Possession Implies Mastery: Difference between revisions
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This makes more sense when dealing with governments, mind you, who are both interested in and good at reverse-engineering; on the other hand, this presupposes that other cultures' governments are similar to that of the US.
This fallacy is often reinforced by [[Mr. Fixit]], who generally can adapt any piece of technology he gets his hands on to do whatever the plot calls
Compare [[Instant Expert]]. Contrast [[Cargo Cult]], [[Clarke's Third Law]], [[Scavenger World]] (where people forgot how to make a lot of things [[After the End]]), [[How Do I Shot Web?]] (the inverse of this trope with superpowers), [[You Shouldn't Know This Already]] (which stops gamers from using something they have before they learn how in-game), [[Low Culture, High Tech]] (where the this is not the case for a low tech culture using high tech gadgets), [[Black Box]] and [[Loyal Phlebotinum]].
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Has nothing to do with [[Demonic Possession]] (although one might wonder how easy it is for demons to work out how to use their hosts' bodies...)
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== Anime and Manga ==
* [[Averted Trope|Conspicuous by its absence]] in ''[[Macross]]'', where barely understood higher technology acts like it. Multiple plot points involve the protagonists being forced to use a foolhardy technique or maneuver and having it blow up in their faces. {{spoiler|The [[Cool Ship]] first takes off using alien antigravity generators, which proceed to tear through the hull and float off into the sky. The second attempt is done with ordinary engines. On the other hand, the crew then pulled off an extreme low altitude space fold jump to outmaneuver the Zentrandi, leaving them astonished that their enemy could something they thought impossible. Simply, the inexperienced and desperate Macross crew did not know that themselves and succeeded by pure luck.}} This actually works somewhat in their favor since their enemies are kept continually off guard with each stunt, unable to decide if their completely unpredictable enemies are pathetic amateurs or half-crazed tactical geniuses
On the other hand, the Zentraedi could operate all their technology—but when something broke (such as the big screen in Breetai's command deck), all they could do was clean up the mess and make do without because they were kept deliberately ignorant of how to create or repair technology.
** This lack of understanding actually kicked off the plot. The crew of the Macross found out too late that the original owners of their ship had rigged it to fire its [[Wave Motion Gun|main cannon]] on the first Zentrandi ship that came in range, thus throwing humanity into a war with the aliens. {{spoiler|more to the point, the low altitude space fold jump mentioned above ended up bringing an ''entire island'' (with over 5000 civilians) along for the ride, out to around the orbit of Pluto (they had intended to jump behind the moon). Better yet, the fold space generator (that they had used to make the jump) literally vanished into thin air during the jump.}}
* Shirou of ''[[Fate/stay night]]'' develops {{spoiler|the ability to construct imitations of legendary swords out of seemingly nothing. This also somehow reconstructs the original users' skills at using said weapons}}, so possession in this case really does imply mastery, or at least proficiency.
It is a plot point in UBW that {{spoiler|Gilgamesh and Shirou}}, as mere "owners" rather than "wielders" of their weapons, generally suck in comparison to other servants in direct combat because they don't have the mastery gained by focusing in one weapon. {{spoiler|Shirou actually points this out, and wins because Unlimited Blade Works provides him with an infinite amount of duplicates that are summoned faster than Gilgamesh pulls stuff out of his arsenal. He uses the duplicated proficiency and overload the duplicates to repel or destroy Gilgamesh's originals and forces the latter on the defensive.}}
** It helps that {{spoiler|Shirou}}, when recreating his weapons, copies the history of how they were made and ''how they were wielded'', giving him a level
* This is the power of the Gandalfr Familiar, the position held by Saito, in ''[[Zero no Tsukaima]]''. If it's made for battle, he can use it. This is demonstrated when a shiny display sword given to him by Kirche completely fails in battle.
* Haru Glory's Ten Commandments sword in ''[[Rave Master]]''. It has ten forms, and Haru seems to know exactly what every form does the moment he needs it, such as bringing out {{spoiler|Runesave}} to save {{spoiler|Elie without having to kill her}}. This is however justified since the Rave of Knowledge explicitly provides this insight.
* In ''[[Bleach]]'', this is quite the opposite for pretty much anyone with spirit abilities. Especially captains, no matter how much of a genius they're stated to be. Which explains just why characters like Ichigo and Toushiro can keep getting pretty much curb-stomped, despite their power levels and genius. They have
** Kenpachi Zaraki is the best example of subverting this trope. He owns a zanpakuto... but to him, it's just a normal sword. He makes up for the lack of zanpakuto abilities with monstrous strength and spiritual pressure. Similarly, lesser shinigami have zanpakuto without abilities, but it's implied that for most shinigami, gaining the abilities simply comes with time and effort, leading to a increase in rank and power.
