I determine valid feats by majority of the character's career. If some character hangs with the likes of Hulk for majority of his or her career but then gets knocked out by Captain America in few issues, it's PIS. Or if Captain America has shown skills and strategic thinking in most of his career but then is outhinked by the Scorpion, it's PIS.
Basically, if character fights smartly 99% of the time, but in 1% of his comics he is portrayed as an idiot, that 1% is PIS.
Well I kinda got the impression that Thor and She Hulk were pounding on his shields......obvoulsy he couldnt withstand forever but he took quite a few shot.
__________________ Watch what people are cynical about, and one can often discover what they lack.
- General George Patton Jr
I think I was being a little cynical when I wrote that... It may have been during the Storm fiasco...
What you do is probably the best way for determining PIS that I can think of. I'd also be willing to add that appearances in a character's own book count for more than crossover appearances written by people less familiar with the them, but I hardly think that is an outlandish statement. As an extension from what I was saying previously, people with the best general idea of where individuals fall on a "power scale" have formed those ideas based on exactly what you are talking about, and therefore form a loose consensus of how powerful different individuals are. PIS would then be ideas that go against this, and rightfully so.
In retrospect, maybe the point "Its not perfect so there" could have been kept to myself.
But what if a character fights like an idiot 99% of the time, and intelligently 1%?
Case in point, the flash? Are his best feats PIS? Or his worst?
I mean, comparitively, getting tripped by Deathstroke and knocked out by Captain Boomerang is Flash's 99%, whereas infinite mass punching, running to the end of time, beating teleportation in a race, and moving so fast that Superman's standing still are DEFINITELY the 1%.
Which is really the plot induced stupidity, though?
I am no expert, but cases like the flash seem to be more the exception than the rule...
It certainly has to do with the relationship between CIS and PIS. Maybe it is 99% power showings + CIS = Valid feat?
But determining if something is PIS or CIS is probably a matter to itself.
If flash refuses to use picosecond combat, is it because his character usually doesn't do it, or is it the case that in this instance the writer chose for him to not perform said feat, for plot based reasons (ie, more than a 2 panel fight)?
I mean, Doctor Strange has stopped time, instanenously, and without so much as a word or gesture...
He has also said that he HATES manipulating time. Not because it's hard, but because he feels that it's not 'right.'
So, him not using his insane mastery over time is not a matter of PIS, but simply CIS. His own restrictions placed upon himself.
But with the Flash, and characters like him, getting stabbed by Deathstroke or one-shotted with a boomerang CAN'T be CIS.
It's not like the Flash DOESN'T have lightspeed reaction time....Even if the majority of his feats are lower showings that present him getting tagged by characters that move at VERY sub-luminal speeds. Even sub-sonic speeds.
Well, best feats usually include specific instances like fighting for the life of his loved ones or saving the world...one can't say that he is really trying to achieve the same potential with your average villain of the day. I'd say best feats are the pinnacle of the character's ability, his "all-out mode". Generally in forum fights it seems that the character is going all out, usually with bloodlust mode.
IMO, best feats don't contrast as much with the average 80% of the feats. For example, Flash. 80% of the time he actually deals with the likes of Boomerang and Heat Wave easily (in fact, more often then not he is fighting the entire Rogues as group), when he doesn't have any specific reason for fighting then just stopping them from destroying the city building on something.
Then there is the best feats, where Zoom or someone is attempting to destroy his entire family, or millions are going to die, or the entire world is at stake...it's understandable that he will perform VASTLY better at those situations, kinda like the mothers who flip cars on top of their kids. Or then they are just plain pissed off.
But then there are the situations when he fights like a retard, with some crook punching is lights out. No reason given why he suddenly went so stupid. No explanation like in the above situation. I count those as PIS.
In fights, I usually count PIS situations if one of the combatants is fighting stupidly, or being far below their usual level in terms of power or skill.