Douwd vs. Q

[00111010 01000100]

Who do we think is more powerful?

The Douwd:
Immortal energy beings with vast powers, capable of wiping out entire species in the 50 billion population range - no matter where they are in the universe instantaneously with a single thought. Can create realistic space ships of unknown power and speed. Generating landscapes vegetation, a fully functional home. Also cable of creating artificial people of such realism that they seem 100% real. Unknown if they can manipulate time or exist in alternate realities. Origin is unknown. Unknown how many exist, only one at present. They have nothing to hold them in check from abusing their powers - the one exception being the Douwd named Kevin who imposed self penalty of eternal isolation after the killing of every Husnock known to exist in the universe - or genocide of a species.



The Q:
Immortal Extra-dimensional beings of unknown origin with immeasurable power and control of: time, space, the laws of physics, and even reality itself. Can create and alter any biological matter at whim. Knowledge seemly spans eons and various cultures and species. Able to destroy matter from existence, violating the basic principle of the conservation of matter - it cannot be destroyed completely or created from nothingness. Q entities seem to operate outside of time and space and are only held in check by other Q members.

[Graham Kennedy]

Q by far, I'd think.

Kevin was powerful, but he had limits. He couldn't hide from Deanna's empathic sense. He couldn't stop the Husnock other than by killing them. A Q could have thrown the Husnock across the galaxy, disarmed all their weapons, put an impenetrable barrier around the planet, or hell, just altered their minds so they weren't nasty any more. Not to mention a Q could have brought all the colonists back to life.

[McAvoy]

Q by far, I'd think.

Kevin was powerful, but he had limits. He couldn't hide from Deanna's empathic sense. He couldn't stop the Husnock other than by killing them. A Q could have thrown the Husnock across the galaxy, disarmed all their weapons, put an impenetrable barrier around the planet, or hell, just altered their minds so they weren't nasty any more. Not to mention a Q could have brought all the colonists back to life.

Pretty much this.

The Q really has never shown us their limits, things they cannot do. One aspect I think of they cannot do is being omnipresent.

[Graham Kennedy]

The closest thing we've seen to Q limits is that they generally lack any purpose because everything possible is "been there, done that". So most of them sit around staring at nothing.

Also, frankly, on an individual level they don't come across as being all that smart. The E-D crew plain outwitted Q on several occasions.

[00111010 01000100]

PICARD “Your colony was attacked by a warship”.
KEVIN “Belonging to the Husnock, a species of hideous intelligence who knew only aggression and destruction. I could have destroyed them with a mere thought, but I did not do so”.
CRUSHER “You had the power to stop them but you didn't?”
KEVIN “I refused to for the same reason I refused to stop the Enterprise. I will not kill”. —> until the husnock anyways!
PICARD “you let the colonists fight a hopeless battle”.
KEVIN “I tried to fool the Husnock as I tried to fool you. It only made them angrier. More cruel”.

Damn. That should be in the cons for Douwd: no telekinesis. As for he could do nothing but destroy them, he had almost trickster (like the Norse god Loki) to create illusions to fool enemies. If killing or distraction is the only ability to stop an attacker, then Dr. Crushers remark is a little disturbing, “you had the power to stop (kill them) but you didn’t?” I suppose it’s both a closed and open discussion on other abilities with her comment. We won’t know?
I wonder if a Douwd were to become angry with the Q.... could they destroy them all in a thought before the Q could react? Much like the parents in True Q. When caught off guard, they can be destroyed.

But that is circumstantial so, yes. Q is the winner of a match.

[Graham Kennedy]

The parents in True Q had given up their powers, so not really a fair test. Plus the Q attacked them with the tornado, so not a normal situation.

I honestly don't know if a Douwd could kill a Q. If I were a Q I'd have the most souped up super advanced personal defence it was possible to craft, something only another Q (or Q weapon) could get through, and it would be on at all times. But that's just me.

[IanKennedy]

The Q can imprison people in a supernova and a Q can survive that. I can't imagine that the Douwd can do that.

[Captain Seafort]

The Q can imprison people in a supernova and a Q can survive that. I can't imagine that the Douwd can do that.

Comet, not supernova. Supernovae were used as doorways to get into the continuum by tweaking the deflector dish a bit. Then you can nick a few weapons and seize control of the place.

[00111010 01000100]

The Q can imprison people in a supernova and a Q can survive that. I can't imagine that the Douwd can do that.

Comet, not supernova. Supernovae were used as doorways to get into the continuum by tweaking the deflector dish a bit. Then you can nick a few weapons and seize control of the place.

Referring to the VOY episode. As I remember, the supernova were the result of the conflict occurring in the Q continuum? The stranded Q female (male and females Q... anyone thinking about that going... is it by choice to be perceived as female or male? They don’t have a true sex so it’s just odd. Anyway. Off topic). She used a supernova and the deflector dish to mcguffin a way into the Q realm. I don’t think that supernova’s are the normal to gain access.
Anywho. I thought the same thing to the supernova comment. Depressed/suicidal Q was imprisoned in the comet core to prevent him from harming himself, or prevent any internal abilities from working since once he was transported out, he had full use of his powers.

As to the True Q parents giving up their powers, I thought they made it sound similar to the Q daughter refusing to use hers and when Riker was given Q powers and tried to resist using them. Q said that her parents renounced their powers, I’m not sure they were fully removed or taken away (like when Q was punished and requested asylum on the enterprise. I think they just refused to use them anymore, perhaps it’s why the tornado was as powerful and rapid as it was, to catch them off guard so they couldn’t hmmm. Power.. up.. again?
I digress. It was a simple thought after watching “the survivors” Episode again of who is more powerful or who could beat the other in a game of (im)Mortal combat.