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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.

Contents 1 Means 1.1 Innate means 1.1.1 Mutation 1.1.2 Non-human physical feature 1.1.3 Omnipotence 1.2 Object-based powers 2 Methods 2.1 Energy sourcing 2.2 Magical powers 2.3 Technopathy 2.4 Telekinesis 3 Power manipulation 3.1 Power bestowal 3.2 Power mimicry or absorption 3.3 Power negation 3.4 Power sensing 4 Powers 4.1 Personal physical powers 4.1.1 Accelerated healing 4.1.2 Acid generation 4.1.3 Animal mimicry 4.1.4 Biological manipulation 4.1.5 Body part substitution 4.1.6 Bone manipulation 4.1.7 Duplication 4.1.7.1 Temporal duplication 4.1.8 Echolocation 4.1.9 Invisibility 4.1.10 Invulnerability 4.1.11 Kinetic absorption 4.1.12 Matter ingestion 4.1.13 Merge 4.1.14 Pheromone manipulation 4.1.15 Poison generation 4.1.16 Reactive adaptation/evolution 4.1.17 Self-detonation or explosion 4.1.18 Sonic scream 4.1.19 Superhuman physical resistance 4.1.20 Superhuman reflexes 4.1.21 Superhuman senses 4.1.22 Superhuman vision 4.1.22.1 Night vision 4.1.22.2 X-ray vision 4.1.23 Superhuman strength 4.1.24 Undersea adaptation 4.1.25 Wallcrawling 4.2 Mental faculty and knowledge-based abilities 4.2.1 Innate capability 4.2.2 Omni-linguism 4.2.3 Omniscience 4.2.4 Superhuman intelligence 4.2.5 ESP 4.2.5.1 Astral projection 4.2.5.2 Cross-dimensional awareness 4.2.5.3 Empathy 4.2.5.4 Mediumship 4.2.5.5 Precognition 4.2.5.6 Psychometry 4.2.5.7 Telepathy 4.2.6 Domination and mind control 4.2.6.1 Astral trapping 4.2.6.2 Mind control 4.2.6.3 Possession 4.2.6.4 Psionic blast 4.2.6.5 Psychic weapons 4.3 Manipulate fundamental forces or reality 4.3.1 Animation 4.3.2 Darkness or shadow manipulation 4.3.3 Density control 4.3.4 Disintegration 4.3.5 Elemental transmutation 4.3.6 Gravity manipulation 4.3.7 Immortality 4.3.8 Intangibility or phasing 4.3.9 Light manipulation 4.3.10 Magnetism manipulation 4.3.11 Mass manipulation 4.3.12 Molecular manipulation 4.3.13 Probability manipulation 4.3.14 Radiation manipulation 4.3.15 Reality warping 4.3.16 Sound manipulation 4.3.17 Time manipulation 4.3.18 Classical elements 4.3.18.1 Air and wind manipulation 4.3.18.2 Cold and ice manipulation 4.3.18.3 Earth manipulation 4.3.18.4 Electric manipulation 4.3.18.5 Fire and heat manipulation 4.3.18.6 Plant manipulation 4.3.18.7 Water and moisture manipulation 4.3.18.8 Weather manipulation 4.3.19 Energy manipulation 4.3.20 Concussion beams 4.3.21 Energy blasts 4.3.22 Energy constructs 4.3.23 Energy conversion 4.3.24 Force field generation 4.3.25 Transportation or travel 4.3.25.1 Dimensional transportation 4.3.25.2 Electrical transportation 4.3.25.3 Omnipresence 4.3.25.4 Summoning 4.3.25.5 Superhuman speed 4.3.25.6 Teleportation 4.3.25.7 Time travel 4.4 Miscellaneous 4.4.1 Flight 4.4.2 Illusion 4.4.3 Shapeshifting 4.5 References

[edit] Means

Examples of ways in which a character has the ability to generate an effect.

[edit] Innate means

Abilities that are not granted, given to, or bestowed on the character, but possessed since birth.

• Examples: Superman's powers are innate,^[1] but Spider-Man's are not.^[2]

[edit] Mutation

Main article: Mutation

Abilities resulting from either induced evolution or natural selection in humans. These abilities range from enhanced physical abilities, such as strength, speed and accelerated healing, to phenomenal psychic powers, such as telepathy and telekinesis. These powers are sometimes caused by a genetic birth defect, which shows up later on in life as supernatural powers, but exposure to chemicals or radiation has also been known to cause superhuman mutations.

