Random Famous Supervillains Whose Powers Don’t Work The Way You Think (14 items)

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  (#1) Doctor Doom

  What You Thought His Superpower Does: Doctor Doom is the genius ruler of Latveria who has opposed the Fantastic Four since day one. Thanks to a common misconception caused by the 2005 Fantastic Four movie, many believe Doom gained his powers and scarring while on the mission into space with Reed Richards and the FF. 

  What His Superpower Actually Does: Victor Von Doom has studied the mystic arts since he was a child. His mother was a sorcerer, and she taught Doom from a young age. As an adult, Doom continued his training through tutelage with Morgan Le Fey. Doom received his famous scars while attempting to open a portal into Hell to rescue his mother from Mephisto's clutches. 
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  (#2) Joker

  • Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

  What You Thought His Superpower Does: The average fan can't be blamed for not fully understanding the Clown Prince of Crime's power levels. Almost no character in comic book history has varied throughout their appearances as much as the Joker. Sometimes he's a mobster, and sometimes he's a horrific lunatic stalker. In general, aided by most of his appearances, the average fan seems to believe there is nothing extra-human about the Joker. He has the strength and intelligence of a normal man; he's just a lunatic. 

  What His Superpower Actually Does: In Grant Morrison's esteemed series Arkham Asylum, it is revealed Joker has a condition known as super-sanity. Basically, the Joker has no real personality of his own and chooses a new personality to inhabit each and every day. This not only accounts for Joker's unique brand of bonkers but also the massive discrepancies between his various incarnations. 
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  (#3) Rhino

  What You Thought His Superpower Does: The Rhino is a massive man with super-strength that likes to play dress-up like a zoo animal. He's a core villain in Spidey's rogues' gallery, but the general public definitely knows a lot less about his origins than, say, Doc Ock or the Green Goblin. 

  What His Superpower Actually Does: Similar to Bruce Banner before him, Rhino was given incredible abilities through experiments with gamma radiation. On top of his gamma-given powers, his rhino costume is actually a sophisticated suit that gives him increased strength and makes him more impervious to damage. 
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  (#4) Apocalypse

  What You Thought His Superpower Does: Most mutants are intrinsically linked to their superpowered abilities. Anyone who knows Wolverine knows about his healing and claws, and anyone who knows of Cyclops knows about his powerful optic blasts. Apocalypse is an exception to that rule. What exactly are his powers, anyway? He's from ancient Egypt, he's immortal, and he brings about an apocalypse. But, seriously, what does he do? 

  What His Superpower Actually Does: Apocalypse's only inherent ability is known as self-molecular manipulation. Basically, Apocalypse can change his molecular structure, allowing him to regenerate his body if damaged and change it into pretty much any form. His trademark armor, swiped from a Celestial, increases his power level even further. The ill-gotten armor allows him to project Celestial energy blasts and makes him physically strong enough to square up against the Hulk. 
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  (#5) Poison Ivy

  What You Thought Her Superpower Does: Poison Ivy is one of the all-time great Batman villains. Through a psychic connection to plants, she can command them to grow or strike at will. Also, she has a poisonous kiss that comes into play more than one would think and has control over men through the use of pheromones. 

  What Her Superpower Actually Does: Poison Ivy has a plethora of plant-related abilities thanks to her connection to The Green. Fans of Swamp Thing comics will instantly recognize The Green as the elemental force that connects all plant life. A select few characters, like Ivy and Swamp Thing, can connect to The Green, and thus, communicate with and command plant life. 
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  (#6) Taskmaster

  What You Thought His Superpower Does: Taskmaster has one of the more interesting superpowers in comics history. He can mimic any ability he sees - meaning that if Taskmaster watches an expert swordsman in combat, Taskmaster becomes an expert swordsman. 

  What His Superpower Actually Does: Taskmaster was born with an ability known as photographic reflexes. Thus, he truly can mimic any ability he sees, but that's not all he's capable of. Thanks to an injection of an evil super-soldier serum, Taskmaster has the physical ability to go up against the various heroes and villains his mercenary lifestyle brings him up against. 
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  (#7) Juggernaut

  What You Thought His Superpower Does: Nothing can stop the Juggernaut. That oft-uttered statement is the best descriptor of what Cain Marko, AKA the Juggernaut, is capable of. It's commonly believed Marko's mutant ability is that once he gets any momentum at all, he can't be stopped. Not by anyone. 

