History Main / PowerMisidentification

** For years, SupermanSubstitute the Plutonian has been assumed to be the ultimate FlyingBrick. [[spoiler:It turns out he's actually a minor RealityWarper, and that's the real reason he's always as [[StrongAsTheyNeedToBe Strong as He Needs to Be]], and can accomplish so much that simple strength alone shouldn't be capable of.]]
** Downplayed example with Kaidan: she can tell the stories of warriors this results in their spirits appearing and aiding her. She initially believes her powers are limited to the stories of traditional samurai and figures from Japanese myths and legends. It's later revealed it can apply to the story of ''anyone'' who has died, including, say, all the superheroes killed by the Plutonian, which is a major upgrade to the power.

* ''VideoGame/ScarletNexus'': One of the earlier plot twists is that [[spoiler:Yuito and Kasane's [[MindOverMatter Psychokinesis]] is actually [[GravityMaster Gravikinesis]]]]. Usually, the difference is pretty much academic, but under certain circumstances [[spoiler:it allows them to [[TimeTravel travel through time]], as space is intristically linked to time itself]]. For clarity's sake, this special application is usually referred to as "Red Strings".

* ''Animation/BoBoiBoy'': Ochobot, the Power Sphera of manipulation, granted the titular hero and his friends [[ClockOfPower watches that grant them superpowers]], but when Ejo Jo steals some of them, his computer's data (and then Ejo Jo himself when he uses them in battle) reveals their true potential and that some of the powers were misidentified. [[note]]Ochobot was kicked out of harm's way shortly before he granted their powers, which made him forgot what Gopal's power was even supposed to be until it emerged on its own, so this would explain how he mistook the others' powers too.[[/note]]

* ''Animation/BoBoiBoy'': Ochobot, the Power Sphera of manipulation, granted the titular hero and his friends [[ClockOfPower watches that grant them superpowers]], but when Ejo Jo steals some of them, he demonstrates their true potential and proves some of the powers were misidentified. [[note]]Ochobot was kicked out of harm's way shortly before he granted their powers, which made him forgot what Gopal's power was even supposed to be until it emerged on its own, so this would explain how he mistook the others' powers too.[[/note]]

* ''Animation/BoBoiBoy'': Ochobot, the Power Sphera of manipulation, granted the titular hero and his friends [[ClockOfPower watches that grant them superpowers]], but when Ejo Jo gets his hands on some of them, he demonstrates their true potential and proves some of the powers were misidentified.

** Downplayed in Gopal's case; his power watch of [[{{Transmutation}} Molecular Manipulation]] is capable of turning any object into another, but because he's a BigEater, he usually just turns things into food, so [[FoodBasedSuperpowers that was assumed to be his power]].

!!Examples:

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** As a way to "mimic" the strength of the Man of Steel, the clone known as [[ComicBook/Superboy1994 Superboy]] utilizes "tactile telekinesis" to lift stones, fly and enhance durability. Later Conner/Kon-El learns other uses for this superpower, like generating waves to nullify others' powers. (Something of a DownplayedTrope, since Creator/JohnByrne at least believed Superman's powers worked the same way, and the scientists who created Conner say they duplicated Superman's "Kryptonian aura" -- Conner just had conscious control over it.)

** As a way to "mimic" the strength of the Man of Steel, the clone known as [[ComicBook/Superboy1994 Superboy]] utilizes "tactile telekinesis" to lift stones, fly and enhance durability. Later Conner/Kon-El learns other uses for this superpower, like generating waves to nullify others' powers. (Something of a DownplayedTrope, since Creator/JohnByrne at least believed Superman's powers worked the same way, and the scientists who created Conner says they duplicated Superman's "Kryptonian aura" -- Conner just had conscious control over it.)

** As a way to "mimic" the strength of the Man of Steel, the clone known as [[ComicBook/Superboy1994 Superboy]] utilizes "tactile telekinesis" to lift stones, fly and enhance durability. Later Conner/Kon-El learns other uses for this superpower, like generating waves to nullify others' powers.

* ''Website/SCPFoundation'': The Foundation never investigated how the {{Invisibility}} of [[https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-4007 SCP-4007-4]] worked figuring it was by [[AWizardDidIt "anomalous mumbo-jumbo."]] [[spoiler:Their power was erasing themselves from perception and memory. The Foundation missed this because it was so subtle and precise, able to only remove select details at will while they still remembered SCP-4007-4 at all, compared to the dramatically mind-altering things they normally deal with. SCP-4007-4 is also implied to have the erased the memories of anyone who investigated it.]]