History Main / OneSuperOnePowerset

** Possibly justified, since most warriors with signature techniques are powerful enough to not encounter opponents that would necessitate improvement. In general, the trope is averted by [[spoiler:the Seven Ghosts, due to their 7 years' time hiding and training: Miria develops a less youki-based phantom technique, ridding herself of the number-of-uses restriction she had before; Helen learns Jean's drill sword technique, building off of her own extendible arm technique; Deneve adopts Undine's dual-wielding combat style, supplementing her amazing recovery powers; Tabitha gains youki-sensing abilities akin to "God-Eye" Galatea; Cynthia learns the youki-synchronizing technique and develops a healing technique; Yuma gets good at throwing swords like javelins, and many chapters later is also able to learn Cynthia's healing technique; and Clare, as mentioned above, gains a variety of techniques throughout the series.]]

Part of the issue seems to be that western comics (DC, Marvel) in particular are especially beholden to StatusQuoIsGod: the company owns the characters, the characters are part of a larger shared setting, and as writers come and go, characterization can only change gradually. By contrast, in Manga and more independent works, there is typically an overall narrative that a single writer is trying to convey. That's why it's called NextTierPowerUp: it's not that SpiderMan never gets new powers, it's that he has to lose them within the year, or [[ContinuityLockOut new readers]] [[ViewersAreMorons might be confused]].

* Averted with ''VideoGame/{{Infamous}} 2''. While in the first game Cole is stuck with his lightning powers and nothing else, ''Infamous 2'' allows Cole as part of the storyline to use a machine to copy either fire or ice powers from two other superpowered people, depending on his alignment.

* Barbara Gordon becomes crippled by SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker in ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke'', and remains crippled from then on until the ''ComicBook/{{New 52}}'' reboot. This is despite the fact that people with superpowers that can heal any injury, PoweredArmor, Magic, and others exist all over the DC Universe that can fix or replace her legs with but a phone call. In fact, Batman himself had his spine broken in ''ComicBook/{{Knightfall}}'', but quickly recovered.

* Most times that a superhero or supervillain is held prisoner, there is a PowerNullifier in action. Most of the prisoners [[CardboardPrison find a way to get rid of them]], but they seem to work well in their original purpose. So, what about the heroes who [[IJustWantToBeNormal want to be normal]]? There is an easy way for Cyclops to get rid of the sunglasses, for the freaky-looking mutant to seem like a regular joe, or for Rogue to have a lot of sex: just try the new mutant trend, the power-nullifier collar, and do as you want! And if you need your powers for something, just take off the collar and that's it.
* Following ''The Other'' arc, SpiderMan acquired enhanced strength, the ability to communicate with spiders, organic webbing, and retractile stingers in his wrists, among other powers. Post-''ComicBook/BrandNewDay'' he's gone back to his original powers, and the augmented ones have gone to his clone Kaine.

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[[quoteright:300:[[Franchise/{{Batman}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Batman_Green_Lantern_001_7346.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Giving [[GreenLanternRing a willpower-fueled weapon]] to the planet's premier BadassNormal? That won't last long.]]

* One early episode of ''Series/{{Angel}}'' had the title character acquire a ring that grants vampires immunity to sunlight and makes them all but invulnerable. Wow, Angel, you'd be able to do a lot of good with that ring, wouldn't you? He destroys it by the end of the episode, [[StatusQuoIsGod deeming it "too powerful".]]
** Somewhat justified in that Angel had just experienced that: (a) he could have the ring forcibly taken from him by vampires who were perfectly happy to use it for evil, and (b) so long as the ring continued to exist, the bad guys would keep coming for it until one finally succeeded. There's also the threat of him losing his soul and becoming Angelus again, in which case the ring really would be too powerful.

[[caption-width-right:300:Giving [[GreenLanternRing a willpower-fueled weapon]] to the planet's premier BadassNormal? That won't last long.

[[caption-width-right:300:Giving [[GreenLanternRing a willpower-fueled weapon]] to the planet's premier BadassNormal? [[SarcasmMode Yeah, that's sure to stick.]]]]

* Following ''The Other'' arc, SpiderMan acquired enhanced strength, the ability to communicate with spiders, organic webbing, and retractile stingers in his wrists, among other powers. Post-''BrandNewDay'' he's gone back to his original powers, and the augmented ones have gone to his clone Kaine.

* Barbara Gordon becomes crippled by SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker in ''TheKillingJoke'', and remains crippled from then on until the ''{{New 52}}'' reboot. This is despite the fact that people with superpowers that can heal any injury, PoweredArmor, Magic, and others exist all over the DC Universe that can fix or replace her legs with but a phone call. In fact, Batman himself had his spine broken in ''{{Knightfall}}, but quickly recovered.

* Following ''The Other'' arc, SpiderMan acquired enhanced strength, the ability to communicate with spiders, organic webbing, and retractile stingers in his wrists. Post-''BrandNewDay'' he's gone back to his original powers, and the augmented ones have gone to his clone Kaine.

* One early episode of ''Series/{{Angel}}'' had the title character acquire a ring that grants vampires immunity to sunlight and makes them all but invulnerable. Wow, Angel, you'd be able to do a lot of good with that ring, wouldn't you? [[TooDumbToLive He destroys it by the end of the episode,]] [[StatusQuoIsGod deeming it "too powerful".]]
** Somewhat justified in that Angel had just experienced that: (a) he could have the ring forcibly taken from him by vampires who were perfectly happy to use it for evil, and (b) so long as the ring continued to exist, the bad guys would keep coming for it until one finally succeeded.

