Some Powers Belong in the Trash and Others in the Hall of Fame
If you’ve read enough comics, you know the word superpower can range from abilities that would actually be useful (teleportation and invisibility, anyone) to deeply strange. Some might look flashy until you think about how it might affect you on a day-to-day basis, where you're not out saving the city. So, which powers land in the trash and which in the hall of fame? Let's discuss it!
1. Ability to Talk to Plants
In a comic, this reads like a wholesome niche power until you realize plants don’t exactly have urgent, actionable information. You might spend a lot of time hearing about light, water, and soil conditions, and that’s not going to stop a bank robbery.
2. Super Hearing
This sounds incredible until you remember the world is loud on a normal day, and your ears would be forced to process all of it at once. Sirens, chewing, subway brakes, and background conversations would stack into nonstop sensory overload. You’d probably spend more time managing headaches than enjoying your supposed upgrade.
Franco Antonio Giovanella on Unsplash
3. Translucent Skin
Being invisible is great, but if it's only your skin that's translucent? That's not a superpower, that's just unsettling. Whatever benefits this has, social comfort is not one of them. You can't even really save the day! (Well, you might be able to deter villains...)
4. Uncontrollable Laser Eyes
Laser eyes are iconic when they come with control, but without it, you’re basically a walking hazard sign. You can’t relax, make eye contact, or exist in public without worrying about collateral damage. A power that forces you into constant containment is more curse than hero feature.
5. Third Eye
A permanent third eye in the middle of your forehead might give you great vision, but unless the extra eyeball offers the ability to look into the future or see something no one else can, it's practically useless. Worse yet, everyone will know what your superpower is right away.
6. Super Stretch
Stretching might be one of the more common superpowers, but we argue that it isn't all that great or useful. Your abnormally stretchy limbs could get you stuck, snagged, or tangled. You'd basically be a human elastic band, and there are better, cooler superpowers out there.
7. Shrinking
Shrinking sounds tactical until you think about how easily you could get hurt by normal things, like pets, doors, and, well, getting stepped on. You also lose a ton of practical power the moment you can’t reach, lift, or even be seen when you need help. Great for stealth scenes, rough for basic safety.
8. Ability to Accelerate the Growth of Plants
This could maybe be useful in some cases, but it’s also the kind of power that...doesn't really give you any power at all. One bad moment and you’ve turned a sidewalk into a jungle or trapped yourself behind a wall of vines. Hey, at least it might convince you to become a vegetarian.
9. Ability to Numb People
Numbing someone sounds like a clean, non-lethal option until you realize it’s mainly useful for dealing with other people’s pain, not yours. If you’re the one injured, stressed, or exhausted, this power doesn’t help you cope or recover. You’d start wishing you could toggle it inward, because heroes take hits more often than they give them.
10. Being Forgettable
Being forgettable can be a stealthy power until you realize that no one cares or remembers who you are every time you disappear from their sight. Sure, it's helpful if you have enemies (and need to ambush them without them remembering who you are), but otherwise? Practically useless.
Now let's jump into the fun half: 10 superpowers we all want. Read on!
1. Teleportation
This is top-tier for a reason, because it turns the entire world into your neighborhood. You’d skip commutes, travel headaches, and all the boring filler between scenes. It also doubles as an instant exit button when things get dangerous.
2. Time Manipulation
Time powers are a fan-favorite because they make you terrifying in the smartest way. Fixing mistakes, dodging disasters, and taking extra moments to think would change everything about how you live. The only catch is you’d have to resist turning every small regret into a rewind habit.
3. Flight
Flight stays iconic because who wouldn't want to jump up and fly away whenever you want? Getting out of crowds, clearing obstacles, and seeing your city from above would never get old. Plus, you would have a lot of fun beating enemies who can't fly.
4. Telekinesis
Being able to control everything with your mind without moving a single muscle sounds like an absolute dream. Forget about fighting enemies, this superpower would come in handy even when you're just doing daily chores. You wouldn't even need to break a sweat.
5. Rapid Regeneration
Regeneration is the kind of ability that makes you brave for the right reasons, because recovery stops running your life. Bad falls, accidents, and injuries become temporary instead of defining. It also gives you endurance that most heroes would kill for.
6. Invisibility
Invisibility is a classic because you can disappear from sight whenever you want. That means you can escape trouble, avoid fights you can’t win, and protect your privacy when you need it. The responsibility is real, but the advantage is enormous.
7. Super Strength
Super strength is iconic because it turns impossible situations into solvable ones. You could move debris, break through barriers, and protect people without breaking a sweat. Used responsibly, it’s as heroic as it is impressive.
8. Mind Reading
Mind-reading is another power that belongs in the hall of fame because who wouldn't want to read people's thoughts? You’d understand motives, spot lies, and navigate social chaos with a brutal advantage. You’d also need boundaries fast, because other people’s thoughts can get noisy and exhausting.
9. Super Speed
Speed is another winner because it makes you effective in every scene, not just the action ones. You’d finish tasks fast, react before danger hits, and be everywhere when people need help. The main challenge is staying careful, because mistakes at high speed get serious quickly.
10. Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a comic book staple because it’s versatile, strategic, and endlessly useful. You can blend in, escape, adapt, and solve problems without brute force. It also stays fresh, because the ways you can use it keep expanding the more creative you get.
