't have to kill them. I think a note should be included about that. --Hero!(talk)(contribs) 13:07, 19 February 2008 (EST)
    • That's speculative, though. We don't know anything about how her power works. It could work like Peter's, it could work like Sylar's, or it could be entirely different. (Admin 13:12, 19 February 2008 (EST))
      • Maybe someone could ask the artist? -Lөvөl 13:23, 19 February 2008 (EST)
        • A better choice would be to ask the writer, assuming we could locate him. We could ask CBR, but I'm not sure they could provide a clear answer.--MiamiVolts (talk) 13:55, 19 February 2008 (EST)
        • If Micah and John met in person or emailed, you could ask Micah for contact info about John. --Hero!(talk)(contribs) 14:10, 19 February 2008 (EST)
          • I've tried numerous times to get ahold of John O'Hara, and I've exhausted numerous resources in doing so. I haven't given up, but I don't have a lot of hope. I can ask Micah, though, but I know it's rare that the writer and artist ever talk to each other. (Jason Badower and Mark Sable are very proactive in their communications, but it was me who introduced them to each other for the first time.) I'm not sure what Micah can tell us, but it's always worth a shot, right? I'll shoot Micah an email later tonight. If there are any other questions, add them at this link; we might add an addendum to the interview. -- RyanGibsonStewart (talk) 14:21, 19 February 2008 (EST)
            • Have you been able to contact his co-author of his previous works, Carri Wagner? She is likely to have his contact info. and if we're right that they both went to the University of Southern California, then this link probably leads to his friendster page. It has a few photos and he's displayed as a friend of Carri's, but only as "John" (no last name). However, his Company/employment entry does list him as working for NBC and his college major was "English".--MiamiVolts (talk) 14:41, 19 February 2008 (EST)
              • My conversations with Carri have been spotty. She responded to my messages twice, but never passed on John's contact info to me, or my info to him. She basically just gave me a little info, which is reflected in her article. Thanks for the link to John above. I'm not sure that's the same John as ours, but I think it's a pretty good bet, I just don't have any confirmation. I've tried to contact him at that link two or three times now, each with no response. I'll ask Micah later tonight. If that doesn't work, I have a few other avenues I can try. :) -- RyanGibsonStewart (talk) 16:11, 19 February 2008 (EST)
  • How about "Imastealyopowakinesis" But really I'd be good with power theft or ability theft. Psilaq Talk to me 15:27, 19 February 2008 (EST)
  • Going with the cannon name given in the GN, why not simply 'Power Stealer'? She said, quote: "Steal His Power"; so she is a Power Stealer. --HiroDynoSlayer (talk) 02/19/2008 18:00 (EST)
    • Because "stealing" means that the person does not have it anymore, and Linderman most definitely had this power for many years to come. Linda actually was just quoting some other unknown person whose motives we don't know. Ultimately, we don't know anything about the power, how it works, only second-hand comments made about it by a person whose identity and reliability we don't know. -- RyanGibsonStewart (talk) 19:23, 19 February 2008 (EST)
  • What about tactile power theft? Watchmaker 2/19/08 4:15 pm (PST)
    • We can't be sure by "steal" whether she could take an ability away from its original holder entirely, whether she just borrowed it for a time, or whether her power copies the ability like Peter's. It can still be stealing to absorb a person's ability without permission, but whether or not that is what she meant is unknown--that's why ability theft and ability stealing are not valid.--MiamiVolts (talk) 19:28, 19 February 2008 (EST)
    • Then what about tactile power stealing? It works well since we're using the same word Linda herself used. --Watchmaker 2/19/08 6:01pm (PST)
      • Well that's the whole point, isn't it? Besides the fact Linda never said "tactile", the phrase "steal his power" really isn't Linda's wording, it's from an unknown woman (a woman I'm sure we'll meet down the road) with unknown motives and unknown reliability. And if the power isn't stolen (which by definition implies that the power is no longer owned by the victim), then the name wouldn't work, even if it was used in a (near) canon source. Let's wait until we find out more about the power. -- RyanGibsonStewart (talk) 21:43, 19 February 2008 (EST)
  • If people don't mind keeping the name of the article "Linda's ability" for a week or so, I think it'll change soon enough. I have a feeling we're going to learn more about Linda--and her power--in the next few GNs. -- RyanGibsonStewart (talk) 19:34, 19 February 2008 (EST)
  • I think it was pretty clear the Linda absorbs abilities. "After I steal his power..." and "It's mine now." There is nothing speculative about it. However, we don't have any other details; we have no idea how the ability works. But still, that has nothing to do with it. There's nothing wrong with taking out "possibly" from the power description. --Ice Vision (talk) 21:53, 19 February 2008 (EST)
    • Since we've never seen her actually "do her thing," we really shouldn't state emphatically what it is she does...yet. How about "Linda's ability appears to be an as-yet unnamed ability to absorb the powers of other evolved humans by physical contact"? -- RyanGibsonStewart (talk) 22:13, 19 February 2008 (EST)
      • I know this is so unoriginal but her powers is kinda similar to Rogue's powers so we could name it after that. The Marvel comics database call it "Involuntary Power Absorption" but if you want originality, I prefer ability borrowing.Edible8 03:52, 5 March 2008 (EST)
  • From what she described it as and remembering marvel really well, she seems to have an ability similar to Rogue from the X-men, she can absorb life from the victim and in the case of people with abilities can take those as well. Even the description of the ability by the website suggests life for force absorption. Horrorman 3:38, 25 March 2008 (EST)

