Logical Weakness

Some authors hold that their character's powers shouldn't run exclusively on the Rule of Cool, and decide to inject some relative realism into the situation, resulting in a hero whose weakness is a bit different from the rest of the Super crowd. These guys aren't allergic to arbitrarily chosen household items, nor strange items related to their origin story. Their weaknesses are, in fact, a direct result of their particular superpowers. For example, a character who can cast fireballs may find themselves powerless during a rainstorm, or a Shock and Awe hero might find themselves at risk of electrocuting themselves in the rain. With characters whose powers rely on uttering Magical Incantations or projecting a really loud voice, a good strong gag may be enough to disable them. Someone with Super Senses may find them to be a double-edged sword if subjected to Sensory Overload. Sometimes this can stem from a lack of Required Secondary Powers, like a hero with Super Speed but not Super Reflexes finding themselves going Too Fast to Stop. The superpower may be something completely fantastic, but a writer may add a new twist to it by following the fantasy as if it was true and exploring the logical ramifications of it. For example, a Living Lie Detector that notices when people lie because of their heart beats. Perhaps no writer before you had ever thought that a guy with a pacemaker would fool this trick. Go ahead and use it, it will become a standard for future writers. This premise centers around being consistent with a combination of real world logistics intersecting with well-developed but entirely fictional science, magic or technology. It doesn't always mean the application of the weakness is realistic, only that it does work in the boundaries set up by the setting. Whatever the case, this type of superpower-induced weakness can function as a Drama-Preserving Handicap, or it can be Played for Laughs. It may also create Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors between different heroes. Sister trope to Immunity Disability: being immune to something sometimes will naturally have its own drawbacks. Not related to the Puff of Logic. May be an aversion of Required Secondary Powers. Contrast Outside-the-Box Tactic, when the solution to defeat an enemy is logical but not immediately obvious; and Lethal Harmless Powers and Heart Is an Awesome Power, which are about logical strengths. See also Weaker in the Real World, where a character's powers at least partially depend upon the world or dimension they're native too, and bringing them to another world (frequently ours) results in them losing those powers.