• Examples: X-Men^[3] or Captain Comet^[4]

[edit] Non-human physical feature

The power may stem from a non-human feature of the user's physical form (a creature made up entirely of fire, of ice, or of rock, for example). This could include physical defenses such as claws, sharp teeth, extra set of arms, quills, thick skin, or webbing. This is often a feature of space-aliens.

• Examples: Thing^[5] or Swamp Thing^[6]

[edit] Omnipotence

Abilities are due to the character possessing complete, unlimited and universal power.

• Examples: Omnipotent characters in fiction

[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^[7] or Green Lantern's power battery and ring^[8]

[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.

• Examples: Nexus^{[issue # needed]} or Superman^[1]

[edit] Magical powers

Main article: Magic (paranormal)

Ability to use supernatural forces to varying degrees. Often used to simulate other powers, such as mind control and elemental attacks. Note that not all "magical" superpowers are actually supernatural (Mxyzptlk's abilities, for instance, rely on a set of physics different from our dimension's), but are still so beyond our understanding of science as to be completely unexplainable.

• Examples: Doctor Strange^[9] or Doctor Fate^[10]

[edit] Technopathy

Main article: 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.

• Examples: Black Box^[11] or Cyborg Superman^[12]

[edit] Telekinesis

Main article: Telekinesis

Ability to manipulate and control objects with the mind, often in ways not visible to the naked eye. An extremely powerful telekinetic might be able to control individual atoms.

• Examples: Justice^[13] or Psimon

[edit] Power manipulation

[edit] Power bestowal

Ability to bestow powers or jump-start latent powers.

• Examples: Sage^[14] or Synergy^[15]

[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.

• Examples: Leech^[18] or Scrambler^[19]

[edit] Power sensing

Ability to sense or recognize superhuman powers.

• Examples: Caliban^[20]

[edit] Powers

[edit] Personal physical powers

Powers which affect a physical person's body.

[edit] Accelerated healing

Main article: Healing factor

Ability to heal rapidly from any injury; the rate of recovery varies from character to character.

• Examples: Wolverine or Lobo

[edit] Acid generation

Ability to generate acid, can be manifested through touch or as a spray.

• Examples: Anarchist or Man-Thing

[edit] Animal mimicry

Ability to take on the abilities of certain animals.

• Examples: Animal Man

[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.

• Examples: Elixir or Raven

[edit] Body part substitution

Ability to replace one's limbs or other body parts with those of another.

• Examples: Terror Inc.

[edit] Bone manipulation

Main article: Boneshifting

Ability to manipulate the bones in ones 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.

• Examples: Marrow or Spyke

[edit] Duplication

Ability to create physical clones of oneself.

• Examples: Multiple Man or Triplicate Girl

[edit] Temporal duplication

Ability to bring past and future versions of oneself back to the present.

• Examples: Flashback or Damian Tryp

[edit] Echolocation

Main article: 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).

• Examples: Daredevil or Man-Bat

[edit] Invisibility

Main article: Invisibility

Ability to render the user unseen to the naked eye.

• Examples: Invisible Woman or Invisible Kid

[edit] Invulnerability

Ability to be immune to one or more forms of physical damage or injury.

• Examples: Champion of the Universe or Supergirl

[edit] Kinetic absorption

Ability to absorb forms of kinetic energy into oneself and convert it into physical strength.

• Examples: Strong Guy or Sebastian Shaw

[edit] Matter ingestion

Ability to consume any sort of matter without any ill effects on the user.

• Examples: Matter-Eater Lad or Gluttony

[edit] Merge

Ability to temporarily merge two beings into a single being, which results in a completely new and stronger being.

• Examples: Kleinstocks or B'Wana Beast or Siang

[edit] Pheromone manipulation

Ability to generate and control pheromones which may have various effects.

• Examples: Wallflower or Crimson Fox

[edit] Poison generation

Ability to assault others with one or more varieties of toxins, with widely disparate effects.

• Examples: Cobra

[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.

• Examples: Darwin or Doomsday

[edit] Self-detonation or explosion

Ability to explode one's body mass and reform.

• Examples: Nitro or Damage

[edit] Sonic scream

Ability to generate vocal sounds of a higher amplitude than a normal human.

• Examples: Banshee or Black Canary

[edit] Superhuman physical resistance

Ability to have a higher resistance to one or more forms of damage before being injured.

• Examples: Luke Cage or Solomon Grundy or The Tick

[edit] Superhuman reflexes

Ability to react faster than a normal human.

