History Main / SuperPoweredMooks

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* The [[EvilCounterpartRace Octolings]] in ''VideoGame/Splatoon'' have all the same abilities as an [[PlayerCharacter Inkling]], including the ability to wield ink weapons and subweapons and shapeshift into an octopus form.

* You can find almost the exact same pattern in ''VideoGame/MarkOfTheNinja'', minus the Parkour references. You spend most of the game fighting regular soldier-type rank and file guards and, occasionally, more badass [[EliteMook elite guards]], and then you face the result of [[BigBad]]'s master plan, which is evil elite high-tech ninjas who have more or less the same aptitudes as yourself.

* The Pru Clone Army from ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ Gundam ZZ]]'', hundreds of identical psychic lolis piloting [[EmpathicWeapon telepathically controlled]] HumongousMecha.

* The Bohrok in ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}''.

-->-- '''Nomad''', commenting on [[NorthKoreansWithNodongs enemy]] [[PoweredArmor Nanosuit]] soldiers in ''VideoGame/{{Crysis}}''

* ''AceCombat'' has antagonist ace squadrons who in their first appearance (at least on a first or fresh playthrough) are "boss-level" pilots flying endgame planes before they're unlocked for the player. Fortunately, if they're not invulnerable, you get plenty of points for shooting them down, regardless of difficulty and even if you're by now using the same or better planes.

* ''StarWarsLegacy'' Darth Krayt had a secret army of Sith Troopers that can take on Sith/Jedi.

* Source material notwithstanding, the ending part of the ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}: GauntsGhosts'' novel ''Necropolis'' sees Gaunt and his Ghosts fight non-Codex daemons known as Darkwatchers that could teleport.
* Some [[AristocratsAreEvil noble houses]] in ''{{Mistborn}}'' have enough [[FunctionalMagic allomancers]] to field entire strike teams of them. Though they're almost all [[MasterOfOneMagic Mistings]] rather than full Mistborn, they're still much more dangerous than ordinary humans would be in their place. [[EvilOverlord The Lord Ruler]] also keeps armies of Koloss (orc-like nonhumans which are superhumanly strong and durable) but rarely uses them because while they're incredibly effective in battle, they also have a tendency to go into uncontrollable killing rages, even against allies, which makes them a weapon of last resort.

* In ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'', the player's only actual "superpower" that distinguishes them from the standard disposable [[RedShirt Redshirts]] is a regenerating energy shield and a useful melee attack. However, even the standard version of the alien enemy officers, known as Elites, have the same regenerating energy shield as the player, with the Brutes also being similar in ''VideoGame/{{Halo 3}}''.

* In ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'', the player's only actual "superpower" that distinguishes them from the standard disposable [[RedShirt Redshirts]] is a regenerating energy shield. The alien enemy officers, known as Elites, have the same regenerating energy shield as well as similar health/durability compared to the player.
** The Spec Ops Elites have optional active camoflage, in addition to the ability to throw grenades. And the strongest of the Elites, the Ultras, have extremely strong shields and armor, recharge their shields much faster than others, usually have GunsAkimbo, and carry a plasma sword as a secondary weapon.
** Also the Ranger Elites, who have jetpacks, Jump Pack Brutes, and Brute Stalkers, who also have stealth camo.
** In ''VideoGame/HaloReach'', the higher-ranking Elites such as Ultras, Zealots, and Generals can use the same armor abilities (e.g. Armor Lock) as the player; the latter two bordering on BossInMookClothing.

* The terrorist organizations at MarvelUniverse sometimes do this to their men. Pym particle and Hulk-powered HYDRA mooks were part of Viper's latest world domination plot, alongside ComicBook/NormanOsborn. But they don't get to do much aside from thrashing jeeps and helicopters belonging to an US diplomatic mission sent to negotiate the release of Captain America, who had been taken hostage.
* The ComicBook/{{OMAC}} Project in the DCUniverse.

* The Bohrok in ''{{Bionicle}}''.

** ''Jedi Academy'' also featured ''elite'' superpowered mooks called Reborn Masters -- as the name indicates, the elite among the New Reborn, and easily about as powerful as real Jedi Masters in the game. There were only a handful and they would have counted as bosses if they weren't nameless and placed at only somewhat critical junctures. They had seemingly been designed to be as difficult to beat as possible, possessing every Force power at highest level except for those limited to the player, superior lightsaber skills, and AI that made the other enemies look like idiots -- you wouldn't catch a master trying to fry you with Force lightning while you were protected against it, nor would they let you jump on their heads Mario-style without retaliating, although at least they couldn't slice off three of your limbs in one go.

