History Main / RequiredSecondaryPowers

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'''Warning: Exploration of this Trope may result in brain breakage.''' But you [[MyBrainIsBig probably have]] [[SuperIntelligence something to]] [[OmnidisciplinaryScientist counter that]], right?

Okay, so you've got [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividual one of those people]] who's got a "[[StockSuperpowers Special Power]]". But even if you supposedly only have the one ability, if you're going to actually ''use'' it for anything, FridgeLogic demands that you have myriad other passive powers in order to make it work the way it usually does. This is sometimes directly referred to and explained, and sometimes not.

** It's explained that the Freelancers' AI granted them the RequiredSecondaryPowers needed for individual armor abilities. When Griff tried out the SuperSpeed armor ability without an AI, everything, including his mental processes and metabolism, was sped up, and he ran straight into a wall because he had no way of knowing when to slow down.

** [[spoiler: Upon using the Relic of Knowledge to summon Jinn, who can answer any three questions every hundred years, time is stopped to give the summoner time to decide their question and give Jinn the ability to deliver the knowledge they seek uninterrupted. Ruby exploits this in the Volume 6 finale, summoning Jinn without asking a question to give her enough time to psyche herself up to use her [[DeadlyGaze Silver-Eye Powers]]. Jinn tells her that she won't allow this kind of LoopholeAbuse again, but does admit it was clever.]]

** OlderThanFeudalism: This trope shows up in with Midas. Wishing that what one touches turns to gold certainly can have some [[PowerIncontinence horrible downsides]] (and [[FridgeLogic economic consequences]]). The man lacked such necessary powers as "not turning food and water and people into gold." He didn't turn air into gold, though, nor the contents already in his digestive tract, so he survived just long enough to learn his lesson and beg for a wish reversal.

* A commercial for ''VideoGame/WorldOfTanks'' shows why a SpaceOpera needs FasterThanLightTravel, DeflectorShields, etc. The player of a science fiction game flies his ship for a good portion of forever to get to a battle ([[TimePassageBeard growing a beard that would make Santa Claus jealous]]), only to be killed in one shot from a Dreadnought he couldn't even see.

* A commercial for ''VideoGame/WorldOfTanks'' shows why a SpaceOpera needs FasterThanLightTravel, DeflectorShields, etc. The player of a science fiction game flies his ship for a good portion of forever to get to a battle (growing a beard that would make Santa Claus jealous as part of a TimePassesMontage), only to be killed in one shot from a Dreadnought he couldn't even see.

[[folder:Advertisements]]

* A commercial for ''VideoGame/WorldOfTanks'' shows why a SpaceOpera needs FasterThanLightTravel, DeflectorShields, etc. The player of a science fiction game flies his ship for a good portion of forever to get to a battle (growing a beard that would make Santa Claus jealous as part of a TimePassingMontage), only to be killed in one shot from a Dreadnought he couldn't even see.

* RequiredSecondaryPowers/WebComics

Savvy use of explicitly stated required secondary powers may result in ExploitedImmunity.

* In the ''Roleplay/GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'', it was generally assumed that all characters had these as a matter of course. Exceptions tended to make for interesting side-stories. For example, Silly Putty was a RubberMan, but he lacked the power to actually control his extended body when stretched; as a result, he had to be manually shaped by other people. The Shield was NighInvulnerable, but wasn't anchored (or superhumanly strong), and as a result, was regularly knocked ass-over-teakettle when he was hit with any significant force.

** It's mentioned several times that Jaune has surprisingly large Aura reserves for someone with no training whatsoever. Eventually, he discovers [[spoiler:his Semblance allows him to transfer his Aura to others in order to restore their own Aura reserves and boost the power of their Semblances. He wonders if the reason he has so much Aura was simply that he ''needed'' a lot of Aurae to spare in order for his Semblance to be at all useful]].

* Myth/RussianMythologyAndTales : A similar tale is told about Svyatogor. He boasted that he could turn the entire earth, so he was challenged to lift a bag which later turned out to contain all of its weight. He ended up knee deep in the ground, and (according to some variants) died there. He's also usually portrayed as too heavy for Earth to carry him due to his strength, which is why he usually stays in his mountains and cannot go anywhere else.

* In the ''Roleplay/GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'', it was generally assumed that all characters had these as a matter of course. Exceptions tended to make for interesting side-stories. For example, Silly Putty was a RubberMan, but he lacked the power to actually control his extended body when stretched; as a result, he had to be manually shaped by other people. The Shield was NighInvulnerable, but wasn't anchored (or superhumanly strong), and as a result was regularly knocked ass-over-teakettle when he was hit with any significant force.

