Many people have fantasized about having superpowers, but not all powers are equal. Some come with terrible sacrifices or demonic bargains. Even with powers, superheroes often avoid using certain abilities because they cause physical or psychological pain. Others have powers that are too strong for regular use. Some heroes struggle with ethical questions or controlling their powers. Regardless of the reason, some superpowers are just not favorites among heroes. Perhaps superpowers aren't always the blessing they seem.
About this list
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Blackagar Boltagon, also known as Black Bolt, spent most of his life in Marvel Comics as the king of the Inhumans.InhumansHe first appeared in 1965's Fantastic Four.Fantastic Four#45Black Bolt possesses one of the comic's unique powers. Technically, it is "Ambient Particle & Electron Harnessing." Black Bolt can yell very loudly.
Marvel's own webpage describes this.Webpage on the characterBlack Bolt's slightest whisper can level mountains. Because of this immense power, Black Bolt lives in deep silence. The Inhuman leader avoids using his devastating power unnecessarily. He cannot talk normally, but he communicates his ideas nonverbally. Earth's major players respect him so much they invited him to Marvel's Illuminati.Illuminati.
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Rogue started as a villain in the early '80s. She became one of the X-Men's most popular figures thanks to X-Men: The Animated Series, which ran for five seasons in the 1990s. She gained her mutant ability by absorbing power—and permanently absorbing Wonder Man's power.X-Men: The Animated Serieswhich ran for five seasons in the 1990s. Rogue gained her mutant ability by absorbing power—and permanently absorbing Wonder Man's power.Wonder ManRogue has an extensive power set. She is one of the most powerful heroes in the entire Marvel Comics Universe. Rogue can siphon any ability, superpowered or not, from anyone she touches. She maxes out Marvel's Power Grid in all categories, according to her official Marvel webpage.Official Marvel webpage.
Power absorption is Rogue's biggest asset and greatest curse. Like the character's story in the three original X-Men movies, her power absorption affects her arc.X-MenRogue lives an isolated life because of her unique ability. Her power is total and hard to control. Rogue uses the power when needed, but it causes much pain for the character, including the sad story of Cody Robbins, who entered a coma after Rogue's power showed during their first kiss.Cody Robbinswho was put into a neverending coma after Rogue's power manifested during their first kiss.
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Robert Reynolds, aka the Sentry, acts like Marvel's Superman, mirroring DC's Kryptonian hero. He possesses similar powers: superhuman strength, speed, flight, and enhanced senses. Marvel introduced the Sentry in 2000, a year DC had already told Superman stories for over 60 years. This move was pointless.The Void.
The Void is nearly unstoppable, not a living thing. It holds all the negative parts of the Sentry. The Void only shows up when Reynolds uses his powers to bring good to the universe. The Void connects directly to the Sentry. Every time Reynolds uses his superpowers, he brings the Void to life. It counters whatever the Void's opposite does. This changes based on who writes the character, but the Void stops Reynolds's massive power.
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The Hulk and Bruce Banner have better relations in this current story. Check out The Immortal HulkThis comic book offers some good stuff. The tug-of-war between Banner and the Hulk defines this antihero. Banner spent years trying to cure the grumpy green giant. He even managed to get rid of his alternate self for a while.
Banner struggles to control the Hulk's rage when transformed. This causes many tragic events for Banner. For example, the Hulk's past wrongs against innocent people led the Illuminati to banish him from Earth in 2006's Incredible Hulk#92The Hulk's constant, mindless attacks kill many innocent people. These actions weigh heavily on Banner's mind. No wonder fans find him a beloved, sad figure worldwide.
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Captain Atom, also Nathaniel Adam, started as a Charlton Comics hero. DC made him a monumentally powerful superhero, a basis for Dr. Manhattan.Watchmen's Dr. Manhattan.Captain Atom travels through time. He is nearly immortal. He has superhuman strength, speed, and invulnerability. However, making a character this powerful with few weaknesses gets dull fast. Sometimes, Captain Atom loses control of his time travel. Other times, he loses solid control over his powers. His radiation leakage limits his abilities.
This became clear through Booster GoldIn 2011's Justice League: Generation Lost#18If Captain Atom uses his full power, he leaks radiation. Using more power means more radiation leaks. This is not good. Adam knows this, so he avoids using his full strength. This protects innocent people from radiation poisoning.
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The original Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze, appeared to readers in 1972's Marvel Spotlight#5, and he did not like his new life as a flaming skeleton. He yells, "Will I ever be free? Or am I doomed to a dual life... man by day... and monster by night?!" Blaze made a deal with Mephistosomething youneverwant to do; just ask Spider-ManBlaze bound his soul to Zarathos to save his surrogate father's life.Zarathos.Zarathos is a Spirit of Vengeance. This makes the Ghost Rider.
Johnny wants Zarathos gone. He fights Zarathos's cruel nature while as Ghost Rider. Losing control makes things ugly.
