List of comic book superpowers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Note: This is a list of powers/abilities, not a list of superheroes by their power/ability.
Comic book fiction traditionally features characters with superhuman, supernatural, or paranormal abilities, often referred to as "superpowers" (also spelled super-powers). Below is a list of many of those that have been known to be used. Some of these categories overlap.
[edit] Means
Examples of ways in which a character has the ability to generate an effect.
[edit] Object-based powers
- See also: List of objects in the DC Universe
Powers derived from objects (also known as artifacts), such as armor, jewelry, weapons, and wands.
- Examples: Juggernaut's Crimson Gem of Cyttorak[1] or Green Lantern's power battery and ring[2]
[edit] Mutation
Abilities resulting from either induced evolution or natural selection in humans.
- Examples: X-Men or Captain Comet[citation needed]
[edit] Cosmic
Abilities resulting from being a cosmic entity or powers bestowed by such.
- Examples: Galactus[citation needed]
[edit] Methods
Examples of methods by which a character generates an effect.
[edit] Energy sourcing
Ability to draw energy from the cores of stars or other large sources of energy, such as turning kinetic energy into physical blasts.
[edit] Magical powers
Ability to use magical forces to varying degrees. Often used to simulate other powers, such as mind control and elemental attacks.
- Supernatural
- Examples: Doctor Strange[5] or Doctor Fate[6]
Not all "magical" superpowers are actually supernatural, but are still so beyond our understanding of science as to be completely unexplainable. Mxyzptlk's abilities, for instance, rely on a set of physics different from our dimension's.
- Pseudo-supernatural
- Example: Mister Mxyzptlk[7][8] or Impossible Man[9]
[edit] Technopathy
Ability to manipulate technology. It could manifest as a special form of electrical manipulation, a special form of shapeshifting which allows physical interaction with machines, or even a special form of ESP that allows for mental interface with computer data.
[edit] Telekinesis
Ability to manipulate and control objects with the mind, often in ways not visible to the naked eye.
[edit] Powers
[edit] Superpower manipulation
This section refers to the ability to manipulate superpowers themselves, not "power" such as electrical power or gravitational power.
[edit] Power bestowal
Ability to bestow powers or jump-start latent powers.
[edit] Power mimicry or absorption
Ability to copy or absorb another's powers or skills.
- Examples: Rogue[16] or Black Alice[17]
[edit] Power negation
Ability to cancel the superpowers of others.
[edit] Power sensing
Ability to sense or recognize superhuman powers.
[edit] Personal physical powers
Powers which affect a physical person's body.
[edit] Accelerated healing
Ability to heal rapidly from any injury; the rate of recovery varies from character to character. Can sometimes result in the slowing of aging.
[edit] Acid generation
Ability to generate acid, can be manifested through touch or as a spray.
[edit] Animal mimicry
Ability to take on the abilities of certain animals.
- Examples: Animal Man[25] or Vixen[26][27]
[edit] Biological manipulation
Ability to control all aspects of a living creature's biological make-up. This includes, but is not limited to, genetic alterations, physical distortion/augmentations, healing, disease, and biological functions.
[edit] Body part substitution
Ability to replace one's limbs or other body parts with those of another.
- Examples: Terror Inc.[30]
[edit] Bone manipulation
Ability to manipulate the bones in one's own body. This includes, but is not limited to, the generation of new bone mass, projecting bones out from the skin or rearranging one's own bones.
[edit] Duplication
Ability to create physical duplicates of oneself.
- Examples: Multiple Man[33] or Triplicate Girl[34]
[edit] Temporal duplication
Ability to bring past and future versions of oneself back to the present.
- Examples: Flashback[35] or Damian Tryp[36]
[edit] Echolocation
Ability to determine location of items in the environment by use of reflected sound waves, whether generated by the character or ambient sound. Also known as sonar sense.
[edit] Invisibility
Ability to render the user unseen to the naked eye.
- Examples: Invisible Woman[39] or Invisible Kid[40]
[edit] Invulnerability
Ability to be immune to one or more forms of physical damage or injury.
