Monday, October 23, 2006

Comic Science - You Gotta Love It

How does Shadowcat see?

If she's "phased" so that matter and energy pass through her, then the light that would normally land on the rods and cones in her retinas would simply pass through, leaving her in a world of darkness. Likewise, sound waves should simply pass through her without triggering the mechanisms of her ear.

I suppose she could concentrate and make those parts not pahse, but that seems very risky, since she might have to leave the appropriate sectors of her brain solid to interpret the information, and then you've got a brain that can be damaged, and a skull that will let stuff pass through it, and well, that's just not a good thing.

Furthermore, should other people be able to hear her when she's phased? I suppose if everything is phased then she can still speak, but wouldn't the sound waves she produced be on that "phased" frequency her whole body is? Wouldn't that make it somewhat unhearable?

8 comments:

SallyP said...

I think this falls under suspension of disbelief. You make some very valid points of course, it is impossible for ANY of comic book heroes to actually do the things that they do, but the heck with it...I'll just keep pretending that people can fly, burst into flame and regenerate.

Seth T. Hahne said...

Yeah, definitely suspension of disbelief. She wouldn't be able to breathe either. And would she be able to complete thoughts - what with her having to send charges hither and yon? Wouldn't those charges just shoot off into the air. Oh wow. What if Shadowcat phased the first time and couldn't unphase because she couldn't complete the thought required to unphase her.

Hmm, do we actually know what's happening when she phases?

Anonymous said...

She is 'phased'. This is, still at least partially present in one or more universes. Perhaps only this partial existence is required to absorb light, because, if I remember correctly, isn't she supposed to be some sort of mutant otherwise different indiviual? The cones and rods of her eyes might be uniquely adapted.

Sound is trickier, but its not unreasonable to assume that the phased individual interacts with it in some limited way, again due to be at least marginally present in the Legion-verse. Perhaps her hearing is less acute, or covers fewer frequencies.

Word Verification: tllppt

The sound I make with my tounge when someone asks too many questions.

Doctor Polaris said...

Perhaps it *is* impossible for the heroes. But then, they are not Doctor Polaris, are they?

CalvinPitt said...

sallyp: Yeah, suspension of disbelief is probably the best option.

dane: I always thought that when she phases it was like her molecules shifted, so they could slide through gaps in the molecules of whatever she wants to pass through.

mithel: Yeah, I could see that.

Dr. Polaris: You can phase? Cool.

Fitz said...

I haven't read comics with any regularity in years, but does she really have to be able to see?

I mean, she's basically invincible when phased, and she can essentially float if there's a big chasm on the other side, so is really a problem?

CalvinPitt said...

fitz: You're right in that she wouldn't need to see to be safe from attack. But it would probably be useful if she needed to help out her teammates.

plok: Yeah, "phasing" does sound pretty cool.

Seth T. Hahne said...

Phaser!
Phase-Girl!
The Phasolator!
The Phase!

At least Shadowcat's better than Sprite.

Have you ever noticed the irony? Most girls go through phases, but Kitty phases to go through stuff.