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Stephen Strange is powerful. As the Sorcerer Supreme and Master of Mystic Arts, Strange uses magic for everything. He handles dimensional travel, time changes, hypnotism, and astral projection. His power has no real limits, but his goodness and the 'cost of magic' hold his power in check.
Many magic heroes in the Marvel Universe pay a price. This concept shifts across thousands of titles over decades. The main point remains: wielding such power brings consequences. 2019 laid this out.Doctor Strange.#10.Strange explains, "Sorcery 101... power is being borrowed. Each lending begs consequence. Borrow more, pay more; higher power means higher cost."
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Superman is perhaps the most iconic superhero ever. He started this whole thing.Superman has a long list of powers.This power list changes based on the creative team. The New 52 version is not the main canon after the events of both DC Rebirth and "Superman: Reborn".DC Rebirth.and the "Superman: Reborn.a crossover storyline evolved to give Superman a new power in 2015's Superman.Superman.#38..
InSuperman.#38, Clark Kent fights Ulysses. Ulysses wants to wipe out the Earth's population. During the fight, Ulysses took every blow Superman landed. The Man of Steel exploded as a supernova, releasing energy from every cell. Batman called this new power a "super flare" while helping Superman recover in the Batcave. This power forces Superman to stop until his body reabsorbs the solar energy—a bad trade if the flare won't beat the foe instantly.
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Wanda Maximoff, AKA the Scarlet Witch, has hada difficult historyMarvel Comics pages. The heroine, popularized by Marvel Cinematic Universe appearances, gains magical abilities by manipulating a force calledChaos Magic.. Her most extreme Chaos Magic ability is reality warping.
Maximoff has tried to move past the events of Avengers Disassembled.Avengers Disassembled.andHouse of M.Scarlet Witch never reached the insane power shown in that story arc where she altered all reality with little trouble. In 2016's description of her powers...Scarlet Witch.#1, Wanda says, "In my past, I have ill-used that power. And I am feared because of it. But I am more than the sum of those mistakes. I am better than that." Wanda seems to avoid warping reality until an editorial order forces another psychotic break.
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Hellboy supporting character Liz Sherman has mental command of fire—pyrokinesis. Controlling flames is hard enough. In a story familiar to Marvel's X-Men fans, Sherman lost control of her power young, and tragedy followed. A page of Sherman's...Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense.file, shown in 2011's...B.P.R.D.: The Dead Remembered.#1., claims a fire she started at age 11 leveled a city block and killed 32 people, including her father, mother, and brother.
Unfortunately for Sherman, she needs her pyrokinesis to live because losing her powers in...Hellboy: Wake the Devil. was killing her. Liz seems cursed to use those fire powers until she dies fighting paranormal baddies.
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Charles Xavier, Professor X, is fundamentally good. He founded the X-Men. Yet, fans notice skeletons in his closet. He put young students in danger and caused serious emotional pain to those close to him by...He faked his demise., Xavier has used mind manipulation over the years.
Revealed in the final panels of 2008's...Wolverine: Origins.#29., Xavier caused Wolverine's memory loss when he joined the X-Men. Xavier also put a mental block in Jean Grey's mind to lower her power level early, and he caused serious psychological trauma to Namor the Sub-Mariner (per 2019's...Invaders.#4.. Xavier's heart might be right, but changing his allies' minds often goes wrong.
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We are not discussing the new, Hulk-like...Damage.Damage that appeared in DC Comics in 2017 is not the original Damage, Grant Emerson, who first appeared in 1994's...Damage.#1.. Emerson appeared in nearly 200 comic books. He was on teams like the...Justice Society of America., the.Titans., and the.Justice League Task Force.before sacrificing himself in 2009's...Blackest Night.#4., making his legacy a true hero.
Emerson was a fusion reactor in human form. This gave him all energy superpowers, from great strength to energy blasts. Emerson's most dangerous power was the fusion discharge. This let him explode like a bomb. Emerson did not like using this power; his emotional state affected how effective it was.
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Zatanna Zatara is a fan favorite in the Justice League. She is one of the DC Universe's underrated members. Her skill managing multiple magics gives her access to many abilities, like elemental control and teleportation. She only used the ability to change a person's memory a few times. This power only surfaced on a few occasions.
During the events ofIdentity CrisisZatanna erases certain memories from bothDoctor Lightand Batman. She uses this power again in 2006'sCatwoman#58manipulate the memories ofFilm FreakandAngle Manafter they figure out Catwoman's secret identity. Zatanna only uses this ability sparingly because messing with minds is an ethical problem.
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Jessica Jones wants to lie low, raise her daughter with her husband, and run her private investigation agency without superhero antics. Unfortunately for Jones, shehave superpowersand her husband,Luke Cage, does too. Jones did not always dislike the superhero life.
Initially, Jones used the superhero name Jewel to fight crime. She used her powers for good. Then she clashed with thePurple Man, who psychologically tormented her for eight months, breaking Jessica's spirit. Jessica Jones has superhuman strength and durability as a Marvel character; she will always get involved in superhero stuff somehow, but she does not like this life anymore.
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