Regenerative Healing Factor

> Even if you fight to the death, you can't win, Kyojuro. Those impressive slashes you inflicted on me have already healed completely. But what about you? A smashed left eye, shattered ribs and damaged internal organs... all irreparable. If you were a demon, you'd heal in a blink of an eye. To a demon, those are just scratches.
>
> Akaza to Kyojuro Rengoku (Kimetsu no Yaiba)

> It's just, whatever I do, I just... re-grow."
> "Huh. Like a blue-eyed, square-jawed tapeworm. So, if I cut you exactly in half, would there be two Pierces?"
> "No. Only one side would heal. You see, I — [grins] I call it the 'master molecule theory'—'"
> "Yes, yes, Wolverine rules, I get it.
>
> Cain and Lucifer (Lucifer)

> How am I feeling? Well, my ribs are cracked, my nose is broken and my left arm seems to have been dislocated, but it's nothing that shouldn't fix itself up in a day or two, madam.
>
> Steve Rogers/Captain America (The Ultimates)

The power to **rapidly heal**. Sub-power of Regeneration Manipulation. Opposite to Anti-Regeneration. Not to be confused with Enhanced Regeneration.

## Also Called

* Accelerated Healing/Healing Factor/Regeneration
* Enhanced Healing/Healing Factor/Regeneration
* **Healing Factor**
* High-Speed Regeneration/Healing/Healing Factor
* Hyper-Regenerative Powers
* Instant/Instantaneous Healing/Healing Factor/Regeneration
* **Regeneration**
* Regenerative Being/Regen Physiology
* Regenerative Healing/Powers
* Regenerator Physiology
* Rejuvenation
* Self-Healing
* Spontaneous Regeneration/Healing/Healing Factor
* Tentative Healing Factor/Regeneration

## Capabilities

Users possess a regenerative healing factor, meaning that they can rapidly heal and get restored to their optimal and full health/state at an extremely fast rate. Unlike Healing, regeneration/healing factor is a process that happens unconsciously without the need for activation, resulting in a constant state of optimal health. Regeneration is a process that occurs in all biological entities, but a regenerative healing factor is much more efficient, seamless, and powerful. So much so that users can recreate lost or damaged tissues, organs, and limbs, sometimes slowing, or even stopping aging, something natural regeneration can never accomplish (or does so extremely slowly). The rate and amount of healing vary widely (see *Levels of Regeneration*); some can regrow missing limbs, others must put the limb back in place for rapid regeneration. The user is generally in very good physical shape, as their bodies are constantly reverting to a healthy state, granting them nigh-inexhaustible stamina and vitality.

The regeneration process also increases the speed of processes the body uses in the healing such as endorphin production to mitigate pain reducing the amount of time and severity the subject feels discomfort leading to an increased pain threshold. Other processes included are the production of adrenaline and the fight or flight response which are greatly extended by the increased recovery leading to increased physical performance as the subject gains elevated strength and energy while also able to push their bodies harder due to decreased sensation of pain.

At higher levels, a user can regenerate not just their cellular tissues, but also their DNA, undoing genetic mutations and breakdown, as well as maintaining one's youth by extending telomeres. If advanced enough, the ability will cause the body to cease aging as the cells are regenerating and dying in equilibrium, granting a form of immortality.

## Applications

* Decelerated Aging/Longevity/Accelerated Longevity or Semi-Immortality/Immortality - Depending on how potent it is.
* Peak Human/Enhanced/Supernatural/Absolute Recovery - Recovering at an accelerated rate.
* Peak Human/Enhanced/Supernatural/Absolute Survivability
* Health Optimization - Restoring the user back to optimum condition.
* Pain Suppression/Immunity
* Reattachment - Possible at certain levels.
* Self-Restoration - Basic ability.
	+ Body Part Restoration to Regrowth
* Self-Resurrection - Only if the user's healing factor is powerful enough.

## Methods

* Biological Manipulation - Repair/regenerate one's own damaged cells.
* Body Shedding - Leave all wounds behind.
* Healing - Applying to heal to injuries and diseases.
* Infinite Energy - Provide oneself with infinite energy supply to constantly repair the damage.
* Molecular/Atomic/Subatomic Manipulation - Repair oneself at multiple/any level.
* Nanite Manipulation - Utilize nano-machines to repair bodily damage.
* Wound Transferal - Transfer sustained damage to another while healing oneself.

