Chapter 2 takes the various super powers and boils them down to their bare essentials. Basically, this chapter asks what does any particular super power actually do? When you get right down to it, each power has a base effect, and that's what a good chunk of this chapter is devoted to.
For example, let's look at the X-Men. Both Cyclops and Wolvie can tear up the bad guys, Scott with his eye beams, and Logan with his claws. In M&M terms, these are representations of the Blast and Strike superpowers, respectively. However, when you parse it down even more, both the beams and the claws are effects that do damage. Hence, the base effect for building the Blast or Strike powers would be the Damage effect.
Another example, using DC this time, both Deadman and the Psycho Pirate can make folks act out of character. While the details and methods are wildly different, both use the Mind Control Effect. Deadman can only use it one person at a time, whereas PP's is limited to Emotions Only, and only really works if someone can see him.
Essentially, if it can't be done within the range of a standard human's skills or abilities, it's an Effect, and it's listed in this chapter. Pretty much everything you can think of is here, from Enhanced Abilities to Movement powers (like Flight or Speed) to Teleportation. With each Effect is listed several appropriate Power Feats, Extras, Drawbacks, and/ or Flaws, collectively known as Modifiers.
After the Effects comes the aformentioned Modifiers. As mentioned in my M&M corebook review, Feats and Extras are bonuses to give the Effect more options, whereas Drawbacks and Flaws limit the Effect in some way, but also make it cheaper. There are many, many options given here to customize the various Effects you might want to make your hero a super-powered dynamo.
This chapter finishes up with a few words about power structures, a group of Effects that are linked together almost all the time. To use yet another comic example, Green Lantern's ring is a device with numerous effects built into it, most notably Damage and Move Object effects among others.
When all is said and done, this chapter is remarkably thorough. However, once your done reading it, you might be asking how do you fit all those Effect and Modifiers together? Well, that's where Chapter 3 comes into play....