Example wording assumptive

The example wording says, "Linda Tavara unsuccessfully tried to absorb Linderman's healing ability.". That is assumptive. We do not know if she was successful or not in absorbing his ability, because Linderman knocked her unconscious and kills her. Before we know if her absorption was successful or not.

I am going to change the wording to be less speculative, and say: "There is only one known demonstration of this ability: Linda Tavara attempt to absorb Linderman's healing ability. (War Buddies, Part 7)". --HiroDynoSlayer (talk) 02/19/2008 17:34 (EST)

  • p.s. After re-reading it, if anything, she was successful; not unsuccessful. Deferring back to the canon of the GN itself, as she puts her blue hand on Austin's face, she say, quote, "It's mine now"....which tells us she did absorb it, and knew that she had. This statement fits the implication that she had taken powers before; and that she knew what it felt like to successfully take a power. Either she did successfully take it (based on this), or it is best unconclusive. We should avoid however, assuming she was unsuccessful. --HiroDynoSlayer (talk) 02/19/2008 17:40 (EST)
    • I don't take "It's mine now" as conclusive proof of her stealing anything, especially that she knew she had stolen it. It read that as conclusive proof that she felt she had the opportunity to steal his power, and that's it. It's like a person saying "You're dead now" before they shoot the person standing in front of them. In either case, you're absolutely right that it's speculative to say the attempt was unsuccessful; your revision makes the wording correct. -- RyanGibsonStewart (talk) 19:23, 19 February 2008 (EST)

You know

Sometimes i wonder if the writers make up weird powers like this just to tick us off :) PsilaqTalk to me 20 February 2008, 20:03 (EST)

  • There's some truth to that. The power is very obviously ambiguous and mysterious. I mean, if her hand weren't blue, I'd argue that she might not even have a power. In the end, creating mystery is a great literary device, and suspense has definitely been created here. We're all talking about it, aren't we? Can't wait to see what else comes of it. :) -- RyanGibsonStewart (talk) 20:06, 20 February 2008 (EST)

i totally agree. well, off to the shower, may not be back tonight. bye everyone! (teleports to shower) PsilaqTalk to me 20 February 2008, 20:12 (EST)

What it does

  • So, with the new graphic novel out there we can work out some more info about Linda's Ability. She kills people with it, that's for certain, but she also *believes* that she can get something else from the evolved humans other than satisfying her lust for murder. Linda thinks she obtains their powers, gotta be. Of course she's never demonstrated any powers other than her own, and the wording suggests she can either drain their life *or* drain their powers, so maybe that was how Linderman could fight her off while everyone else, a bigger guy included, could not.--Cheapside 07:36, 25 March 2008 (EDT)
    • I think Linderman just hit her before her ability could take effect. We know for sure she takes the life force of whoever she uses it on, but what effects (if any) it has on her or even if it allows her to take abilities will hopefully get answered over the next couple weeks. --NellaBishop 13:11, 25 March 2008 (EDT)
      • I disagree, there is no way we know for sure that she takes life forces - for all we know she simply stops the electrical activity in the body making her victims just as dead.--Cheapside 10:11, 29 March 2008 (EDT)

Well, we know it is fatal, and therefore it kills. How does it do this? Who knows? We cant tell.--SacValleyDweller (talk) 02:33, 30 March 2008 (EDT)

