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Why addict the Jem'Hadar to Ketracel White? One of the few things that bothers me about the Dominion arc in Deep Space Nine is the Jem'Hadar. I enjoy the concept but I don't understand why they would be genetically addicted to Ketracel White (or anything else for that matter). There are some obvious problems When th...	The white keeps the jem'hadar obedient to the volta and maintains the chain of command. The Ketracel White is used to keep the Jem Hadar loyal to the founders as well as functioning as their sole source of food and drink.
Do ships in Star Trek that can land on planets use impulse drive to reach space? I have read many sources and understand that impulse drive can be very fast. A quarter of impulse can be way faster than the escape velocity on Earth (11 km/s) or on the Sun (600 km/s). Does this mean that the impulse drive is used by shi...	The answer is that the impulse drive is way overkill for lifting a vessel out of a planet's gravitational field into space.
Was Smaug woken up by a nut hitting the mountain? I have been re-watching The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey . By the end, the movie shows a how a bird came knocking (actually hitting a snail) on the mountain. And then there is shifting inside, and Smaug awakens and opens his eyes. My question is: was his awakening du...	Smaug is awakened by the draft from the secret door, and by the hammering and general racket of the dwarves that had occurred in trying to open it.
Has there ever been a female character using the Batman name? This discussion came up at work after a female coworker decided to run a marathon dressed as Batman. Somebody said that she'd be running as Batwoman, to which she replied that, no, she was running as Bat man . This got me wondering - has there ever been a f...	So yes Batman has been a woman who is still Batman, plus some other stories where he swapped bodies with...........
Has Superman ever escaped a black hole? Reading a DC wiki (yes, wikipedias are bad...), it mentions in the Super Speed section for Kryptonians that Superman can travel at the speed of light or faster than light when in space. I'm guessing there's been a few fights out there in the Milky Way and beyond, has Superman ...	Yes, Pre-Crisis Superman (one of the strongest versions of the character in all of the DC continuities) has indeed been fast enough to escape the gravitational pull of a black hole by moving faster than light.
Were Legolas and Gimli really critical to the fellowship? All the characters of the Fellowship seem to play critical roles to the story and enjoy full character arcs, except for Gimli and Legolas. While they assisted at various parts of the story and provided race-specific perspectives - what is their primary role in ...	Gimli represented the dwarves in the character development, which to me was a significant part of the story as he and Legolas developed a friendship.
Does Gotrek's axe have a name? Felix's sword is often referred to by name as Karaghul , Gotrek's axe is only ever referred to as Gotrek's axe . Does it have a name? I know where he got it: He gained this weapon during his excursion into the northern Chaos Wastes, where he recovered it from the body of the dead s...	The name was never revealed, you've pretty much described all we know of the axe, except that: Teclis once read the aura of Gotrek, and got that power is flowing from the axe and changing Gotrek into something other than a dwarf.
Alien or parasite crawls into mouth of women movie I remember this scene where some sort of alien or slug (grey in color) comes out of the ventilation system and crawls into the mouth of a sleeping woman. I think it is a more recent film. Any idea of title? <Q> and some of the people were women (Claudia Christian, for...	The Hidden has a grey slug alien that crawls into people's mouths Then there is The Faculty (98).
Looking for the name of a sci-fi/fantasy video game? I'm not sure if somebody will have the answer to this one, but I rented a video game from my local blockbuster when I was much younger. It was likely on the PS2 or that generation of consoles, and something about the game entranced me. I think it was an RPG from Japa...	The game takes place in a futuristic city in which robots and other advanced technology are commonplace.
How would Starfleet know what a Romulan looks like in Star Trek 2009? In TOS , Kirk's Enterprise encounters a Romulan warbird for the first time, after it had destroyed several Starfleet outposts along the Neutral Zone. When they see the ship's captain, they are genuinely surprised that he looks Vulcan. Even Spock i...	A possibility explaining how the Kelvin knew it had encountered a Romulan ship is through transponder codes.
Αre there bathrooms on the Enterprise? I know that it's a weird question, but I haven't seen a single bathroom on the Enterprise, not even on blueprints. Do they exist? <Q> Yes, of course there are. <S> The need to excrete waste matter was not genetically engineered out of humans (and other Federation member species...	Memory alpha mentions a toilet in the Star Trek brig (prison cell): http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Brig especially in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. The blueprints from Rick Sternback display toilets on various decks, here is a sample of Decks 1 (the Bridge) and 2.
Is greed a powerful ally, or an enemy? In The Phantom Menace , Qui-Gon is looking for a way to obtain the parts to repair the queen's ship. He discovers that junkdealers have a weakness: Gambling on pod races. Then he states: Qui-Gon Jinn: Greed can be a very powerful ally. And he really do take advantage of it, ...	When Qui-Gon says "greed can be a very powerful ally," he is referring to the junkdealers' greed, specifically Watto's.
Why doesn't Batman seek out a Yellow Lantern ring? I've seen a page from a comic numerous times where Bruce Wayne is chosen as a Yellow Lantern, due to his ability to "instill great fear". Here's half below (I couldn't find the first half, where the ring approaches him, but you get the idea). Obviously, in this mome...	Knowing the yellow power ring has any connection to Sinestro is enough for Batman to steer completely clear of it, given Sinestro's history.
