5

Power scaling is the practice of comparing and ranking the physical strength, speed, durability, and abilities of fictional characters. The goal is to figure out their maximum speed, strength, and other abilities, usually by using science and math.

For example, in The Boys TV show, we know MM said Homelander can lift a dozen Mack trucks, which means, using math, we know he can lift at least 552 tons. He also moved faster than a C4 explosion in Season 1, so he can move at Mach 24.

In Season 5, A-Train's top speed was Mach 195 when he was running away from Homelander, and Homelander was catching up with him. So, we know Homelander's top speed is at least Mach 195, too.

When it comes to durability, that can also be scaled because there are different levels of durability. For example, Luke Cage might be bulletproof, but he's not completely invincible, and his internal organs can still be damaged. Captain Man, on the other hand, can swallow the core of a nuclear missile and survive.

So, what's your opinion on power scaling?

Me personally, I like it, but I mainly like it because you can take a character with multiple powers and, depending on how you scale them, they can still be street-level if you want.

However, if you're going to use power scaling, you need to be consistent with it. If someone can only lift 500 tons, then they shouldn't suddenly be lifting a massive iceberg. If they can only run at Mach 100, then they shouldn't suddenly be running at the speed of light.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] Archelon@lemmy.world 3 points 18 hours ago

I think power-scaling can be fun, but I also think it’s like trying to divine oracular messages from an absent-minded fool.

Using your example: when the characters in the show say Big Dick One can lift five trucks, are they exact? Is it hyperbole? Is it even a useful example? Do the showrunners even bother keeping track of that sort of thing?

Now for that last one, that’s a pain point for a lot of power scaling. After all, if you go through all the trouble to mathematically determine that Rex Sciencefist can hold his breath for at least three minutes, but the next episode has a plot point where he can only hold his breath for two? Is there a flaw? Is there some explanation? No, it’s just that you’re looking for consistency in a place that the people making the media just do not give a shit about.

You can be angry with the showrunners for their inconsistency, or you can accept that the people making the show just don’t care as much about the power scaling and are fine with making the characters as powerful as they need to be for the plot to happen.

Because at the end of the day, power scaling is all about trying to determine the limits of a bunch of make-believe characters whose limits exist solely at the whims of the author trying to make neat stories out of them.

[-] spankysalmon@fedinsfw.app -1 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

I'd say it's still very important for internal consistency reasons. On top of it being a very good idea to have a story that is internally congruent, if the showrunners themselves don't care about the show, why should I?

While I personally don't mind much if they make a mistake here or there, or a few bits of dialog don't line up, it still makes for a better story and overall show if they do. If they're not even trying because, "lol it's fantasy anything can happen", then fuck 'em. Trash people that shouldn't be involved in creative works.

[-] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 hours ago

I agree with you, but we have to accept that we're a sad minority. Way too many scriptwriters think 'internal consistency' is something you get from eating fibre.

[-] spankysalmon@fedinsfw.app 0 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Nope. Most people with more than one braincell rattling around in their head understand how shit most modern productions are, especially if they're not so stupid as to fail to realize the insane glut of "safe" remakes and similar bets out of Hollywood.

The writers know what they're doing. That's why the WGA went on strike in 2023 (and subsequently 2024/25 were pretty dry for smart Hollywood productions). They know even a quick review and edit vastly improves Hollywood drivel, so they ask for a pittance of what their efforts add to a production value.

You seem to not understand who is fucking over creativity in modern times. It is distinctly NOT the fucking creatives themselves.

Blame the people who decide who is hired and at what rate. Not the people who can actually fix this shitshow...

[-] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

That's why the WGA went on strike in 2023.

Internal consistency has been a problem in TV / movies since fucking forever. If your argument is that the show runners are not the writers, far as I'm concerned it's semantics and I don't really care.

You seem to not understand who is fucking over creativity in modern times.

I made no claim of creativity being fucked over. My observation is that too many creatives (producers, directors, writers, whatever) think the Role of Cool trumps everything else, including that unnecessary burden we know as internal consistency.

this post was submitted on 16 Oct 2026
5 points (63.2% liked)

No Stupid Questions

50195 readers
1821 users here now

No such thing. Ask away!

!nostupidquestions is a community dedicated to being helpful and answering each others' questions on various topics.

The rules for posting and commenting, besides the rules defined here for lemmy.world, are as follows:

Rules (interactive)


Rule 1- All posts must be legitimate questions. All post titles must include a question.

All posts must be legitimate questions, and all post titles must include a question. Questions that are joke or trolling questions, memes, song lyrics as title, etc. are not allowed here. See Rule 6 for all exceptions.



Rule 2- Your question subject cannot be illegal or NSFW material.

Your question subject cannot be illegal or NSFW material. You will be warned first, banned second.



Rule 3- Do not seek mental, medical and professional help here.

Do not seek mental, medical and professional help here. Breaking this rule will not get you or your post removed, but it will put you at risk, and possibly in danger.



Rule 4- No self promotion or upvote-farming of any kind.

That's it.



Rule 5- No baiting or sealioning or promoting an agenda.

Questions which, instead of being of an innocuous nature, are specifically intended (based on reports and in the opinion of our crack moderation team) to bait users into ideological wars on charged political topics will be removed and the authors warned - or banned - depending on severity.



Rule 6- Regarding META posts and joke questions.

Provided it is about the community itself, you may post non-question posts using the [META] tag on your post title.

On fridays, you are allowed to post meme and troll questions, on the condition that it's in text format only, and conforms with our other rules. These posts MUST include the [NSQ Friday] tag in their title.

If you post a serious question on friday and are looking only for legitimate answers, then please include the [Serious] tag on your post. Irrelevant replies will then be removed by moderators.



Rule 7- You can't intentionally annoy, mock, or harass other members.

If you intentionally annoy, mock, harass, or discriminate against any individual member, you will be removed.

Likewise, if you are a member, sympathiser or a resemblant of a movement that is known to largely hate, mock, discriminate against, and/or want to take lives of a group of people, and you were provably vocal about your hate, then you will be banned on sight.



Rule 8- All comments should try to stay relevant to their parent content.



Rule 9- Reposts from other platforms are not allowed.

Let everyone have their own content.



Rule 10- Majority of bots aren't allowed to participate here. This includes using AI responses and summaries.



Credits

Our breathtaking icon was bestowed upon us by @Cevilia!

The greatest banner of all time: by @TheOneWithTheHair!

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS