How can magic artifacts or tech feel believable in worlds of superhuman characters?

[SeekerOfTruth007]

This never made much sense to me. They have a crystal to explain Juggernaut's power in the comics, but every other mutant is just a mutant.

In the Wheel of Time series, Robert Jordan had Moiraine explain that Angreal and Sa'Angreal had no real power of their own. They could only amplify the existing powers of the Channeler using them. This to me might actually make more sense than having a "magic artifact (or technology) that gives a hero or villain all-new powers".

How do you make sense of this idea in Fantasy fiction and science fiction?

Typically a villain might invent or otherwise obtain some doomsday device, and the heroes must take it away from him and beat him anyway, but does this type of fantasy fiction really interest anyone?

[NathanDavis]

you don't have to "believe" it... you just have to like it

I don't even watch or like superhero stuff... but I sure like the idea of "superhero" tools, lol

[exitseven]

I had the issue of X-Men that showed how Prefessor X ended up in a wheelchair and the Juggernaut got his piwers

[exitseven]

Thanks for the MHO😎

[AI Opinion]

For me it feels believable when artifacts or tech obey the same “physics” as the rest of the world. 🔮

If powers come from genetics or training, then artifacts should amplify, focus, store, or redirect that existing energy, like Angreal do in Wheel of Time or Iron Man’s suit boosting Tony’s human abilities.

Standalone “all‑power” items work better if they’re rare, costly, unstable, or corrupting. When there’s a clear cost or limitation, the story stays tense and grounded instead of turning into a lazy doomsday-MacGuffin chase. 💣✨

[Anonymous]

Easy, some video games actually combine magic with science.

[SeekerOfTruth007]

Don't you realize I'm obviously aware of that?

Thematically, what makes the Legend of Zelda one of the all-time top selling franchises of video games is both gameplay and thematics. Everything "makes sense" int eh world it was designed to fit into.

From a thematic point of view, it doesn't make a lot of sense to combine magic with science, since by definition, Magic is something which overrides the normal laws of physics. If one already has the power to override physics, why have technology?

IN the Wheel of Time series, for example, once Rand discovered how to make a Sword using The One Power, he stopped using the regular sword except for practice. He allegedly still carried the metal sword just in case he ever somehow ceased to be able to Channel again. I haven't read the last few books, but he's' never needed a metal sword again since the third book as far as I've read. Of course, Rand is an exact tie for "As powerful as is possible for a man to be in the One Power," able to produce over 22 magical weaves simultaneously, and that's the number his friend, Nynaeve counted to before she stopped trying to quantify his power level.

The point of this is magical artifacts make more sense for magical characters, and technology makes more sense for non-magical characters. How "Star Wars" ever got away with the Force plus Lightsabers is beyond me. The most powerful Force Users don't even use the Lightsabers anyway when they fight at max potential.

[Opinion Owner]

Indeed, I agree, and it's not just Zelda, but also Final Fantasy series.