Why didn't Voldemort create a Horcrux with a Gryffindor heirloom? Voldemort was said to be very interested in the four founders of Hogwarts. He created a Horcrux from the Ravenclaw diadem, the Hufflepuff cup, and the Slytherin locket. Did he try to find a Gryffindor relic to complete the set, or did he not bother? I ...	Voldemort, as a Slytherin, wouldn't be able to even if he wanted; he's really better off giving up since he is unable to acquire it by himself.
Why did Harry use Expelliarmus in book 4? When callenged to a duel by Voldemort in the graveyard in book 4, Harry swears to "go down fighting". And yet he uses his least offensive battle spell, not even trying to cause actual harm. I don't mean he should've instantly resorted to Avada Kedavra, but even something like...	At the moment when Harry did cast the spell, he didn't think he has any chance to survive: He was acting out of survival instinct so he fell back on Expelliarmus . He feels very comfortable with it and knows precisely how to use it to best effect:
Do all of Murakami's works refer only to Western culture? I just read Haruki Murakami's The Wind-up Bird Chronicles , and one thing that struck me was that despite the book being set in Japan and almost exclusively containing only Japanese characters, there are almost no references to Japanese culture (i.e music or li...	I have read a number of his works and as pointed out he rarely if ever references anything other than Western cultural influences.
Who is the guy that found the 'X' badge at the beginning of X-Men: Days Of Future Past? At the very start of X-Men: Days of Future Past , we see a white-haired person with a modern-looking flashlight come across an X-Men belt buried in the dirt. Who is he? <Q> According to an IMDb trivia item , the producer, Simon K...	According to Simon Kinberg, the mutant scavenger is Nate Grey, the X-Man.
Reading order of Stephen Baxter's Xeelee Sequence? Wikipedia confused me more about Xeelee Sequence. Xeelee has appeared in lots of novels, short stories, Destiny's Children series etc. How should I read Xeelee Sequence? I am unable to consider even publication order because I don't even have list of all works (with ...	I personally prefer to read even the short-fiction in Publication-order.
What does a wizard do if he loses his wand? Since you don't have a wand, you can't use the Accio spell to find it. But of course you could just get a buddy to say "Accio Harry's Wand" but would that work? If you could just summon your wand via Accio spell, then why couldn't Draco have gotten his wand back lick-itty-spl...	You could beg/borrow a time-turner, return to the moment when you lost the wand and then retrieve it.
How did Thanos die prior to the events of The Infinity Gauntlet? In the beginning of The Infinity Gauntlet comics, Mistress Death brought Thanos back to life (based on what Silver Surfer told Dr. Strange). But, how did Thanos die in the first place? <Q> Thanos is laid low by Adam Warlock and converted into granite ...	Unfortunately for Thanos, even after Warlock's death, the Soul Gem which houses the spirit of Adam Warlock and everyone whose soul has been captured within, is roused to anger and converts Thanos in his moment of triumph against the Avengers into granite and a death-like slumber. Thanos's death occurred in a story titl...
Are Korra and Asami a couple? In the finale of The Legend of Korra , Korra and Asami step into the spirit portal holding hands and looking deeply into each others eyes. It almost felt like they are going to kiss right before it cut away. Are they supposed to be a couple now? Nowhere in the show before this point were ...	Absolutely they are a couple.
In the movie Gravity, where does Sandra Bullock's character end up? I just watched Gravity for the third time. The ending got me to thinking. It's never clearly explained in the movie, but where did Sandra Bullock's character end up landing? To me it looks suspiciously like China, possibly, which makes total sense cons...	To cut a long story short, the final shots of the film should take place somewhere in the vicinity of the Caspian Sea or South Aral Sea (and based on the trajectory of the falling debris, the Tiangong Module should land somewhere near to the northern coastline)
Was Kirk born prematurely in the alternate timeline? There are two reasons the presence of Winona Kirk (James T. Kirk's mother) on the USS Kelvin in 2233 might not make sense: (1) Family members of officers and enlisted crew generally weren't housed on Starfleet vessels on deep space missions at that time in history....	As regards to how premature Kirk was, his mother is described in both the script and novelisation as being very pregnant so it's unlikely that his birth was more than a few weeks before the due date.
Story where telekinesis is used to stop nuclear bombs Does anyone remember the name of a story and the author where the USA uses telepaths/telekinesis to prevent Russian nuclear bomb from detonating? <Q> This happens in Robert Heinlein's 1953 short story Project Nightmare . <S> The bombs are not dropped, but are smu...	A team of psychics is used to locate the bombs and prevent them from exploding.
Help identifying a story where kids discover some kind of wormhole in a garden This is going to be unfortunately vague (I read these books as a kid...some 15/20 years ago). What I can remember is that the stories/books had a dark atmosphere, that the main characters were young, that they found some kind of wormhole in...	Dunno about a wormhole in the garden, but The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is definitely set in Britain (on this side of the wormhole, at least), features a bunch of kids / teenagers (two brothers and two sisters) and is definitely quite dark (
Book about a Magic School set in a castle Looking for a book that takes place at some kind of magic castle in England. I remember there being something about a magic rock inside of a mirror. I read this sometime in the early nineties, which is how I know it's not a Harry Potter novel. There was also something about...	I think you're possibly thinking of the third book of the Septimus Heap series, Physik . An 11 year old boy goes to a school for wizards with magic moving pictures on the walls and stars on the ceiling, where he makes friends with a red haired boy and a brainy girl.
