As plenty of comic book heroes will tell you, superpowers aren't always gifts — but that
doesn't stop people from dreaming about them nonetheless.
From the most iconic powers to the strangest and quirkiest abilities, here are the best
superpowers of all time.
Superhuman strength is probably the most common power out there.
The vast majority of superheroes can perform feats of unusual strength, mostly because
saving the day is a whole lot easier when your muscles have the capacity to throw cars,
lift mountains, or even bicep curl a helicopter.
Jessica Jones star Krysten Ritter has cited her character's enhanced strength as the superpower
she'd most like to have in real life, and it's easy to see why: aside from the obvious
day-to-day benefits, Jessica's ability to punch holes in concrete often comes in handy
when she goes wandering down some of New York's sketchier streets.
Interestingly enough, this is one superpower that you could argue exists in real life.
Currently, the world's strongest human is young Icelander Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson,
better known as the Mountain on Game of Thrones, who also holds the world record for heaviest
deadlift, coming in at 1,041 pounds.
That's impressive in itself, but if you want more comic-style strength feats, you could
always look elsewhere in the animal kingdom: the horned dung beetle, according to the BBC,
is capable of pulling 1,141 times its own weight.
That's the equivalent of a 200-pound human carting around a little over 114 tons!
The ability to cloak into your surroundings is another classic superpower that humans
have imagined for centuries, and it's been a staple power in science fiction ever since
the 1897 H.G. Wells novel The Invisible Man.
"I have mastered the ability of standing so incredibly still that I become invisible to
the eye."
In comics, of course, the top heroes to rock this power are Sue Storm of the Fantastic
Four, and more recently, Miles Morales, whose camouflage abilities played a key role in
2018's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
In practice, invisibility would probably be the number one superpower for any secret agent:
after all, it would let you get in and out of anywhere, totally undetected.
The tactical usefulness of such an ability has led to much theorizing about how it could
be made possible in real life, with many scientists trying to figure out ways to achieve the effect
by bending light around physical objects.
So far, the researchers at Duke University have come the closest, with their invention
of an "invisibility cloak" that hides objects from microwaves, albeit not the visible eye.
There's a good reason that speedsters like the Flash also tend to be such quick-witted,
quick-thinking quipsters.
For one, if you could move through the world that fast, can you imagine how soul-crushingly
slow standing in line at the DMV would feel?
Also, it stands to reason that a speedster's ability to physically survive one of their
super-fast runs would also require that their brain processes information just as rapidly:
when they run, their reflexes need to catch every mosquito and speed bump, or they'd die
just as quickly as they can run.
That said, in recent years, cinema has re-imagined super-speed, to the point where it has arguably
become a totally different superpower.
For example, Wired theorized that Quicksilver from the X-Men movies doesn't actually run
fast so much as he has the power to warp time.
As demonstrated in a number of sequences in those films, Quicksilver can process things
at an "ordinary" speed while everyone else creeps at a snail's pace… but when he's
not showing off, he's able to hold regular conversations, as if he's experiencing time
at the same speed as everybody else.
The power set exhibited by the DCEU Flash in Justice League was also more of the time-warping
variety than super-speed, but that, of course, may change in future movies.
Daredevil's powers might be understated, but when you stop to think about them, they'd
be ridiculously useful to have in real life, even if you weren't a Hell's Kitchen-based
vigilante.
Blindness aside, Daredevil can hear, smell, touch, taste, and "radar sense" his way through
the world in a manner far more developed than any regular human being.
When it comes to touch, for example, he can feel the ink letters embossed on a printed
page, and thus read non-Braille writing simply by passing his finger over the text.
And when it comes to the sense of smell, he can recognize any person in a crowd, track
them from miles away, know what they ate for dinner last night, or pick up on scents that
might've attached to their jacket during that sketchy meeting at Josie's Bar.
It's also almost impossible to drug or poison a super-sensor, since they'll be able to taste
everything that touches their tongue.
Then there's that enhanced hearing, which allows Matt Murdock to listen to a person's
heartbeat, basically making him a human lie detector.
To finish it off, his radar sense allows him to perceive all objects in his vicinity, which
is difficult to depict on film, but highly useful in combat nonetheless.
Of course, when you combine all these abilities together and throw in a little martial arts
training, the end results are some of the best "hallway fight" sequences in superhero
history.
Don't like where a situation is headed?
If you're Nightcrawler, you haven't got a problem.
Just BAMF right out of the room to safety.
The way that Kurt Wagner's powers work is that he actually transports his body through
another dimension, and then pops out in a location of his choosing.
That means his molecules don't actually disassemble: he just drops in and out of a portal.
Sadly, in the real world, no convenient transport dimension has been found.
That means that if science ever does figure out how to make teleportation a reality it
will pose some weird ethical quandaries.
Namely, if a teleportation machine worked similarly to fax or television, the person
who reappears in a new location would be a perfect duplicate of the original person,
meaning that John Doe would actually have been murdered and cloned, rather than actually
"teleported."
And that might be the least of your problems.