## Variations

* Absorbing Regeneration: Regenerate by absorbing matter/energy to empower the regeneration process or transform matter/energy directly into their mass.
	+ Consumption Healing: Regenerate by eating anything.
	+ Cosmic Regeneration: Regenerate by absorbing cosmic energy.
	+ Digital Regeneration: Regenerate by absorbing digital data.
	+ Inorganic Regeneration: Regenerate by absorbing inorganic substances.
		- Artificial Element Regeneration: Regenerate by absorbing artificial elements.
		- Elemental Regeneration: Regenerate by absorbing elements.
			* Energy Regeneration: Regenerate using pure energy.
				+ Kinetic Energy Regeneration: Regenerate using kinetic energy.
				+ Solar Regeneration: Regenerate using solar energy.
	+ Organic Regeneration: Regenerate by absorbing living or non-living organic material.
	+ Phlebotinum Regeneration: Regenerate by absorbing phlebotinum/unobtainium.
	+ Stellar Regeneration: Regenerate by absorbing stellar matter/energy.
* Accelerating Regeneration: Increases the speed of regenerative power each time they are wounded.
* Adaptive Regeneration: Adapt to bodily harm as you regenerate.
* Ample Regeneration: (Surplus Regeneration, Hydra Effect) User grows back extra of whatever body parts are lost or lethally injured. One with this ability may lose an arm, and grow back two, or the like.
	+ User's body may only grow back two limbs or organs at a time; and the body can subliminally intuit when not to grow back extra parts (so the user doesn’t end up with eight heads or the like, which will impair function instead of helping it).
* Anatomical Liberation: User "re-collects" body parts after said parts have been dismembered or removed from the body. This ability makes being dismembered and vaporization impossible, as the body will simply pull itself back together.
* Bio-Mechanical Regeneration: Regeneration via biomechanical tissue.
* Body Recreation: User can recreate their body from scratch.
* Bone Regeneration: Regenerate bones.
* Core-Reliant Regeneration: Regenerate from any injuries so long as the core of the body remains intact.
* Emotion Regeneration: Regenerate from any damages done to one state's emotions.
* Empathic Regeneration: Regenerate using emotion-based powers.
* External Regeneration: Regenerate external systems.
* Healing Coma: Undergo a coma, allowing the user’s body to heal without danger. One with this ability may generate an aura of healing energy, a psychic aura that accelerates the healing process, or a defensive aura to prevent further damage. In the first case, the life energy required may be absorbed from outside areas. In the second case, the energy comes from the mind. In the third case, the aura levitates the user and matches any outside force to be impenetrable by potentially harmful outside forces.
	+ Petrifactive Hibernation: Enter a dormant state as a statue, from which the user emerges fully rejuvenated.
* Healing Sleep: Regenerate by falling asleep.
* Internal Regeneration: Regenerate internal organs/systems.
* Magical Regeneration: Regenerate through the aid of magic.
* Mechanical Regeneration: Regenerate through the aid of any type of machinery.
* Mental Regeneration: Regenerate from any damage done to mind, including brain damage, brain disease, etc.
* Mutative Regeneration: Regenerate at the cost of mutating.
	+ Regenerative Transformation: Regenerate while changing one's form.
* Nerve Regeneration: (Neural Regeneration, Nervous System Regeneration) Regenerate one’s nerves (which usually are incapable of regeneration) and return them to their original state after harm. The user could use this ability to resist being stunned, going unconscious, going into shock from intense pain or permanently losing sensation in any part of the body.
	+ This ability may grant immunity to paralysis, stroke, mental disability, or the like if the entire nervous system can regenerate.
* Phasing Regeneration: regenerate via Intangibility.
* Power Regeneration: Regenerate from any damage done to one's powers.
* Recovery Mode: Go into a mode made for recovery.
* Reforming: (Reconstitution) Pull oneself back together after being blown up.
* Regenerative Bodily Fluids: Have bodily fluids with regenerative properties.
* Replication Regeneration: Regenerate using clones.
* Regenerative Durability: Be more durable due to the healing factor.
	+ Regenerating Defense: The user's defensive properties regenerate alongside the user.
* Regenerative Replication: Clone using regeneration.
* Self-Regeneration Manipulation: Concentrate to effect personal self-recovery.
* Sensory Regeneration: Regenerate senses/sensory organs.
* Symbiotic Regeneration: Regenerate using symbiotic power.
* Telekinetic Regeneration: Regenerate using psychic powers.