Did Luke Skywalker go to the Dark Side? I remember reading something about Luke Skywalker going to the Dark Side for a short period of time, but I'm not a hundred percent sure on this. Did he turn to the Dark Side? <Q> You're referring to the Dark Empire comic book miniseries, published in the early 1990s. <S> Dark...	In this story, Luke falls to the Dark Side and becomes an apprentice of a resurrected Emperor. You're thinking of the Dark Empire comics published by Dark Horse comics in 1991.
What age was Darth Vader when he finally died? What was the exact age Darth Vader was when he finally dies at the end of Return of the Jedi? <Q> To determine this, we need to use a few sources. <S> Note that some of these are no longer considered fully canon. <S> According to this post by Leland Chee , Anakin was b...	The best info available suggests that he was 45 when he died.
What does Lord Voldemort's lower body look like? After Lord Voldemort is resurrected in HP:GoF, he is always seen wearing a long black cloak which covers him below the neck, except for his hands. Since Lord Voldemort is Slytherin-based he is more influenced by snakes. Even his looks are snakelike. Slit-like nose and fa...	The Dark Lord’s outline was of a man, he had legs, and walked. - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 32 (Flesh, Blood and Bone) Also remember he was a least born a human I don't think he could have altered his body that much.
Books similar to The Lord of the Rings: dark elves, different gods, Thommas, red-haired woman This morning I was riding in the train when I heard two fellows discussing an upcoming movie. They likened it to The Lord of the Rings with orcs and elves and (I think) magicians etc. They also mentioned that it is a story tha...	This sounds like Raymond Feist's Magician (and other books by him set in the same world).
Is "the Man Without Fear" just a marketing term for Daredevil, or does it reference something? I'm fairly well-versed with comics lore, but I'm not very familiar with Daredevil. I know his basic powers/abilities, but I'm interested in learning more in the run-up to the new Netflix show. One thing I've noticed is that...	Daredevil's nickname (which appears as the tagline on the cover of Daredevil #001 ) is well chosen.
What is harry really afraid of? In Prisoner of Azkaban, Lupin says "That suggests that what you fear most of all is - fear. Very wise...." when he finds out that Harry's boggart would be dementors. [Chapter : Flight of the Fat Lady. Page : 117] But dementors are supposed to suck out happiness, so doesn't that mean Ha...	Lupin suggests that what he's afraid of, then, isn't the things he mentions - Snape, Voldemort, Dementors - but the actual feeling of being afraid.
Is there an X-Files episode where the investigation concluded "natural" cause? I watched seasons 1 & 2 recently and in each episode the cause of whatever they were investigating was either outright, or at least very likely to be, of supernatural origin. The only episode that came close to a mundane conclusion was the ...	It sounds like the specific episode that you are thinking of is "The Jersey Devil" , from the first season.
Why did Jango Fett jump into the arena to engage Master Windu? Master Windu was a very powerful Jedi Master (even Count Dooku couldn't stand a chance against him) and this fact should be popular among the bad guys if not across the Galaxy. What made Jango Fett think that he could take out Master Windu all by himself? Y...	Fett can't use the Force, so he couldn't know ahead of time that Windu would beat him to the lightsaber by just a moment and that the reek would turn on him and destroy his jetpack. Fett went to the arena to fight Mace Windu - as indicated above - because he needed to do so before Mace was free to attack him again - AN...
What did Dumbledore say his scar on his left knee was? In Philosopher's Stone , we hear Dumbledore replying to McGonagall's query as to whether he could do something about the scar baby Harry has on his forehead: “Even if I could, I wouldn’t. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a p...	Dumbledore is referring to the Tube Map, which is the map used by travellers on the underground.
Effectiveness of Universal Translator in translating a book Would running a book through the universal translator make an accurate translation? The universal translator is able to translate languages never heard by the federation practically instantly,(with little to nothing lost in meaning or intent) would it be reaso...	Many words from different languages have different meanings or might even be without a direct translation; therefore making it impossible to translate every book without at least losing some meaning here
What are the exact differences between the refit USS Enterprise and the USS Enterprise-A? I am wondering what the exact differences are between the refit USS Enterprise (first three Star Trek films) and the USS Enterprise-A (subsequent three films)? In particular, which ship, if any, is more powerful in terms of size ...	Athough both ships are classified as "Constitution" class, there are several differences between the two. There are some differnces externally, windows and paint job.
How long did Barty Crouch Jr intend to stay at Hogwarts after Voldemort's return? Was he intending to stay on as a spy after the return of Voldemort, or planning to flee? If the latter was true, why didn't he do so after he felt the Dark Mark burn? <Q> As others have said, because of the curse on the Defense Against th...	He would eventually have rejoined his master, once Hogwarts held nothing for him, or once Voldemort's return was known.
Why are there parallel technologies in the Star Trek universe? Is it ever explained why so many races evolve, technologically speaking, on a nearly parallel course in the Star Trek universe? Obviously their physical and social evolution was far from parallel but technologically nearly every space faring civilization ...	Many of the different technologies operate under similar principles and could be seen as "the next logical step" once the precursor technology had been perfected.
When Thranduil tells Legolas to go north, what did he mean? At the end of the third Hobbit movie, I recall Thranduil telling Legolas to go north to look for Aragorn. They were at Erebor, and north of that was just the Iron Hills and Forodwaith. Aragorn would not be north of the Wood-elven Kingdom either. What did he...	The only reasonable explanation may be that Aragorn was at that time ranging north of Erebor, and Thranduil knew it.
