Laser eyes, Flight, Telekinesis, Super-Speed. Super-Strength are some of the things which comes to the mind when someone mentions superpowers. From DC’s Man of Steel to Marvel’s God of Thunder, superheroes with superpowers have been ruling the roster for quite a while.
And then, everything changed when Batman and Iron Man entered the scene. Equipped with their wits, will, morality, and some billions of dollars, these two heroes changed the comic book scene forever.
The mysterious Bat-Cave with its fancy gadgets, Bat-Mobile, and Batman’s own personal arsenal makes him one of the most dangerous humans on planet Earth. From fighting Superman to Darkseid, Batman proved that you do not need superpowers to be a superhero.
Then in 2008, the comic-book movie industry exploded when the first Iron Man movie was released. Tony Stark aka Iron Man showed the world what genius intellect and wealth can achieve. As the de-facto leader of the Avengers, Iron Man soon became a household name.
Arguably the coolest superheroes of DC and Marvel, Batman and Iron Man are the pioneers of infusing technology with heroism. An array of battle armours, pocket-sized rockets, stealth suit, and a myriad other technology makes these two heroes stand apart from actual Gods.
With Iron Man out of the scene for a while and The Batman movie releasing next year, it is time we get to know a few other superheroes who use technology to fight crime and save the world. Interested? Let’s hop in!
10. Cyborg
Victor Stone aka Cyborg is the son of scientists Silas Stone and Elinore Stone. Treated as a subject for experimentation from a very young age, Victor became resentful of his parents and wanted a normal life.
To lead a normal life, he was drawn towards sports where he became a fierce footballer. In a freak accident in his father’s laboratory, he lost most of his body parts when a Mother Box exploded. To save his life, Dr Silas Stone infused a variety of technology like Promethean Skin Graft, White Dwarf Stabilizer, and a few Operating Systems. Victor survived but most of his body parts were cybernetic enhancements.
As a result of the accident caused by the Mother Box, Victor Stone aka Cyborg can access the history of New Gods, Darkseid’s invasion plans along with billions of alien languages and technology with much ease.
Cyborg is a prominent member of the Teen Titans and Doom Patrol. Later, he was made one of the founding members of the Justice League. Cyborg is played by Ray Fisher in Justice League. Ray Fisher will portray the role once again in Justice League: Snyder Cut.
9. Mister Terrific
In the Golden Age of Comics, Terry Sloane was the original Mister Terrific. A man of exceptional intellect and athleticism, Terry Sloane became a self-made millionaire. Having achieved all his goals, he was plagued by an existential crisis forcing him to contemplate suicide.
However, when Terry saw a woman trying to commit suicide, he had a change of heart and helped her. Subsequently, he went on to help her brother who was caught up with local gangs. With a newfound purpose, Terry Sloane donned a costume and became Mister Terrific to fight crime. Eventually, he joined the Justice Society of America.
After Terry’s death, Michael Holt became the successor to don the suit of Mister Terrific. Like his predecessor, Holt was a genius with numerous doctorates in a wide variety of fields. Also, he was a champion athlete with an Olympics medal to his name.
Holt lost his wife and unborn child which made him contemplate suicide, like his predecessor. But this time, the Spectre intervened and told him about Terry Sloane. Inspired, Holt donned the suit with a few advancements made by him.
Using his genius intellect, he created T-Spheres which he can control using his masks. The T-Spheres enable him to use holographic projections, laser grids, hacking into any system, invisibility from all forms of cameras. He can also use the T-Spheres for offence, mostly as projectiles and exploding devices.
Michael Holt is considered to be the third most intelligent character in the DC Universe.
8. Hank Pym
Hank Pym aka Ant-Man is the creator of Pym Particles. The Pym Particles grant him the power to shrink or enlarge into any size he wishes to.
Using the Pym Particles, Hank Pym can also shrink or enlarge other objects in his vicinity. Using a cybernetic helmet, he can telepathically connect with insects, usually ants to do his bidding.
His shrinking abilities grant him the power to shrink into atomic levels where he can traverse the atomic world. Also, he can turn himself into nearly hundreds of feet using the Pym Particles.
In the comics, he is the original founder of the Avengers. He is played by Michael Douglas in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His successor Scott Lang is equally intelligent who was played by Paul Rudd.
7. Booster Gold
Michael Jon Carter aka Booster Gold is one of the wittiest and humorous heroes of the DC Universe. Originally from the 25th Century, Carter was born to a poor family in Gotham City. His father’s gambling addiction made his life worse.
