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When last we met, we talked about fictional superheroes that could actually exist in real life. Now we are going to explore real people with superpowers.
Yes, believe it or not, there are some people in reality that have exhibited some form of superpower. Not only have we listed a few but we have matched them up to the closest comic book character whose power they mimic.
Super sight
Daniel Kish has the power of echolocation. He is a blind man that can “see”. Daniel Kish lost his eyes as a child due to retina cancer. Since losing his sight he has learned to navigate himself through the world by clicking his tongue and listening closely to the sounds that bounce back to him from the objects around him. It’s almost like what bats, dolphins, and whales do to move through nature. I guess if we can compare him to any fictional hero, it would be closer to how Daredevil uses radar to “see”.
Eats everything
Michel Lotito has a condition known as Pica which is a disorder that gives you an appetite for non-consumable foods like dirt, rocks, and metals. Michel also has an abnormally thick lining in his stomach and intestines that made it possible for him to eat sharp metal objects and consume toxic substances which could kill anyone else. He performed feats for entertainment as Monsieur Mangetout which means Mr. Eats All. One of his notable feats was consuming an entire Cessna 150 airplane in small bits over a two-year period. In the comic book, the Legion of Superheroes has a member with similar powers called Matter Eating Lad.
Remember this
Actress Marilu Henner known for her role on the late 70’s sitcom Taxi, has a condition known as hyperthymia. This means she has the ability to recall every tiny detail from her life going back decades. There are about twenty-five known cases of people with this condition, so it is not very common. Basically, she describes this as being able to pinpoint a given time and date and she can recall the event as if watching a movie montage. In the comic book, Batgirl was said to have a photographic memory which is probably the closest we come to this being a power.
Twisted
Javier Botet has a genetic condition known as Marfan syndrome. This condition affects connective tissue throughout the body and makes the body have abnormal flexibility. People with Marfan syndrome are unusually tall, with long limbs and fingers. There are dangers with this condition because it is a spectrum disease in which some severe cases can lead to heart and organ defects which could be terminal. You can find Javier in movies such as the Spanish horror film REC, the titular character in Mama, the 2017 remake of The Mummy, and 2018’s Slender Man. As far as a comic book character, his condition can be related to the Flash villain, Ragdoll.
Strength
Liam Hoekstra was born with natural superhuman strength. He appears to have a rare genetic condition that blocks protein myostatin responsible for inhibiting muscle growth. This means without any workout routine he is genetically built and stronger than most. Although he has no boosted feats of strength, he is naturally strong. His natural super strength can be in line with Superman who would be strong regardless of training.
Endurance
Eero Mantyranta had a rare condition that gave him super endurance. Eero’s condition was the same as other members of his family in which as a result of a mutation in the erythropoietin receptor gene his endurance was more than most humans. This allowed him to carry 50 percent more oxygen in his bloodstream. As a Finnish Olympic skiing champion this was a very helpful condition. The endurance could be related to more than a few comic characters but the first that comes to mind would be Captain America or Wolverine.
Imagine being born with some of these conditions. Yes, some of these conditions can be considered a curse and some can be beneficial. If you know of any others born with special abilities, please list them in our comments.