X-Men: Origin of the pronunciation of "Xavier" The pronunciation of Charles Xavier's family name ("egg-savier") is distinctly odd and counterintuitive. Not having read the comics as a kid, when I watched the movies, I was convinced for a long time that his name was "Charles X. Xavier" (Charles Xavier Xavier? That would...	This is speculation, but since you asked for an in-universe explanation, one logical explanation does exist: The mutant association with the letter X. The name, Xavier , is based on a Basque word, etxeberria , which is indeed pronounced with an "eh" at the beginning .
Sci-fi movie where a spaceship containing dead aliens is found on Earth When I was kid saw a movie about a spaceship found on earth containing two dead astronauts. Can only remember parts and my guess is that MAYBE is from the second half of the 70's: The dead astronauts were humanoid, in fact -and oddly- human but t...	An examination of the creatures' physiologysuggests they came from the planet Mars. Another (admittedly unlikely) guess: 5,000,000 Years to Earth / Quartermass and the Pit Workers building an extension to the London Underground at Hobbs Enddig up skeletal remains.
Why does Andrew Wiggin introduce himself as Ender? In the movie Ender's Game , Andrew just got in the program and was on the space ship. He was late and he introduces himself to kid beside him. He introduces himself as "Ender" instead of "Andrew". Why doesn't he introduce himself as "Andrew"? Why would he use his mi...	'Ender' is the name he goes by.
Why didn't Harry specify to Neville that he had to use the sword to kill Nagini? Harry tells Neville to kill the snake, but does not tell him it needs to be done a certain way, or Nagini would not die. Why? <Q> The sword was not needed to kill Nagini. <S> We know this is the case because Harry himself as a horcrux "lit...	It just occurred to me that when Harry was watching Snape and Voldemort just before Snape died, he tried to think of a curse he could use on Nagini, but knew he would be caught if he missed.
What is the range of effect for the Infinite Improbability Drive? Inspired by this exchange in chat: Jack B Nimble @ScienceFiction&Fantasy Brought you to by someone who doesn't understand probability. phantom42 @ScienceFiction&Fantasy Zaphod just used the Infinite Improbability Drive at exactly the wrong time. BES...	The Infinite Improbability Drive affects reality itself, greatly increasing the odds that something improbable will occur.
Why would Owen and Beru even consider allowing Luke to join the Imperial Academy? In A New Hope Luke consistently says he wants to join the (Imperial) Academy. Owen keeps saying he should wait but Beru pushes Owen to let him go.Could she be referring to him seeing Kenobi and not the Academy? It seems the main hole is...	There's no evidence that entering the Academy would be a threat Note that they didn't even bother to change his name, nor is there any special evidence that the Empire is actively seeking him. Whereas Owen would prefer that Luke stay close and safe, Beru understood that parents must eventually let their children go the...
What is the earliest example of Superman-style flight? Stories of flying people (or demi-gods or gods) go back all the way into pre-history. But in my experience, most or all of the early representations of super-human flight are either based on an item external to the user (such as a flying chariot or animal ) or ...	Peter Pan predates Sub Mariner by a good three decades with flight that matches the parameters you describe, in his first appearance in "The Little White Bird" (1902). There are medieval accounts of people seeing ghostly figures flying through the sky, such as the Wild Hunt (with records as early as 1127) (also notice ...
Was Darth Maul deliberately leading Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan into that shaft reactor pit room? I've noticed that in the duel between the two Jedi vs Maul, Maul at first never seems to advance forward to attack instead defending most of the time by walking backwards until he reaches the reactor room. There he suddenly looks ...	But Qui-Gon recognized that while it might seem as if the Jedi were driving him before them, it was the Sith Lord who was controlling the struggle.
Why does the USS Enterprise always have the same registry number? Is there any in universe explanation as to why the Enterprise always gets to keep its 1701 registry number? Also I don't recall any other starships from the TNG, DS9, Voyager time period that had this honor bestowed on it. Certainly Captain Sisko's se...	As reported, the reason for this practice was to honor a single starship that achieved exceptional results and whose importance in the history of the Federation was further recognized by adopting its insignia as the emblem of all Starfleet.
What happened to the forvalaka which killed Tom-Tom? This is the dialogue between Croaker and One-Eye and the end of chapter one. One-Eye stared at the thing in the cage, hating. I tried to ease him away. He shook me off. “Not yet, Croaker. I have to figure this.” “What?” “This isn’t the one that killed Tom-Tom. I...	Tom-Tom may have become a forvalaka. This would explain Croaker's silence on the matter and why he commented that "we have troubles enough". But perhaps he could have been transformed into a forvalaka, dead or alive.
What about Lightsabers and Jedi Philosophy makes them so rare and special, and why not carry/have spares(some Jedi have 2 some only have 1)? (In Universe Answers Only) If you notice in most of the Star Wars galaxy most Jedi carry only ONE lightsaber while some carry two. My question is really nitpicky but it makes me ...	As to why they don't carry spares, the answer is that Lightsabers take a considerable amount of effort to make, most Jedi only fight with one blade and most Jedi don't see enough action to justify carrying a pair of (largely ceremonial) blades since they almost never lose them.
