History Main / DefenceMechanismSuperpower

* Darwin of ''{{X-Men}}/Comicbook/{{X-Factor}}'' sounds like the most literal example. His superpower is nothing but defense mechanisms, of any imaginable variety, for any and all situations, cranked up to the point of invincibility. It's just too bad he doesn't really have anything for offense. One one notable occasion, his powers decided the best way for him to survive fighting the Hulk was to teleport him to the next state over.

* In ''GoldenSun'', [[PsychicPowers adepts]] have forms of [[ElementalPowers Psyenergy]] which unconsciously protect them when they need it. This is first demonstrated in a cutscene in the first game when [[spoiler: they first enter Kolima or Kolima forest. They discover that some crystals are raining from the sky and turned the villagers into [[AndIMustScream trees]]. They're knocked unconscious but are protected by a shield (which reappears in several other parts of the game to help avert ConvectionSchmonvection and the like)]].

* The title character in ''TheIronGiant'', when he had the dent in his head.

* [[PeripheryHatedom Minya]] from the ''{{Godzilla}}'' films can shoot a stream of thermonuclear breath, but only when his tail is stepped on.

* Bink, from the ''{{Xanth}}'' novels, had one of these; people incorrectly believed him to have no magical talent at all because no one had ever seen it activate. [[spoiler:Turns out he cannot be harmed by magic, making it one of the most powerful talents ever--to the point where the talent, itself, will literally enact {{Xanatos Roulette}}s in order to keep magic from harming him]].

* ''JoJosBizarreAdventure'' has a stand called "[[{{U2}} Achtung Baby]]" (yes, the entire series is [[ShoutOut music references]]). It activates its power of invisibility when scared. Of course, in this series Heart is anything and everything, this is incredibly useful.

** It should be noted that until they reach the level where they can control entering/exiting the Avatar State, the Avatar has very little direct control over their actions in the Avatar state at all. Aang unintentionally dished out some epic destruction on Earth Kingdom soldiers when a general provoked him into the transformation in an attempt to help/force him to master the state before he was ready.

-->'''Tenth Doctor''': They have survived this long because they have the most perfect defence system ever evolved.

* {{Empowered}}'s existing powers get much more effective when Ninjette is busy disproving the Law of ConservationOfNinjitsu, as well as in a couple of other situations of extreme danger.
* Maya on ''Series/{{Heroes}}'', who goes all EverybodysDeadDave when she gets scared, and can originally only counteract it [[WonderTwinPowers in the presence of her twin brother]].
** Also from ''Heroes'', Elle surges with thus-far-unseen levels of electricity as a response to Sylar trying to slice her head open.
* ''DarkCity'': Prior to getting an ExpositionBeam explaining his powers, John Murdoch could only use them when his survival instincts kicked in.
* In ''GoldenSun'', [[PsychicPowers adepts]] have forms of [[ElementalPowers Psyenergy]] which unconsciously protect them when they need it. This is first demonstrated in a cutscene in the first game when [[spoiler: they first enter Kolima or Kolima forest. They discover that some crystals are raining from the sky and turned the villagers into [[AndIMustScream trees]]. They're knocked unconscious but are protected by a shield (which reappears in several other parts of the game to help avert ConvectionSchmonvection and the like)]].
** [[spoiler: No, it doesn't. The power is literally never mentioned again. What you say is a reasonable HandWave, but no game data supports it.]]

* [[PeripheryHatedom Minya]] from the ''{{Godzilla}}'' films can shoot a stream of thermonuclear breath, but only when his tail is stepped on.
* In ''HarryPotter'', this is how young wizards first manifest their powers prior to learning to control them. In Harry's case for example, his first memory of using magic is [[{{Teleportation}} apparating]] away from some pursuing bullies.
* ''InuYasha''. When InuYasha feels death staring him in the face, his [[{{Youkai}} superhuman]] ancestry goes into a SuperPoweredEvilSide, which would eventually [[AxCrazy consume his soul]]. His sword has a [[RestrainingBolt binding spell on it to prevent this]].
** Happened to Kagome in the first episode, while [[{{Youkai}} Mistress Centipede]] is hauling her through the Bone Eater's Well.
* The Blowfish Avenger in ''TheTick''.
* The title character in ''TheIronGiant'', when he had the dent in his head.
* In the ''{{Mistborn}}'' trilogy, Vin decides that she has this. When losing a fight, she is saved by doing something with her existing magic that nobody knew was even theoretically possible - specifically, she [[spoiler: drew on the titular mists for a much-needed power boost]]. She later counts on this trope coming into play to save her. In the end, [[spoiler: that doesn't work, because the ability isn't actually an example of this trope like she thought it was. Rather, something else had been blocking her most of the time.]]
* Darwin of ''{{X-Men}}/Comicbook/{{X-Factor}}'' sounds like the most literal example. His superpower is nothing but defense mechanisms, of any imaginable variety, for any and all situations, cranked up to the point of invincibility. It's just too bad he doesn't really have anything for offense. One one notable occasion, his powers decided the best way for him to survive fighting the Hulk was to teleport him to the next state over.
** Before that there was Lifeguard, a short-term member of the team whose powers were "whatever's necessary to get people out of harm's way." Under fire? Armored skin. Someone's falling from a building? Sprout wings. And so on.