[edit] Kinetic absorption
Ability to absorb forms of kinetic energy into oneself and convert it into physical strength.
- Examples: Strong Guy[44] or Sebastian Shaw[45]
[edit] Matter ingestion
Ability to consume any sort of matter without any ill effects on the user.
- Examples: Matter-Eater Lad[46]
[edit] Merge
Ability to temporarily merge two beings into a single being, which results in a completely new and stronger being.
- Examples: Kleinstocks[47] or B'Wana Beast[48]
[edit] Pheromone manipulation
Ability to generate and control pheromones which may have various effects.
- Examples: Wallflower[49] or Crimson Fox[50]
[edit] Poison generation
Ability to assault others with one or more varieties of toxins, with widely disparate effects.
- Examples: Cobra[51] or Poison Ivy[52]
[edit] Prehensile/animated hair
The ability to animate and lengthen one's hair.
- Examples: Medusa[citation needed], Lorelei Travis[citation needed]
[edit] Reactive adaptation/evolution
Ability to develop a resistance or immunity to whatever they were injured by or exposed to. This effect can be permanent or temporary.
[edit] Self-detonation or explosion
Ability to explode one's body mass and reform.
[edit] Sonic scream
Ability to generate vocal sounds of a higher amplitude than a normal human.
- Examples: Siryn[55] or Black Canary[56]
[edit] Superhuman durability
Ability to have a higher resistance to one or more forms of damage before being injured.
[edit] Superhuman reflexes
Ability to react faster than a normal human.
- Examples: Blade or Midnighter or Madman
[edit] Superhuman senses
Ability to see, smell, taste, feel and/or hear more than a normal human.
- Examples: Sabretooth[citation needed] or Timber Wolf[citation needed]
[edit] Superhuman strength
- See also: Strength level
Ability to have a level of physical strength higher than that possible by a human being in real life.
[edit] Superhuman vision
Ability to see more than a normal human.
[edit] Night vision
Ability to see clearly in darkness.
- Examples: Owl[citation needed] or Doctor Mid-Nite[citation needed]
[edit] X-ray vision
Ability to see through solid objects.
[edit] Telescopic or microscopic vision
Ability to magnify vision to various levels.
- Examples: Hyperion[citation needed] or Power Girl[citation needed]
[edit] Wallcrawling
Ability to cling to objects or surfaces by a variety of means.
- Examples: Spider-Man[citation needed] or Anole[citation needed]
[edit] Waterbreathing
- See also: Liquid breathing
Ability to respirate through water in lieu of a gaseous medium. Not to be confused with an ability to go without breathing or to be able to breathe an alternate air supply.
[edit] Mental faculty and knowledge-based abilities
[edit] Innate capability
Ability to naturally have skills and/or knowledge typically earned through learning.
[edit] Omni-linguism
Ability to understand any form of language, a natural polyglot. This can be accomplished in various ways.
[edit] Omniscience
Ability to know anything and everything.
[edit] Superhuman intelligence
Ability to have intelligence far above genius level.
- Examples: Leader[citation needed] or Brainiac 5[citation needed]
[edit] ESP
The abilities of extra-sensory perception (ESP) and communication.
[edit] Astral projection
Ability to separate and control one's astral body.
- Examples: Marvel Girl[citation needed] or Ravager[citation needed]
[edit] Cross-dimensional awareness
Ability to detect actions and events in other dimensions. This is occasionally used in comics as an awareness of the fourth wall between the characters and the artist or audience.
- Examples: She-Hulk[citation needed] or Ambush Bug[citation needed]
[edit] Empathy
Ability to read or sense the emotions and/or control the emotions or feelings of others.
- Examples: Empath[citation needed] or Psycho-Pirate[citation needed]
[edit] Mediumship
Ability to see and communicate with the dead (ghosts).
- Examples: Wicked[citation needed] or Lionel Zerb[citation needed]
[edit] Precognition
Ability to perceive the future. It may be expressed in vague dreams while asleep, other times it can be clear and can occur at will. It may also be used as a form of "Danger sense" to show the user that they are being threatened and from what direction it is coming from.