In episode IV, A New Hope, why did Obi-wan wait till Luke showed up, then let Vader kill him? Did Obi-wan find it important to have Luke see it? Isn't that setting him up to fall to the Dark Side? <Q> Obi-Wan knew what was going to happen even before the fight with Vader. <S> When R2 found the locations of the tracto...	He intentionally manipulated Luke emotionally by telling him that Vader killed his father (which wasn't true), and by making sure that Luke saw Vader kill Obi-Wan. He knew, at the time, that he was going to be facing something where he might not survive. Vader had been distracted and Luke and his friends could now esca...
Who was Harry thinking about when he asked Dobby if the person plotting to reopen the chamber of secrets had a brother? This is the passage in question: “Not — not He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named , sir —” But Dobby’s eyes were wide and he seemed to be trying to give Harry a hint. Harry, however, was completely lost. “He ...	He’s interpreting Dobby’s hint to mean that while Voldemort isn’t responsible, the plotter is somebody close or similar to Voldemort –
Movie about stranded people on an island with dog-like monsters and Japanese WW2 bunkers I watched this movie only once, and I didn't see the whole thing. It was in English — it was not translated from other language, but it could be American, British, Australian, anything. I saw it on a local cable channel. The nota...	The island is infested by swarms of dog like monsters. I think you're referring to the remake of The Island of Dr Moreau .
Why did Jango Fett have a son via cloning instead of through natural reproductive processes? Why did Jango Fett choose to have his son, Boba Fett, created via cloning, rather than having a child by a woman? Did he want a son and was either unwilling or unable to do so with a mate? <Q> The fact that Jango did not have...	In other words, the opportunity to have a son presented itself through the clone process, so he took advantage of it. Canonically, we don't know because we don't know of any romantic relationships Jango had with either men or women.
Do Star Trek's Bussard collectors conflict with the deflectors? In Star Trek, even at 'low' impulse speeds, colliding with a Very Tiny Object would be horribly damaging to the ship - see this NASA.org link which describes space shuttle windows being damaged by impact from paint flecks at high-velocity. To combat thi...	The Bussard collector, also known as a Bussard ramscoop or ramscoop, was a device usually attached to the forward end of a warp nacelle. There would be no conflict between the deflector and the collector unless someone programs it that way.
Why does the machine ambassador destroy the human leadership after accepting their surrender? In the Animatrix, the human leadership surrenders to the Machines in the UN building in New York City. The machine ambassador speaks on the terms of the surrender and then "signs" the document to accept it while the human lead...	The machines may have felt that, despite the treaty, the humans would eventually attempt to rebel or fight back.
Why are the Borg different in Voyager and TNG? When I look at the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode " I, Borg ", I notice that that Borg reacts differently than the Borg in Star Trek: Voyager. Is there a specific reason for this? <Q> A couple of points : <S> The Enterprise D first encountered the Borg in Q <...	The separation from the collective seems to affect each borg slightly differently as instead of relying on the hive mind, they are having to think for themselves, something they haven't done in a long time.
Why (in universe) does the use of a cloaking device cause a 'wobbling' effect of light? Whenever a ship uses cloaking technology (well, at least in terms of the Romulans and Klingons in TNG), there is a 'wobbling' effect of light as they activate/deactivate the cloak. Now, I know that cloaking works by the bending of ...	Additionally, most cloaking devices bend light (and the other energy types) in order to produce the cloaking effect. The wobbling effect as you call it is essentially a mirage, or heat haze, heat shimmer, visual heat turbulence (wiki) .
Who was/were the last clone(s)? I know that many clone troopers became Imperial stormtroopers, but for how long? Do we have any information on the last of them? <Q> It depends which clones you're talking about. <S> According to the video game <S> Star Wars: Battlefront II <S> , Fett's clones had almost completely d...	For all we know, Sergeant Crest was the last clone stormtrooper. The Empire likely phased out the last of the Fett clones within a few years of this event.
Can anyone, including Wonder Woman, resist the Lasso of Truth? This question popped into my head when I was watching The Flashpoint Paradox, in which Colonel Steve Trevor (Wonder Woman's romantic interest outside of the Paradox) gets caught by the Amazons. Wonder Woman slips the lasso around him and asks him who is he,...	Others have managed to break the Lasso as well, not purely from strength but from resisting its underlying power. Recent (Post-Crisis) versions of The Lasso of Truth are connected directly to Diana's own innate abilities & "soul", and therefore do not affect Diana as they would others, presumably because Diana always s...
Are S.H.I.E.L.D. agents (e.g. Clint Barton, Natasha Romanov) ever referred to by their comics aliases? It's pretty obvious that the characters of Clint Barton and Natasha Romanov in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are playing the characters Hawkeye and Black Widow, respectively. Outside of the movies, fans routinely refe...	In the beginning of The Avengers, the Russian general being interrogated by Romanov explicitly refers to her as "the famous Black Widow". I’ve been through the scripts for every episode of Agents of SHIELD that Bobbi Morse has been in; thus far, there has been no mention of her codename. As Natasha is piloting the Chit...
Can Bifrost Bridge be operated without Heimdall? Range of Bifrost Bridge is infinite and it can reach all 9 realms. But, it looks useful only with the existence of Heimdall who can see everywhere in 9 realms (good for targeting) and can hear everything from everywhere in the 9 realms (good for taking commands). What w...	As of Avengers: Infinity War , we see that Heimdall's sword is actually not required to open the Bifrost.
Why didn't Dumbledore himself become secret keeper for the Potters? This would have been the best way. Nobody can hope to capture Dumbledore and force the secret out of him. It's not about the Potters' preference. Surely the best person for the job would have been Dumbledore? <Q> He offered to do so: <S> “James Pott...	Dumbledore may not have agreed with the Potters over who to allow to know, and kept them from seeing their friends.