* Obligatory ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'' example: The Avatar State, starts out as this, presumably for every avatar. With effort and meditation, though, he or she can go in and out of it at will.
** It should be noted that until they reach the level where they can control entering/exiting the Avatar State, the Avatar has very little direct control over their actions in the Avatar state at all. Aang unintentionally dished out some epic destruction on Earth Kingdom soldiers when a general provoked him into the transformation in an attempt to help/force him to master the state before he was ready.
* [[IKnowKungFu "The Morgan"]], as demonstrated by {{Chuck}}, can cause heart attacks and slippage near very high and broken windows.
** Now we have Intersect 2, which is essentially a bucket full of one DefenceMechanismSuperpower after another.
** 2.0 actually both subverts it and plays it straight. Chuck can only use it when he's not overly emotional, which means he can use it when he's not in danger. The moment things get stressful he can't use it, until he really needs to, at which point he emotionally either enters the eye of the storm (if somebody else is in danger) or has to use a calming mantra (if he's in danger).
* ''{{GURPS}}'' has the limitation "Emergencies Only" to simulate this.

* ''[[RanmaOneHalf Ranma 1/2]]'', titular character has the Neko-Ken technique. His mind "learned" it as a way to briefly escape his crippling [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes ailurophobia]] when he's absolutely surrounded by cats and is unable to flee from them, turning ''him'' into a cat. It happens more often than you might think. While it makes him immensely powerful, lightning-fast, and savage, he still ''thinks like a cat'' while in that state, making it an UselessUsefulSpell that anyone with half a mind can thwart and defeat.

* ''AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers''. SuperSoldier Shane Gooseman of the Galaxy Rangers has the reflexive ability to [[ShapeShifting adapt]] into a form that can withstand whatever hazardous environment or assault he's being exposed to.
* Emergy Maxfell of ''SCryEd'' can only conjure his alter when he feels threatened, and it gets more powerful the more hopeless the situation gets.
* ''{{Naruto}}'''s [[AxCrazy Gaara]] qualifies as he is protected by the sand controlled by his [[SealedEvilInACan inner demon, Shukaku]].
* Son Gohan from ''DragonBall'' starts out as a pampered child who can only access his hidden powers when properly threatened or angered.

* In ''{{Damnatus}}'', Nira rarely uses her {{psychic powers}} unless she is physically under attack. She has a very good reason for this, however, as using them is a good way to get [[BodySnatcher body snatched]] by the [[EldritchAbomination daemon]] that is currently on the loose.
* Piper from ''{{Charmed}}'', who had the power to freeze time, activated by being startled or scared through most of the first season.
** Likewise for Phoebe's levitation, which activated during a fight with a demon, and Paige could only orb for a long time when startled or in immediate danger. Phoebe also mostly received premonitions to inform her that some innocent's life was in danger.
* The main character in Richard Sabia's short story ''I Was A Teen-Age Secret Weapon'' has a psychic power that causes anyone who displays hostility towards him to lose coordination and become accident-prone. He never really becomes aware that he has this power, and only the military scientists who have been studying him seem to know about it.
* In ''OnePiece'', [[HeavilyArmoredMook The Invincible Pearl]] could manifest flames when he felt threatened, i.e. whenever anyone managed to put a scratch on him through his supposedly invincible defense. While screaming "DANGER!! DANGER!!"

