Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

[Steve]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

Have you considered that she even questions that she can find real love right now?

I find it difficulty to differentiate love and lust, but her lust is that of 5 man. So I guess she would need some for of supression that is more effective and gets her close to normal levels before should could seriously differentiate between love and lust.

 

To be honest, I never considered that for her. She's only twenty, and she has romantic dreams like any other young woman. Now that she has powers, her imaginary "Prince Charming" has changed. She can't see herself with an ordinary man anymore, but she's also not going to throw herself at the first handsome man in a cape that smiles at her. She wants to be romanced, but the romancing will compound her libido issues. She'll probably be even more violent against criminals as she's being courted.

[Christopher]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

She'll probably be even more violent against criminals as she's being courted.

I just pictured this conversation in the middle of a fight:

"A.W., what's with you today? You are more violent than normal."

"Prince charming asked me out to a date next week! I am so happy!" *smacking bad guy extra hard*

[Steve]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

I just pictured this conversation in the middle of a fight:

"A.W., what's with you today? You are more violent than normal."

"Prince charming asked me out to a date next week! I am so happy!" *smacking bad guy extra hard*

 

Yes, that doesn't sound at all mentally unbalanced when you put it that way, does it?

 

Pity the supervillains when she's dating. I don't know if you should pity them more or less when she's having an argument with her boyfriend.

 

Even worse, assuming she ever gets into a serious relationship and has a regular lover, her libido would be seething even more than it does now while she's a virgin, if she then had to go without for a while.

 

Pity the villains then.

[Lucius]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

First we would have to determine what a Libido Level is. What does each level change up or down mean?

 

Well, I've been taking it up and down in two steps increments and observing.

 

So what happens if I turn on this power, and the power turns off all of us?

 

Change Environment (-2 Libido Levels, Long-Lasting 6 Hours), Area Of Effect (1m Radius; +1/4), MegaScale (1m = 1 km; +1) (49 Active Points)

 

 

Some of us old guys already have problems with that. Cut it out.

 

Interesting reaction. Now when I turn it up....

 

So what happens if I turn on this power, and the power turns on all of us?

 

Change Environment (+2 Libido Levels, Long-Lasting 6 Hours), Area Of Effect (1m Radius; +1/4), MegaScale (1m = 1 km; +1) (49 Active Points)

 

 

Lots of frustration and several female forum members never returning

 

Interesting and unexpected. Reportedly, males in the affected area become frustrated and irritable, and females find it so unpleasant as to leave the vicinity and form a long term aversion to the area?

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary begins to wonder when Lucius Alexander turned into Dr. Morrow.....or Dr. Morrow's infamous lab mouse....

[James Gillen]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

I just pictured this conversation in the middle of a fight:

"A.W., what's with you today? You are more violent than normal."

"Prince charming asked me out to a date next week! I am so happy!" *smacking bad guy extra hard*

 

I smell a Joss Whedon script in the making.

 

JG

[Mister E]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

A Response from a Female Comic Book Fan:

 

http://mssnarky.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/a-response-from-a-female-comic-book-fan/#comment-83 <--- this is my favorite comment on the thread so far

 

 

A comment, here, from the unreconstructed Neanderthal Alpha Male…

 

Sex sells. But does it really have to be *bad* sex? Who are you selling that to? Dorky failures and teenage boys who don’t know any better, yet?

 

I can’t possibly be the only straight guy who’s bored with seeing women drawn and written and portrayed as harmless fluffy sex bunnies, or compliant blowup dolls. It’s DULL.

 

Maybe that kind of thing appeals to unsuccessful men – but the fun in sex is that it’s done *with* someone, not *to* them and that, in turn, is all about engaging with a person.

 

Which is, in its turn, a matter of confidence, in oneself, and in trust, and in enjoying what is ‘brought to the party’ by all participants, rather than in fearing and mistrusting and, as a consequence, denigrating and slut-shaming them.

 

A confidently adult erotic reality is, of course, a more challenging eroticism to create than passive fantasy-dolls. But it can be written, and drawn, and portrayed, and it should be. Among other things, there is the question: “How do we cultivate the sexual development of teenage boys?”