Why didn't people notice that Masters Tiin, Fisto, and Kolar had lightsaber burns? After Sidious defended himself against his three would-be arresters, wouldn't there have been a full investigation? It was, after all, a major (in his words) assassination attempt on the most important political figure in the galaxy. It ...	Had the Jedi made the evidence public in conjunction with their arrest they may have prevented Palpatine from being able to issue Order 66, or at least made it far more suspicious. Aside from Palpatine being a high powered political figure who could have this swept under the rug, or that an investigation would take yea...
Is Wonder Woman's only weakness being bound by a man? I know that Wonder Woman's only known weakness is being "bound by man". However: It's only being bound by a man?? Does she have any other weaknesses? <Q> That dates back to the very early incarnations of wonder Woman, when she was basically just an excuse to sho...	Being bound by man hasn't been a weakness of Wonder Woman's for a very long time. Originally, she had two weaknesses, both based around the fact that the bracelets she wore were "Bracelets of Submission". Earth Prime Wonder Woman has, according to Batman, 'no convenient weaknesses' and while she can suffer injury from ...
Dissatisfied boy breaks the rules in a future society, technology has eliminated need to go outside I am trying to locate a sci fi story, probably written in the 50's, most likely by Bradbury or Heinlein, about a dissatisfied boy who breaks the rules in a future society where no one goes outside anymore because technol...	It's Such A Beautiful Day seems by far the likeliest. The boy's mother is deeply humiliated when he catches a cold after going outside in the rain (disease is almost unknown now) and is inclined to accept his schoolteacher's advice to have him treated with a psychic probe.
How does Bruce Wayne mask Batman's injuries between beatings? OK. We can agree that comic book Batman always gets the bad guy, but sometimes he gets nicked and dinged during the encounter. It's a common thing to see Alfred tending (or trying to tend) his injuries. How does multimillionaire playboy Bruce Wayne protect h...	On the occasions where an explanation wouldn't work, Bruce simply "disappeared" for whatever reason, with Alfred covering for him.
Identify horror film/TV show where protagonists ostensibly hunting a Gill-Man are transformed into same I am trying to track down the name of a film or TV show I saw as a child during the 70s, probably during a "Creature Feature" type TV rebroadcast. I believe the work was actually from the 50s or 60s (black and white,...	It takes place on a submarine, not a river boat, but it involves men being turned surgically into 'gill men'.
Why was Duncan Idaho repeatedly reborn? Note: this is about out-of-universe reasons Throughout the Dune novels, the character of Duncan Idaho stands out as having the most appearances, but being reborn again and again as a ghola , for various purposes. Bringing back dead, beloved characters is a common trope and a fo...	The original reason Duncan was brought back was because he was simply a bad ass.
Story Identification - Coke bottle as treasure I read this in an anthology in the late '80s/early '90s, Asimov is stuck in my mind as either the author or editor, although that may be totally incorrect. What I can remember is there was a glass Coke bottle (I think this was revealed at the end), and it was very valuabl...	The Coke bottle, or some piece of it, clues the protagonist/reader in on the fact that He's on future Earth. But unlike anything that they have had before, there is only one glass bottle to go around.
Science fiction story with augmented reality glasses hiding reality Another story request :-) I remember reading a science fiction story where everyone wore augmented reality glasses in order to keep them from seeing the worn down world. Your city might be falling apart with garbage stacked on the streets, but it a...	Shiny things worked better for this than real mirrors; anything big and intentionally reflective got absorbed too quickly into this world’s firmness. This tale brilliantly explores a future in which humanity exploits multiple layers of reality, called skins, that filter out undesired elements.
Do any humans know about Division 6 / Men in Black? In the opening scene of MIB (the first film), K and D arrive when a border protection agency are stopping refugees from being smuggled into the country. K explains they are from Division 6, to which the border official responds there was no such thing. The MIB also ...	No - because "Division 6" isn't Men in Black, it's INS and doesn't exist.
Is it possible for Data to eventually gain emotions without a chip? It is my personal opinion that the more the Android learns human knowledge, the more human he becomes. The very yearning to be so is human in its own right. If I understand, the emotion chip causes malfunctions but I think observation naturally could g...	So, I'd say that Data couldn't possibly develop emotions without some external input. First, from everything we have seen in Trek, anything is possible.
Why is Batman restricted to Gotham city? Of course if Batman is also a superhero like Superman etc, he should save the earth from dangerous enemies. So why is Batman restricted to Gotham city? <Q> Every superhero began from somewhere. <S> Superman began from Metropolis that way, etc. <S> But when you look at DC hero...	Batman had his origins in Gotham because it was a city that needed a symbol, a savior who selflessly acted right no matter what.
Why did Lady Sif forget who she was? In S02E12 of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. , Lady Sir's memory was compromised because of the Kree weapon. She didn't know who she was. She also didn't know the name of her planet. S.H.I.E.L.D. needed to tell her that she was Lady Sif, a great warrior from Asgard. Later, we ...	Given the nature of the Vin-tak's espionage mission, the device appears to suppress short-term memory against species of which the Kree are familiar. The designers of the truncheon may have worried that leaving personal information could lead to a recall.