## Levels of Regeneration

* Peak Human Regeneration
	+ **Level I**: The most basic and impotent form of regeneration. Users are only limited to healing wounds that are well within the human limits of sustainability, such as small cuts, bruises, sprains, scrapes, muscle tears etc. The only difference that sets it apart from regular human regeneration is that minor injuries like the aforementioned, which could take weeks or months to fully recover, would instead take days or hours to heal.
	+ **Level II**: Injuries that cause blood loss, leave large scars, or otherwise would be considered severe to regular humans such as: deep cuts, electrical shocks, dislocations, fractures, severe burns, gunshots etc. healing them in a matter of days or weeks.
	+ **Level III**: This level of regeneration can heal minor to moderate damage to internal parts of the body, most prominently organs. This includes physical trauma and damage to organs, organ failure, and other conditions related to internal damage, with full recovery taking weeks or months rather than years.

* Enhanced Regeneration
	+ **Level I**: This level of regeneration would be capable of healing minor amputations to the body, such as lost fingers, toes, ears and potentially reattaching lost limbs. For regeneration of more serious amputations to the body, healing may not be perfect.
	+ **Level II**: This is a special type of regeneration that deals with more intricate and indetectable damage to the body. At this level, users would be immune to damage done by any form of contaminants, diseases, and infections, including but not limited to strokes, Ischemic heart disease, AIDS, diabetes, cancers, radiation etc. Though, certain conditions such as Alzheimer's that do not cause physical damage to the body can't be healed by this level of regeneration.
	+ **Level III**: The traditional and usually most common level of regeneration. Injuries that can be healed in this category of regeneration would be fatal and unsurvivable for regular humans, such as disembowelment/evisceration, horizontal bisection, complete organ destruction, severe damage to the brain, spinal cord and nervous system, impalement etc. Users would be able to regenerate lost limbs or even massive chunks of their bodies, but usually cannot survive complete brain destruction and will not survive decapitation or being rendered to bits.

* Supernatural Regeneration
	+ **Level I**: At this level, users can regenerate extremely severe brain damage and even survive decapitation. This would entail head regrowth or head reattachment.
	+ **Level II**: Users can regenerate from being blown/torn/slashed to pieces, being able to restore their entire body back to its original state from a single part of their body, such as the head, heart, or even fingers. As long as a solid portion of the user's body survives, they can regenerate. At this level, it's common for users to have a 'core' which must be destroyed in order to kill them.
	+ **Level III**: This level of regeneration entails healing from extreme physical destruction of the body. Users would be able to regenerate from a drop of blood, a single cell, or even having all biology completely annihilated. At this level, users would be able to effortlessly survive point-blank nuclear explosions, or even cosmic-scale explosions.

* Ultimate Regeneration
	+ **Level I**: At this stage, the user's regeneration would be so advanced that they would not only remain at an optimal condition and peak health forever, being immune to anything from dementia to mutations, but would also essentially attain a form of Immortality that makes them unkillable and eternally youthful. They would also be able to survive without any form of sustenance and be completely immune to any form of harmful foreign substance, detrimental conditions, hereditary illnesses, unformed limbs, birth defects etc. Even telepathic attacks would be rendered useless as the user can simply restore their mind to its unaltered state. This type of regeneration is also adaptive and intelligent, preventing it from accidentally multiplying tumors but instead restore it back to its original forms. If something is jammed into the body, the healing factor would shift and remove the object to recover. At this stage, the user would most likely possess infinite or near-infinite stamina and pain tolerance. (Note that to qualify for this level, the user must first qualify for **Level III** of Supernatural Regeneration)
	+ **Level II**: Users are capable of regenerating from complete and utter bodily destruction of any scale. Most prominently, this includes restoring their entire body from ash, vapor, plasma, molecules, atoms, or even sub-atomic particles.
	+ **Level III**: At this level, users can use intangible and nonphysical aspects of themselves to heal, such as their mind (not to be confused with the brain), soul, a form of supernatural/esoteric energy, a metaphysical force etc. This would entail that even if nothing is left of their bodies down to the most micro-level, they would be restored back to their original forms flawlessly.

