I have a couple questions about feats with penalties or bonuses to values. I'm going to use Terrify as an example.

First off, does the penalty apply only when the character actually uses the feat? For example, this feat requires you to give a character a power action. If I instead use an ability that requires a Close Combat Action, or if I use a different power requiring a power action, do I take the -1 penalty for attack?

Secondly, my (possibly flawed) understanding is that a feat can be placed on a character that will eventually have the prerequisites on their dial, even if they don't have them initially (they just can't use the feat until they have those prerequisites). If you assign this feat to someone who doesn't yet have the prerequisites, do they take the penalty yet? Take, for example, several versions of the Hulk who gain Battle Fury after taking some damage...will they suffer the penalty at the beginning of their dial, or only after they get the Battle Fury?

Sorry if these questions have been asked before...I tried searching and gave up after sifting through a lot of posts and not finding them.

The penalty only applies when you actually use the feat.

Feats activate in the same ways as powers
and abilities. Feats that modify a character’s
combat values modify those values only when the
character is using the feat.

2011 Core Rulebook. Pg 20.

The -1 Attack Modifier only applies when you are using the effects of Terrify.

And you have a pretty good grasp of assigning Feats. You can give a Feat to a Character that does not meet the Prerequisites on thier first click. You can give a Feat to any character you want, even if they will never meet the Prerequisites to use them.

Thanks, guys. I'll admit, I didn't even think to look through the rulebook for this...I've been through it a few times recently (I'm a Heroclix player from pre-card days and have only recently gotten back in), but it didn't even occur to me.

Next time there will be a beating with a metal rod or a stern talking to from my mother.

I would advise you to take the beating.

As a followup question, since I used Terrify as an example, Professor X with Terrify could use it if he were based by an opponent, but could not use it off of allied X-men who were based by an opponent, correct?

I assume you mean the GSX version of Professor X? It always helps to quote the game effect in question to avoid confusion.

In Contact with Cerebro: If Professor X is in your starting area, he can draw lines of fire and count range and squares for his Speed, Attack, and Damage powers from the square of any single friendly character with whom he shares a keyword.

No, that would not work for two reasons.

One, Terrify (a feat) is not one of Professor X's Speed, Attack, or Damage powers. Can't be used with this trait.

Two, even if the trait did not limit itself to Speed, Attack, and Damage powers, the feat uses a close combat attack... the trait is concerned with ranged powers/attacks only.