Why didn't Dumbledore simply put the Philosopher's Stone into a mokeskin pouch? In HP and the Deathly Hallows, Harry receives a mokeskin pouch for his 17th birthday. Hagrid vouchsafes to him that anything inside is inaccessible to anyone but the righful owner: ‘Here, Harry – couldn’ think what ter get yeh, but then...	Moke skin is highly prized among wizards for use as moneybags and purses, as the scaly material will contract at the approach of a stranger, just as its owner did; Moke-skin moneybags are therefore very difficult for thieves to locate.
Why did Tris not die from failing the Amity simulation when she tackled Jenine? In the movie, it seems to me a subtle truth that the simulation kills people when they outright fail the simulation. Meaning, if someone is, say Abnegation and Amity, but not any of the others, when those tests come, they will fail the simu...	The fact that Tris is a 100% divergent and the ideal candidate for the sims is the likely explanation that failure of a sim didn't outright kill her.
How would the Jotuns have made war on Asgard? In the first Thor movie, after Thor's shenanigans on Jotunheim, Laufey presents Odin with a declaration of war, and then Odin takes everyone back home to Asgard through the Bifrost. ...and then what? Aside from Loki's secret passage, which wouldn't have remained a sec...	It wasn't a matter of having Jotun arrive on Asgard; it was a matter of having them inside Asgard with no warning of their approach. Jotus were already pissed with Asgard because Asgard took Casket of Ancient Winters from them.
Were the trio ever punished for breaking into Gringotts? In the seventh Harry Potter book/movie, Harry, Ron and Hermione broke into Gringotts. They didn't do it in secret. Everyone knows about it. Were they ever punished for this? Or did the ministry show mercy because their purpose was noble? <Q> Once the war ended, ...	Considering the Malfoys faced no punishment for their crimes after they switched sides and abandoned Volemorts cause, it would seem highly unlikely that 3 people who were fighting against him would face any sort of punishment. No they weren't.
Why don't the Jedi use tutaminis instead of using their lightsabers? Tutaminis (force energy absorption) allows a Jedi to catch blaster bolts and even stop lightsabers with their body using the Force: Why don't the Jedi just use tutaminis to defend themselves instead of worrying about lightsaber combat? <Q> Tutami...	While undoubtedly a useful skill, I doubt it's any easier to block a lightsaber with your hand than with a lightsaber in your hand .
Was Harry good enough at Quidditch to play professionally? I can understand that Harry didn't play Quidditch professionally because he felt becoming an Auror to catch Dark Wizards was more meaningful. Was he good enough to, though? Ginny played professionally after the war, but she was a Chaser. She wasn't as good a S...	Harry was actually a good seeker who can play well, professionally also. Yes There really isn't any question to the matter when you consider the surrounding Wizarding world.
In Dune, Are the Guild Navigators non-humanoid? I finished the first book recently, and am watching the movie. It threw me that the navigators look like they do in the movie. I don't remember them being non-humanoid, and if they were I missed it. So, in the novels, are they? And if so, where is it first mentioned? Pl...	In the first book (Dune), the only description we have is of two of their agents , who're described as "men" with no indication of non-humanoid features: He and his companion pushed through to the barrier lances, which were raised at a nod from Paul.
What happened to Mr. Weasley's car? In Chamber of Secrets , we know that the bewitched car of Mr. Weasley helped Harry and Ron in the forest. However, after that I couldn't find any information about that car. What happened to it? Did it go back to the Weasleys or not? I am looking for a canon answer if it's availa...	Lacking further information, I’d assume it’s still there. Given that it’s gone wild, I think it’s unlikely it would return to the Weasleys. The battle of Hogwarts in Deathly Hallows : there were strong rumours that the car was going to make an appearance in the film adaptation, but they never came to pass.
How could the cruel House Bolton be a banner man or ally of the honorable House Stark? House Bolton is known for flaying their enemies. Their sigil is even a flayed man. Robb Stark executed Lord Karstark for injustice knowing he would lose his alliance with House Karstark. So how could Robb Stark have been an ally o...	House Stark was the liege lord of House Bolton, and as such, the Boltons had no choice but to go to war with them when called.
Why did Hermione stay with Harry and not leave with Ron? In The Deathly Hallows (both the book as well as the movie ), Ron gets corrupted by the power of the Locket 's curse. He has a breakdown with Harry and decides to storm out and leave. At this point however, Hermione, the love of his life, chooses to stay w...	Harry needed her more than Ron because finding the Horcrux was important. Hermione was not one for hasty decisions.
Why was Snape called the Half-Blood Prince? My question comes from what I learned in the movies, considering I have not yet been able to read the books. I would just like to know why Severus Snape called himself the Half-Blood Prince? Did many people call him that or did he just think that it was a cool nickname? This ...	Snape was a half blood , therefore the half blood part, and the prince part was from his witch mother, Eileen Prince , therefore the prince part, and his name, Snape, is from his not wizard father, Tobias Snape.
What exactly did Barry do in "Rogue Time" to change things so badly? The Flash S1E16, "Rogue Time", starts out right where the previous episode left off, with Barry having just traveled back in time 24 hours. Wells almost immediately picks up on it and warns him not to change things, but of course, he does. This has ...	It could have simply been the time ripple of Barry crossing through space-time existing in two places at the same time (granted it was only for a moment) but long enough to cause a "butterfly effect"
What was the use of the Weasley's vault at Gringotts? In Chamber of Secrets , we see the Weasleys go with Harry to Gringotts and take out a few sickles and ONE galleon from their vault (which empties it). Why use a vault for stuff that can be carried around in your moneybag? <Q> In-universe, it seems likely that Arth...	The oldest Wizarding families store their treasures at the deepest level, where the vaults are largest and best protected.
