History Main / PowerLimiter

* In ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'' and the [[ComicBook/XMen original comics]] it was based on, we learn that Professor Xavier placed a mental block in Jean Grey's mind as a child to keep her more extreme powers from manifesting.
** Also, in the original Phoenix storyline in the comics, Jean unconsciously put blocks on her vast cosmic power to keep it at a level she could handle. Then, Mastermind started removing them. [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity BAD move]].

* Similar to Jean Grey, in the post-[[CosmicRetcon Zero Hour]] ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'', blocks were put on the higher levels of Saturn Girl's telepathy when she was a child. When the blocks came off years later, she started using her powers without realizing it.
* Albert Cranston in ''ComicBook/PS238'' is implied, early on, to have one of these around his head. Apparently, they limit his (apparent) telekinetic abilities to a level where he is barely able to press a keyboard button with his mind, and it seems that he is keeping the fact that he is even able to do this a secret from the remaining staff, implying it was meant to be a PowerNullifier.
** That's exactly what it's for. Governmentally-enforced, no less.
* During the Christopher Kent storyline in ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'', Superman had him wear a watch much of the time that emitted red sunlight to keep him normal as he hadn't learned to control his powers yet. He could take it off any time he wanted but kept it on most of the time out of respect for Superman.
** In ''ComicBook/SupermanAndBatmanGenerations'', Kara Kent wore a red sunlight pendant during early childhood when her powers started manifesting. Lois had previously worn the same pendant when she was pregnant with Kara to keep the Kryptonian infant from damaging her.

* The Runner from the fairy tale ''The Six Who Went Far in the World'' wore a single weighted boot, so he wasn't running around at full speed all the time.

** Also, in the original Phoenix storyline in the comics, Jean unconsciously put blocks on her vast cosmic power to keep it at a level she could handle. Then, Mastermind started removing them. [[AGodAmI BAD move]].

* The [[PsychicPowers Adepts]] of the Sumeragi Group in ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt'' are kept under control through the use of Glaives that contain their extracted septisome, the physical source of their powers. By merging with them in a process similar to the [[Manga/{{Bleach}} Arrancar with their zanpakuto]], they can regain access to their powers [[AmplifierArtifact and then some]] and they can summon them remotely from the Sumeragi Headquarters when needed for combat. [[BigBad Nova]] takes the cake, however, in that he's so strong that he needed ''three'' of these Glaives to restrict his power (most need only one)...and even then he's strong enough that he can rival the power of his strongest underlings when they've ''released'' their Glaive. [[OneWingedAngel His fully-released form]] is compared to [[AGodAmI a god more than a man by both himself and others]].

** The MSTN gene is responsible for the production of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myostatin myostatin]] in mammals, a protein that works to inhibit muscle growth in order to prevent cardiac issues and birthing difficulties. The British powerlifter Eddie Hall, TheRival to Creator/HafthorJuliusBjornsson, was born with a mutation causing myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy which allowed him to win multiple strongman competitions and achieve the world record for deadlifting 1,102 lb in 2016 (which Hafthor broke four years later, lifting 1,104).

* The good old human body. Although those stories about a mother lifting a car to save her child are mostly urban legend; scientists estimate that the amount you can lift consciously (say in the gym) is about 2/3 your absolute maximum (before things tear and break) because of built-in limitations. At a lower level things start to hurt, persuading you to stop if carrying on isn't important, a long time before any damage is done.

* The U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights acts as one for the American Government. Despite [[CommonKnowledge popular belief]], the Constitution does not "grant" people rights such as Freedom of Speech, but rather asserts the rights as naturally belonging to the people by virtue of their existence (i.e. "God-given"), and protects those rights by explicitly restricting the ability of lawmakers to interfere with them. The distinctive wording is a big part of why it takes such enormous, coordinated, overwhelming effort (2/3 of Congress and ''3/4'' of states) to add or repeal Constitutional Amendments (so that, unlike actual laws, they can't simply be arbitrated into or out of existence by whichever party happens to hold majority at the time).

* In ''Literature/RavenorVsEisenhorn'', the cuffs.

[[folder:Fan Works]]

*** Ork Weirdboyz carry copper rods that ground the Waaagh! energy that accumulates in them from the presence of other Orks. This serves to drastically reduce the odds of the Wierdboy accidentally exploding someone's head (possibly thier own). In battle their Minderz will take the rod away, point the Weirdboy int he generla direction of the enemy and hope for the best.