 

Let’s not forget that teenage boys have access to the internet, and can get hold of anything they want. But they start elsewhere, and comics are one of the starting-points. Do we want to start them off on the road with all the women they fantasise over being nothing more than characterless sex-bunnies? That leads on to objectification, and downward to the creepy dead-eyed pornstar, mechanically intoning “Yes I want it”.

 

Believe it or not, there are failed men who get off on that. What disappointing partners they must be… But we are creating more of them, every time images of women-as-objects are sold, or consumer goods are marketed to unsuccessful men that way.

 

Where the road ends up is deeply disturbing, and I can give a snaphot of it from a deep-in-the-whiskey guy-to-guy conversation in which I asked someone: “But why rape fantasies? There’s a *hell* of a lot more to get off on in a fantasy of enthusiastic participation!”

 

I hope the guy receiving that advice sorted himself out, or got therapy to deal with it. Or killed himself because, you know, I happen to think we’re all better off without that creepiness towards women, even if it doesn’t turn into an active physical danger.

 

And midway between here, and where he is, there’s a lot if men who were once teenage boys – and maybe still are, inside – who could’ve had a lot more fun developing their internal images and fantasies of sex, if the source material was more like women, as people, with personality and agency, and participation rather than objectified passivity.

 

They would be having a lot more fun now, and they would be better men.

 

Meanwhile, everybody reading comic books gets a better story, with better characters that we can engage with, identify with, and bring into our own internal pantheon of heroes and villains, gods and men and women that we might, someday, grow up to be.

 

[Greywind]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

First we would have to determine what a Libido Level is. What does each level change up or down mean?

1 - Frigid

2- Cold

3- Cool

4- Neutral

5- Interested

6- Warm Up

7 - The Pitch

8 - First Base

9 - Second Base

10 - Third Base

11 - Home Run

 

...I can see paradise by the dashboard light.

[Bolon]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

I think that the angle of the heightened libido is going the wrong way. Her frustrations would be increased when dating anytime she feels insecure or unsure of the relationship. She would have a fear of intimacy, afraid she could hurt someone other than a super. It might manifest itself in false pinning her hopes on other supers that smile at her or seem nice. She might have difficulty understanding or learning those clues that would be given and misinterpret those clues. It could result in minor berserks or enraged when her dating life is in turmoil.

 

I am a large man who worked with a woman who was larger. She saw me as a very viable target for a possible mate and date as in the same profession. This illusion got to the point where she ignored the fact I had a fiance living with me and believed I would come to her, realizing I was in love. She ignored the truth and all facts that were very evident.

 

Her heighten libido could result in her giving the wrong signal and having a stalker or becoming such. The increase in libido at this time of 20 years old and a virgin could push her even harder than a normal woman. There are many ways you can take this. I can even see villains using this to taunt her. I could see an enraged and a few social limitations that could translate to negative modifiers based on her social life.

[Greywind]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

Johnny Storm dated regularly. It was also shown that Johnny had a very great fear of hurting anyone he was with.

[Lucius]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

A Response from a Female Comic Book Fan:

 

http://mssnarky.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/a-response-from-a-female-comic-book-fan/#comment-83 <--- this is my favorite comment on the thread so far

 

 

A comment, here, from the unreconstructed Neanderthal Alpha Male…

 

Sex sells. But does it really have to be *bad* sex? Who are you selling that to? Dorky failures and teenage boys who don’t know any better, yet?

 

I can’t possibly be the only straight guy who’s bored with seeing women drawn and written and portrayed as harmless fluffy sex bunnies, or compliant blowup dolls. It’s DULL.

 

Maybe that kind of thing appeals to unsuccessful men – but the fun in sex is that it’s done *with* someone, not *to* them and that, in turn, is all about engaging with a person.

 

Which is, in its turn, a matter of confidence, in oneself, and in trust, and in enjoying what is ‘brought to the party’ by all participants, rather than in fearing and mistrusting and, as a consequence, denigrating and slut-shaming them.

 

A confidently adult erotic reality is, of course, a more challenging eroticism to create than passive fantasy-dolls. But it can be written, and drawn, and portrayed, and it should be. Among other things, there is the question: “How do we cultivate the sexual development of teenage boys?”

