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In a book by Annie Dillard, For the Time Being, there was a passage on some odd electric effects:
Sandstorms nauseate by generating static electricity - eighty volts per square yard. A Dutch geographer discovered a cure. Walking through a sandstorm, he dragged a car jack behind him, the jack grounded the voltage.
This suggests some expanded powers for a character like Lightning Lad. Has he ever been shown to manipulate the range of electrical power effects rather than just toss out the lightning bolts? Since the brain works on electrical impulses, such manipulation could be quite a devestating - and subtle - force. Lightning makes for much better visuals, of course.
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Hertzian waves have been mentioned - I've not studied physics so I looked it up, and one page said:
quote:It was James Clerk Maxwell, however, who built the theoretical bridge from electricity to radio. Intrigued by Faraday's work, Maxwell developed a set of equations to describe mathematically how a changing magnetic field produced an electric field (electrical induction). He discovered that the opposite was also true, and that changing magnetic and electric fields in space produced electromagnetic waves. He showed how these waves traveled at the speed of light, and that in fact, light was just another form of electromagnetic wave.
All of that recalls early reboot Garth and Rokk coming to blows over the receiver/transmitter (aka Imra).
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"Has he ever been shown to manipulate the range of electrical power effects rather than just toss out the lightning bolts?"
One trick Mekt used way back was to electrify the air around him to knock out his victims. That was the only way he was able to take down Dawnstar when she proved too fast for his lightning bolts.
Garth was able to send electrical current through underground pipes to stun some bad guys who were out of the range of his bolts.
Both Garth and Ayla (at different times) were able to dissipate tornados by polarizing ions or something -- I'm afraid I don't really understand the science behind it.
"Since the brain works on electrical impulses ..."
It would be a clever and ironic twist if Garth's electrical physiology interferred with telepathy and other brain-related powers. So, not only would Imra be unable to read *his* mind, but those in close proximity to him when he turned on the juice. Ha!
Hyperpath: Email this page to someone!
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