Combustion
The hero has the ability to transform any target into combustible material. Once this Power has been used, spontaneous combustion occurs within 1-10 turns after. Only the surface layer of matter is converted by this Power. As such, the flames only last 10-20 turns since the combustible material is quickly burned away. The total amount of damage done by this is equal to Power rank Intensity.
Example: Rusty Collins, a student of X Factor, has Mn(75) Combustion but has not yet achieved full control over it. At present, when he is excited, he can inflict up to In(40) Intensity damage on a target. When his Power first appeared, his accidental target was a woman who subsequently suffered severe burns.
The maximum amount of target area the hero can initially affect is the number of square feet equal to his Power rank times 10. For example, when he is fully trained in the use of his Power, Rusty Collins will be able to ignite an area of 750 square feet at a distance of 40 areas (1 mile) away. The Power only affects the surface of a target that is in sight of the hero. Using the Power against a gasoline tank would only burn the outside of the tank and any gasoline that had already leaked through bad joints in the tank walls. If the damage were sufficient to rupture the tank or heat the gasoline inside to the combustion point, then the stored liquid could join the blaze.
The Power's effects begin to multiply when the power is used against targets that are already flammable or in the immediate vicinity of flammable materials. Most of Mankind's manufactured items and buildings contain some percentage of flammable material. Even materials not known for their combustible qualities, like plaster, will burn if enough heat is applied. By taking this into consideration, the clever hero can simply use his Power as the spark to start an apparently normal fire.
Combustion normally occurs only in the presence of free oxygen. If there's no oxygen in the air or if there is no air, period, Combustion cannot take place. Using this Power on a target under such a circumstance would have no immediate effect on the target. While the Power would still convert some of the target into, flammable, volatile compounds, these would simply and harmlessly evaporate; used under water, the Power would make bubbles suddenly appear on the target. At Un rank or higher, the hero gains the ability to transform some of the target into free oxygen as well as fuel, thus permitting the Power the Power to function in a vacuum or hostile environment.
If the target is affected by the Power but the flames are somehow prevented from occurring, the target will only remain potentially flammable for 21 to 30 turns after the Power has had its initial effect. At any point during that time, the target can still burst into flame; after that has elapsed, the target is safe. Means that can prevent Combustion from occurring include Elemental and Molecular Conversion, Fire Control, Thermal Control, Cold Generation, Force Field vs. Energy, and Resistance to Energy. Any of these Powers gives its possessor Power rank Resistance to Combustion's effects.
Example: Rusty Collins is battling a Sentinel. He uses his Mn(75) Power to set fire to the Sentinel's faceplate. The Sentinel reacts by spraying extinguishing foam on itself. The foam has Un(100) fire retardant qualities and prevents the Combustion-affected area from igniting. Unfortunately for the Sentinel, it only lasts 25 turns after initial application. As the Sentinel grabs Rusty, his faceplate belatedly but still spectacularly bursts into flame.
Optional Powers include Fire Generation and Control.
Nemeses include Elemental and Molecular Conversion, Cold Generation, Fire Control, and Thermal Control.
Range: Column A.