# I'm looking for examples of unusually short action heroes. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 29, 2010, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720 "2010-12-29T17:34:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720/21 "2010-12-29T20:05:39Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I remember that tale. It’s form the same period of retconning Northstar’s implicit homosexuality (and suffering from AIDS) as his being a fairy and being ill because he was allergic to, _Earth_. :rolleyes: > > In fact, screw the :rolleyes:. That deserves a :mad: or twelve. > > Anyway, during the Byrne run, in the first Puck solo story, Puck specifically identifies himself as a little person and names the specific disorder, referring to a lack of growth in all the long bones. I’d go with that explanation; it makes him more interesting. > > Also the Byrne run has many cheesecake pictures of Heather Hudson, which was a good thing. This was back before all superheroines or female romantic interests had to have breast implants. Was a big fan of Alpha Flight precisely at that period, and I absolutely dont remember JP Beaubier (note how the “gay” token is a French speaker) having AIDS. At the time he was not specifically revealed as being gay, and certainly not as having AIDS. If I remember right Bill Mantlo was writing the series at the time, and Northstar was sick either because of his loss of connection with his sister or contamination by Pestilence (a lot of things in Mantlo’s run were extremely confusing). Puck was later retconned by Mantlo as being an adventurer from the thirties that got reduced in height for trapping a Persian sorcerer inside of him, at the price of great pains but also with the reward of considerably slowing his aging. Originally, it is clear Byrne just intended Puck to be a very agile dwarf (probably due to mutant genes) with a genetic recurring pain (apparently something some dwarfs experience in real life). Mantlo didnt get the biological explanation and went for a mystical one. Too bad, Byrne’s Puck was quite original. Still, Puck got rid of his curse, and as an aging adventurer was a great character too. Total thread hijack. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720/22 "2010-12-29T20:17:29Z")
Asterix is short, and not just in comparison to Obelix. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720/23 "2010-12-29T20:20:14Z")
Buffy’s pretty short. IMDB says SMG is 5’4". ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720/24 "2010-12-29T20:34:47Z")
So’s Spike. Deal with it, fangirls. ---
**Author:** ![HeadNinja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b4bc9f/32.png) [@HeadNinja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeadNinja)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720/25 "2010-12-29T20:52:12Z")
Inch High, Private Eye was not very tall. He used this to his advantage. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720/26 "2010-12-29T20:52:24Z")
[Inch High, Private Eye](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inch_High,_Private_Eye) ETA: Ninja’ed by HeadNinja!!! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720/27 "2010-12-29T20:58:22Z")
Durkon Thundershield ---
**Author:** ![The\_Amazing\_Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@The\_Amazing\_Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Amazing_Hanna)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720/28 "2010-12-29T20:59:00Z")
Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in WWII and later a movie actor, was probably the closest thing to a real-life action hero there’s ever been. He was _tiny_ - five foot five. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audie\_Murphy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audie_Murphy) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720/29 "2010-12-29T21:08:37Z")
Professor Challenger from Conan Doyle’s \*The Lost World \*and other works However, the best short hero is Doc Savage’s sidekick Lt. Col. Andrew Blodgett “Monk” Mayfair ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720/30 "2010-12-29T21:22:45Z")
Napoleon Bonaparte? ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720/31 "2010-12-29T21:37:19Z")
Anyone played by Alan Ladd when _not_ standing on a box. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720/32 "2010-12-29T21:40:55Z")
Oh yeah, Wolverine’s pretty short, too. When he’s not being played by Jackman. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720/33 "2010-12-29T21:43:14Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > I was seriously about to suggest the movie Willow. Yes, I know you posted it in your OP, but my mind went immediately to Buffy’s Willow and I thought “huh…she doesn’t seem THAT short. Oh well, moving on” > > Hey, what about Reepicheep? Reepicheep is about the size of a housecat. He’s unusually _tall_ for a mouse (though not for for a Talking Mouse of Narnia). And of course I am interested in human characters anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720/34 "2010-12-29T21:45:07Z")
> [@Mtgman](#): > > If children count, then Billy Batson, also known as Captain Marvel. From the live action tv show “[The Wizard](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090547/)”(like MacGyver but with midgets) there was Simon McKay. He was always pretty cool. > > Enjoy, > Steven I’m not going to use Billy. He does almost all his hero stuff as Captain Marvel (who of course is not Shazam, and who’s also probably around 6’2" or 6’3"). And he’s not done growing (in his own mind, I mean; of course he’ll probably never grow up in continuity). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720/35 "2010-12-29T21:45:27Z")
> [@The\_Amazing\_Hanna](#): > > He was _tiny_ - five foot five. \ 5’5" is not _tiny_. Are cartoons allowed? Atom Ant may be the smallest superhero. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720/36 "2010-12-29T21:50:05Z")
> [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](#): > > \ 5’5" is not _tiny_. > > Are cartoons allowed? Atom Ant may be the smallest superhero. I shan’t object if y’all want to talk about shrinkers and, but for my purposes, only humans who without magical size-changing powers count. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720/37 "2010-12-29T22:05:02Z")
Hit-Girl from Kick-Ass. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720/38 "2010-12-30T00:53:30Z")
Oh, I forgot. Another Doc Savage aide, Major Thomas “Long Tom” Roberts, is usually described as a runt. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720/39 "2010-12-30T01:09:01Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > At some point, there was a story that he was shorter because he absorbed a demon or something. I don’t know if the sotry stuck. [Yup.](http://marvel.com/universe/Puck_(Eugene_Judd)) I was going to mention him, but when I went to get a link to put in the post, I noticed his height was listed as ‘3’6" formerly 6’6"’. Read the bio…yep, sure enough, [del]someone left him in the drier too long[/del]the demon shrunk him. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720/40 "2010-12-30T01:46:00Z")
Terry Pratchett’s work features a number of short people in action roles, but most are non-human (e.g. dwarves, gnomes, the Nac Mac Feegle). The only unusually short human character I can think of at the moment is Nobby Nobbs\* of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, but I don’t know that you’d call him a _hero_. I mean, he’s generally one of the good guys and has definitely seen action, but since he’s usually robbing corpses afterward then “hero” is maybe not the best description. \*His exact species has been questioned, but he does have a certificate from the Patrician stating that he is in all probability a human. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-examples-of-unusually-short-action-heroes/565720.md?page=3)