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10 Worst Ways to Get Superpowers in Comics (And Trauma Isn’t Even the Worst)
Everyone dreams about getting superpowers. Both DC and Marvel Comics have had their superheroes and villains acquire their special abilities in many ways. With their powers, these characters become gods among men. However, such incredible power often comes at a price. The process of acquiring superpowers is usually depicted as excruciating and horrific. The methods can be agonizing, have long-lasting aftereffects, or leave a person with debilitating mental conditions. Traumatic origin stories are used to justify both a hero’s resolve and a villain’s descent into madness. If these events were what it took to obtain supernatural abilities, most people would rather have normal lives.
These are the most unpleasant, life-altering, and painful ways people have obtained superpowers in comics. Don’t try these at home!
10) Mutation
Superhuman mutations are just a matter of luck. In the ultimate crapshoot of the genetic lottery, you could be born a mutant with extraordinary telepathic powers like Professor X or look like a horrifying monster like Maggott. Many characters born with striking physical mutations are hated and ridiculed by the public for their differences. Even if you aren’t born looking like a monster, you have no control over your superpower is. Mutants like Rogue live isolated lives because she can kill with a touch. Although it seems the easiest way to get superpowers, being born with mutations will often result in societal rejection and isolation.
9) Freak Accident
There are few more surefire ways to obtain unnatural abilities than by being at the epicenter of an experiment that went horribly wrong. The types of accidents can vary from being drenched in acid to electrocution. As one can imagine, such accidents can be harrowing and lead to serious injuries; indeed, in our universe, you would be invariably dead if you suffered one of these accidents. However, in comics, they are the source of miraculous benefits or curses. Notable accidents that resulted in the creation of superhumans include Plastic Man, Sandman, the Flash, and Mr. Freeze. None of these characters asked for their powers, and the sudden changes drastically altered their lives for better and for worse.
8) Super Serums
In comic books, drugs are often a gateway to superpowers. Whether they are ingested or injected, putting a strange and potentially dangerous chemical into your body is rarely a good idea. While some characters like Captain America suffer from no harmful side effects from taking an experimental chemical, most people aren’t so lucky. Characters like Hourman, Bane, and Sentry all developed significant alterations in physical and psychological effects from the drugs that entered their bodies. And of course, like most drugs, super serums often can be highly addictive and lead to more problems.
7) Radiation
Science tells us that exposure to high levels of radiation can be hazardous and deadly. Even in the world of comic books, people who get exposed to radiation often obtain their abilities at a cost. Daredevil gained heightened senses when he was splashed in the face with radioactive waste, but he also lost his sight in the process. Radiation also tends to mutate people into horrific and destructive monsters, such as the Hulk and Parasite. There are even characters like Firestorm and Dr. Manhattan who, after being exposed to a massive amount of radiation, were torn apart down to their atomic level before being pulled back together. While the direct impact of radiation on these characters varies significantly, one constant is that the initial exposure causes considerable harm and pain.
6) Cybernetics
As one can probably guess, the situations that call for most of a person’s limbs and vital organs to be replaced with cybernetic prosthetics are anything but pleasant. Characters like Cyborg or Robotman were in terrible, life-threatening accidents. To survive, scientists and doctors rebuild them to be more metal than flesh. Upon waking up, these cyborgs are horrified by their new reality. Depending on the level of advancement of their new prosthetics, these individuals may experience loss of their sense of touch, smell, and taste. Things can get even worse if computer chips are inserted into the brain. If that’s the case, the character’s mind can be fractured between raw human emotions and cold, calculating logic.
5) Experimentation
To artificially create superpowers, many groups use willing or unwilling human guinea pigs to conduct their experiments. The types of groups to commit such atrocious crimes against humanity include government super soldier programs, advanced aliens, and mad scientists. Like lab rats, the victims of such experiments are pushed to their physical and psychological limits. Many subjects don’t even survive the process. The subjects are torn apart and rebuilt, brainwashed, pumped full of drugs, and subjected to agonizing torture methods. Many comic book characters have been the victims of inhumane experimentation, including Deadpool, Wolverine, Starfire, and Rocket Raccoon.
4) Infection
Any horror movie will tell you that it’s a bad idea to get bitten by a monster because they’re often contagious and will turn their victims into monsters. Creatures like vampires, zombies, and werewolves are well-known for transferring their curses via a bite. While a person gains powers like super-strength, agility, claws, and immortality depending on the type of monster that bites them, the downsides are far greater. In exchange for abilities, a person will often have to sacrifice their humanity and become soulless creatures of the night that feast on human flesh. Some characters, like Blade and Werewolf by Night, can resist their monstrous instincts and become heroes. Unfortunately, they are a minority, as most people are unable to overcome their evil bloodlust.
3) Possession
Making a deal with a demon is never a good idea. In comics, creatures from Hell are always looking to strike deals and form attachments to wary humans. Like classic demons, they will give people great power in exchange for their eternal souls. In some instances, a person can bond with a demon and gain unholy powers, such as hellfire, super-strength, immortality, and soul manipulation. Unfortunately, in many cases, such demons are like unholy parasites, latching onto their host. They will often try to tempt their hosts into using their powers for evil. Having a literal demon inside of you is the last thing anyone wants. Still, some heroes have managed to use their cursed existences to fight evil, such as Ghost Rider and Etrigan.
2) Grief/Trauma
In the world of comics, the deaths of friends and family often serve as a common motivator for individuals to become heroes or villains. For heroes like Batman, the murders of his parents drove him to train himself to near-perfection. It also granted him full access to his generational wealth, which he used to create various weapons and tools. Unfortunately, no amount of money could erase the trauma Batman suffered from watching the murder of his parents. Drax gained his abilities after his wife and child were murdered by Thanos, and his soul was transferred into a superpowered body created by the all-powerful Eternal named “Kronos.” Although losing loved ones is rarely the direct cause of people gaining superpowers, it is frequently the motivation behind their careers as heroes and villains.
1) Ressurection
There can be no greater cost than having to die to acquire superpowers. Of course, in comics, death is often more like a revolving door. Unfortunately, not everyone comes back the same. Most characters that obtain powers after their deaths are the victims of brutal murders. The process of returning from the grave frequently results in the person undergoing a horrific transformation. Deadman became a ghost, Swamp Thing a plant monster, and Solomon Grundy a zombie. The existence of such undead characters is a sad and lonely one, with them practically stuck in an eternal limbo between life and death. No superpowers are worth this kind of suffering.
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