These guys are equipped with the same or similar powers as the heroes, but produced in large enough numbers that you can use them as elite infantry and field several at once, rather than (as with a QuirkyMiniBossSquad member) merely tossing one out as an end-of-level Boss encounter. This allows you to outnumber the heroes while simultaneously fighting them with their own tricks! [[WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong There's no way it can possibly fail]]! Unless, of course, that pesky Law Of ConservationOfNinjitsu pops up... and let's not even ''think'' about the inevitable drop in quality of these {{Evil Knockoff}}s due to [[SuperPrototype mass production]], or the effect it will have on their [[PowerDegeneration physical]] and [[ThisIsYourBrainOnEvil mental]] stability.

* in ''Manga/OnePiece'';

So the heroes are [[FoeTossingCharge mowing through]] your legions of {{Mooks}} like they were nothing. Even your [[GiantMook Giant Mooks]] and EliteMooks barely slow them down for more than a couple seconds. You see, the heroes have an edge that not even your best EliteMooks can hope to match...not only are they better fighters, they're also fighting on a whole different level than your minions. Maybe they're [[StarWars Jedi]] skilled in The Force, or [[VideoGame/FirstEncounterAssaultRecon they see the world in bullet-time]] and [[VideoGame/{{Crysis}} wear superpowered nanotech suits]]. Maybe they have a [[VideoGame/{{HalfLife}} gravity gun]], [[VideoGame/JustCause grappling hook pistol]], or some other special weapon your troops have no equivalent of. Perhaps your enemies are straight-up superheroes, or they could just be [[ActionSurvivor average guys]] who only win because your {{Mooks}} are [[EqualOpportunityEvil blind, deaf, mentally impaired or physically challenged]].

* During the Buster Call on Enies Lobby in ''Manga/OnePiece'', a horde of Captain-ranked Marines attack the Straw Hat pirates. Since AuthorityEqualsAsskicking, each one has their own super powers, ranging from being a giant with an axe to the ability to rust metal with a touch. All are dispatched quickly despite the diversity of power.

* In ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'', the Space Pirates that copied your beam weapon technology could be considered this. Especially since, even though they had weapons basically equivalent to yours, but eliminating the slow rate of fire you had for most of them.

* The Metal Coolers in ''Manga/DragonBall Z'' : The Return of Cooler. Unusually for this trope, a single Metal Cooler is much stronger than any of the protagonists, dealing out curb stomp battles to a Super Namek and two Super Saiyans. In fact, depending on when this movie is supposed to be set, a single Metal Cooler is on par with the first or third forms of [[BigBad Cell.]]

* The Nazi Scribes in ''VideoGame/{{Wolfenstein}}'' fulfill this role, using a variety of Veil powers similar to those of the players, such as bulletproof shields and super-speed.

* The unit of engineered psychic soldiers encountered close to the end of ''SecondSight''. They can use almost every single power that the protagonist has earned over the course of the game- [[spoiler: largely because the stem cells used in their creation were extracted from both the Zener Children and the aformentioned protagonist, John Vattic.]] Interestingly enough, after you kill every last one of them, the BigBad reveals that [[spoiler: not only were the soldiers just one unit of several hundred spread across the United States, but the reason Vattic met them in the first place was to measure the strength of his powers, to justify using more of his cells in the next generation.]]

* You can find almost the exact same pattern in MarkOfTheNinja, minus the Parkour references. You spend most of the game fighting regular soldier-type rank and file guards and, occasionally, more badass [[EliteMook elite guards]], and then you face the result of [[BigBad]]'s master plan, which is evil elite high-tech ninjas who have more or less the same aptitudes as yourself.

* The {{OMAC}} Project in the DCUniverse.

* The Prime Sentinels during Operation: Zero Tolerance in ''ComicBook/{{X-Men}}''.
* The terrorist organizations at MarvelUniverse sometimes do this to their men. Pym particle and Hulk-powered HYDRA mooks were part of Viper's latest world domination plot, alongside NormanOsborn. But they don't get to do much aside from thrashing jeeps and helicopters belonging to an US diplomatic mission sent to negotiate the release of Captain America, who had been taken hostage.