The reasons for this can be because their powers are [[AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength too dangerous]] or too [[PowerIncontinence uncontrollable]] to be let loose at their fullest all the time. A person may also willingly wear a Power Limiter as a form of training, as training with their power suppressed helps increase their power. Weighted clothing is often used in this fashion, in fiction and RealLife.

* ''Anime/DigimonXrosWarsTheYoungHuntersLeapingThroughTime'' has Gumdramon, who has a golden band on his tail. The band was put there to keep him from using his abilities selfishly and becomes an AmplifierArtifact when exposed to ThePowerOfFriendship.

* Harriett Potter, in ''Fanfic/TheRigelBlackChronicles'', is overwhelmed by the maturation of her magical core on her thirteenth birthday, bedridden and in pain from being overwhelmed with magic. She then learns that her mother had a similar control problem, and wears a power-suppressing bracelet all the time. Even once Harry recovers, her magic reserves are just too big for her to handle, so she commissions a power-suppressing ring. The results are mixed; she regains control, but it becomes much harder to use high-level magic, and she's advised by several experts that the underlying problem will only get worse the longer she tries to squash that part of herself.

* The admins in ''FanFic/TheInfiniteLoops'' originally designed subspace pockets to drain power away from Loopers in order to keep them from accidentally collapsing a universe. The fact that the pockets also serve as HammerSpace and carry things between loops is just an added bonus.

** [[spoiler:Rider's Self-Sealing Dark Temple]] functions similarly to Shiki's glasses in ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}''. In fact, [[LightNovel/KaraNoKyoukai Touko]] also creates a pair of glasses for [[spoiler:Rider]] for everyday purposes.

** The CGI movie ''Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation'' Shows this off nicely, without the graphical limitations, the coat doesn't look just like a snazzy trenchcoat, but has bolts, latches, and seems to be segmented at places, designed to fall apart when the limiter is broken, most of the design seems to indicate that the coat isn't ''just'' a power limiter, also a restraint to keep the Tyrants from breaking loose from their Containment Pods.

* Conflicts in the ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' games involve [[SuperpowerLottery incredibly powerful beings]] fighting using nonlethal [[BulletHell Spellcards]] instead of their true powers to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, [[TheProblemWithFightingDeath especially when beings vital to the existence of the world]] are involved. Thus, even weak {{youkai}} stand a chance when pitted against beings like [[PersonOfMassDestruction Flandre Scarlet]], who can destroy anything by clenching her fist, and nobody has to worry about accidentally killing [[{{Miko}} Reimu Hakurei]] and thus bringing about the end of the Barrier keeping the mundane world separate from [[FantasticNaturePreserve Gensokyo]].

* Power Limiters are essential in ''Anime/ZettaiKarenChildren'', as the girls' powers at their max can wreck an entire city block. At first, they were in the form of chokers, but Minamoto's persuasion changed them to a bracelet, earring and ring - much more stylish and less degrading. However, the limiter can only be deactivated when the emergency levels are at their highest.

* Evangeline of ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' is an enormously powerful vampire sorceress who's spread havoc and destruction on a colossal scale, ravaging Europe for many hundreds of years. In her heydays at least. After her defeat by Nagi Springfield [[WorldsStrongestMan the Thousand Master]], she's been constrained to remain as student in [[ElaborateUniversityHigh Mahora Academy]] for the last fifteen years. The curse he placed on her seals away most of her ability while the school's {{Magitek}} barrier weakens her significantly. Considering that the one time we see her without the power limiters, she takes out ''a demon god'' in [[OneHitKill one shot]] it's probably good that she isn't perpetually at full power. [[IAmNotLeftHanded That doesn't go to say]] she doesn't [[WaifFu have some tricks up her sleeve]]. [[OldMaster Hundreds of years of life will do that]]. In times of dire need, the headmaster is willing to release her curse temporarily for a good DeusExMachina.

* In ''Manga/AliceAcademy'', there are power-limiting masks and earrings.

* Aki Izayoi (Akiza Izinski)'s hairband in ''[[Anime/YuGiOh5Ds Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's]]'' supposedly holds back her psychic powers, although whether or not it's really a MagicFeather remains to be seen. When it falls out of her hair while fighting against Yusei, her psychic powers seem to really hit home, but that may be psychological.

