body power
Power Mimicry
Also called Power Absorption, Power Copying, Ability Theft
Power mimicry is acquiring the abilities of others. The four variants behave completely differently in a fight: copying leaves the original intact, absorption drains them, theft removes the power permanently, and skill mimicry copies technique without granting any superhuman ability at all.
How it works
Copying duplicates an ability while the original keeps it. Peter Petrelli accumulates powers simply by proximity, which is the least restricted version and the reason the character had to be rewritten mid-series.
Absorption takes the power away temporarily and usually harms the source. Rogue's touch drains ability and memory together; Parasite's stolen power decays over time, which is the balance mechanism.
Theft is permanent. Chrollo's Skill Hunter removes an ability outright and files it in a book — and it comes with the most elaborate condition set in fiction, requiring him to see the ability, ask about it, and be answered, all within an hour. That rule set is what keeps the power from being unbeatable.
Skill mimicry copies technique with no superhuman component. Taskmaster reproduces any physical movement he has watched, which makes him a match for elite fighters and no threat at all to anyone with an actual power. It is the cleanest demonstration that mimicry and power are separate things.
The generalised weakness across all four is the same: a mimic is always at least one step behind, and is defeated by an ability they have not yet encountered.
How it scales
- Skill mimicry
Copies technique and movement. No superhuman gain.
- Temporary copy
Gains an ability for a limited window, usually by contact.
- Absorption
Takes the power from the source, weakening them.
- Permanent theft
Removes the ability entirely and retains it.
Who has power mimicry
Across 4 universes. This list crosses publishers — something no single wiki can do, because every franchise keeps its own separate database.
| Character | Universe | Franchise | Feats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rogue | Marvel | Marvel Comics | 1 |
| Taskmaster | Marvel | Marvel Comics | 4 |
| Amazo | DC | DC Comics | 4 |
| Duplicate Boy | DC | DC Comics | 3 |
| Parasite | DC | DC Comics | 3 |
| All For One | Anime & Manga | My Hero Academia | 3 |
| Chrollo Lucilfer | Anime & Manga | Hunter x Hunter | 6 |
| Peter Petrelli | Other Media | Heroes | 4 |
The feat ledger
Every entry cites the work it comes from. Feat means it was shown in the work; Statement means a character or narrator said it. Nothing here is a fan estimate unless it is tagged Calc.
Chrollo Lucilfer — Skill Hunter steals an ability permanently, but only after he has seen it, asked about it and been answered within an hour
Rogue — Absorbed Ms. Marvel's powers and memories permanently rather than temporarily, in the incident that defines the character
Taskmaster — Reproduces any physical technique he has watched while gaining no superhuman ability from it
Parasite — Drains power and memory on contact, with the stolen power decaying rather than persisting
Amazo — Built to replicate the powers of every Justice League member simultaneously, and upgraded with each roster change
Peter Petrelli — Accumulates the abilities of anyone he is near, without an initial limit on how many he can hold
Parasite — Copies Superman's full power set on contact
Parasite — Stolen abilities decay over time, which is the standing limit on him
Duplicate Boy — Copies any single power he has seen, at full strength
Duplicate Boy — Matches Legion members individually using their own abilities against them
Duplicate Boy — Native to Lallor, where the whole population has powers
Peter Petrelli — Absorbs the abilities of anyone he is near, permanently
Peter Petrelli — Holding too many abilities becomes the stated danger, not the benefit
Peter Petrelli — Absorption is passive — he acquires abilities without intending to
Amazo — Copies the powers of every Justice League member simultaneously
Amazo — An android built by Professor Ivo specifically to absorb powers
Amazo — He must encounter a power to copy it, which is the only reliable limit
Taskmaster — Photographic reflexes let him reproduce any movement after seeing it once
Taskmaster — He copies technique, not power — he cannot reproduce a superhuman ability
Taskmaster — Cannot copy Spider-Man's movements, because they depend on a power he lacks
Chrollo Lucilfer — Skill Hunter steals another person's ability and stores it in a book
Chrollo Lucilfer — The theft requires several conditions met in order, or it fails entirely
Chrollo Lucilfer — The stolen ability is lost if the victim dies
Chrollo Lucilfer — Uses several stolen abilities in combination during a single fight
Chrollo Lucilfer — He must hold the open book to use anything in it, the standing vulnerability
All For One — Takes a quirk from one person and gives it to another at will
All For One — One For All was created from his own quirk, making them a matched pair
All For One — Taking a quirk by force damages the victim permanently
Limits
- Nearly all mimicry requires contact, proximity or direct observation.
- Copied powers are usually weaker than the original.
- Chrollo's Skill Hunter has one of the strictest condition sets in fiction, and losing the book loses everything in it.
- Rogue's absorption is involuntary, which is the character's defining problem rather than an advantage.
Counters
- Preventing contact and staying out of range.
- Using an ability the mimic has never seen.
- Overloading them with more powers than they can control.
Questions
Is Taskmaster a power mimic?
Only of skills. Taskmaster's photographic reflexes let him reproduce any physical technique he has watched, but he gains no superhuman ability from it. He can copy Captain America's fighting style and not his strength, which is precisely the limit that defines the character.
Last updated 2026-09-06 · machine-readable version