Landing the job of a watchman at the Metropolis Space Museum, Carter wished to go back to the 20th Century where he could be a superhero and amass a fortune. By stealing a force field and a Time Sphere, Carter travelled to the 20th Century where he eventually became Booster Gold.
Using the force field, Booster Gold has the power of super-strength. He can also deploy force blasts. In the recent upgrades, Booster Gold has the ability of flight too. His desire to be famous and rich sometimes makes him look obnoxious to the other members of his team. But, his sense of humour, heroism, and genius intellect makes him one of the finest heroes of the DC Universe.
6. Blue Beetle
The mantle of Blue Beetle has been passed to three different characters in the DC Universe. Dan Garrett was the first Blue Beetle who received his powers from a sacred scarab. Eventually, he took Ted Kord as a student.
After Garrett’s death, Ted Kord became the new Blue Beetle. Kord is the most famous Blue Beetle among the three. His IQ of 192 made him a self-made billionaire who founded Kord Industries.
Using his wealth, intellect, athleticism, and the power of the scarab, Ted Kord became the new Blue Beetle who fought supervillains alongside his best friend Booster Gold.
His scarab is actually an ancient technology used by cosmic marauders to grant the user powers of espionage. As the scarab is slightly destroyed, it now forms a symbiotic relationship with its user. When the user is attacked, the scarab turns into a fearsome armour.
Jaime Reyes is the third Blue Beetle after he discovered the scarab in his father’s garage.
5. Atom
Dr Raymond Palmer was a leading scientist and the CEO of Palmer Technologies before he became the superhero Atom.
Using the remnant of a White Dwarf Star, Ray Palmer found that he could shrink himself to sub-atomic levels. Using the White Dwarf Star, Ray Palmer created his suit which enabled him to shrink, change his density, re-arrange atoms and many other abilities.
His notable works include entering the bloodstream of Superman to create Kryptonite to defeat the Black Lantern Al Pratt.
Ray Palmer is played by Brandon Routh on CW’s Arrowverse.
4. Falcon
Sam Wilson is a former gangster who lost his parents at a very young age. Devastated, he took the path of crime. During one of his ‘scores’, his plane crashed and he landed on Exile Island. There, he bonded with a falcon named Redwing.
In the island, he met Captain America where he learned different martial arts from him. Together, they overpowered the oppressor of the island, Red Skull.
His love for birds grants him a sort of telepathic link with them. As the hero Falcon, he uses cybernetic wings and sub-machine guns. His advanced suit can detect targets and deploy mini-missiles.
In the MCU, Falcon is played by Anthony Mackie. In the movies, his past is changed where he is a former US Army veteran and a pararescueman.
3. Steel
In the events of The Death of Superman, John Henry Irons took up the mantle of the Man of Steel to fight crime and save the world. Considering Superman to be his idol, Irons created a suit of armour bearing the insignia of Superman.
When using the suit, Irons is granted super-strength, super-endurance, and flight. He can also use the suit as an offensive device by using mounted weapons.
His moral righteousness and purity of heart made him known as the ‘Man of Steel’ in the events of The Reign of Supermen. After the return of Superman from his apparent death, Irons shortened his name to Steel and became a comrade to the Blue Boy Scout.
2. Green Arrow
DC’s Green Arrow is one of the most underrated heroes of the Justice League. Mocked for his usage of a bow and arrow, he packs a punch silently in the shadows.
Oliver Queen aka Green Arrow is the CEO of Queen Industries who dons the persona of a vigilante at night to fight crime. His billionaire status and genius intellect enable him to create tech-powered suits, complex bows, and a variety of arrows which can take down supervillains.
One of his most unforgettable scenes was firing the Kryptonite laced arrow at Superman in Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. Despite losing an arm, Oliver Queen was able to fire an arrow with lethal precision.
He is played by Stephen Amell in CW’s Arrow and the related shows.
1. Black Panther
The King of Wakanda, a hidden country in the African continent with tonnes of Vibranium under the soil. The Black Panther is a mantle that is passed on to the chief of the Wakandan Panther Clan. The current and most famous Black Panther is T’Challa.
The vibranium deposit under Wakanda makes the country the most advanced nation on the planet. Using vibranium, the technology created in Wakanda is unmatched. The Black Panther gains his superhuman strength, hearing, and an acute sense of smell by consuming a heart-shaped herb.
But, the real power of T’Challa comes from his suit created from Vibranium. As the strongest metal, it is practically impenetrable which makes him near invincible. Using his massive wealth, T’Challa also uses futuristic gadgets like energy daggers and Kimoyo Cards.
T’Challa is played by Chadwick Boseman in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Do you know any other tech-based superheroes? Let us know in the comments!