• Examples: Blade or Midnighter

[edit] Superhuman senses

Ability to see, smell, taste, touch, or hear more than a normal human.

• Examples: Sabretooth or Timber Wolf

[edit] Superhuman vision

[edit] Night vision

Ability to see clearly in darkness.

• Examples: The Owl or Doctor Mid-Nite

[edit] X-ray vision

Main article: X-ray vision

Ability to see through solid objects.

• Examples: Peepers or Lar Gand

[edit] Superhuman strength

Main article: Superhuman Strength

See also: Strength level

Ability to have inhuman strength.

• Examples: The Incredible Hulk or Superman

[edit] Undersea adaptation

See also: Waterbreathing

Ability to adapt to conditions underwater (underwater breathing, resistance to cold and pressure).

• Examples: Namor or Aquaman

[edit] Wallcrawling

Ability to cling to objects or surfaces by a variety of means.

• Examples: Anole or Spider-Man

[edit] Mental faculty and knowledge-based abilities

[edit] Innate capability

Ability to naturally have skills and/or knowledge typically earned through learning.

• Examples: Forge and Razorback

[edit] Omni-linguism

Ability to understand any form of language. This can be accomplished in various ways.

• Examples: Cypher or Starfire

[edit] Omniscience

Main article: Omniscience

Ability to know anything and everything.

• Examples: Infinity and Mageddon

[edit] Superhuman intelligence

Ability to have intelligence far above genius level.

• Examples: Leader or Brainiac 5

[edit] ESP

Main article: Extra sensory perception

The abilities of extra-sensory perception (ESP) and communication.

[edit] Astral projection

Main article: Astral projection

Ability to separate and control one's astral body.

• Examples: Rachel Summers or Ravager

[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 or Ambush Bug

[edit] Empathy

Main article: Empathy

Ability to read or sense the emotions or feelings of others.

• Examples: Empath or Devastation

[edit] Mediumship

Ability to see and communicate with the dead (ghosts).

• Examples: Wicked or Lionel Zerb

[edit] Precognition

Main article: Precognition

Main article: Clairvoyance

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: Dream Girl or Preview

[edit] Psychometry

Main article: 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 or Abe Sapien

[edit] Telepathy

Main article: Telepathy

Ability to read the thoughts of, or to mentally communicate with others.

• Examples: Emma Frost or Saturn Girl

[edit] Domination and mind control

The ability to alter the perceptions of others, and general mind-control.

[edit] Astral trapping

Ability to cause an astral projection to stay on the astral plane, usually in one specific place.

• Examples: Shadow King or Professor X

[edit] Mind control

Main article: Mind control

Ability to control the actions or reasoning of another with the mind.

• Examples: Mesmero or Maxwell Lord

[edit] Possession

Main article: Spiritual possession

Ability to take control of another person’s body via astral projection or mind transfer.

• Examples: Nocturne or Jericho

[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 or Gorilla Grodd

[edit] Psychic weapons

Ability to create a weapon of psionic energy that can harm mentally and not physically.

• Examples: Danielle Moonstar or Wild Thing

[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 or Mr. Mxyzptlk

[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: Obsidian or Black Death

[edit] Density control

Ability to increase the natural density of an object and/or one's self.

• Examples: Vision or Martian Manhunter

[edit] Disintegration

Ability to disintegrate matter through touch.

• Examples: Wither or Plasmus

[edit] Elemental transmutation

Main article: 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. (Also known as alchemy)

• Examples: Alchemy or Metamorpho

[edit] Gravity manipulation

Ability to manipulate or generate gravitons, or other types of gravitational interactions.

• Examples: Alex Power or Geo-Force

[edit] Immortality

Main article: 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 or Vandal Savage

[edit] Intangibility or phasing

Ability to phase through solid matter without harm.

• Examples: Kitty Pryde or Phantom Girl

[edit] Light manipulation

Ability to control, generate or absorb photons (particles of light).

• Examples: Sunspot or The Ray

[edit] Magnetism manipulation

Ability to control and/or generate magnetic fields.

• Examples: Magneto or Doctor Polaris

[edit] Mass manipulation

Ability to increase or decrease mass in an object or person.

• Examples: Harry Leland or Star Boy

[edit] Molecular manipulation

Ability to mentally manipulate molecules and objects on a molecular level.

• Examples: Mr. M or Firestorm or Solar

[edit] Probability manipulation

Main article: Probability

Ability to alter probability, causing unlikely things to happen or likely things to not happen.

• Examples: Black Cat or Calamity King

[edit] Radiation manipulation

Ability to generate, manipulate or have immunity to toxic radiation.