 

Let’s not forget that teenage boys have access to the internet, and can get hold of anything they want. But they start elsewhere, and comics are one of the starting-points. Do we want to start them off on the road with all the women they fantasise over being nothing more than characterless sex-bunnies? That leads on to objectification, and downward to the creepy dead-eyed pornstar, mechanically intoning “Yes I want it”.

 

Believe it or not, there are failed men who get off on that. What disappointing partners they must be… But we are creating more of them, every time images of women-as-objects are sold, or consumer goods are marketed to unsuccessful men that way.

 

Where the road ends up is deeply disturbing, and I can give a snaphot of it from a deep-in-the-whiskey guy-to-guy conversation in which I asked someone: “But why rape fantasies? There’s a *hell* of a lot more to get off on in a fantasy of enthusiastic participation!”

 

I hope the guy receiving that advice sorted himself out, or got therapy to deal with it. Or killed himself because, you know, I happen to think we’re all better off without that creepiness towards women, even if it doesn’t turn into an active physical danger.

 

And midway between here, and where he is, there’s a lot if men who were once teenage boys – and maybe still are, inside – who could’ve had a lot more fun developing their internal images and fantasies of sex, if the source material was more like women, as people, with personality and agency, and participation rather than objectified passivity.

 

They would be having a lot more fun now, and they would be better men.

 

Meanwhile, everybody reading comic books gets a better story, with better characters that we can engage with, identify with, and bring into our own internal pantheon of heroes and villains, gods and men and women that we might, someday, grow up to be.

 

I kind of liked this one

 

"Some of the characterizations of the responses struck me as a bit straw-man, but I’d be lying if I tried to act like they didn’t have some of the gist of my own thoughts on the issue. In turn, most of your responses have crushed most of my misgivings, though I already suspected DC had screwed the pooch.

 

Still, here I am, Straight White Male. I want you to have your transformers toy, to have comics that entertain you as much as me. I also like the shape of the female figure. I try not to be an ass about it.

 

If you worked in my office you’d never know just how much I like it, because to reveal it would be make people uncomfortable, and I commit myself to creating an inclusive work environment.

 

No big deal, I keep it to myself for 8-10 hours, go home and happily greet my partner whom I respect and love and turn on my nerd-man charm. She works, like me, and it’s a stressful week, and even though I know she’d obliged, it makes me feel guilty if I impose. I leave her to her new issue of “Walking Dead”.

 

I wait until she goes to bed and I fire up my browswer… in private mode… except most of the porn out there is suspect. I worry about weather or not the women making these videos do so on amicable terms, and whether its production contributes to dehumanization of women. I have little sisters, after all, what kind of example would a big brother who is cavalier about the vaguaries of the sex industry set?

 

Instead, finally, I load up some fictitious comics. It’s cheesy and obviously written by a man but at least it’s not hurting anyone… except for young girls (like my young sisters) who are bombarded with body-image issue inducing media. Crap.

 

Some SWMs out there will just lash out, maybe throw out pejoratives. I don’t think that’s fair, I understand that gender norms are cruelest towards women, and I don’t ever want my sexuality to create a hostile environment for someone else. I’m just trying to find an outlet, and I guess this lengthy post is saying: how can a SWM be sex-positive without also being anti-woman? It feels like a tightrope at times."

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary has a Y chromosome and a Y-not? chromosome

[Lucius]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

1 - Frigid

2- Cold

3- Cool

4- Neutral

5- Interested

6- Warm Up

7 - The Pitch

8 - First Base

9 - Second Base

10 - Third Base

11 - Home Run

 

...I can see paradise by the dashboard light.

 

Shouldn't the lowest level be 0?

 

Or maybe 0 should be the default "neutral" level and the adjustments should be up or down from there, like with temperature.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Ignoring the baseball metaphore, the palindromedary points out that in tennis, love is nothing

[Greywind]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

Well, I also left "the wind-up" out of it.

