Seemingly useless power to deliver a twist ending

[Devor]

Kind of like that?

What I mean is, readers will not forget that your character can make things room temperature. The moment you begin to set up the use by mentioning the hot core of the machine, they'll know what you're doing. You have to use the triggers to set one thing up, and then do something else. For instance, you mention the hot core of the machine. But instead he decides to make the guy's brain room temperature, killing him.

 

[Trick]

What I mean is, readers will not forget that your character can make things room temperature. The moment you begin to set up the use by mentioning the hot core of the machine, they'll know what you're doing. You have to use the triggers to set one thing up, and then do something else. For instance, you mention the hot core of the machine. But instead he decides to make the guy's brain room temperature, killing him.

I thought that was the point you were making. After I had reread. I see what you mean and I agree with you. Hopefully whether I use the idea I'm currently looking at or another idea I can utilize this advice. I do agree that it makes sense to almost double misdirect the reader so that it's actually accurately fooling them without necessarily making them feel like they were fooled.

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[psychotick]

Hi,

His major power is illusion (presumably optical as in light bending?) If so maybe his minor power is to drain colour completely from an area leaving a black and white scene. A completely useless power in most respexts, and undesirable. But now what say the heroes in their bright red spandex are suddenly grey against a stone grey wall etc. They've just become effectively invisible!

Cheers, Greg.

 

[Penpilot]

How about the power to make Justin Bieber and Donald Trump disappear. That would save the world, no?

But seriously, my approach to this would be to hide it in plain sight, a power that he uses frequently, but in a specific way. Have the character believe it's only useful in that limited circumstance, and hopefully you'll lock the reader into the same line of thinking.

Then think up five different ways one could make that power useful, then throw those out because the reader will probably think of those too. Come up with five more and pick from them.

As for specific powers, this kind of reminds me of Mysterymen the movie, and a little of Mur Lafferty's book Playing for Keeps, both about superheroes with crappy powers.

The ability to hold their breath one second longer than another person.
The ability to detach a thumb and throw it, with the thumb regrowing.
Can spit into a spittoon at a distance of over 50 feet.
Invulnerable big toe.

 

[Saigonnus]

I had the thought of him having the ability to temporarily hypnotize a single animal at will. The creature will perform a single action for him before it becomes immune to his ability. Perhaps the villain has a crow or ferret at the final confrontation, causing the single, much needed distraction that the hero exploits.


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[Ben]

The power to make things rust - a big piece of metal machinery falls on the villain

Power to short circuit small machinery - cuts out the timer on the bomb

Power to make rope fray - helps him get his bound hands free

Power to pop car trunks - gets him out before the villain can get him to the swamp

 

[Miskatonic]

They could sneeze and turn into a dragon.