Superheroes have become a huge part of pop culture in the 21st century. Marvel and DC Comics have always been popular, but mostly with either young people or the niche that is comic fans. However, superhero movies became bigger and bigger as special effects got better, to the extent that we’re now surrounded by superheroes. Over the years, we’ve gotten to see just about every kind of superhero or supervillain you can imagine, with some of the coolest powers ever. However, numerous characters all have the same powers, which can make the stories kind of boring.
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Everyone has super strength or flight or invulnerability or telepathy or generic energy powers of some kind. However, there are lots of really interesting powers that we just don’t see enough of. These seven superpowers are kind of rare and it’s a shame.
7) Probability Manipulation
Probability manipulation is a great power. It’s basically luck powers, making whoever has them more lucky. Characters like Domino and Longshot’s power affect probability around them, allowing them to avoid attacks or hit the lucky shot more often. Their use of the power was passive, but for years, Scarlet Witch’s hex powers were based on probability control and were anything but passive. It’s one of those powers that can be flashy or not, and it makes a lot of sense for characters who lives are all about fighting to have a power like this.
6) Precognition
Precognition is the ability to see the future, and it’s a power that has been used in fiction for years. In comics, characters like Destiny, Madame Web, Madame Xanadu, and various magic characters have all been precogs. These characters are usually passive, but it’s a power that is perfect for superhero stories. Just look how much Destiny’s precog powers changed the course of the Krakoa Era. When used right, a precog is one of the most interesting characters around, and it’s a more well-rounded power than it seems.
5) Time Manipulation
Time travel stories are pretty common, and there are numerous characters who can travel through time. However, there’s a time-related power that is way cooler that doesn’t get nearly as much play: time manipulation. Time manipulation can slow down, speed up, stop, or reverse the flow of time. Characters like Tempus and Zoom have showed how cool a power this can be, using it in defensive and offensive ways. Anyone who can manipulate time is automatically the biggest threat on the battlefield, and the right creative team can use this power in fantastic ways.
4) Chlorokinesis
Swamp Thing is a legendary character, and his plant manipulating powers are some of the coolest in comics, allowing him to face against basically anything. The technical name for this power is chlorokinesis, and it allows its user to control the growth of plants. DC created the Green as the source of this power in their universe, with characters like Poison Ivy and Floronic Man both becoming users of it. Meanwhile, at Marvel, there are fewer chlorokinetic characters, but not none, like Genesis, the wife of Apocalypse. Chlorokinesis is an extremely formidable power, and it is perfect for superhero comics.
3) Shrinking
Shrinking has been a part of comics for decades, with characters like Doll-Man, Ant-Man, the Wasp, the Atom, and more all having it. But ask yourself something: when was the last time shrinking characters were important for their shrinking ability? Size manipulation powers are usually all about growing bigger, with even OG shrinker Hank Pym depending more on growing than shrinking as the years have gone by. For some reason, shrinking characters just don’t get the kind of attention and love they used to get. It’s an awesome power, one that can take readers to all kinds of new worlds, and it would be great to see it more.
2) Hydrokinesis
Humans are mostly made up of water, so hydrokinesis is a devastating power. It allows its bearer to mentally control water, shaping it into whatever they want. They can drain the water from a person, or wring it from the air. Aquaman’s wife Mera is the most well-known hydrokinetic, with Aquaman recently getting these powers as well. Spider-Man villain Hydro-Man is also a hydrokinetic, except his body is made completely of water. It’s a power with several variations, all of them great for comics, and it would be awesome to see more characters with it.
1) Chaos Magic
Scarlet Witch is a complicated character who has evolved a lot over the years. At first, she had probability altering powers and then learned magic, mastering chaos magic specifically. Eventually, her powers were changed to reality altering, and “chaos magic” was revealed to be fake. Since then, we’ve rarely if ever seen any chaos magic users. Chaos magic is raw, unfocused power, allowing its users to control the primordial energies of creation. It is wild and unpredictable, and can be used in all kinds of interesting ways. Chaos magic needs to make a comeback, taking magic comics to a new level.
What are your favorite underused powers? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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