

Asian and Asian-based fiction is somewhat different, as such examples are generally grounded in Eastern mysticism, involving the development and focusing of chi (a.k.a.

"Non-superpowered" characters such as Batman could beat almost anyone in a fight, dodge bullets, and withstand ridiculous amounts of damage because they spent a few years living and training atop a mountain.Īlthough most of the western versions of this trope don't have explicitly supernatural abilities, they can do things that would be impossible for normal humans. Train, and you, too, can bash mountains open with your head." Western comic book superheroes, often stated to "lack superpowers", nevertheless are clearly able to hold their own and defeat villains with superhuman strength many times their own simply by knowing how to perform martial arts.

somehow.Ī lot of characters have out-and-out superhuman abilities, and the explanation for such powers is just "They trained really hard for several years, or trained under bizarre and unusual circumstances. In the land of fiction, training can literally give you superhuman powers! Intense exercise can let you split boulders, jump three stories straight up, "see" while wearing a blindfold, and make your skin bulletproof.