If you're a comics newbie, one of the first things that's going to really confuse you
about the Marvel universe is how Iceman, of all characters, could possibly be one of the
most powerful X-Men.
Yeah, Iceman.
The dude who… well, is made of ice.
They're right, though.
Iceman is classified as an Omega-level mutant, and that's because his true power is cryokinesis
— the ability to control moisture itself.
Think about it: moisture is everywhere, from the air you breathe to the sweat running down
your forehead, and Iceman can manipulate it down to a molecular level.
If he got angry, he could freeze the blood going into a person's brain.
He can also stop fire-powered mutants from even activating their powers.
Most incredibly of all, Iceman can even physically cause another human being to evaporate into
seeming nothingness… and, if he feels like it, bring them back unharmed.
Now, if you're wondering why you've never seen Bobby Drake do any of this trippy stuff
in the movies, there's a good reason for that.
A big part of Iceman's character arc involves his self-confidence issues, and his difficulties
in unlocking his full potential.
Of course, if and when this guy comes back in the MCU X-Men reboot, you can expect to
see him pull off some seriously cool party tricks.
If there's any X-Men character who hasn't gotten quite enough screen time, it's Storm.
After all, there's some crazy potential in her ability to control the weather, which
really hasn't been explored enough.
Sure, Thor can twist lightning to his will, but Storm's weather manipulation extends to
snow, hail, tornadoes, hurricanes... and that's just a start.
When you consider how much weather plays a role in human events, that's a pretty big
deal.
Storm's daily life is bound to be way different than anyone else's; she'll never have to worry
about being rained out of a beach day or a barbecue.
And those crazy powers are just the tip of the iceberg.
Carol Danvers is a superhero so powerful that an entire alien army will be more concerned
with shooting her out of the sky than dealing with literally every other Marvel superhero
on the ground.
In fact, Danvers had to sit out much of Avengers: Endgame because of her hugely overpowered
ability to wipe out most bad guys in a matter of seconds.
The key to Carol's powers is that she's basically able to channel a massive amount of energy,
taking on what is known as her Binary form.
In cinematic terms, you know Carol's gone Binary when she powers up, pulses energy from
her eyes, and flies off to blow up a spaceship.
This form tends to emerge on especially dangerous occasions, but it gives her somewhat ambiguous
control over the entire electromagnetic spectrum.
It also helps that her power set includes controlling gravity and moving at the speed
of light.
The endless possibilities offered by shape-shifting powers, like those wielded by Mystique or
the Skrulls, are too numerous to list.
Need to break into the bad guy's top secret corporate offices?
Just make yourself look like that bad guy.
Undercover information needed?
Change your face.
Trying to confuse and manipulate someone to do your bidding?
Just pretend to be one of their friends.
"They say you can imitate anybody… even their voice."
“Even their voice…”
As fun as shape-shifting powers might be, they'd also forever paint you as a shady character,
since your entire M.O. revolves around pretending to be other people or objects.
It's no surprise that whenever the notion of shape-shifting powers has appeared throughout
history, it has usually involved some deceptiveness, whether by North America's Skinwalkers or
the uncomfortable flirtations of Zeus.
Of course Mystique, for her part, is not exactly the most trustworthy Marvel character out
there.
And that's putting it lightly.
If you've ever been a competitive swimmer, or just love activities like scuba diving
and snorkeling, you've probably wished — at least once in your life — that you were
Aquaman.
And who wouldn't?
Whenever Arthur Curry wants a nice adrenaline rush, all he has to do is dive to the bottom
of the ocean, where he can spend hours checking out anything from hidden treasures, to shipwrecks,
to bizarre life forms that most humans don't even know exist.
The ability for humans to perform "liquid breathing" using a synthetic substance called
a perfluorocarbon is actually possible, as you might have seen portrayed in the James
Cameron movie The Abyss.
However, for a truly amphibious person like Aquaman to function in real life, the entire
makeup of his body would have to be dramatically different from that of a land creature, and
gills are just the first part of that.
For one, his body needs to find a way to deal with the bends.
Osmotic pressure is another obstacle.
Also, considering his lack of fur or blubber, the average mammal's body might have some
difficulties with the cold temperatures at the ocean floor.
Then again, no one really needs to see Jason Momoa covered up in blubber and fur.
Individual powers aside, Spider-Man has the coolest power "combo" out of anyone, in that
each of his weird abilities perfectly complement one another.
However, the web-slinger's number one spider-power has got to be his ability to detect any signs
of danger before that danger actually strikes.
In real life, it would take time and practice for you to master this ability, which is why
Tom Holland's version of Peter had to wrestle with it a bit before going full throttle against
those drones in Spider-Man: Far From Home.
That said, once you'd earned your stripes, having a spider-sense would be a really neat
way to avoid traffic accidents, injuries, and other such disasters for the rest of your
life.
As long as you don't tick off any animal-themed criminals in the process.
Actual spiders don't quite have Peter's psychic skills, but interestingly enough, there's
some real life basis for Peter's Spider-senses.
It largely depends on the species, but spiders do possess specialized, elongated hairs which
are used to detect airborne vibrations, and thus warn them of impending threats.
