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Quietly walking among us are words which are actually superheroes in disguise! Just as Diana Prince spins around to become Wonder Woman, some seemingly ordinary words can spin around to reveal their super identities!

For example, STRESSED turns into DESSERTS just when you need it, and REVILED can turn around to DELIVER.

Meanwhile...
Poor little THINK is sitting all alone, thinking about how he could become the KNIGHT, if only he had a spare "G" ...

Just a mere mortal word without powers of transformation? Well, never fear! There is no shame in using an accessory (or ten) to enable your superpowers! (Respect, Batman, Green Lantern, and Iron Man!)

So now STINGIER can become the fiery REIGNITES(1), EMERGED can become the brilliant doctor DEGREE(2), and SALAMI can become fleet-footed IMPALAS(3)!
(1) with addition of an "E", sold separately
(2) after subtraction of an "M", not responsible for lost or missing pieces
(3) with addition of a "P", not included

But wait, there's more! With a well-stocked utility belt, some words can take on multiple transformations!

For example, DUAL becomes DUEL through the following transformation sequence:

 DUAL
.   .
 . .
  .         ---U-->
 . .
.   .
 LAD
.   .
 . .
  .         <--E---
 . .
.   .
 DEAL
.   .
 . .
  .         ---A-->
 . .
.   .
 LED
.   .
 . .
  .         <--U---
 . .
.   .
 DUEL


Now let's see if you can help other superhero words find their own transformation sequence!

At each step, you may add or subtract a letter as you choose. You don't need to alternate additions and subtractions.

As always, I construct my puzzles in such a way that they can be solved using only well-known words, so if you find yourself conjuring up increasingly obscure words, you may be overthinking it.

The first three are just to get you warmed up, while 4-8 are serious:

1.  start:  SCAM
    end:    MAGES
    (suggested 2 intermediate words)


2.  start:  TROOPER
    end:    TROOPED
    (suggested 3 intermediate words)


3.  start:  XENON
    end:    WOK
    (suggested 5 intermediate words)


4.  start:  SLEEPY
    end:    SLEEPER
    (suggested 16 intermediate words)


5.  start:  SEAPORT
    end:    SPIRITS
    (suggested 17 intermediate words)


6.  start:  KNIGHT
    end:    TIME
    (suggested 23 intermediate words)


7.  start:  GURU
    end:    SERIES
    (suggested 27 intermediate words)


8.  start:  BLOG
    end:    ABOUT
    (suggested 36 intermediate words)


Super helpful hints or diabolical distractions?
guar vs. gaur
taro vs. tarot


Epilogue:

Wow, we really got a refresher on some vocabulary-building words! GARS, DIT, DEMIT, SOU, SOT, SI, STIM, STOB, NOB, TA, TAT...

1-3 were nicely handled by @Mohirl

Note on 4:

The solution provided by @PiIsNot3 is well done. If you feel that LEE is no longer as well known as it once was, take a look at the solution provided by @arbitrahj which detours around it using

SEE --> EVES --> SEVER --> REVELS --> LEVER --> REEL


Alternative solution to 5:

SEAPORT --> TROPES --> SPORT --> TOPS --> POT --> TO --> OAT --> TARO --> RAT --> TARS --> SAT --> TEAS --> SET --> TIES --> SIT --> TIPS --> SPITS --> STRIPS --> SPIRITS


Alternative solution to 6:

KNIGHT --> THINK --> KNIT --> STINK --> NITS --> SIN --> IS --> SIT --> TIES --> SET --> TEAS --> SAT --> TARS --> RAT --> TARO --> OAT --> TO --> LOT --> TOIL --> LIT --> TILE --> RELIT --> TIER --> REMIT --> TIME


Note on 7:

The solution provided by @PiIsNot3 uses GARS. Here is an alternative to the segment from RAG to PAR:

RAG --> GARB --> BAG --> GRAB --> BAR --> CRAB --> ARC --> CRAP --> PAR


Alternative solution to 8:

BLOG --> GOB --> BOGS --> SOB --> BOBS --> BOB --> BOMB --> MOB --> BOOM --> MOO --> DOOM --> MOD --> DORM --> ROD --> DOER --> RED --> DEAR --> RAD --> DART --> TAD --> AT --> A --> AD --> DAB --> BAUD --> DUB --> BUDS --> SUB --> US --> SUN --> NUBS --> BUN --> SNUB --> BUS --> STUB --> BUT --> TUBA --> ABOUT

SlowMagic
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    With the suggested number of intermediate steps, do you really mean the number of intermediate words? I think of a step as the process of going from one word to the next, in which case there would be one more intermediate steps than intermediate words. – Jaap Scherphuis Mar 25 '19 at 15:12
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    @JaapScherphuis — Ah, good call! I changed it to clarify that I meant intermediate words, not counting the start and end word. It's the old, tricky question of how many treads versus how many risers in a staircase. – SlowMagic Mar 25 '19 at 15:23
  • Just to confirm - We must add/subtract a letter each time, so can't use a "superhero" word along the way, right? – Jaap Scherphuis Mar 25 '19 at 15:29
  • @JaapScherphuis — At each intermediate step, you must reverse the previous word and either add or subtract a letter. The result must be a word, any word, as long as it's a word. It might even be a reversible or palindromatic word in itself, but that won't help you for the next step because you will have to add or remove a letter anyway. – SlowMagic Mar 25 '19 at 15:35
  • It's the old, tricky question of how many steps (treads versus risers) in a staircase? Tread count gives N, while riser count gives N+1.
    • – SlowMagic Mar 25 '19 at 15:41
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    haha! I love all of your word puzzles! I think they're really witty. – Prince North Læraðr Mar 25 '19 at 23:27
  • is (2) after subtraction of a "G", not responsible for lost or missing pieces supposed to be (2) after subtraction of a "M", not responsible for lost or missing pieces – pfg Mar 26 '19 at 21:33
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    Now i've learned to use DEMIT instead of DAMMIT ;) XD Nice puzzle, btw, take my upvote! (upvoted alr) – Omega Krypton Mar 27 '19 at 14:49
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    @SlowMagic thanks for the tick mark! This was a really fun challenge :) – HTM Mar 27 '19 at 18:26