- Examples: Destiny[citation needed] or Dream Girl[citation needed]
[edit] Psychometry
Ability to relate details about the past or future condition of an object, person or location, usually by being in close contact with it.
- Examples: Adrienne Frost[citation needed] or Abe Sapien[citation needed]
[edit] Telepathy
Ability to read the thoughts of, or to mentally communicate with others.
- Examples: Emma Frost[citation needed] or Saturn Girl[citation needed]
[edit] Domination and mind control
The ability to alter the perceptions of others, and general mind-control.
- Example: Karma[citation needed]
[edit] Astral trapping
Ability to cause an astral projection to stay on the astral plane, usually in one specific place.
- Example: Shadow King[citation needed]
[edit] Memory manipulation
Ability to erase or enhance the memories of another.
- Example: Professor X[citation needed] or Zatanna[citation needed] or Hatori Sohma[citation needed]
[edit] Mind control
Ability to control the actions or reasoning of another with the mind.
- Examples: Mesmero[citation needed] or Maxwell Lord[citation needed]
[edit] Possession
Ability to take control of another person’s body via astral projection or mind transfer.
[edit] Psionic blast
Ability to overload another's mind causing pain, memory loss, loss of consciousness, vegetative state or death after having created a psionic link into that person's mind.
- Examples: Psylocke[citation needed] or Gorilla Grodd[citation needed]
[edit] Psychic weapons
Ability to create a weapon of psychic energy that can harm mentally and not physically.
- Examples: Danielle Moonstar[citation needed] or Wild Thing[citation needed]
[edit] Manipulate fundamental forces or reality
These powers may be manifested by various methods, including: by some method of molecular control; by access to, or partially or fully shifting to another dimension; by manipulating the geometric dimensions of time or space; or by some other unnamed method.
[edit] Animation
Ability to bring inanimate objects to life or to free a person from petrification.
- Examples: Selene[citation needed] or Mr. Mxyzptlk[citation needed]
[edit] Darkness or shadow manipulation
Ability to create or manipulate darkness, often by mentally accessing a dimension of dark energy (the Darkforce dimension in Marvel Comics, and the Shadowlands in DC Comics) and manipulating it.
- Examples: Black Death[citation needed] or Obsidian[citation needed] or Darkness[citation needed]
[edit] Density control
Ability to increase the natural density of an object and/or one's self.
- Examples: Vision[citation needed] or Martian Manhunter[citation needed]
[edit] Disintegration
Ability to disintegrate matter through touch.
[edit] Elemental transmutation
The ability to alter chemical elements, changing them from one substance to another by rearranging the atomic structure. May be limited to self-transmutation.
- Examples: Alchemy[63] or Metamorpho[64]
[edit] Gravity manipulation
Ability to manipulate or generate gravitons, or other types of gravitational interactions.
- Examples: Alex Power[65] or Geo-Force[citation needed]
[edit] Immortality
Ability to live forever. This may be complete immortality in which the character cannot be killed in any way, appears to die but is resurrected somehow, or simply an inability to age normally, or even only be killed in specific ways (i.e. decapitation).
- Examples: Mr. Immortal[citation needed] or Vandal Savage[citation needed]
[edit] Intangibility or phasing
Ability to phase through solid matter without harm.
- Examples: Shadowcat[citation needed] or Phantom Girl[citation needed]
[edit] Light manipulation
Ability to control, generate or absorb photons (particles of light).
[edit] Magnetism manipulation
Ability to control and/or generate magnetic fields.
- Examples: Magneto[citation needed] or Doctor Polaris[citation needed]
[edit] Mass manipulation
Ability to increase or decrease mass in an object or person.
- Examples: Harry Leland[citation needed] or Star Boy[citation needed]
[edit] Molecular manipulation
Ability to mentally manipulate molecules and objects on a molecular level.
[edit] Probability manipulation
Ability to alter probability, causing unlikely things to happen or likely things to not happen.
- Examples: Domino[citation needed] or Calamity King[citation needed]
[edit] Radiation manipulation
Ability to generate, manipulate or have immunity to toxic radiation.