Scarlet Witch's powers can sometimes be a bit hard to get your head around, but there's
a good reason that MCU head honcho Kevin Feige thinks that she's one of the only Avengers
who could take down Thanos by herself.
What Wanda does is tap into something called "chaos magic," which she can control to suit
her needs.
In a regular battle, this can take the form of a bolt of energy or the ability to manipulate
matter around her.
At her most powerful, however, Wanda is able to reshape the fabric of reality itself, essentially
transforming the universe according to her desires — whether conscious or subconscious.
This is great for winning fights, and great for narrative purposes… but not so great
for a regular human being's mental stability.
Just take a look at the creepy comics storyline where Wanda's powers "created" twin children
belonging to her and the Vision who didn't really exist.
So yeah, chaos magic.
Cool?
Yes.
Desirable?
Not so much.
Part of what makes you root for Wolverine is that — behind the tough demeanor, adamantium
claws, and funky hairstyle — he's actually a pretty vulnerable dude.
His loved ones always get killed, his body frequently gets experimented on, and everywhere
he goes, somebody is trying to hurt him in the most grisly way possible.
Of course, that can certainly hurt like crazy, and the only thing that keeps this scrappy
guy going is his "healing factor," which allows him to recover from almost all mortal wounds
in mere moments.
Not only is this one of the best powers a person could possibly have, but it's also
not such a stretch to imagine it existing in real life.
So, researchers at Harvard University are trying to make it reality.
Of course, rather than studying comic books, these scientists have examined the three-banded
panther worm, known for its ability to regrow parts of its body within a few days of amputation.
A spider-sense is a great way to avoid injuries.
A healing factor will ensure that you easily recover from such injuries, if they do happen.
Face it, though: if you could, you'd just make it so nothing can possibly hurt you in
the first place.
Enter Luke Cage.
Whether Luke is clutching a grenade in his palm or bouncing bricks off his chest, Luke
rarely ever gets so much as a scratch, since his skin is as strong as titanium steel.
The same can't be said for his hoodies and T-shirts, of course.
"Damn, homie, you look like you went through a cheese grater.
Oh snap, you’re-"
Probably the only real downside to this kind of invulnerability is that on the rare occasions
where something goes wrong on the inside, and Luke requires surgery, it's incredibly
difficult to cut him open with anything other than a specialized medical laser.
Not fun, but considering that Luke can take blows from the Hulk and walk away without
a scratch, it seems like a pretty decent trade-off.
You've gotta feel bad for Electro, even if he is kind of a jerk.
He should be a Magneto-level threat, but his self-confidence issues are so bad that he
always wastes his time robbing banks and getting knocked out by some punk kid with spider-powers.
Admittedly, Max Dillon's "everyman" problems are a big part of his appeal, but that doesn't
mean you shouldn't be awed at the sheer scale of what he's capable of: Aside from firing
lightning bolts from his hands, Electro can black out entire cities, transport his body
through power lines, zap into a room without warning, and even create localized electromagnetic
storms.
While Electro isn't too hot at realizing his own potential, there are plenty of other electricity
powered characters who do a better job.
One of the most notable is Static, of Static Shock fame, who uses his powers for things
like flying around.
Meanwhile, Thor is quite literally the god of blasting people with lightning bolts.
Miles Morales has some limited electricity powers too, which he calls Venom Strikes.
And on the DC side, of course, there's Black Lightning, as well as the Superman villain
Livewire.
While super strength is arguably the most common superpower, the most iconic of all
has got to be flight.
And the credit for that goes to Kal-El, the last son of Krypton and the progenitor of
all contemporary superheroes.
It took Superman a good few years in the comics before he was given the ability to fly, but
soaring through the skies quickly became his main shtick, and now it's one of his most
iconic superpowers.
That said, if a person were to really fly like Superman, it would necessitate a few
other powers to go with it.
Most importantly, if you're going to flap through the clouds, you'll want some measure
of invulnerability to protect you from birds, airplanes, and drones.
Also, as Iron Man found out when he first took his suit on a test flight, you'll also
need to figure out a way to deal with that high altitude problem, so you don't freeze
to death.
Apart from that, however, not even the sky's the limit with this one.
Frankly, Charles Xavier's powers are so off the charts powerful that many X-Men stories
have to find excuses to have him poisoned, trapped, or put in a coma, to make sure that
he doesn't just go in, wipe the bad guy's mind, and call it a day.
Now, being exposed to the thoughts and feelings of millions of people on a daily basis is
either going to make you very wise or very crazy.
Thankfully for the Marvel Universe, Charles is usually portrayed as the former.
And Xavier's powers allow him to do a lot more than simply read minds: he can learn
other languages in moments, "freeze time" by locking everyone around him in stasis,
implant or remove memories from other people's minds, and even transfer his consciousness
into another body.
Basically, he's not a guy you want to mess with.
While Xavier isn't the only comic book telepath, he's certainly the one who shows the rest
how it's done.
And given the sheer scale of the infinite things you could do with powers as strong
as those wielded by Professor X, you could make a decent case for telepathy being the
best superpower of all time.
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