when an ability states "cannot be countered", what exactly does that mean? can that ability be outwitted? thanks for your replies.

It means any power that says it specifically counters another power (such as outwit) cannot be used.

When something says it "can't be countered" that means it can't be outwitted.

However there are ways around this. For example, you can't counter (i.e. outwit) Black Flash's hypersonic speed because he has the Quintessence team ability and that makes his powers unable to be countered. However, Kid Zoom has a special power that says "other characters can't use hypersonic speed". Kid Zoom's power trumps Black Flash because he is not "countering" a power. KZ just says you can't use it.

Edit: MisterId put it better and much better than I did.

Anything that says it counters something counters. Nothing else counters.

OUTWIT Give this character a free action to counter a power or a combat ability
possessed by a single target opposing character until the beginning of your next turn. Any game effects with a duration specified by the countered power or combat ability are
removed. A character using this power must be within 10 squares and line of fire to the
target.

Outwit says it counters, so it counters. Unless the target is immune to countering somehow of course.

It is important to note that this covers both uses of "countered" in the game.

1) The act of countering. "I counter Superman's Hypersonic Speed with my Outwit."

2) The state of being countered. "Superman's Hypersonic Speed is countered, so I can't use it."

Anti-Venom's special damage power allows him to counter certain powers as well.

But the main form of countering is through the use of outwit.

I've learned that terminology is a big thing in Heroclix.

A power can be countered...

A power can be ignored...

Something can prevent a power from being used...

It becomes really important to pay attention to the exact wording of things. At times common sense or intent has to be ignored and the exact wording has to be used. A lot of rule debates seem to originate from what people imply or infer.

...and this is why I hold that there is no such thing as common sense.

To me, "common sense" would be to play the game according to the rules exactly as they are written.

Agreed,there is no common sense in this game.

And if played with common sense according to the rules as written,we probably would not have such a lengthy Players Guide.

And this completely misses the point of the statement you quoted.

Bottom line: my common sense says different things than your common sense which says different things than that other guy's common sense and so on.

The rules are what they are. Don't read anything more into them than what is actually printed there.

This is a game of little plastic super heroes.

Based on comic books.

You want the "common sense" to start at the game level?

What about that part in the rulebook that says I must sacrifice chickens to the cow god Moolator?

Am I the only one that noticed that part? It doesn't really clarify how many chickens, or when I should stop. Does eating them count as sacrificing?

Common sense tells me that eating them does count as a sacrifice.

I was told that my cuban cigars were illegal, so I destroyed them in a series of small, controlled fires.

Your logic seems sound to me.

Sorry forgot to put this at the end.

So if I am understanding this, one cannot outwit a power which states cannot be countered since outwit actually counters an ability? if so, i had a judgement call with Kal and his starmetal ability which another player was allowed to outwit. sucks!!!!