Which Sci-Fi work introduced the concept of "Advanced aliens mistaken as Gods"? I see "Advanced aliens mistaken as Gods" in lots of Sci-Fi works. For example, Asgardians and Kree had been mistaken as Gods in Marvel Cinematic Universe. This book also has this concept. Star Trek Into Darkness movie also showed someth...	Stanley Weinbaum's stories "A Martian Odyssey" and "Valley of Dreams" introduce a Martian race that are vaguely bird-like with a long beak.
While chasing our heroes, why did the T-1000 keep the same face all the time? T-1000 could morph into anyone's body. Then, what was the point of using the police officer's body all the time when the T-1000 was chasing our heroes? What was the point of notifying them that this is me? Couldn't he simply walk near John Co...	Plus, if the T-1000 was close enough to fool them with a disguise, he would be close enough to just run up and kill them with a gun. The T-1000 would not get the opportunity to get close to them in another form, they would never trust anyone because they know that any stranger could be the T-1000. He only changes form ...
Why did Sauron let Gollum roam Mordor freely a second time? We know Sauron intentionally let Gollum go so that Gollum would lead Sauron's minions towards the Ring, and Sauron knew Gollum would look and follow the Ring at all costs. So when Shagrat sees Shelob with her "sneak," why did Sauron order the orcs to let him ...	Sauron appears (though this is never said in so many words) to have released Gollum to allow him to hunt for the Ring, in the hope that he would lead Sauron to it.
What were the Jedi supposed to do after the assassination of Chancellor Palpatine? Being a Sith wasn't a crime and the assassination of a legit head of state was treason. Plus, the Senate and most government bodies were in the control of Palpatine. So, basically, the Republic was going to turn against the Jedi. What w...	The Jedi still planned to arrest Palpatine, hoping to put him on trial before the Senate.
How many seats were there in the Senate of the Galactic Republic? I love those flying disks in the senate of The Galactic Republic. How many disks were there? I googled, but without luck. A link says it 10000, but without citation. Is this ever mentioned in a book or other media? <Q> We don't know. <S> Sources are conf...	The best source I can find for a canon answer is the Databank article on the Galactic Senate , which simply says that there were "hundreds of politicians".
Gorn psychology and physiology I caught an old episode of the original Star Trek, "Arena," in which Captain Kirk comes extremely close to the Gorn he is fighting: My question is, what prevented the Gorn from simply biting Kirk's face off? Being as the Gorn was stronger than Kirk, clearly close enough in the face-to...	Such a strength variance between the two should have meant as soon as the two of them grappled, the Gorn should have been able to break Kirk's back like a very dry twig, Kirk's resistance, notwithstanding. I suspect that the Gorn were aware of the possibility of something similar to the climatic plot twist in that nove...
Are all worlds at the same point in time? In His Dark Materials , Lyra comes from a world where Catholicism and Protestantism apparently merged into one mega church that continues to exert great control over all aspects of life even into the modern era (e.g. the observatory that Lee Scoresby visits in The Subtle Knif...	I would assume that they are at the same point in the history of their world, i.e. the same amount of time has passed since the creation of the universe, but that doesn't mean that they would necessarily recognize it as circa 1997 AD. Pullman himself said that yes, it's the same time period, Most critics seem to think ...
Looking for an obscure 80s movie that happened in a neighbor's house at night All I recall is the layout of the neighborhood in which the film happened. The story mainly happened in a house that was kinda perched on a small hill in a dead end street that looked like the same neighborhood of Poltergeist. The story happ...	In the film, bored suburbanite Ray Peterson (Hanks) becomes convinced that his mysterious new neighbors, the Klopeks, are secretly serial killers. If what you're looking for is a dark comedy, it's probably The Burbs (1989), starring Tom Hanks. Alternatively, if what you're looking for is more of a horror/thriller, it m...
Why does Naboo elect such young rulers? Inspired by this question , Naboo has a tradition of electing twelve and fourteen year old girls to represent them at a galactic level. Padme remarks that at 14 she wasn't the youngest queen ever elected but she seems incredibly young by our standards, she'd still be in school ...	The most important factor of a ruler to many Nabooians was to be pure of heart and to have good intentions. It wouldn't be terribly hard to imagine that a fourteen year old could come to power in a monarchy if their parents died when they were still young. Sometimes ascending the throne required some kind of election (...
What character is this black cat figurine in Guardians of the Galaxy? I have a picture of Yondu's figurine collection from Guardians of the Galaxy . The black cat figurine (second from the right) is quite familiar to me, but I can't place it. I'm pretty sure it is from an anime, a well-known one. I think the jewel in...	Espeon matches your description of a reddish gem in the forehead, while Umbreon better fits the color of the figurine (and has red eyes). To my eye, it seems to be a generic cat figurine which resembles several things, rather than being an actual representation of some specific character.
Could dead people possess living people even after death? In Deathly Hallows, Hermione says: Look, if I picked up a sword right now, Ron, and ran you through with it, I wouldn't damage your soul at all. So after someone, let's say it's Voldemort, dies, could his soul keep flitting around and possessing people? <Q> ...	Souls (or something approximating them) can remain on Earth, but only as ghosts.

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