[megaplayboy]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

If you want a lust/libido scale, I'd suggest taking the Mind Control or PRE attack charts and subdividing those levels once:

Level 0: No lust/no sexual desire

Level 1(EGO-5/PRE-5): Minimal attraction/desire

Level 2(EGO/PRE): Mild attraction/desire

Level 3(EGO+5/PRE+5): Moderate attraction/desire

Level 4(EGO+10/PRE+10): Infatuation/Arousal

Level 5(EGO+15/PRE+15): "Horny"

Level 6(EGO+20/PRE+20): "Very Horny"

Level 7(EGO+25/PRE+25): "Super Horny"

Level 8(EGO+30/PRE+30): "Extremely Horny"

Level 9(EGO+35/PRE+35): "Insanely Horny"

Level 10(EGO+40/PRE+40): "Uncontrollably Horny"

Level 11(EGO+45+/PRE+45+): [censored]

[Steve]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

If you want a lust/libido scale, I'd suggest taking the Mind Control or PRE attack charts and subdividing those levels once:

Level 0: No lust/no sexual desire

Level 1(EGO-5/PRE-5): Minimal attraction/desire

Level 2(EGO/PRE): Mild attraction/desire

Level 3(EGO+5/PRE+5): Moderate attraction/desire

Level 4(EGO+10/PRE+10): Infatuation/Arousal

Level 5(EGO+15/PRE+15): "Horny"

Level 6(EGO+20/PRE+20): "Very Horny"

Level 7(EGO+25/PRE+25): "Super Horny"

Level 8(EGO+30/PRE+30): "Extremely Horny"

Level 9(EGO+35/PRE+35): "Insanely Horny"

Level 10(EGO+40/PRE+40): "Uncontrollably Horny"

Level 11(EGO+45+/PRE+45+): [censored]

 

Having megaplayboy give a list of lust/libido levels seems oddly appropriate, doesn't it? I'd rep you if I could.

[Steve]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

I think that the angle of the heightened libido is going the wrong way. Her frustrations would be increased when dating anytime she feels insecure or unsure of the relationship. She would have a fear of intimacy, afraid she could hurt someone other than a super. It might manifest itself in false pinning her hopes on other supers that smile at her or seem nice. She might have difficulty understanding or learning those clues that would be given and misinterpret those clues. It could result in minor berserks or enraged when her dating life is in turmoil.

 

I am a large man who worked with a woman who was larger. She saw me as a very viable target for a possible mate and date as in the same profession. This illusion got to the point where she ignored the fact I had a fiance living with me and believed I would come to her, realizing I was in love. She ignored the truth and all facts that were very evident.

 

Her heighten libido could result in her giving the wrong signal and having a stalker or becoming such. The increase in libido at this time of 20 years old and a virgin could push her even harder than a normal woman. There are many ways you can take this. I can even see villains using this to taunt her. I could see an enraged and a few social limitations that could translate to negative modifiers based on her social life.

 

Those are very poignant comments you make. When I first came up with the character concept, I wanted to try something different, personality-wise. There have been so many wonderful and interesting comments in this thread.

 

She does have a fear of intimacy since becoming a superhuman, no doubt. Concerning her increased strength, while she doesn't have any control issues ordinarily, she is afraid of losing control of herself in the throes of passion. She could break one or more bones or cause some serious contusion damage to an ordinary man of 8-10 STR and 2-3 PD. Her dating life will be challenging, and she will tend to pin her hopes on male superhumans that are friendly and nice to her. She's an NPC designed to inject a little romantic drama into my Icons campaign.

 

Personality-wise, I was picturing her as maybe being a little defensive about her looks and any generally sexist comments, kind of like portrayals of DC's Power Girl in the earlier Justice Society stories. The difference is that the source of this character's defensivenss and moodiness is that she's kind of holding a tiger by the tail, her almost unrelenting libido. She shows it by being more aggressive and combative, and a little impatient with down time. When she's out moving, out beating up criminals, she can distract herself from her inner turmoil and frustrations.

 

Will she get a stalker? Offhand, Foxbat is someone who could fit that bill. Would she stalk someone else? Probably not. I'm inclined to think she's not quite that way. But if a guy used her, like tricking her into intimacy and then abandoning her once he had what he wanted from her, she'd be furious. However, deep down, she's still a four-color hero, so it wouldn't end in Iron Age blood and angst.

[Steve]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

A Response from a Female Comic Book Fan:

 

http://mssnarky.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/a-response-from-a-female-comic-book-fan/#comment-83 <--- this is my favorite comment on the thread so far

 

 

The article you linked and the one that preceded it were interesting. I'd rep you for posting the links, but I can't hit you at this time.

