| Description: | Indestructability via mutated cells |
| Classification: | Biological |
| Characters With: | Jack the Ripper |
Immortality is, quite simply, the inability to die. While easy to mistake for rapid cell regeneration due to the body's capacity for enhanced self-repair and immunity to aging, there are notable differences. Those with rapid cell regeneration heal completely from most almost any kind of damage, but will perish if they are decapitated or their brains are sufficiently damaged. Those with immortality, however, do not regenerate as fast or as completely in every circumstance, but can survive decapitation and severe brain damage.
This is possible because the possessor's cells act as a colony of smart beings that can replicate, repair, and even move without the brain's input. This allows the user to move and reattach severed limbs as well as repair, regrow, or replace lost or damaged organs and bones, though at a much slower rate than those with rapid regeneration. If the user is decapitated, the body will move of its own volition to retrieve the missing piece of itself, but with inhibited motor skills. It is theorized that the cells share some sort of mild telepathic link with each other that allow themselves to communicate and work together in such a manner.
The downside to this ability is that if an arm or leg is completely lost, it cannot be regrown, only given a compatible replacement which will not assimilate fully with the cell colony for several days. In addition to this vulnerability, not being able to completely heal from extreme mutilation will often result in a hideous, deformed appearance as the years pass. Replacement body parts, even if brand new, will match the rest of the body in appearance once the cells are assimilated. Finally, it is possible that this ability results in insanity, either from the brain being rebuilt too many times or the simple revelation that the possessor cannot ever know the release of death. People with the ability to acquire the abilities of others are unable to possess both immortality and rapid regeneration at the same time due to the cells for each ability type being incompatible with each other. It is currently unknown which cell type would defeat the other if the two were mixed.