* A lot of characters in ''[[Code Geass]]'' seem to be able to pilot [[Mini-Mecha|Knightmare Frames]], despite having [[Falling Into the Cockpit|found themselves using them for the first time]]. Somewhat justified in that Suzaku mentioned having had some military-mandatory training on simulators in the first episode, Lelouch having used the Ganymede to make giant pizzas during previous school festivals, and Kallen having assumedly had some time to practice with that old Glascow. Still, a line from the [[Abridged Series]] is used as the page quote for [[Falling Into the Cockpit]]...
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* Averted for most of the [[Blue Beetle]] legacy. The first one, Dan Garett, got powers from it by saying a magic word (ultimately revealed to be misusing it, and the magic likely damaged its true function). Then Ted Kord came into possession of the scarab but never got it to work, instead borrowing its motif for his costume and gadgets. It was only the third owner, Jaime Reyes, who had it work as intended - but he still hasn't mastered it; the scarab activated because ''it'' chose to, and he still argues with it over what to do at times.
* ''[[Ultimate X-Men]]'' member Colossus lampshades this when Weapon X forces him to stop a train, pointing out that just because he's super strong doesn't mean he's strong enough to do this {{spoiler|though it turns out he is.}} Weapon X doesn't care.
** This being the Ultimate Universe, things aren't quite that simple though. {{spoiler|His initial warning is true, he ''doesn't'' have super strength; this was later proved to be a side effect of a [[Super Serum]] called [[Shout-Out|Banshee]] that amplifies mutant powers. Without it, Colossus would have just been a metal man, too heavy (it's implied) to even breathe for any extended period of time. In true comic book form, they [[
*** Which brings up the [[Fridge Logic]] of {{spoiler|how Colossus still had his strength after weeks of captivity. But then, that will happen with a story about a drug made out of Wolverine.}}
* In a similar vain, a recent story looking back on the early days of [[Superman]]'s career shows that the man of steel knows he's strong and invulnerable but doesn't know how strong and invulnerable he is. He briefly panics when his lungs fill with lava while submerged.
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* A little known UK movie called ''Morons from Outer Space'' plays with this trope, as the aliens who crash-land on Earth are assumed to be a higher order of intelligence. In point of fact, they are the interstellar equivalent of ignorant tourists who rented a camper and ended up running off the road in the wrong town.
* The heroes of the film ''[[Spaced Invaders]]'' are the most incompetent members of their race.
* In the ''[[Iron Man (film)|Iron Man]]'' film, {{spoiler|Obadiah Stane}} pilots powered armor (that wasn't even made by him) for the first time and is immediately able to go toe to toe with Iron Man, who spent several ([[Amusing Injuries|hilarious]]) weeks practicing with his suit. Justified as {{spoiler|[[Foil|Stane]]}} planed to sell his [[Mini-Mecha]] [[Evil Knockoff]] on the black market, so he just crammed it with computer
{{quote|'''Iron Man''': [[Are These Wires Important?|THIS looks important! * R-r-rip!*
* In ''[[Pathfinder]]'', the hero grew up with a Viking sword, but his only practice with it appears to be occasionally swinging it around, alone, in forest clearings. When the Vikings show up again, he proves to be a skilled swordfighter.
** It's actually a partial aversion. When he's swinging his sword in the forest, it's a [[Training Montage]]. It's vaguely implied that he practices for a long time. At the beginning of the scene he holds the sword wrong and swings it awkwardly. By the end of the scene he's holding it correctly and swinging it much more skillfully.
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** Partially justified at the beginning of [[Samurai Sentai Shinkenger]] in that all of the characters have been training to carry on their family legacies. However it is averted slightly in the second episode. Ryuuonosuke knows ''about'' the [[Combining Mecha|Samurai Gattai]] but doesn't actually know what it does or how its done and winds up getting everyone to stack themselves up in a totem pole like formation.
* Averted in the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' episode "Attack of the Cybermen", in which the Cybermen plan to use a time machine to change history. The Doctor cannot understand why the Cybermen would do something so catastrophic, since it would be just as damaging for them as for everyone else; it falls to another character to point out that the Cybermen's timeship is ''stolen'', not built, and that they do not understand its principles.
** Averted in the first few years of ''Doctor Who'' with the TARDIS. Part of Sydney Newman's original character brief was that he did not know how to steer his stolen timeship; however, in execution, it was a combination of "the Doctor didn't know how" and "the ship was already old"
* Modern ''[[Kamen Rider]]'' series tend to have a character just ''know'' how to use their Rider powers within seconds of obtaining the [[Transformation Trinket]] - including how to use the Trinket in the first place.
** Depends on the series. There are subversions here and there although certain ones like Kabuto, Faiz and Kiva play it straight.
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