Powers and Abilities
Holden's superpowers are the result of an alien artifact merging with his nervous system. Whenever he experiences physical trauma, he feels no pain but instead stores the pain, which he can then direct via touch into someone else. Enough pain can kill a person with no physical trace, making Carver an ideal assassin for Tao's purposes. Holden has little control over his power and causes pain to anybody who touches him. Another downside was that he is also incapable of feeling anything else, though a combination of pain and pleasure during sex can make him feel pleasure.
The artifact makes his thoughts unreadable to all telepaths and protects him against most though not all mental attacks. The artifact also quickly repairs all physical damage done to his body.
Holden has a number of other minor abilities. He has a hard time becoming drunk due to the artifact filtering out alcohol’s effects. The artifact also filters the physical results of stress and fear, making it so that Holden never gets shaky hands or slowed reflexes.
Read more about this topic: Holden Carver
Famous quotes containing the words powers and/or abilities:
“The shadow of a mighty Negro past flits through the tale of Ethiopia the shadowy and of the Egypt the Sphinx. Throughout history, the powers of single blacks flash here and there like falling stars, and die sometimes before the world has rightly gauged their brightness.”
—W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt)
“One never gets to know a person’s character better than by watching his behavior during decisive moments.... It is always only danger which forces the most deeply hidden strengths and abilities of a human being to come forth.”
—Stefan Zweig (18811942)