Weakest to leave the world helpless?

[mailedbypostman1]

Who's the weakest character in fiction who could leave the world at a loss to stop them from doing whatever they want?
1) With prep and planning
2) Without prep or planning

[Aubergine~!]

The Skull from Earth X?

That's just physically weak, granted.

[Darth Joker]

The Vision comes to mind.

Intangibility translates more or less into invincibility in the real world.

[Surtur]

Originally Posted by Darth Joker

The Vision comes to mind.

Intangibility translates more or less into invincibility in the real world.

Even without the intangible power Vision is still quite powerful.

I'd say maybe someone like Matt Parkman assuming this is the real world with no other heroes to stop him, and assuming he has a bit of planning.

[Alexander the immortal]

One HIV virus.

[Deus]

Who's the weakest character that has mind control?

That's all that's needed for scenario one, really.

[yeoman]

Originally Posted by Deus

Who's the weakest character that has mind control?

That's all that's needed for scenario one, really.

That really depends on the quality of mind control. Because ya know, bullets are cheap and plentiful in many areas.

Being completely unstoppable in the real world largely means being impervious to a direct nuclar strike.

[Deus]

Originally Posted by yeoman

That really depends on the quality of mind control. Because ya know, bullets are cheap and plentiful in many areas.

Being completely unstoppable in the real world largely means being impervious to a direct nuclar strike.

No, all you need is moderate intelligence and event weak, single-person-at-a-time mind-control would leave you very, very powerful (as in, get to rule your city in a short amount of time powerful). A little bit more and you get to rule your state, your president, your generals. Then you go into regional blocks, demagogues, tell states to form alliances, sign treaties, work towards one-world government, with you behind it all...

Actively taunting a nuclear strike at yourself would be really, really stupid (and frankly, never happen). You won't fight. People will fight FOR you (and in the end, you won't even have to mind control them, only "significant people")

To put it simply: Mind control does not exist. But if it did, it would be the single most protected secret in all mankind.

[yeoman]

Originally Posted by Deus

No, all you need is moderate intelligence and event weak, single-person-at-a-time mind-control would leave you very, very powerful (as in, get to rule your city in a short amount of time powerful). A little bit more and you get to rule your state, your president, your generals. Then you go into regional blocks, demagogues, tell states to form alliances, sign treaties, work towards one-world government, with you behind it all...

Actively taunting a nuclear strike at yourself would be really, really stupid (and frankly, never happen). You won't fight wars. People will fight FOR you (and in the end, you won't even have to mind control them, only "significant people")

To put it simply: Mind control does not exist. But if it did, it would be the single most protected secret in all mankind.

OP states completely incapable of stopping them from doing whatever they want.

So, I'm assuming this is someone that is just going to do whatever they feel like at any given moment, regardless of societal nicities like "Having money" and "Not killing people that don't do what you want."

[Deus]

Originally Posted by yeoman

OP states completely incapable of stopping them from doing whatever they want.

So, I'm assuming this is someone that is just going to do whatever they feel like at any given moment, regardless of societal nicities like "Having money" and "Not killing people that don't do what you want."

Scenario one says "with prep and planning", prep and planning, being the operative terms, doing the necessary groundwork beforehand.

So yes, our single-person-at-a-time mind-controller (now de-facto God-King of Mankind) can certainly do whatever he wants, when he's accomplished his prep.

[yeoman]

Originally Posted by Deus

Scenario one says "with prep and planning", prep and planning, being the operative terms, doing the necessary groundwork beforehand.

So yes, our single-person-at-a-time mind-controller (now de-facto God-King of Mankind) can certainly do whatever he wants, when he's accomplished his prep.

Which, again, comes down to quality of mind control. It better damn well be permanent or extremely long lasting if he isn't expecting to get one in the back of the head once he declares himself god-king.

[Deus]

Originally Posted by yeoman

Which, again, comes down to quality of mind control. It better damn well be permanent or extremely long lasting if he isn't expecting to get one in the back of the head once he declares himself god-king.

"De-facto" god-king.

And really, fading mind control isn't even particularly problematic, if you have a little imagination (mind control them to think the decisions were their own, then set up self-perpetuating systems, for example. After which, ruin their careers and/or kill them). And that's just one simple thing to do off the top of my head.

Essentially, if you raise yourself to the level of say, Chairman Mao, you're now basically unstoppable. The system itself would be your ally. You can pillage and kill as you please. People won't even have to "believe" in you to follow you, nor mind control really be necessary (but useful nonetheless), for self-perpetuating systems to work. History is full of instances like this, and the simple addition of mind-control means any schmuck of average intelligence can do so, much easier and on a larger scale than any historical example.

And for a character, here's one: Lelouch Lamperouge

[yeoman]

Originally Posted by Deus

"De-facto" god-king.

And really, fading mind control isn't even particularly problematic, if you have a little imagination (mind control them to think the decisions were their own, then set up self-perpetuating systems, for example. After which, ruin their careers and/or kill them). And that's just one simple thing to do off the top of my head.

Essentially, if you raise yourself to the level of say, Chairman Mao, you're now basically unstoppable. The system itself would be your ally. You can pillage and kill as you please. People won't even have to "believe" in you to follow you, for self-perpetuating systems to work.

And for a character, here's one: Lelouch Lamperouge

Lelouch has permanent, or near enough to it, mind control. And a skull that cannot stop a bullet.

Yes, under your scenario you would have tons of power. But there are still plenty of ways to stop such a person. Groups of people that deny them being a god-king for one.

[Deus]

Originally Posted by yeoman

Lelouch has permanent, or near enough to it, mind control. And a skull that cannot stop a bullet.

Yes, under your scenario you would have tons of power. But there are still plenty of ways to stop such a person. Groups of people that deny them being a god-king for one.

The same way people tried to stop Chairman Mao, which, given your considerable resources, you crush like an ant.

[Darth Joker]

Originally Posted by yeoman

Being completely unstoppable in the real world largely means being impervious to a direct nuclar strike.

This is my thinking too, yeah.

Which is why I went with the Vision. I'm assuming his intangibility means that if he's intangible when a nuke hits him, he's fine. If that's not the case, though, I stand to be corrected.

My first choice was Shadowcat (since she's weaker than the Vision but also has an intangibility-like power), but if there's no actual shadows around, she might very well be screwed, IIRC.