Monolith's Power Descriptions

[itsmeray]

Thanks, Monolith. I guess it would be weird for Magik to be without her Soulsword because it’s become so much of her identity. Albeit, it would give her the opportunity to reinvent herself should she learn to be without.

[Dr House]

Considering character like She-Hulk, Deadpool, and Gwenpool, what is the MU definition of “breaking the fourth wall”? Communicating across dimensional “barriers”?

[Monolith]

There isn't one. It's a meta-commentary. The smartest men in the world like Reed Richards and Doctor Doom have evaluated characters like She-Hulk and Gwenpool and don't find their "We're in a comic book!!" perspective scientifically credible.

[Dr House]

This may have already been answered, but how was Bishop's power able to absorb Iceman's ice attack in UXM #283? He got hit with Storm's lightning right before, and with Bobby's attack, he yelled "conflicting frequencies" before literally laughing it off.

[Monolith]

Iceman can either project ice or cold. The former, he causes ice to form near him while propelling it towards a target. The latter, he shoots a freeze beam which causes ice to form at the point of impact when the beam hits something. In that scenario, it would be the equivalent of a bio-blast hitting Bishop, allowing him to absorb the energy that would be inducing the cold.

On the other hand, UXM #311(?) explained how Bishop can absorb heat energy created when snowflakes melt on the surface of his skin, powering up from this lightest of thermal transitions. So it may have been the heat interaction and thermal transition he absorbed in UXM #283.

Bishop has trouble absorbing too much energy at once, or different kinds of energy simultaneously, i.e. "conflicting frequencies". He CAN do it, it's just harder when he's surprised, which is why he could ultimately laugh it off.

[Dr House]

Thanks, is there a PD on the Earth Force (Skyhawk, Earth Lord, Wind Warrior)?

[Monolith]

No real depth, frankly. And very few appearances.

Wind Warrior controls wind.
Skyhawk is strong and flies.
Earth Lord is stronger and can't fly.

[Dr House]

I understand that Eden's power doesn't require a waystation between 'ports, but please explain the difference between Manifold's ability and Nightcrawler's teleportation in terms of the wormhole aspect.

The archived PD for Nightcrawler describes his power as a wormhole effect, implying that his power works in a similar manner to Eden's: Folding space.

[Monolith]

Nightcrawler folds the space between dimensions; Manifold folds the space of one dimension.

[Dr House]

1.) Which mutants have a force field/exoskeleton as their primary power?

2.) Who are the other mutant Darkforce users out there besides Darkstar?

[Monolith]

1) Unus, Unuscione, Radius, Armor, Projector, arguably Indra, Hemingway for your definition of exoskeleton

2) Spectre, Darkveil, Darkling, Doorman, Hecat'e, Cloak on alternating Tuesdays, arguably Silhouette, La Nuit, Norio and Umbra wield darkness that may be Darkforce

[Dr House]

Is ‘probability’ an actual thing?

What’s the difference in the following probability manipulators: Longshot, Roulette, and Isca?

[Monolith]

Okay. So...quantum physics in a nutshell:

At a microscopic level, the exact position of subatomic particles is both unknown and unknowable. This is not a failure of our ability to accurately measure them; it is a fundamental law of physics. Particles do not occupy a single point, but rather a range of possible positions known as a probability wave function. They are more likely to exist in some locations over others: the atomic particles of your hand, for instance, have a high probability of existing in your room and a low probability of existing on Saturn. But scientifically speaking, at the quantum level, it is incorrect to say things are or are not <Here>, only that it is highly probable or highly improbable that they are <Here>.

Probability manipulation is actually the subatomic manipulation of the quantum state of particles. Because the wave function of a particle "collapses" when that particle is observed. This is the thought experiment of Schrodinger's cat -- a cat is put in a box with a radioactive isotope that goes off at a totally random interval, which will kill the cat. You won't know if the cat is dead or alive until you open the box, it's an equal probability either way. So according to quantum physics, the cat exists in a quantum super-position of dead/alive until it is observed, collapsing the possibilities to a single outcome.

Super-beings able to manipulate probability "observe" specific quantum states into being with their powers. Maybe the particles of an object happen to brush against each other to create friction, and the object spontaneously catches fire. Maybe the particles of a paint can all suddenly shift to one side for a moment, throwing it off balance so it falls on somebody's head. The second law of thermodynamics states that entropy typically rises in a closed system, meaning that chaos is more common than order. This is why Wanda's early power displays were called "hexes", because throwing probability into flux almost always has a chaotic or destructive outcome.

But, while probability is a thing, "luck" is harder to define. In this situation, we'd be referring to good luck and bad luck as "beneficial or detrimental quantum particle states relevant to a particular subject". If we can assume "danger" is a tangible thing, like Spider-Man's "spider-sense", then we can assume a "luck aura" can detect "danger" and then neutralize it by initiating a different quantum state. If someone is trying to achieve a particular goal, then they can subconsciously influence the outcome of their probability field pertaining to that result, like a lucky shot or a lucky roll of the dice. But the more we delve into consciously manipulating quantum states, the more clear it becomes that probability manipulation is reality manipulation at its core.

As for the examples you requested, Longshot has a probability aura which gives him "good luck" and, by extension, gives others "bad luck" if they try to oppose him. Roulette creates energy discs which infuse a target on contact with a probability shift, causing "good luck" or "bad luck" as is relevant to the target. Isca's power is not officially defined as probability manipulation. It is, however, a very similar effect which is outcome-based. She "never loses", and so the quantum state of reality bends around her to ensure that outcome always occurs.

[Monet]

Is there a PD for 3-D Man (Charles Chandler)? Also could I get PD's on Electrisha an anomalito (mutant) in Amazing Fantasy (Vol. 2) #13-14? Does her power work in the way a solar panel does to create electricity?

Another question: Is it ever explained how to St. Croix siblings (Monet, Claudette, Nicole) now all have "Penance" forms and change into them now? Also does this mean that Marius form that he's in or appears in is a "Penance" form as well since it look so similar to his sisters save for being grey?

[Monolith]

3-D Man is covered under Triathlon, in the Archives.

With one-off characters like ElecTrisha, there's not really any depth to explore. Whatever she said about her powers in that issue is what's known.

The St. Croix siblings have shared genetic potential between their individual X-Genes. All four have shown the ability to merge with one another to assume combined states with compounded powers and abilities. They also have the potential to manifest each others' traditional powers, whether its the twins mimicking Monet's powers as "M" or Emplate saying Monet has the potential to be a marrow vampire like him in GenX #24. Basically, the St. Croixes don't seem to have "Individual powers", but "Dominant powers" that arise from the same identical toolbox of options.

[Dr House]

What was it about Gambit and Cable, back in the ‘90s, that caused telepaths to never get an accurate fix on them?

Gambit, I kinda get because of his kinetic powers. But Cable…? When statements like that were made about him, his telepathy was pretty much dead.

[Monolith]

I don't remember that happened with Cable much, but it could've been any number of things...latest telepathy, a lifetime of training with psychic defenses, force of will, the T-O virus, the Professor computer...

[das_boot]

Don’t quote me on this because I could be wrong, but I’m FAIRLY certain it was never fully revealed why Cable was resistant to telepathy. I seem to remember Jean, around Phalanx Covenant and Legion Quest, stating various reasons at different points in time— so I’m sure she said she couldn’t read his mind due to the TO virus in one instance, and said it was because of his latent powers in another— ultimately with Cable it was pretty much a plot device so that Jean and Scott were never sure whether he knew that they were Redd and Slim who raised him in the future/were his actual parents