- Examples: X-Ray[citation needed] or Captain Atom[citation needed]
[edit] Reality warping
Ability to change or manipulate reality itself.
- Examples: Franklin Richards[citation needed] or Mister Mxyzptlk[citation needed]
[edit] Sound manipulation
Ability to manipulate sound waves.
[edit] Time manipulation
Ability to affect the flow of time by slowing, accelerating or even stopping it.
[edit] Classical elements
Ability to control or manipulate the classical elements.
[edit] Air and wind manipulation
Ability to control, generate, or absorb air or wind.
- Examples: Wind Dancer[citation needed] or Red Tornado[citation needed]
[edit] Cold and ice manipulation
Ability to reduce the kinetic energy of atoms and thus reduce temperature, can be used to control, generate, or absorb ice.
[edit] Earth manipulation
Ability to control earth; sand, stone, rock, lava, dirt, or minerals.
[edit] Electric manipulation
Ability to control, generate or absorb electrical fields.
- Examples: Electro[citation needed] or Black Lightning[citation needed]
[edit] Fire and heat manipulation
Ability to control the kinetic energy of atoms to generate, control or absorb fire.
- Examples: Pyro[citation needed] or Fire[citation needed] or Liz Sherman[citation needed]
[edit] Plant manipulation
Ability to accelerate the growth of, control or animate plant life.
- Examples: Gardener[citation needed] or Poison Ivy[citation needed]
[edit] Water and moisture manipulation
Ability to control, generate or absorb water.
[edit] Weather manipulation
Ability to control or mentally affect the weather. This includes the ability to generate various natural phenomena (rain, tornadoes, lightning, etc.) or control the intensity of the weather.
- Examples: Storm[citation needed] or Typhoon[citation needed] or Sarah Rainmaker[citation needed]
[edit] Energy manipulation
These powers deal with energy generation, conversion and manipulation. In addition to generic energy, versions of these powers exist that deal with such things as light, sound, electricity, nuclear energy, and "darkforce".
[edit] Concussion beams
Ability to generate or transform various forms of energy into a "solid" or concussive beam of energy.
[edit] Energy blasts
- See also: Heat vision
Ability to expel various forms of energy from the body.
[edit] Energy constructs
Ability to create complex shapes (such as giant boxing gloves or cages) or even functional machinery (such as fire extinguishers or laser rifles) out of solid energy.
[edit] Energy conversion
Ability to absorb one form of energy and convert it into another form of energy.
[edit] Force field generation
Ability to project powerful fields of manipulated energy.
- Examples: Captain Britain[citation needed] or Argent[citation needed]
[edit] Transportation or travel
[edit] Dimensional transportation
Ability to create wormholes, portation "discs" or other spatial portals for transport between two non-adjacent locations
[edit] Electrical transportation
Ability to travel through electrical conduits (such as power lines, or telephone lines). Can enter through devices such as televisions, electrical poles or computers.
[edit] Omnipresence
Ability to be present anywhere and everywhere always.
- Examples: Eternity[citation needed] or the Source[citation needed]
[edit] Summoning
Ability to summon objects or beings for assistance.
- Examples: Magik[citation needed] or Kid Eternity[citation needed]
[edit] Superhuman speed
Ability to move at speeds faster than a normal human.
- Examples: Quicksilver[citation needed] or Flash[citation needed]
[edit] Teleportation
Ability to move from one place to another without occupying the space in between.
- Examples: Nightcrawler[citation needed] or Misfit[66]
[edit] Time travel
Ability to travel back and forth through time.
- Examples: Kang the Conqueror[citation needed] or Chronos[citation needed]
[edit] Miscellaneous
The following powers could be manifested in any number of ways.
[edit] Flight
- See also: Gliding and Levitation
Ability to lift off the ground, to ride air currents or to fly self-propelled through the air.