• Examples: Captain Atom or X-Ray

[edit] Reality warping

Main article: Reality warper

Ability to change or manipulate reality itself.

• Examples: Mister Mxyzptlk or Scarlet Witch

[edit] Sound manipulation

Ability to manipulate sound waves.

• Examples: Klaw or The Fiddler

[edit] Time manipulation

Ability to affect the flow of time, slowing, accelerating or even stopping it.

• Examples: Sway or Zoom

[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: Red Tornado or Blowhard

[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.

• Examples: Iceman or Killer Frost

[edit] Earth manipulation

Ability to control earth; sand, stone, rock, lava, dirt, or minerals.

• Examples: Dust or Geomancer

[edit] Electric manipulation

Ability to control, generate or absorb electrical fields.

• Examples: Electro or Black Lightning

[edit] Fire and heat manipulation

Main article: Pyrokinesis

Ability to control the kinetic energy of atoms to generate, control or absorb fire.

• Examples: Pyro or Fire

[edit] Plant manipulation

Ability to accelerate the growth of, control or animate plant life.

• Examples: Poison Ivy or Gardener

[edit] Water and moisture manipulation

Ability to control, generate or absorb water.

• Examples: Hydro-Man or Tempest

[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: Monsoon or Typhoon or Sarah Rainmaker

[edit] Energy manipulation

Main article: Energy

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.

• Examples: Cyclops or Gunfire

[edit] Energy blasts

Main article: Energy blast

Ability to expel various forms of energy from the body.

• Examples: Havok or Ray

[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.

• Examples: Cerise or Jade

[edit] Energy conversion

Ability to absorb one form of energy and convert it into another form of energy.

• Examples: Dazzler or Bishop

[edit] Force field generation

Main article: Force field (science fiction)

Ability to generate a shield of energy produced as a form of protection.

• Examples: Radius or Argent

[edit] Transportation or travel

[edit] Dimensional transportation

Ability to create wormholes, portation "discs" or other spatial portals for transport between two non-adjacent locations

• Examples: Blink or Spot

[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.

• Examples: Atom or Air Wave

[edit] Omnipresence

Ability to be present anywhere and everywhere always.

• Examples: Eternity or The Source

[edit] Summoning

Ability to summon objects or beings for assistance.

• Examples: Magik or Kid Eternity

[edit] Superhuman speed

Ability to move at speeds faster than a normal human.

• Examples: Speed or The Flash

[edit] Teleportation

Main article: Teleportation

Ability to move from one place to another without occupying the space in between.

• Examples: Nightcrawler or Misfit

[edit] Time travel

Main article: Time travel

Ability to travel back and forth through time.

• Examples: Kang the Conqueror or Chronos

[edit] Miscellaneous

The following powers could be manifested in any number of ways.

[edit] Flight

Main article: 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:

• Avian (feathered wings)
  • Examples: Angel or Northwind
• Bat-winged
  • Examples: Fallen
• Cosmic energy control
  • Examples: Ms. Marvel
• Energy aura projection
  • Examples: Aero or Looker
• Gravitational manipulation
  • Examples: Gravity
• Insectoid form
  • Examples: Wasp or Insect Queen
• Magnetic levitation
  • Examples: Magneto or Static
• Solar flare
  • Examples: Sunfire
• Sonic repulsion field
  • Examples: Siryn
• Telekinetic power
  • Examples: Justice or Match
• Thermo-chemical reaction control
  • Examples: Cannonball
• Wind current control
  • Examples: Storm

[edit] Illusion

Main article: 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 or Princess Projectra

[edit] Shapeshifting

Main article: Shapeshifting

Ability to change appearance or body structure.

• Examples: Hulkling or Chameleon

Types of shapeshifting include:

• Animal morphing: Ability to take on animal forms. May be able to take on the abilities of the altered form.
  • Examples: Wolfsbane or Beast Boy
• Elasticity: Ability to stretch, deform, expand and contract one's body into any form they can imagine.
  • Examples: Mr. Fantastic or Elongated Man
• Liquification: Ability to turn partially or completely into a liquid.
  • Examples: Hydro-Man or Aspen Matthews
• Size shifting: Ability to increase or decrease one's size.
  • Examples: Yellowjacket or Colossal Boy
• Sublimation: Ability to transform into a gaseous, mist, or fog-like form.
  • Examples Amelia Voght or Mist
• Transformation: Ability to transform into substance touched.
  • Examples: Absorbing Man or Amazing Man

[edit] References