* Nigh-Absolute Regeneration
	+ **Level I**: Users would be capable of regenerating from having their physical, mental, temporal and spiritual state annihilated. This can also include damage done by higher-dimensional entities.
	+ **Level II**: Users would be capable of surviving having their underlying and most fundamental concepts being destroyed. This entails that the destruction of the very foundation of their existence would not be enough to kill the user.
	+ **Level III**: Users can regenerate from having their place in the narrative being destroyed. In theory, this would mean a higher narrative being or event (which would completely transcend all lower narrative entities) would be unable to kill the user. At this level, the only way to kill them is to weaken or nullify their regeneration.

* Absolute Regeneration
	+ Regeneration that would, in theory, be the equivalent of an author in our world being unable to erase one of their characters in a story.
	+ This level of regeneration cannot be negated, hampered, or prevented in any way.
	+ The truest form of Absolute regeneration would only be possessed by a truly omnipotent being.

## Associations

* Absolute Self-Resurrection
	+ Resurrection
* Alien Physiology
* Amazon Physiology
* Appendage Generation
* Autonomous Body Parts
* Biological Manipulation
* Bionic Physiology
	+ Artificial Physiology
	+ Android Physiology
		- Biodroid Physiology
* Body Manipulation
* Energy Independence
* Health Manipulation
* Immortality
* Injury Immunity
* Regeneration Manipulation
* Self-Sustenance
* Shapeshifting
* Super Soldier
* Superior Human Physiology
	+ Prime Superior Human
* Vampire Physiology
* Werewolf Physiology

## Limitations

* Healing Impairment can turn regeneration against its user.
* Damage inflicted by Irreversible Destruction cannot be regenerated.
* Semi-useless against Survivability Reduction.
* Since the creation of blood is a different process than healing, regenerators might still be brought down continuously/rapidly bleeding them.
* Automatic Function:
	+ Can make surgical procedures nearly impossible.
	+ May be affected via conscious thought. (Focus on getting better)
* Function of power:
	+ Anti-Regeneration
	+ Healing Erasure
	+ Healing Factor Nullification
	+ Regeneration can be lost if it depends on external source/object.
	+ Removal of power may undo previous regeneration.
	+ Misaligned body parts, foreign objects in wound, or mitosis-inhibiting drugs may affect regeneration.
* Instant death may kill the user before they regenerate.
	+ Death Inducement, Destabilization, Destruction, Disintegration, Incineration, One Hit Kill, etc.
	+ Damage may exceed the rate or extent of regeneration.
* Damage to the brain/head:
	+ Decapitation/destroying the head can kill low-level users. High-level users can re-attach their head or regenerate a new head/body. Head Liberation users are unaffected.
	+ If regeneration needs brain signals, damage may hinder the process.
	+ May lose skills, senses, memories, or other powers. Loss may be permanent.
* Healing may not include Pain Suppression.
	+ May also involve inflammation.
* If power is biological:
	+ Biological Manipulation.
	+ Excessive cell division may damage mitochondria and/or telomeres, causing premature aging and associated health problems. Mitochondria/Telomere Regeneration solves this problem.
	+ Healing too fast may cause DNA replication errors, resulting in mutations, cancer, or the gain/loss/alteration of powers (including this power).
* Disease:
	+ May still be vulnerable to disease.
	+ May overload of the immune response, causing allergy/autoimmunity.
	+ Power may replace the immune system. A user never develops natural immunity and is vulnerable if de-powered.
* Sustenance:
	+ Self-Sustenance/Energy Independence bypasses this limitation.
	+ May still require food, water, air, etc.
	+ Regeneration may increase nutrition requirements.
	+ Starvation, dehydration, and suffocation may kill user.