Star Trek: 10 Biggest Mysteries About Guinan
4. What Exactly Are Her Powers?
There is enough intrigue and power in Guinan to make Q hesitate before attacking. To repeat, Q doesn't simply blink her out of existence when she threatens him. This is one of the oldest mysteries about this character, so what exactly is her skill-set? Is she, in fact, a being that has the power to rival Q?
By the events of Q Who, she is said to be identifying under a new alias and is described as an 'imp' by the near-omnipotent being, Q. The audience isn't shown, beyond a defensive posture, anything in her that could possibly explain how she could inspire such fear.
In Yesterday's Enterprise, Guinan is able to recognize that everything in the universe has changed, thanks to the arrival of the Enterprise-C into the future. Though she isn't able to pinpoint exactly what has happened, she has enough insight to know that things are off. By this time in their relationship, Jean-Luc Picard is secure enough to know that she would never insist upon him unless she was certain. He has enough faith in her knowledge to send the Enterprise-C back, which restores reality.
Again, Guinan seems aware of this. At least, she is conscious enough to smile contentedly in the knowledge that things have been set to rights. Though some of the novels have attributed her time in the Nexus as the genesis of this power, it seems intrinsic to her being and an incredibly handy tool in a pinch.