- Examples: Characters with flight
Different forms of flight include:
[edit] Energy propulsion methods
- Cosmic energy control
- Example: Ms. Marvel[citation needed]
- Energy aura projection
- Gravitational manipulation
- Example: Gravity
- Magnetic levitation
- Sonic repulsion field
- Example: Banshee[citation needed]
- Telekinetic power
- Thermo-chemical energy
- Example: Cannonball[citation needed]
[edit] Physical propulsion methods
- Insectoid form
- Examples: Wasp[citation needed] or Insect Queen[citation needed]
- Wind current control
- Examples: Cyclone[citation needed]
- Wings
[edit] Illusion
Ability to alter or deceive the perceptions of another. Can be sensory, a light or sound-based effect, or an alteration of mental perceptions.
- Examples: Mastermind[citation needed] or Princess Projectra[citation needed]
[edit] Shapeshifting
Ability to change appearance or body structure.
Types of shapeshifting include:
- Animal morphing: Ability to take on animal forms. May be able to take on the abilities of the altered form.
- Elasticity: Ability to stretch, deform, expand and contract one's body into any form they can imagine.
- Examples: Mister Fantastic[67] or Elongated Man[citation needed]
- Inorganic: Ability to transform completely into an inorganic substance while retaining organic properties.
- Liquification: Ability to turn partially or completely into a liquid.
- Size shifting: Ability to increase or decrease one's size.
- Examples: Yellowjacket[citation needed] or Giganta[citation needed]
- Sublimation: Ability to transform into a gaseous, mist, or fog-like form.
- Examples: Amelia Voght[citation needed] or Mist[citation needed]
- Transformation: Ability to transform into substance touched.
- Examples: Absorbing Man[citation needed] or Amazing Man[citation needed] or Grunge[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ The X-Men #12
- ^ All-American Comics #16
- ^ Nexus #1
- ^ Action Comics #1
- ^ Strange Tales #110
- ^ More Fun Comics #55
- ^ Superman #30
- ^ The Origin of Mister Mxyzptlk
- ^ Fantastic Four #11
- ^ Deadpool: The Circle Chase #2
- ^ Adventures of Superman #500
- ^ The Drummer #3
- ^ New Teen Titans #3
- ^ X-Men #132
- ^ Stormwatch #1
- ^ Avengers Annual #10
- ^ Birds of Prey #76
- ^ Uncanny X-Men #179
- ^ Uncanny X-Men #210
- ^ Uncanny X-Men #148
- ^ The Incredible Hulk #180
- ^ Omega Men #3
- ^ X-Force vol. 1 #116
- ^ Savage Tales #1
- ^ Strange Adventures #180
- ^ Action Comics #521
- ^ Animal Man #48-50
- ^ New Mutants vol. 2 #5.
- ^ DC Comics Presents #26
- ^ St. George #2
- ^ Cable #15
- ^ X-Statix X-Statix vol. 1
- ^ Giant Size Fantastic Four #4
- ^ Action Comics #276
- ^ Alpha Flight #1
- ^ X-Factor vol. 3 #2
- ^ Daredevil vol. 1, #1
- ^ Detective Comics #400
- ^ The Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #1
- ^ Action Comics #267
- ^ Marvel Two-in-One Annual #7
- ^ Action Comics #252
- ^ Brit (Oneshot)
- ^ New Mutants vol. 1 #29
- ^ Uncanny X-Men #131
- ^ Adventure Comics #303
- ^ Uncanny X-Men #298
- ^ Showcase #66
- ^ New Mutants vol. 2 #2
- ^ Justice League Europe #6
- ^ Journey into Mystery #29
- ^ Legends of the Dark Knight #43
- ^ Captain Marvel #34
- ^ Damage #1
- ^ Spider-Woman #37
- ^ Justice League of America #219
- ^ Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1
- ^ All-American Comics #61
- ^ Newsletter #14
- ^ The Incredible Hulk, vol. 1 #1
- ^ Legion of Super-Heroes #272
- ^ WildC.A.T.s, vol. 1 #11
- ^ X-Factor vol., 1 #41 (June 1989)
- ^ The Brave and the Bold #57
- ^ Power Pack #1
- ^ Birds of Prey #1003.
- ^ Fantastic Four #1
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