 

My hope with America Woman is to portray a more modest woman's personality than ones you seem to see in comics nowadays, albeit one that is dealing with some significant sexual issues. She's got problems and flaws, but what hero doesn't? Peter Parker is a mass of personality problems, but he is a successful hero.

 

She's going to be moody and intense at times, maybe a little irritable with men who come on to her and aren't gentlemanly about it. I want to portray her as an old-fashioned girl. She's a hero though, so there are things she won't do unless her Ego rolls can overcome her Four-Color "Code of the Hero" that drives her.

[Steve]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

For a possible teen sidekick I wrote up for America Woman, here is America Girl.

[James Gillen]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

Johnny Storm dated regularly. It was also shown that Johnny had a very great fear of hurting anyone he was with.

 

25 STR or Flaming Damage Shield... I think I'd rather deal with the 25 STR.

 

JG

[Christopher]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

Having megaplayboy give a list of lust/libido levels seems oddly appropriate' date=' doesn't it?[/quote']

Especially when you consider his namesake, who had such a power on the +10 Level.

 

Thanks and (rep when I could) for Mister E. and Lucius cross citates. I especially agree with the first one.

[phoenix240]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

25 STR or Flaming Damage Shield... I think I'd rather deal with the 25 STR.

 

JG

 

I'm reminded of the short story "And the sea shall cast him out" from the Superheroes anthology

[Steve]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

25 STR or Flaming Damage Shield... I think I'd rather deal with the 25 STR.

 

JG

 

I agree. Still, a full strength hug that does an average of 3 Body past the defenses of a normal man is a decent reason for wanting a romantic partner that is built a little sturdier.

[SSgt Baloo]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

I agree. Still' date=' a full strength hug that does an average of 3 Body past the defenses of a normal man is a decent reason for wanting a romantic partner that is built a little sturdier.[/quote']

 

I'm not sure that's really an issue. I'm a fairly strong person, and in the past I was very (construction worker) strong. Even in the throes of passion one doesn't grip one's partner with all one's strength and squeeze. Anyone who says otherwise either hasn't had sex before or they were doing it wrong.

[sinanju]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

I'm not sure that's really an issue. I'm a fairly strong person' date=' and in the past I was very (construction worker) strong. Even in the throes of passion one doesn't grip one's partner with all one's strength and squeeze. Anyone who says otherwise either hasn't had sex before or they were doing it wrong. [/quote']

 

Or maybe YOU were doing it wrong. Sometimes you really have to hold them down, they struggle so....

 

Oops. My bad. I was channeling Teh Bunneh for a moment.

[Steve]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

I'm not sure that's really an issue. I'm a fairly strong person' date=' and in the past I was very (construction worker) strong. Even in the throes of passion one doesn't grip one's partner with all one's strength and squeeze. Anyone who says otherwise either hasn't had sex before or they were doing it wrong. [/quote']

 

Well, I'm thinking in terms of comic book strength levels. The character in question is as strong as eight noteworthy men (10 STR), or (I think) 10 ordinary men of 8 STR. That's a pretty large difference in physical power. I'm not saying she couldn't mate with an ordinary man, just that she'd have to be more careful and restrained.

 

Hmm, in thinking back to my earlier postings, her libido grew in parallel with her increase in strength. Think of her as a woman dealing with a libido as strong as what you find in ten ordinary men.

[SSgt Baloo]

Re: Effects of "Heightened Libido"?

 

Well, I'm thinking in terms of comic book strength levels. The character in question is as strong as eight noteworthy men (10 STR), or (I think) 10 ordinary men of 8 STR. That's a pretty large difference in physical power. I'm not saying she couldn't mate with an ordinary man, just that she'd have to be more careful and restrained.

 

Hmm, in thinking back to my earlier postings, her libido grew in parallel with her increase in strength. Think of her as a woman dealing with a libido as strong as what you find in ten ordinary men.

 

Now that you put it like that i'd be surprised if she hasn't succumbed to temptation, if only off-camera. Perhaps a fear of hurting "fragile human" lovers is just a rationalization. Perhaps she's only attracted to the powerful and absurdly fit heroes (and villains) she hangs around with now?