Superhuman Hearing | |
Source: | Human-Animal Physiology |
Developed: | 2003 |
Trigger: | Activated through an act of willpower. |
Effect: | Hear sounds with amazing clarity. |
Class: |
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Superhuman hearing is the ability to hear sounds with far more detail at far greater distances than normally humanly possible, including sounds on frequencies undetectable by humans. It is utilized by genetically engineered individuals.
Origin[]
This ability came into being through genetic engineering. The subjects were injected with genetically-engineered animal DNA that caused their bodies to evolve and take on the creature's hearing capability.
Capabilities[]
This ability can be consciously activate and deactivated. In short, individuals choose when to hear superhumanly. However, some individuals were later shown to be able to use the sense without conscious awareness. For instance, a user will, on occasion, detect minor sounds nearby and loud noises from faraway, involuntarily.[1] This ability also offers great advantages in security, in that users can hear their enemy approach.[2] Although, it's important to point out that the ability is mostly used as a lie detector and to eavesdrop on other people conversations and activities.[3]
Examples[]
Super Soldiers[]
All the soldiers who unknowingly took part in the muirfield gene-splicing medical experiment developed superhuman hearing after they were injected with a serum containing DNA from many different animals.[4] However, no super soldier was ever seen using this ability before they were killed or went rogue. Though in 2003 Vincent told Vanessa Chandler that he felt like he could overhear a conversation from a mile away.
Vincent Keller[]
- Vincent: "I know that woman is lying...Her pupils were dilated, she was sweating, I could hear her pulse racing."
- Cat: "You could hear her pulse racing from all the way up here."
- Vincent: "Yeah."
- — Vincent helping Catherine with her case. [src]
By focusing his hearing, Vincent can hear on a superhuman level. However, it seems that he can also use this abilty without conscious awareness. In fact, there have been many examples of this, most of which involves Catherine. Also, a conversation between Vincent and Vanessa Chandler infers that his ability has a range of up to a mile. In his own words he said that "I feel like I can hear a conversation from like a mile away."[5]
Vincent has also invented a way of mentally screening out sounds to be able to focus in on specific sound, like a person's voice or heartbeat.[6] In fact, Vincent often make use of this skill when trying to detect whether or not a person is lying by listening to either their heartbeat or pulse.
On the 16th of October 2012, Vincent use telescopic vision in unison with his super hearing, from a considerable distance away, to detect faint physiological changes in Victoria Hansen (he hears her pulse racing, sees her sweating and her pupils dilate) when she lies to Catherine and Tess. Later that same night, at his warehouse, he hears Catherine's car pull up outside; and later hears her pulse racing when she tells him a lie.[7]
Vincent can also track others down easily using only his super hearing, as shown when he tracked Evan and Peter down in a subway tunnel.[8] However, loud continuous noise can make tracking with only his super hearing very difficult. He revealed this when he lost track of Alex and Conner in a hospital due to all the hospital alarms going off at once.[9]
References[]
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