POLL: Does The Siren have a superpower?

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Does The Siren have a superpower?

Poll ended at Fri Jan 11, 2019 5:45 pm

Yes, her ability to turn men into obedient servants is a superpower
17
81%
No, it's simply a byproduct of becoming a highly-trained singer
2
10%
Maybe, I feel strongly both ways
2
10%
 
Total votes: 21

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High C
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POLL: Does The Siren have a superpower?

Post by High C »

I've been meaning to throw this question out there for awhile, and it occurred to me again after recently seeing Joan Collins in American Horror Story, in which she played an actress who secretly was a witch. Unfortunately, there were no shoutouts to The Siren, as her power was 'merely' the ability to read people's minds, not control them.

Anyway, it got me to thinking. Based on the scripts that actually made it to air, how do you all see Siren? Was she a witch/sorceress of sorts with her ability to control men's minds, or did she somehow hone her voice to do that and still was a 'normal' woman otherwise? In essence, was she born with it and thus different to begin with, making it a superpower of sorts? Or did she simply practice and practice and acquire that ability the way an expert in, say, martial arts would do so?

I must admit, I go with supernatural because, realistically, even those female singers who train themselves to do super-high notes don't then gain the power of hypnosis/mind control. What do you folks think?
'I thought Siren was perfect for Joan.'--Stanley Ralph Ross, writer of 'The Wail of the Siren'

My hobbies include gazing at the Siren and doing her bidding, evil or otherwise.

'She had a devastating, hypnotic effect on all the men.'--A schoolmate describing Joan Collins at age 17
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clavierankh
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Re: POLL: Does The Siren have a superpower?

Post by clavierankh »

I remember a singer named Minnie Ripperton in the '70s
She had a four octave ed range and when she hit high notes I thought glass was going to shatter. I think a seven octave range is super normal and represents some sort of X Men like mutation.
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High C
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Re: POLL: Does The Siren have a superpower?

Post by High C »

clavierankh wrote: Mon Nov 12, 2018 6:49 pm I remember a singer named Minnie Ripperton in the '70s
She had a four octave ed range and when she hit high notes I thought glass was going to shatter. I think a seven octave range is super normal and represents some sort of X Men like mutation.
Two good points. The late Riperton was the mother of comic actress Maya Rudolph.

And yes, I should have mentioned X-Men, especially on the day of Stan Lee's death. Siren would've fit right in and of course, years after '66 Batman, there was Siryn as part of the X-Men.
'I thought Siren was perfect for Joan.'--Stanley Ralph Ross, writer of 'The Wail of the Siren'

My hobbies include gazing at the Siren and doing her bidding, evil or otherwise.

'She had a devastating, hypnotic effect on all the men.'--A schoolmate describing Joan Collins at age 17
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dell
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Re: POLL: Does The Siren have a superpower?

Post by dell »

This is a tough question. My preference is that she doesn't have one. I prefer to think of her like I do Batman; someone who has honed her natural abilities to an astounding level. That makes her seem more realistic and inherently more dangerous to me. If she isn't super then there could be a Siren out there right now! And a Batman to defeat her.

All of the other Bat villains were regular people, but really good at being criminals. They were pretty good at eliminating Batman too, but Batman was even better at escaping. Making Batman or even one of the criminals "super" in some way makes it less realistic to me (the irony of that statement does not escape me). So if Batman is a regular guy who has dedicated his life to fighting crime, then I can be Batman. OK, I need a mansion built over a cave, many millions of dollars, a faithful butler, a young ward, an awesome car and a ditzy aunt, but I COULD be Batman. If Batman has superpowers then I can't be Batman.
dell
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John Mack
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Re: POLL: Does The Siren have a superpower?

Post by John Mack »

Gosh, yes Dell. You nailed it.
Music. BAT! Music.
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Progress Pigment
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Re: POLL: Does The Siren have a superpower?

Post by Progress Pigment »

I'd say no. It's more of a developed skill. But she is the character from the Batman TV series that came closest to having a super power. Unless you count Batgirl's power of being super annoying.

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Dan E Kool
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Re: POLL: Does The Siren have a superpower?

Post by Dan E Kool »

dell wrote: Tue Nov 13, 2018 10:46 pm This is a tough question. My preference is that she doesn't have one.
That's my preference, too, for the reasons that you stated. Even so, it's tough for me to interpret the Siren and her power as anything but supernatural. Same thing goes for the Joker's time box. I don't know why those things are tougher to accept than, say, a professor who believes he's the King of the Nile whenever he's bonked on the head (or a millionaire who fights crime while dressed as a bat), but they are. :x
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High C
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Re: POLL: Does The Siren have a superpower?

Post by High C »

Belated thanks to everyone who posted and voted.
dell wrote: Tue Nov 13, 2018 10:46 pm This is a tough question. My preference is that she doesn't have one. I prefer to think of her like I do Batman; someone who has honed her natural abilities to an astounding level. That makes her seem more realistic and inherently more dangerous to me. If she isn't super then there could be a Siren out there right now! And a Batman to defeat her.

All of the other Bat villains were regular people, but really good at being criminals. They were pretty good at eliminating Batman too, but Batman was even better at escaping. Making Batman or even one of the criminals "super" in some way makes it less realistic to me (the irony of that statement does not escape me). So if Batman is a regular guy who has dedicated his life to fighting crime, then I can be Batman. OK, I need a mansion built over a cave, many millions of dollars, a faithful butler, a young ward, an awesome car and a ditzy aunt, but I COULD be Batman. If Batman has superpowers then I can't be Batman.
dell, I actually was thinking of you when I posted this in the first place, because I seem to remember that was your belief, that it was a developed skill. And to be completely fair, I should mention that in Stanley Ralph Ross' original treatment, he stated that Siren used 'years and years of rigorous training' to develop and hone her voice so it will affect men's minds. It's on page 3 of this treatment. So you certainly have a point.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/133pa7f10f87d ... r.pdf?dl=0
'I thought Siren was perfect for Joan.'--Stanley Ralph Ross, writer of 'The Wail of the Siren'

My hobbies include gazing at the Siren and doing her bidding, evil or otherwise.

'She had a devastating, hypnotic effect on all the men.'--A schoolmate describing Joan Collins at age 17
Regularguy
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Re: POLL: Does The Siren have a superpower?

Post by Regularguy »

dell wrote: Tue Nov 13, 2018 10:46 pm This is a tough question. My preference is that she doesn't have one. I prefer to think of her like I do Batman; someone who has honed her natural abilities to an astounding level. That makes her seem more realistic and inherently more dangerous to me. If she isn't super then there could be a Siren out there right now! And a Batman to defeat her.

All of the other Bat villains were regular people, but really good at being criminals.
Mister Freeze?
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epaddon
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Re: POLL: Does The Siren have a superpower?

Post by epaddon »

But Mister Freeze wasn't born with a superpower, he was the victim of an accident that altered him etc. And that alteration doesn't give him the capability to harm others just because he is that way now in contrast to Siren having a power that can cause direct harm potentially to others.
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Yellow Oval
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Re: POLL: Does The Siren have a superpower?

Post by Yellow Oval »

clavierankh wrote: Mon Nov 12, 2018 6:49 pm I remember a singer named Minnie Ripperton in the '70s
She had a four octave ed range and when she hit high notes I thought glass was going to shatter. I think a seven octave range is super normal and represents some sort of X Men like mutation.
I liked Eddie Murphy and Dave Chappelle's version of her hit 'Lovin' You' in The Nutty Professor remake.
"Hmmm... I don't like the twist this joke is taking. Let us away! Let us away!"
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