Part of the issue seems to be that western comics (DC, Marvel) in particular are especially beholden to StatusQuoIsGod: the company owns the characters, the characters are part of a larger shared setting, and as writers come and go, characterization can only change gradually. By contrast, in Manga and more independent works, there is typically an overall narrative that a single writer is trying to convey. That's why it's called ShonenUpgrade: it's not that SpiderMan never gets new powers, it's that he has to lose them within the year, or [[ContinuityLockOut new readers]] [[ViewersAreMorons might be confused]].

This trope deals with the FridgeLogic that inevitably arises as superpowered beings and thus the various means to create those beings become more and more commonplace in a particular fictional universe, it also means that ways to remove {{Kryptonite Factor}}s, turn {{Badass Normal}}s into {{Badass Abnormal}}s, or just ways to make a hero or villain more effective and unstoppable in general pile up, yet despite this those beings will stay with the same powers and abilities they've had pretty much since their creation.

* Similar to the above, [[Franchise/{{X-Men}} Professor Xavier]] is in much the same boat. However, unlike Barbara, he has tried many times to restore the use of his legs, but when he does succeed, [[StatusQuoIsGod he becomes crippled again before long]].

Compare HoldingBackThePhlebotinum, ThemeDeck, and NeverBeAHero,

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[[AC:ComicBooks]]

* Franchise/{{Superman}} has a weakness to [[KryptoniteFactor Kryptonite]]. He also has a KryptoniteProofSuit. You'd expect him to wear it pretty much all the time or at least line his costume with lead to reduce the effects. However, he brings it out only when he's fighting a villain that specifically uses Kryptonite as a weapon and expects it in advance.

[[AC:TabletopRPG]]
* At least two superhero games, ''TabletopGame/{{Champions}}'' and ''TabletopGame/VillainsAndVigilantes'', have specifically advised players not to significantly change their PC hero's powers. ''Champions'' has also advised players to not get rid of their {{PC}}'s weaknesses, because they help to define the character.

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

For instance, if a hero has water based powers and an weakness to electricity, expect them to rarely if ever wear rubber when fighting an opponent that uses it, or if the hero is a HandicappedBadass in a universe where plenty of examples of healing magic that can fix anything, has good or better than the original prosthetics, PoweredArmor, etc. that are common or even easily accessible, don't expect them to ever use them.

* Barbara Gordon becomes crippled by SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker in ''TheKillingJoke'', and remains crippled from then on until the ''{{New 52}}'' reboot. This is despite the fact that people with superpowers that can heal any injury, PoweredArmor, Magic, and others exist all over the DC Universe that can fix or replace her legs with but a phone call.

* ''OnePiece'' has a good example too: similar to the ''Busou Renkin'' example above, Devil's Fruit abilities are stated to never get stronger per se, but you can ''discover'' new and better ways to use them. It is also a rule that you can only use one, that you'll die if you try to gain a second, but Blackbeard seems to have found a way around that.
* * Played straight by most of the eponymous warriors in ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'', who develop their special yoki techniques early in their careers and rely mainly on them for the rest of their lives. Completely averted, however, by the main protagonist Clare, who keeps picking up various techniques as the story progresses and thus gets to play in the highest supernatural league despite having relatively weak yoki potential.

* Franchise/{{Batman}} is the head of Wayne Enterprises, has fought against and alongside many superpowered beings that possess advanced technology, use magic, and have reliable and effective mutagens. Despite this he has been and most likely always will be only a mere BadassNormal CrazyPrepared GeniusDetective.
* Franchise/{{Superman}} has a weakness to [[KryptoniteFactor Kryptonite,]] Superman also has a KryptoniteProofSuit. You'd expect him to wear it pretty much all the time or at least line his costume with lead to reduce the effects. However, he only brings it out when he's fighting a villain that specifically uses Kryptonite as a weapon and expects it in advance.
* Barbara Gordan becomes crippled by SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker in ''TheKillingJoke'', and remains crippled from then on until the ''{{New 52}}'' reboot. This is despite the fact that people with superpowers that can heal any injury, PoweredArmor, Magic, and others exist all over the DC Universe that can fix or replace her legs with but a phone call.
* Similar to the above, [[Franchise/{{X-Men}} Professor Xavier]] is in much the same boat. However, unlike Barbara he has tried to restore the use of his legs many times, but when he does succeed [[StatusQuoIsGod he becomes crippled again before long every time.]]

* At least two superhero games (''TabletopGame/{{Champions}}'' and ''TabletopGame/VillainsAndVigilantes'') have specifically advised players not to significantly change their PC hero's powers. ''TabletopGame/{{Champions}}'' has also advised players to not get rid of their {{PC}}'s weaknesses, because they help to define the character.

* One early episode of Angel had the title character acquire a ring that grants vampires immunity to sunlight and makes them all but invulnerable. Wow Angel, you'd be able to do a lot of good with that ring wouldn't you? [[TooDumbToLive He destroys it by the end of the episode,]] [[StatusQuoIsGod deeming it "too powerful.]]

* Averted with Infamous 2. While in the first game Cole is stuck with his lightning powers and nothing else, in Infamous 2 allows Cole as part of the storyline to use a machine to copy either fire or ice powers from 2 other superpowered people, depending on his alignment.