Super Powers That Doesn't Help Damsels Escape Too Easily?

[Daikinbakuju]

What kind of super powers can you give to female superheroes which doesn't make it too easy to escape their bonds?

Like if you gave something basic, like super strength, they could break free just like that when they're bound with ropes.
If it was something like ability to control fire, then they could just burn ropes.

I just don't like the idea of depending on "power-canceling" bindings or heavy-duty cuffs all the time.

For now, the only kind of superhero I can think of is the no-superpowers kind, where they rely on some gadgets or gimmicks.

[Chris]

Well the invisbale woman had the treament ages agao

[Suicide]

Voice activated powers is a way to go with that. Magic word or spells that must be spoken. Or if you give the power some kind of stipulation like a hand movement or something. Like in Avatar waterbenders could easily escape bonds but bending requires fluent motions like a martial art. So you can restrain them. Or in Esper Mami she has the teleporting and psychokinesis but when she was bound she couldn't direct them properly.

[cresent34]

There's a book called Samantha Stone & the Mermaid's Quest, where the titular heroine learns a teleportation spell, and accidentally teleports in front of a guard who captures her and ties her up, but she uses the spell to escape easily.

It happens again later in the story though, and this time they don't make the same mistake twice.

The book's availible on Amazon, last time I checked if anyone's interested. One caveat, though; the girl in question is ten years old...

[Suicide]

It happens again later in the story though, and this time they don't make the same mistake twice.

What is done to prevent her from teleporting the second time?

[cresent34]

They KO her, then tie her up and gag her, so that when she wakes up, she can't use the spell.

[Suicide]

Sweet! It's probably my favorite reason for a gag scene. Prevents the use of the heroines powers.

[Suichiro]

As I have a magic fire-spewing OC, there are plenty of ways to cancel abilities out with clever use of bonds. You just have to think more carefully.

If they can't speak or use hand movements, that will nullify most vancian magic, as stated previously. But you could also deny the flame the oxygen reaction it needs to spark in the first place. A muzzle type of gag over the mouth would allow for the initial spark of firebreath, but it would quickly eat all the air in the oral cavity and snuff itself out before it could burn the covering. Breathing through the nose wouldn't provide the constant air needed to maintain a jet of flame. Mitts over the hands would do the same for denying the hands the air they'd need to maintain a flame.

If it's pyrokinesis, then there are likely ranges to the power and just anchoring the damsel beyond the range of anything flammable would work. Using metal chain or wire instead of ropes is an option, as well as blindfolding the victim to deny them targeting for their powers. Failing that, just drop the temperature of the room enough to stop a fire from happening, or cold enough that they'll need to use their heat to keep themselves warm instead. Or set up a situation where their use of fire would harm a friend who's tied directly to them, or in a perilous situation.

Fire needs time to burn, so a system of cameras and robotic fire extinguishers would work quite well. Or simply keep them submerged underwater with appropriate breathing tubes. If they breath fire through the tube, they'll risk cutting off their own supply of air.

If you think hard enough about a problem, there's a lot of ways to handle them. This used to come up a lot with the City of Heroes MMO, where the non-metahuman peacekeeping corps had to deal with superhuman threats. They had lots of various ways to overcome the threat of powers. You just have to put your mind to it.

[erikson]

Sweet! It's probably my favorite reason for a gag scene. Prevents the use of the heroines powers.

Mine to! Maybe Marlene should be a Victorian detective Sorceress!

[Hypercat-Z]

Change the shape of objects through hands. So you have to pack them up very well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9LWYZ3CLcA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Daikinbakuju]

Sorry for not specifying but my personal criteria would be superpowers that wouldn't help a girl escape from wrists tied behind with a rope (since I'm a fan of minimal bindings).

I guess I'll have to stick with a Catwoman-style idea where she's a normal human but relies on gadgets.