* [[SoulEater Death the Kid]] has this in the form of the Sanzu Lines. First kicks in when Mosquito tries to kill him, then later to allow him to kill Noah. Channelling his father's power at Shinigami's expense, the inevitable storyline of Kid learning to control the Super Mode at will should be...interesting.
* Possibly a bit different, but in ''Series/DoctorWho'', the Weeping Angels turn to stone when they are being looked at.
-->'''Tenth Doctor''': They have survived this long because they have the most perfect defence system ever evolved.
* In the ''OldWorldOfDarkness'', this was how a werewolf would first manifest his powers--shifting to Crinos form when threatened and leaving his would-be-tormentors as pink mist. At least one edition of the core book had a foreword that was written as an experienced werewolf talking down one who had changed for the first time, explaining to him that what just happened was okay and (relatively) normal.

* When InuYasha feels death staring him in the face, his [[{{Youkai}} superhuman]] ancestry goes into a SuperPoweredEvilSide, which would eventually [[AxCrazy consume his soul]]. His sword has a [[RestrainingBolt binding spell on it to prevent this]].

* [[TheTick The Blowfish Avenger]].
* TheIronGiant, when he had the dent in his head.

* Obligatory AvatarTheLastAirbender example: The Avatar State, starts out as this, presumably for every avatar. With effort and meditation, though, he or she can go in and out of it at will.

* {{GURPS}} has the limitation "Emergencies Only" to simulate this.

* The boy from the pilot episode of ''{{Sanctuary}}''

* This is a major schtick of white cards in [[MagicTheGathering Magic: The Gathering]]. In particular, [[http://www.wizards.com/magic/autocard.asp?name=Righteousness Righteousness]] and [[http://www.wizards.com/magic/autocard.asp?name=Smite Smite]] come to mind.
* SuperSoldier Shane Gooseman of [[AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers the Galaxy Rangers]] has the reflexive ability to [[ShapeShifting adapt]] into a form that can withstand whatever hazardous environment or assault he's being exposed to.

* Son Gohan from ''{{Dragon Ball}}'' starts out as a pampered child who can only access his hidden powers when properly threatened or angered.

* In OnePiece, [[HeavilyArmoredMook The Invincible Pearl]] could manifest flames when he felt threatened, i.e. whenever anyone managed to put a scratch on him through his supposedly invincible defense. While screaming "DANGER!! DANGER!!"

* In the OldWorldOfDarkness, this was how a werewolf would first manifest his powers--shifting to Crinos form when threatened and leaving his would-be-tormentors as pink mist. At least one edition of the core book had a foreword that was written as an experienced werewolf talking down one who had changed for the first time, explaining to him that what just happened was okay and (relatively) normal.

----
<<|MagicAndPowers|>>

* Possibly a bit different, but in ''DoctorWho'', the Weeping Angels turn to stone when they are being looked at.

-->'''Tenth Doctor''':They have survived this long because they have the most perfect defence system ever evolved.

* In ''HarryPotter'', this is how young wizards first manifest their powers prior to learning to control them. In Harry's case for example, his first memory of using magic is [[{{Teleport}} apparating]] away from some pursuing bullies.

* In ''HarryPotter'', this is how young wizards first manifest their powers prior to learning to control them.

* Darwin of {{X-Men}}/Comicbook/{{X-Factor}} sounds like the most literal example. His superpower is nothing but defense mechanisms, of any imaginable variety, for any and all situations, cranked up to the point of invincibility. It's just too bad he doesn't really have anything for offense. One one notable occasion, his powers decided the best way for him to survive fighting the Hulk was to teleport him to the next state over.

* Darwin of X-Men/X-Factor sounds like the most literal example. His superpower is nothing but defense mechanisms, of any imaginable variety, for any and all situations, cranked up to the point of invincibility. It's just too bad he doesn't really have anything for offense. One one notable occasion, his powers decided the best way for him to survive fighting the Hulk was to teleport him to the next state over.

* One of the KudzuPlot elements of ''[[DCComics Countdown]]'' was Jimmy Olsen suddenly getting all of his SilverAge powers at the same time thanks to getting the New Gods' souls jammed into him. One of them would activate when he was seriously threatened.

* In OnePiece, [[HeavilyArmoredMook The Invincible Pearl]] could manifest flames when he felt threatened, i.e. whenever anyone managed to put a scratch on him through his supposedly invincible defense.

* TheIncredibleHulk.

* ''[[RanmaOneHalf Ranma 1/2]]'', titular character has the Neko-Ken technique, but he has to be under attack from cats to use it. It happens more often than you might think. It's still a UselessUsefulSpell, though.

* [[TheBarney Minya]] from the ''{{Godzilla}}'' films can shoot a stream of thermonuclear breath, but only when his tail is stepped on.