# Who is the best non super powered, super hero **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 4, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-non-super-powered-super-hero/302433 "2005-05-04T20:14:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-non-super-powered-super-hero/302433/1 "2005-05-04T20:14:43Z")
At work the other day a co worker said Batman was the coolest hero because he had no powers. That led to a brief discussion of the non superpowered heros. So comon dopers. Who was or is the best non superpowered super hero? IS it indeed the Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne. How about Daredevil, the man without fear? Does Captain America qualify? How cool is the Ghost who Walks, the Phantom. The Question? Moonknight? Puck? Green Arrow, Hawkeye? Others I can’t think of? What doyathink? ---
**Author:** ![sciguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@sciguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciguy)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-non-super-powered-super-hero/302433/2 "2005-05-04T20:43:50Z")
I think you’ll have to disqualify Daredevil, since he has (and AFAIK always had after the accident causing his blindness) enhanced touch/smell/hearing that gives him quite an edge. I’m not sure what the latest explanation is for his powers, but I’ve always been under the impression that these were above the “human max”, making them legitimate super powers. To answer your question, I’ve always liked Batman’s style best. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-non-super-powered-super-hero/302433/3 "2005-05-04T20:53:40Z")
> [@sciguy](#): > > I think you’ll have to disqualify Daredevil, since he has (and AFAIK always had after the accident causing his blindness) enhanced touch/smell/hearing that gives him quite an edge. I’m not sure what the latest explanation is for his powers, but I’ve always been under the impression that these were above the “human max”, making them legitimate super powers. > > To answer your question, I’ve always liked Batman’s style best. you may be right. He can track someone by smell and has always had some kind of radar sense. It’s questionable how much of an advantage those abilities give him in combat. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-non-super-powered-super-hero/302433/4 "2005-05-04T20:53:42Z")
I was always fond of Nick Fury as a kick-ass kind of guy. As Wolverine said at his funeral, “There aren’t many norms that I’d let watch my back. You were at the top of a very short list.” ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-non-super-powered-super-hero/302433/5 "2005-05-04T20:54:25Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > At work the other day a co worker said Batman was the coolest hero because he had no powers. That led to a brief discussion of the non superpowered heros. So comon dopers. > > Who was or is the best non superpowered super hero? > > IS it indeed the Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne. > How about Daredevil, the man without fear? > Does Captain America qualify? > How cool is the Ghost who Walks, the Phantom. > The Question? Moonknight? Puck? Green Arrow, Hawkeye? Others I can’t think of? What doyathink? Bats, hands down! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-non-super-powered-super-hero/302433/6 "2005-05-04T21:06:29Z")
My favorite was always Doc Savage. He was described as: "“Sherlock Holmes with his deducting ability, Tarzan of the Apes with his towering physique and muscular ability, Craig Kennedy with his scientific knowledge, and Abraham Lincoln with his Christliness.” He was Batman before batman was created, except without the suit and with more scientific and surgical skill. Although he never grew the fan base or mythos of Batman, he is, in my mind, the coolest non-super superhero. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-non-super-powered-super-hero/302433/7 "2005-05-04T21:18:26Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > My favorite was always Doc Savage. He was described as: "“Sherlock Holmes with his deducting ability, Tarzan of the Apes with his towering physique and muscular ability, Craig Kennedy with his scientific knowledge, and Abraham Lincoln with his Christliness.” He was Batman before batman was created, except without the suit and with more scientific and surgical skill. Although he never grew the fan base or mythos of Batman, he is, in my mind, the coolest non-super superhero. Doc Savage. I had forgotten about him. You may be right. Incredible intellect with incredible physical ability. Similar to the Batman. The comics never took off and the old movie with Ron Ely…yuck!! but a cool charecter. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-non-super-powered-super-hero/302433/8 "2005-05-04T21:19:14Z")
Does Doc savage do kemotherapy? Cause it appears the cancer has spread from the Cafe Society organ to the MPSIMS lymph nodes. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-non-super-powered-super-hero/302433/9 "2005-05-04T21:19:55Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > I was always fond of Nick Fury as a kick-ass kind of guy. As Wolverine said at his funeral, “There aren’t many norms that I’d let watch my back. You were at the top of a very short list.” I had forgotten Nick too. I didn’t know he died. It never made much sense that a sargent from WWII was still a modern action hero. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-non-super-powered-super-hero/302433/10 "2005-05-04T21:23:10Z")
I tried moving this to **Cafe Society** earlier, but my cape kept getting caught. Off it goes. (But slower than a speeding bullet just given its third ticket in a month and warned that, should a fourth come its way, its license will be suspended.) - SkipMagic ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-non-super-powered-super-hero/302433/11 "2005-05-04T21:24:52Z")
Nightwing, the grown up Dick Grayson is okay too. Then there’s Puck {maybe the goofiest} the midget from Alpha Flight. It’s not his fault. He’s Canadian. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-non-super-powered-super-hero/302433/12 "2005-05-04T21:27:31Z")
Okay, being fairly new to SDMB. Moderator, why Cafe Society instead of Mundane things? I thought I did the right thing by not chooseing Great Debates. ---
**Author:** ![caveman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caveman/32/7242_2.png) [@caveman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caveman)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-non-super-powered-super-hero/302433/13 "2005-05-04T21:30:19Z")
Can we include non-powered villians? If so, Deathstroke the Terminator is pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-non-super-powered-super-hero/302433/14 "2005-05-04T21:31:34Z")
Mr. Terrific with the words _FAIR PLAY_ emblazoned on his chest. What’s not to like? ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-non-super-powered-super-hero/302433/15 "2005-05-04T21:35:52Z")
Deathstroke is indeed pretty cool. Wasn’t he kind of a quasi bad guy? I seem to remember a limited series in which he did good things. Mr Terrific, another forgotten one. You’re right. Wonderfully corny. How about Wildcat? A boxer with kitty ears. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-non-super-powered-super-hero/302433/16 "2005-05-04T21:37:21Z")
The Punisher…how was that last movie anyway? Better than Dolph Lundgren I hope. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-non-super-powered-super-hero/302433/17 "2005-05-04T21:46:44Z")
Gotta be Batman; his whole schtick is that he’s on par with the most superpowered beings of the Earth, even Superman hisself, yet he has no innate powers beyond staggering intelligence and drive. He’s on the A-list of the Justice League and despite having no superpowers is still intimidating even to his peers, when most others would just be intimidated. Second place to Nightwing and/or Robin, for being the guy with no superpowers who leads the Teen Titans. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-non-super-powered-super-hero/302433/18 "2005-05-04T21:48:03Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > The Punisher…how was that last movie anyway? Better than Dolph Lundgren I hope. I saw it expecting it to be total crap, and I thought it actually wasn’t half bad. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-non-super-powered-super-hero/302433/19 "2005-05-04T21:52:28Z")
Zorro ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-non-super-powered-super-hero/302433/20 "2005-05-04T21:59:24Z")
Iron Man has no powers. But a hellava “utility belt”. 😉😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-non-super-powered-super-hero/302433.md?page=2)