# How many men would it take to defeat someone who was 10x as strong/durable as a normal human? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 29, 2020, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-would-it-take-to-defeat-someone-who-was-10x-as-strong-durable-as-a-normal-human/916707 "2020-07-29T12:24:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cmyers1980](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyers1980/32/11814_2.png) [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-would-it-take-to-defeat-someone-who-was-10x-as-strong-durable-as-a-normal-human/916707/1 "2020-07-29T12:24:32Z")
What’s the minimum amount of men it would take to defeat someone who was 10x as strong/durable as a normal human? Fight takes place in the middle of an empty parking lot. They start off 20 feet apart facing each other. No prep. Round 1: No equipment. Round 2: The superhuman has no weapons while the men have bats, crowbars and kitchen knives. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-would-it-take-to-defeat-someone-who-was-10x-as-strong-durable-as-a-normal-human/916707/2 "2020-07-29T12:25:52Z")
One armed man is all it takes. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-would-it-take-to-defeat-someone-who-was-10x-as-strong-durable-as-a-normal-human/916707/3 "2020-07-29T12:26:15Z")
It would depend on the fighting skills of all involved. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-would-it-take-to-defeat-someone-who-was-10x-as-strong-durable-as-a-normal-human/916707/4 "2020-07-29T12:32:27Z")
Dr. Richard Kimble agrees. ---
**Author:** ![Cmyers1980](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyers1980/32/11814_2.png) [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-would-it-take-to-defeat-someone-who-was-10x-as-strong-durable-as-a-normal-human/916707/5 "2020-07-29T12:34:07Z")
They all have average fighting skill (no formal training). ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-would-it-take-to-defeat-someone-who-was-10x-as-strong-durable-as-a-normal-human/916707/6 "2020-07-29T12:34:56Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > It would depend on the fighting skills of all involved. Absolutely right. I don’t care how strong and durable a person is, there are “kill shots” in hand to hand combat that a martial arts expert could use that would take him out very quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-would-it-take-to-defeat-someone-who-was-10x-as-strong-durable-as-a-normal-human/916707/7 "2020-07-29T12:35:59Z")
> [@Cmyers1980](#): > > They all have average fighting skill (no formal training) There is still no single correct answer. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-would-it-take-to-defeat-someone-who-was-10x-as-strong-durable-as-a-normal-human/916707/8 "2020-07-29T12:43:51Z")
This is basically a bull facing off against some cowboys. Except the cowboys don’t have the proper gear for taking down the bull and there is no fence. Give them a fence, some rope or some netting and two could take him down. No fence and the superhuman just distances himself from the people coming after him. Possibly taking one of the weapons and turning it on his opponenets. Or give a kid a sling and he could take him down with one stone aimed by God himself. ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-would-it-take-to-defeat-someone-who-was-10x-as-strong-durable-as-a-normal-human/916707/9 "2020-07-29T12:44:17Z")
With average fighting skills, the answer would still have to take chance into consideration. A random fighter might get the chance to poke the guy’s eye out, or stab him in the back right where his heart is. With no luck, the fight would last long and the minimum number would increase quite a lot The colossus can simply pull a bat out of someone’s hands and beat a hundred people with little visible effort. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-would-it-take-to-defeat-someone-who-was-10x-as-strong-durable-as-a-normal-human/916707/10 "2020-07-29T12:47:12Z")
Yes there is. I provided it. The minimum number is one. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-would-it-take-to-defeat-someone-who-was-10x-as-strong-durable-as-a-normal-human/916707/11 "2020-07-29T12:49:32Z")
Sounds like Chuck Norris against the baddies: Chuck Norris always wins. The only chance the others have is if Chuck is the baddie and they can have Bruce Lee on their side. That is never gona happen again. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-would-it-take-to-defeat-someone-who-was-10x-as-strong-durable-as-a-normal-human/916707/12 "2020-07-29T12:50:05Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Yes there is. I provided it. The minimum number is one Using that logic, the minimum number is zero if this superhuman trips and hits her/his head on a rock. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-would-it-take-to-defeat-someone-who-was-10x-as-strong-durable-as-a-normal-human/916707/13 "2020-07-29T13:00:35Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Using that logic, the minimum number is zero if this superhuman trips and hits her/his head on a rock No, zero people would not do anything to him. He hasn’t been defeated by anyone if he just keels over dead for any number of reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-would-it-take-to-defeat-someone-who-was-10x-as-strong-durable-as-a-normal-human/916707/14 "2020-07-29T13:07:04Z")
Moving to IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![ThisIsTheEnd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisistheend/32/4713_2.png) [@ThisIsTheEnd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisIsTheEnd)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-would-it-take-to-defeat-someone-who-was-10x-as-strong-durable-as-a-normal-human/916707/15 "2020-07-29T13:28:52Z")
One guy willing to click the Report button 900 times. ---
**Author:** ![Cmyers1980](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyers1980/32/11814_2.png) [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-would-it-take-to-defeat-someone-who-was-10x-as-strong-durable-as-a-normal-human/916707/16 "2020-07-29T13:31:25Z")
I personally think 30 is a good answer for the first round considering the superhuman would barely register their attacks (since he’s 10x as durable), would be able to kill/incapacitate with a single blow, the group of men wouldn’t know how to work together effectively and some would hesitate in their attacks which would give the superhuman another advantage. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-would-it-take-to-defeat-someone-who-was-10x-as-strong-durable-as-a-normal-human/916707/17 "2020-07-29T16:39:17Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > One armed man is all it takes. “Fill your hand, you son of a bitch!” ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-would-it-take-to-defeat-someone-who-was-10x-as-strong-durable-as-a-normal-human/916707/18 "2020-07-29T16:49:13Z")
I’m pretty sure being ten times as resistant to crotch shots means you’re still vulnerable to crotch shots. ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-would-it-take-to-defeat-someone-who-was-10x-as-strong-durable-as-a-normal-human/916707/19 "2020-07-29T16:55:21Z")
Round 1: I would say 20, but they need to 1) know the guy is superhuman, and 2) have devised a plan on how to handle him. That is, they’ve divided up into teams of, say, 5. And they take shifts. Like tag-teaming. By simply outlasting him, they will be able to subdue him. Round 2: all bets are off because once the superhuman obtains a weapon, the scales tip massively. To be safe, I would say you need at least 40. (remember these are “normal” people - not specifically trained in the use of these weapons) ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2020, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-would-it-take-to-defeat-someone-who-was-10x-as-strong-durable-as-a-normal-human/916707/20 "2020-07-29T17:02:44Z")
Those Hydra agents had Captain America surrounded in the elevator, and he still was able to take 'em all out without too much trouble (and they were far better than “average” in fighting and physical ability). And Cap is probably only 3 or 4 times as strong and durable as a normal human. Unarmed and facing each other, I think Cap could probably easy take out 20-30 average guys. So a 10x hero? Maybe more like Spider-Man without the webs? Maybe 100 or more, I’d guess. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-men-would-it-take-to-defeat-someone-who-was-10x-as-strong-durable-as-a-normal-human/916707.md?page=2)