** The [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshifting]] Krakha has PowerCopying on top of it, but averts HowDoIShootWeb by also gaining some of the memories of those she copies so she can get a grasp on how their powers work.

** It's mentioned several times that Jaune has surprisingly large Aura reserves for someone with no training whatsoever. Eventually, he discovers [[spoiler:his Semblance allows him to transfer his Aura to others in order to restore their own Aura reserves and boost the power of their Semblances. He wonders if the reason he has so much Aura was simply because he ''needed'' a lot of Aura to spare in order for his Semblance to be at all useful]].

* Deconstructed [[BodyHorror horrifically]] in the ''WebAnimation/SocietyOfVirtue'' episode "Blood Rain", the [[ComicBook/WonderTwins Zan expy]] turns back to normal after part of him evaporates leading to him missing a chunk of torso and the rest falling down as, well... you read the title.

* [[RequiredSecondaryPowers/AnimatedFilms Films – Animation]]
* [[RequiredSecondaryPowers/LiveActionFilms Films – Live-Action]]

* Myth/ClassicalMythology :

** It shows up also with the Cumaean Sibyl and Tithonus who both asked for [[{{Immortality}} immortality]] but both forgot to ask for [[TheAgeless eternal youth]]...well, it was Tithonus' lover who asked in his stead but the result was the same: they [[AgeWithoutYouth withered away]] and in the end only awaited a death which would not come. In a ShoutOut, "Tithonus" is the title of an [[Series/TheXFiles X-Files]] episode about a man with immortality, but who's also stuck in middle age forever. He's started [[TheFogOfAges to forget parts of his past]], like his dead wife's name, and wants only to die. [[spoiler:Unlike in the myth, his wish is finally granted.]]

* The hero Ural in Bashkir legend definitely has both SuperStrength and the requisite anchoring power. He managed to lift a great big stone (in the challenge to win a {{princess}} and a [[HellishHorse demon-blooded winged steed]]... devised by said stallion himself), but his brother who tried before him didn't have these secondary powers and ended up buried waist-deep. Before this, a great bull buried himself knee-deep in a futile attempt to lift Ural while he was holding the bull's horns.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': As revealed in "Downfall," Nora may be able to [[ElementalAbsorption absorb]] [[ShockAndAwe electricity]] to boost her physical strength, but that doesn't mean being electrocuted doesn't hurt; when Hazel grabs her and tries to fry her brains out with lightning Dust, she screams in pain before getting enough power to toss him off.

** [[spoiler: Upon using the Relic of Knowledge to summon Jinn, who can answer any three questions every hundred years, time is stopped to give the summoner time to decide their question and give Jinn the ability to deliver the knowledge they seek uninterrupted. Ruby exploits this in the Volume 6 finale, summoning Jinn without asking a question to give her enough time to psyche herself up to use her [[DeadlyGaze Silver-Eye Powers]]. Jinn tells her that she won't allow this kind of LoopholeAbuse again, but does admit it was clever.]]

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%%[[caption-width-right:217:[[http://superredundant.com/?p=539 Even if you have them, make sure your leverage point does too.]]]]

[[quoteright:217:[[Webcomic/LeagueOfSuperRedundantHeroes https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bulk_powers.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:217:[[http://superredundant.com/?p=539 Even if you have them, make sure your leverage point does too.]]]]

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-> ''"That's the problem with any individual superpower: without the whole suite it just sucks. The Flash would liquefy from sheer Gs, and without super agility and strength, Spider-Man's just a guy with sticky ropes."''

-> ''"That's the problem with any individual superpower: without the whole suite it just sucks. The Flash would liquefy from sheer Gs, and without super agility and strength Spider-Man's just a guy with sticky ropes."''

** Matoran actually have Required Secondary Powers, but have a minuscule amount of ElementalPowers. Of course, when they do become Toa, they will have the necessary secondary power for their element.
** The Rahi-Nui was defeated because the Toa Metru figured out that it lacked a certain required power. It had the ability to change its size but not its mass. By making it lose control of its size it grew so large that it evaporated from the loss of density.
** The shapeshifting Krakha has PowerCopying ability on top of it, but {{averts}} HowDoIShootWeb by also gaining some of the ''memories'' of those she copies so she can get a grasp on how their powers work.

[[folder:Web Video]]
* ''WebVideo/{{Drawfee}}'': Poked fun of this in one of their "super power roulette" and point out that without healing factor, some degrees of body manipulation or means to grow more bones, the ability of "Projecting bone bullet" will be extremely painful, impossibly visceral, and leave the user in the state of a useless sack of meat after excessive use.
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** The Rahi-Nui was defeated because the toa metru figured out that it lacked a certain required power. It had the ability to change its size but not its mass. By making it lose control of its size it grew so large that it evaporated from the loss of density.