* ''Manga/{{Totsugami}}'': Tasaku's glasses prevent him from seeing the monsters and yokai he would usually see without them.

** The CGI movie ''Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation'' Shows this off nicely, without the graphical limitations, the coat doesn't look just like a snazzy trenchcoat, but has bolts, latches, and seems to be segmented at places, designed to fall apart when the limiter is broken, most of the design seems to indicate that the coat isn't ''just'' a power limiter, also a restraint to keep the Tyrants from breaking loose in ther ContainmentPods.

* Several real life training methods involve limiting ones power. While most people will think of weighted clothes (vest, ankles, gloves), there is also running underwater, sled dragging, or even practicing certain things at night when your eyes are not as useful.

** ComicBook/MultipleMan's power of SelfDuplication is triggered by impact when he absorbs kinetic energy. When he was a boy, his father, Dr. Daniel Madrox, created a suit for him designed to absorb the kinetic energy and limit the number of clones created.

* In ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'', not to mention in the [[ComicBook/XMen original comics]] it was based on, we learn that Professor Xavier placed a mental block in Jean Grey as a child, to keep her more extreme powers from manifesting.

** It was stated in the lore once, but possibly retconned out later, that the Nexus and summoning spell that calls the Champions onto the Fields of Justice regulate power as well, to ensure an even playing field. This is more or less a necessity when the champions range from a anthropomorphic hamster with a blowgun to minor deities.
** There is also a lore-only example in Xerath, a mage who turned himself into what seems to be a being of pure magical energy, but was then sealed in a metal sarchophagus. An unspecified amount of centuries later, the sarchophagus is broken into pieces, allowing him to move about and cast some spells, but they're still attached to him and limiting his power, though he is trying to remedy the situation.

** And [[Videogame/BlazblueChronophantasma Chronophantasma]] gives us Azrael's Enchant Dragunov (indicated by the tatoos adorning his body) that he uses so he doesn't kill his opponent too soon. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqPXKxalTTI This is his power without said seal...]]

* It is revealed near the end of ''VideoGame/{{Bioshock Infinite}}'' that [[spoiler: the Siphon actually limits Elizabeth's powers at the request of Comstock to better manage and keep her under control. By destroying the Siphon Tower using Songbird, Elizabeth gains the full potential of her powers which allowed her to see through the multi universe of the world and its truth.]]
* Conflicts in the ''Videogame/{{Touhou}}'' games involve [[SuperpowerLottery incredibly powerful beings]] fighting using nonlethal [[BulletHell Spellcards]] instead of their true powers to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, [[TheProblemWithFightingDeath especially when beings vital to the existance of the world]] are involved. Thus, even weak {{youkai}} stand a chance when pitted against beings like [[PersonOfMassDestruction Flandre Scarlet]], who can destroy anything by clenching her fist, and nobody has to worry about accidentally killing [[{{Miko}} Reimu Hakurei]] and thus bringing about the end of the Barrier keeping the mundane world separate from [[FantasticNaturePreserve Gensokyo]].
** [[WarmUpBoss Stage 1 boss]] [[DarkIsEvil Rumia]] wears a ribbon-like amulet which she cannot take off or even touch. What exactly the amulet does has never been shown in canon, but a popular and likely theory goes that it's a power limiter. The fandom refers to the hypothetical unsealed entity as "[[BonusBoss EX]] Rumia", and she is usually portrayed as [[SuperpowerLottery excessively powerful]], [[PowerGivesYouWings winged]] and [[{{BFS}} wielding a giant sword.]]

* In the digital cardgame ''Videogame/HearthstoneHeroesOfWarcraft'' we have the card 2 mana cost card [[http://hearthstone.gamepedia.com/File:Ancient_Watcher(153).png Ancient Watcher]] which has a massive 4 attack and 5 health, but has a limiter which prevents it from attacking. Silencing the card will disable this limiter and makes it a potent threat.

* ''Manga/FushigiYuugiGenbuKaiden'' has Hikitsu put an eyepatch (or [[BandagedBabe bandages]]) over his right eye, where his symbol is located. If it isn't covered, he can easily see into another person's heart, make them relive horrible memories to make them remember details, [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands inexplicably view the memories held within an inanimate object]] and similar.