Superhearing - Why is it considered such a wimpy superpower?

Everyone takes hearing for granted - unless of course they have hearing damage or are deaf.

Thus perhaps it is no surprise that "super hearing" isn't really considered to be that great of a superpower when it comes to comic books.

For example Superman can fly, is super stronger, can shoot lasers from his eyes, has X-ray vision and a lot of other awesome powers (eg. super fast healing whenever he is in the yellow light of the sun). His super hearing isn't really a central part of his character. (Same goes with Supergirl and any other Kryptonian.)

Another character with Super Hearing is Aquaman - but he only has super hearing when underwater. He also has super strength underwater, super swimming, the ability to breathe water, etc. So his ability to hear really well underwater is a lesser ability.

Wolverine - again, another character who's other abilities overshadow his hearing ability. His super sense of smell overshadows even his hearing, let alone his healing factor and bone claws.

Spider-Man - Yada yada yada, you know the drill. Super reflexes and strength vs his spidey-sense hearing.

Wonder Woman - On the long list of Wonder Woman's powers, yes, she also has super hearing. Yeehaw!

Daredevil - You were probably wondering when I would get to Daredevil. Yes, Daredevil's super hearing is basically his main forte. His hearing is so good it is basically radar. He also has a super sense of smell, touch, balance - and despite being blind, apparently can match red colours with matching red colours so his outfit looks normal.



But Dare Devil's enhanced senses are really just designed to counter his lack of sight. Yes, he has super hearing. Yes, it is amazingly good - like radar. But it really is kind of a wimpy super power.

But here is the interesting thing.

If you shoot yourself with a couple CCs of adrenaline in a syringe, you too can have super hearing. The extra adrenaline heightens brain activity and boosts your senses - giving you what could basically be considered to be a super power. It wears off over time, adrenaline shots do that, but it is one way of boosting hearing to superhuman levels.

You could also combine adrenaline with hearing aids and other electronic devices to give yourself unusually powerful hearing. So much that you could be "Super Hearing Man!" or "Super Hearing Woman!"

But what would be the point? Could you stop crimes using your super hearing? Not really. No more than police or spies using tech toys to listen in on criminals or other spies.

eg. The tech toy on the right is a mere $62 USD on Amazon.com.

Call it part of the whole "why is there no superheroes" problem. The problem isn't really the issue of having access to tech toys so you can become Batman, the problem is being able to find criminals and stop them in the act.

Anyone with enough money and wherewithal could train themselves to become a proverbial Batman - but having the ability to find criminals, that is the true challenge. Vigilante crime fighters are as rare as female Navy Seals (there are no female Navy Seals currently, but the Pentagon recently changed their policies and are hoping to have the first female Navy Seals trained by 2016).

There have been people who wander around at night, in costume, masquerading as vigilantes. But they are the superhero equivalent of firefighters who rescue kittens trapped up trees and boy scouts helping elderly people to cross the street.

Yes, you could go out and spend lots of money on audiologists, visiting hearing clinics, buying the most high tech hearing aids that money can buy, but even if you did have superhuman hearing, what would you even do with it???



Dragon Queen

It is digital artwork, but it is still very impressive. "Dragon Queen". I am getting a Game of Thrones vibe.



Secrets of the Viking Sword

"Secrets of the Viking Sword" is a PBS Nova documentary on how Vikings made their swords and their metallurgy, and how it was far advanced compared to their other European contemporaries.

While the swords have rusted and eroded, the viking swords known as Ulfberht swords were made from far superior steel known as "crucible steel", which was heated and melted at 3000 degrees to remove impurities known as slag. Removing the impurities plus adding carbon made the swords significantly stronger, less brittle and more flexible.

According to historians the Vikings probably didn't have the knowledge of creating such pure steel themselves, but instead gained it by trading with the Persians (Damascus steel) via the Volga trade route, taking steel ingots back to Scandinavia and then crafting their Ulfberht steel blades there.

The vikings also tapered the tips of their blades to better pierce chain mail of the era and crafted their swords with special techniques.
Publishing a fantasy book? Make sure you get a professional fantasy book editor.

Study Archery in Toronto

So you want to study archery, but you are having difficulty finding an archery instructor who is local. However there is a solution. If you are willing to travel you can take a crash course in archery in Toronto, Canada. 10 lessons over a two week period will take you from archery novice to an experienced and capable archer.

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