  What His Superpower Actually Does: Cain Marko is the step-brother of Charles Xavier. Yet, even with Cain's proximity to such an integral mutant leader, he himself is not a mutant. His powers are a great deal more mysterious and convoluted. Marko gained them after happening upon the temple of Cyttorak while stationed in Korea. In the temple, Cain was possessed by Cyttorak and given incredible power, making him a human juggernaut. 
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  (#8) Mystique

  • X-Men: Legacy

  What You Thought Her Superpower Does: Mystique, AKA Raven Darkholme, is one of the most consistent and prominent X-Men antagonists. Raven has duked it out with Xavier's students across all forms of media, including comics, TV shows, and films. She's a shapeshifter who can turn into any human being. 

  What Her Superpower Actually Does: Mystique's mutant ability allows her to alter her body on a cellular level. Thus, she can mimic any humanoid (or semi-humanoid appearances) and their clothing (yes, Mystique is naked at all times and morphs her body to resemble clothes). Because Mystique can alter her cells, she can manipulate her own body without necessarily changing her appearance to resemble someone else, like when she moves her organs around in her body or grows an extra limb or two. 
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  (#9) Magneto

  What You Thought His Superpower Does: Magneto, AKA Max Eisenhardt, is the master of magnetism and famed frenemy of Charles Xavier. With his complete control of all things metal, he's a worthy foe for any opponent. Even with the common misconception that Magneto basically possesses an odd sort of limited telekinesis (because he can only use it on metal objects), he's still incredibly powerful. 

  What His Superpower Actually Does: Magneto is one of a very select group of mutants classified as Omega Level. All mutants classified as Omega are the most powerful mutants of their specific powerset and have no limit to their abilities. Magneto can use his powers to control the entire electromagnetic field of a planet and once used his abilities to control a metal object that was literal lightyears away from him. 
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  (#10) Kingpin

  What You Thought His Superpower Does: As the Kingpin of the underworld, Wilson Fisk has men to do his dirty work. This has led to him gaining weight and earned him a lifetime of cruel jokes at the hands of Spider-Man. 

  What His Superpower Actually Does: Kingpin has only nine pounds of fat on his entire body. The rest of his massive frame? Pure muscle. This muscle gives Kingpin basically superhuman levels of strength. Kingpin can easily go fist-to-fist with Daredevil and can even take on the massively powerful Spider-Man in a fight. At one point in time, Kingpin used a 1,500-pound dumbbell as a tool against Spidey, effortlessly swinging it around the room. 
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  (#11) Sandman

  What You Thought His Superpower Does: Sandman is perceived to be a human man that can turn his body into sand or control large amounts of sand at will. Basically, William Baker, AKA the Sandman, is to sand what Magneto is to metal, or what Johnny Storm is to fire. 

  What His Superpower Actually Does: Sandman's physical body is dead and gone. Sandman is quite literally nothing more than animated sand. His consciousness and brain are located in one grain of sand, but he can form his body out of as much sand as he is physically connected to. 
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  (#12) Bane

  What You Thought His Superpower Does: Bane is the ultimate Batman bruiser. Out of every ghoul in the incredibly dangerous Gotham rogues' gallery, no other villain compares to Bane when it comes to sheer physical strength. He's best known for picking Batman up and brutally shattering the Bat's back across his knee. 

  What His Superpower Actually Does: Bane is much more than just a physical powerhouse. He uses an advanced stimulant known as Venom (unrelated to the symbiote) to enhance every single physical function in his body. His reflexes, speed, healing ability, stamina, and durability are all superhuman. 
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  (#13) Venom

  What You Thought His Superpower Does: Venom is often thought to be little more than a monstrous shadow of Spider-Man. He climbs walls, shoots black webs, and has massive scary teeth (uh, like a spider?). 

  What His Superpower Actually Does: On its own, the symbiote typically manifests tendrils and a gnarly set of teeth as its weapons of choice. It wasn't until the Venom symbiote bonded with Peter Parker that it borrowed his powers and kept them as part of its own powerset. When the symbiote bonded with Eddie Brock later on, it used its knowledge of Peter Parker to give Brock similar Spider-like abilities. 
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  (#14) Green Goblin

  • Marvel 1602

  What You Thought His Superpower Does: Norman Osborn is known for running Oscorp, being the father of Harry, and also having a wild alter ego called the Green Goblin. The Goblin's often shown using his various gadgets, like his glider and pumpkin bombs, but there's more to the Goblin than the weapons he fights with. 

  What His Superpower Actually Does: Norman Osborn developed the Goblin Formula to rival the Super-Soldier Serum taken by Captain America. Taking the formula didn't just make Osborn bonkers; it did actually succeed in mimicking the physical augmentations given to Rogers by the Super-Soldier Serum. Osborn has enhanced strength, speed, agility, reflexes, and durability, plus a healing factor. 

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