  • Okay, well I guess she *does* absorb life forces and she gains the powers then. With that kind of power, Linda was damned unlucky to run into the people with the lame powers before being bashed by Linderman, if she'd only have absorbed the cool powers she'd be unstoppable a la Sylar.--Cheapside 09:56, 8 April 2008 (EDT)

New name

So, I think we have enough information to change the ability's name now. She absorbs people's auras, taking their lives and ability if they have one. My personal choice is "Aura absorption". --Hero!(talk)(contribs) 12:12, 8 April 2008 (EDT)

  • Aural means it has to do with hearing. I think 'Aura absorption' would be good though.--Leshia 13:14, 8 April 2008 (EDT)
    • Aurakinesis! </tongue-in-cheek> --Paronine 13:20, 8 April 2008 (EDT)
      • Technically, she takes people's "life force" along with their abilities so my preference is still "life force absorption". She see's the life forces as auras, but that doesn't mean they exist outside of her head. Alternatively, since they describe her ability as seeing "energy", "life energy absorption" could work too.--MiamiVolts (talk) 14:21, 8 April 2008 (EDT)
        • Maybe but She specifically calls that life force energy "Aura" regardless if Aura is actually life energy or not she described it as such.--Dman dustin 15:14, 8 April 2008 (EDT)
        • "Life force" strikes me as no better than "aura" (and at least "aura" is her own description). What does "life force" really even mean? Is it a weasel word for "soul", like "the spark of life"? Is it just bioelectricity? It strikes me as very imprecise. Sure, it sounds good, but a "life force" isn't anything you can see or verify or quantify; it's just a word we assign to something we can't really understand, and I think we'd be better off avoiding it. Perhaps when she sees an "aura" it's just a general sense of vitality, and not a specific, severable thing at all. I'd rather avoid speculation. We don't know that she takes "life forces", whatever they may be. We know that she perceives auras and takes lives and abilities.--Hardvice (talk) 15:19, 8 April 2008 (EDT)
          • "Life force" comes from the descriptions Robert Atkins and R.D. Hall (I think) have given on the 9th Wonders boards. I agree, if we use a term to describe what Linda sees, I would much rather use the term used in the graphic novel, "aura". I don't have a specific name in mind, but there are some good suggestions above. I can ask R.D. tonight, though. -- RyanGibsonStewart (talk) 15:40, 8 April 2008 (EDT)
            • What about Reaper? Its like the classical Grim Reapers of media who when touch things take their life force.-- User:Sunuvmann 16:14, 8 April 2008 (EDT)
              • That doesn't cover the fact that she also takes abilities as well, though. --Hero!(talk)(contribs) 16:53, 8 April 2008 (EDT)
            • "Energy Bodysnatch"!
            • I'd even hold off on the term "Aura." Are these auras just her perception, or do they really exist. We still dont know the exact nature of this ability. --SacValleyDweller (talk) 18:21, 8 April 2008 (EDT)
          • Let's call it Linda's ability. Har har. --DocM 18:34, 8 April 2008 (EDT)
  • The NBC blurb says her ability is seeing "bands of energy surrounding living things", more commonly known as "auras". I'm still for aura absorption. Aaaaand sig. --NellaBishop 18:37, 8 April 2008 (EDT)
    • Despite unforgivings, "Aura Absorbtion" matches up with naming convensions; she calls them "Auras" and it is also said that she absorbs them. Seems pretty right to me. --  Seclusion  talk / contribs 19:33, 8 April 2008 (EDT)
      • Hm, You right about the name and conventions, Im on board with it. However I still have misgivings about the nature of these Auras.--SacValleyDweller (talk) 01:28, 9 April 2008 (EDT)
    • Hey in theory, auras show a lifeforce of person. Zoga78 18:59, 9 April 2008
    • Well not quite correct; in theory Auras are meant to show the mood and personality of a person. --  Seclusion  talk / contribs 04:25, 9 April 2008 (EDT)
      • I agree with that however we don't know what these auras represent. They could represent our personality or emotional state and only having an ability heightens that aura to the point where Linda would want it. Horrorman 04:25, 9 April 2008 (EDT)
        • We don't have to know what the auras represent (if anything), and we don't have to know the nature of the auras. We know that Linda sees them, she calls them auras (in a near canon source), and that she somehow takes them. We know that she kills her victims, and in the case of evolved humans, she absorbs their power. It's not up to us to interpret the meaning, connotation, interpretation, nature, or anything beyond the facts. -- RyanGibsonStewart (talk) 15:49, 9 April 2008 (EDT)