Mantis can mess with someone’s emotions and even helped subdue Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, which sounds wildly powerful on paper. The catch is she has to physically touch her target, and in a real fight, that’s a huge risk. Physically, she’s about as strong as a normal person, so without backup holding the bad guy down, her abilities don’t go very far. | © Walt Disney Pictures
Sam Wilson chose not to take the Super Soldier Serum in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, even after seeing what that power can do. He stepped into the Captain America role anyway, but without the enhanced strength that defined Steve Rogers. The wings and shield help, yet underneath all that gear, he’s still just a man who can get hurt like anyone else, which makes every fight riskier. | © Walt Disney Pictures
Daredevil’s heightened senses make him dangerous, but physically, he’s still just a man who can be shot, stabbed, or beaten down. In shows like Daredevil, he ends fights covered in bruises and broken bones, which says everything about his limits. Loud noises or sensory overload can throw him off, and his strict no-kill rule often holds him back, especially in a universe packed with far more serious threats. | © Netflix
Frank Castle doesn’t have armor, magic, or billionaire-level tech backing him up. In series like The Punisher, he’s just a man in a vest with a pile of guns and a lot of rage. That raw determination makes him dangerous, but when you compare him to super-soldiers or cosmic beings, he’s still painfully human, and one bullet away from being done. | © Walt Disney Pictures
Britt Reid in The Green Hornet isn’t powerless, but he’s far from elite. He relies on gadgets and the Black Beauty, yet he often feels impulsive and undertrained, more lucky than skilled. Kato usually handles the real combat and strategy, which leaves the Hornet looking like the least capable person in his own operation. | © Sony Pictures Releasing
Peter Quill once had Celestial power running through his veins, but after defeating Ego in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, that cosmic edge disappeared. Now he’s basically a guy with blasters, a cool jacket, and a lot of confidence. He’s scrappy and clever, sure, yet when you stack him against gods and planet-level threats, he’s painfully easy to overpower. | © Walt Disney Pictures
Doctor Manhattan might be godlike in Watchmen, but his biggest weakness is how disconnected he becomes from humanity. He sees time as fixed, which means he often doesn’t step in to stop tragedies because, to him, they’re already set in stone. That emotional detachment and refusal to act make him feel less like a hero and more like a distant observer: powerful, yet ineffective where it matters most. | © Warner Bros. Pictures
Black Widow stands shoulder to shoulder with gods and super-soldiers, yet she’s still just a highly trained human in a tactical suit. No super strength, no magic, no healing factor, just guns, shock batons, and sharp instincts. That vulnerability is exactly what makes her impressive, but it also means one wrong move could end her story a lot faster than the rest of the Avengers. | © Walt Disney Pictures
Eric Draven from The Crow isn’t out to save the world, he’s back for revenge, and revenge only. His strength and healing abilities come from a mystical crow, and if that link is broken, he becomes vulnerable again. Once his mission is done, the power fades, which makes him feel less like a lasting superhero and more like a temporary force of vengeance. | © Miramax Films
Tony Stark calls himself a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, but take away the armor and he’s just a very smart man in a bad situation. Early on in Iron Man, someone literally rips the arc reactor from his chest and leaves him seconds from death, which says a lot about how fragile he really is. The suits make him a powerhouse, yet underneath all that tech, he’s still human, brilliant, yes, but not built for a fair fight without the metal. | © Walt Disney Pictures
The Mask looks unstoppable in the 1994 film The Mask, bending reality like a living cartoon, but all that power comes from the artifact, not the man. Take it off, and Stanley Ipkiss is just a shy bank clerk with no abilities at all. Even while wearing it, the chaos, lack of control, and reckless antics make him more unpredictable than heroic, which isn’t exactly a strength when people expect a dependable savior. | © New Line Cinema
Hancock can fly, shrug off bullets, and toss cars like toys, yet he’s often his own worst enemy. In Hancock, his drinking, arrogance, and reckless decisions cause more damage than the villains ever do. Add in the twist that being near Mary drains his powers, and suddenly the “unstoppable” hero looks a lot more fragile than he’d like to admit. | © Sony Pictures Releasing
Nick Fury built the Avengers and runs agencies like S.H.I.E.L.D., but none of that makes him superhuman. Strip away the eye patch and authority, and he’s still just a highly trained spy who bleeds like anyone else. He can handle himself in a fight, sure, yet moments like his near-fatal ambush in Captain America: The Winter Soldier prove that influence isn’t the same thing as invincibility. | © Walt Disney Pictures
Kick-Ass isn’t hiding some secret ability - he genuinely has zero powers. In Kick-Ass, his first attempt at hero work ends with him stabbed, run over, and barely alive, which pretty much sets the tone. He can take a beating better than most thanks to nerve damage, but endurance alone doesn’t win fights, especially when everyone around him is faster, stronger, and actually trained. | © Lionsgate Films
Howard is, at the end of the day, exactly what he appears to be — a talking duck with attitude. Even though he’s popped up in projects like Guardians of the Galaxy and the animated series What If...?, he’s mostly there for a quick joke rather than a heroic moment. Voiced by Seth Green, he’s funny and self-aware, but when it comes to real superpowers, there’s just not much behind the feathers. | © Walt Disney Pictures
Not every hero is built like a god. Some wear suits, some rely on gadgets, and some are just regular people trying to keep up. Here are 15 superheroes who are far weaker than their reputations suggest.
