History Main / PowerLossMakesYouStrong

* ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'': In the ''{{Elseworlds}}'' series ''ComicBook/JLAActOfGod'', a [[DiabolusExMachina mysterious event]] wipes out all superpowers. ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}, ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}, the ComicBook/MartianManhunter and ComicBook/TheFlash re-train themselves to become {{Badass Normal}}s like ComicBook/{{Batman}}.

** The "Green Sun" story in ''Superman'' #155 (August 1962). Superman is not only rendered non-superpowered, but blind. He still manages to overcome the BigBad using ingenuity and gumption.

** During ''Krisis of the Krimson Kryptonite'', Superman was left completely powerless thanks to Mr. Mxyzptlk. At one point supervillain Mammoth goes on rampage, and after a bit of trouble Superman is able to eventually get him to surrender, just by bluffing him.

[[folder:Comic Books ]]
* In the ''Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' ''{{Elseworlds}}'' series ''ComicBook/JLAActOfGod'', a [[DiabolusExMachina mysterious event]] wipes out all superpowers. ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}, ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}, the ComicBook/MartianManhunter and ComicBook/TheFlash re-train themselves to become {{Badass Normal}}s like Franchise/{{Batman}}.
* [[Characters/MarvelComicsStorm Storm]] spent 3 real-world years powerless after accidentally getting shot by Forge with a power-neutralizing gun. However, she continued to lead the Franchise/XMen as a BadassNormal.
* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':

* The miniseries ''The Last Days of ComicBook/AnimalMan'' depicts a [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture near future]] where the middle-aged titular character, now a full time member of the ComicBook/JusticeLeague, sees his powers slowly fade out to nothing. Nearly powerless, he finds a way to defeat two extremely AxCrazy supervillains with sheer guts, resourcefulness, and the very last, tiny drop of superpowers he has left.
* ComicBook/BlueDevil in the final arc of ''ComicBook/{{Shadowpact}}'' ... almost. He defeats a powerful demon without his own demon powers, but he ''does'' still have his original PoweredArmor.
* ComicBook/TheMightyThor once got powered down to "A mere mortal" but still had his [[ThunderHammer big effin' hammer]] (Albeit without power as well). He still kicked terrorist ass so much that [[ComicBook/CaptainAmerica Cap]] thought he was ''awesome''.
* The page quote comes from ''ComicBook/DanSlottsSpiderMan''. When a device he used to defeat a powered up Scorpion burns out his Spider-Sense as well, Spider-Man finds himself in an awkward position to fight without his vaunted warning signal. He ends up approaching Shang-Chi, who helps him develop a brand new fighting style known as the Way of the Spider.

* ComicBook/TheMightyThor once got powered down to "A mere mortal" but still had his [[DropTheHammer big effin' hammer]] (Albeit without power as well). He still kicked terrorist ass so much that [[ComicBook/CaptainAmerica Cap]] thought he was ''awesome''.

* ''VideoGame/{{Blazblue}}'': [[AntiHero Ragna the Bloodedge]] possesses the titular Blazblue, an ArtifactOfDoom of immense power, and it is this artifact that makes him one of the strongest fighters in the setting. In the third game, however, he is paired with a girl who gives off an AntiMagic aura, disabling his Azure and leaving him severely weakened, as his reliance on the Azure has left him with a deficiency in actual fighting skill. Despite initial [[CurbStompBattle crushing defeats]] to people such as [[TheRival Jin]] and [[TheAce Kagura]], the experiences change Ragna for the better - he delivers a CurbStompBattle to [[RobotGirl Nu-13]] without activating his Azure [[note]]In the first game, Nu-13 was one of the opponents who routinely defeated Ragna and he absolutely needed to access the Azure to defeat her in the end[[/note]]. He is also able to hold his own against [[PersonOfMassDestruction Azrael]] without using it.

* Happens in the third installment of the ''VideoGame/HeroesRise'' trilogy. After [[spoiler: the PlayerCharacter loses their powers at the end of the second game,]] they're barely able to use even a tiny fraction of their abilities, and using them takes a toll on their health, as well. After pushing their boundaries over the course of the game, [[spoiler: the PlayerCharacter's powers come back with a vengeance just in time to escape the Blessed Vessel.]]

* ComicBook/{{Storm}} spent 3 real-world years powerless after accidentally getting shot by Forge with a power-neutralizing gun. However, she continued to lead the Franchise/XMen as a BadassNormal.

* In the season three premiere of ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero'', Saito loses his Gandálfr runes, reducing him to a normal human. He has a tough time at first, but his determination to protect Louise and some harsh swordsmanship training from Agnes allows him to kick ass until he gets the runes back.

* Accelerator in ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'', [[spoiler: after being shot in the head while saving Last Order,]] has his power limited to needing the calculations done externally and have them put into his brain via a choker looking contraption that only lasts 15 minutes. It gets upgraded, but the people who upgraded it installed a remote switch to turn off his power, so when he decides to save someone they want to kill, he just uses a pistol and wits to take out a group of hired delinquents (with Touma there helping out too, even if they both didn't know the other was there).

** Her brother Zuko takes advantage of the power loss to initiate his rebellion against their father, the Fire Lord. The Fire Lord, [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking as is to be expected]], is normally more powerful than Zuko, but he's no good at fighting ''without'' his powers. Zuko, on the other hand, is a [[DualWielding master swordsman.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheWildThornberrys Movie'', Eliza loses her ability to talk to animals after using it in order to rescue her big sister from the poachers. As a result, she also loses the ability to understand animal languages. At the climax of the movie, Eliza still remembers how to command the elephants to stop before they touch the poachers' electric fences. She touches behind the elephant's ear using her foot. At the end, she manages to get her powers back from the shaman.

* Arguably the point of the Dusk Taker Arc for ''LightNovel/AccelWorld''. Haruyuki is stripped of his wings, the one thing that made him feel special in the accelerated world. While this does send him into a nasty spiral, it also let's him realize that he's not powerful because Silver Crow has wings, Silver Crow is powerful because Haruyuki can make him fly.

* In ''VideoGame/TheLongestJourney'', April Ryan is able to slip between the worlds whenever she is threatened. By the time of ''VideoGame/DreamfallTheLongestJourney'', she has lost that power (due to fear, ironically) and had to become good at fighting to compensate. She partially gets her powers back, but not enough to use them reliably.

* Alicia in ''VideoGame/ValkyrieProfile2Silmeria'' spends the first half of the game SharingABody with the titular Valkyrie. While Alicia does most of the fighting, she's timid in battle, often says in battle how she either wants to run away, or that she wants neither to harm nor be harmed. During the WhamEpisode, Silmeria is stripped from her by an [[spoiler: errant spell cast by Lezard]]. In a twist on the trope, Alicia does not lose any of the powers associated with her time with Silmeria (she can still project photons, and materialize Einherjar), it is her personality that changes, turning her into a ruthless BloodKnight KnightTemplar who is unafraid of combat.
* Happens in the third installment of the ''VideoGame/HeroesRise'' trilogy. After [[spoiler: the PlayerCharacter loses their powers at the end of the second game,]] they're barely able to use even a tiny fraction of their abilities, and using them takes a toll on their health, as well. After pushing their boundaries over the course of the game, [[spoiler: the PlayerCharacter's powers come back with a vengeance just in time to escape the Blessed Vessel.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'': When Glimmer loses her powers, she laments that she is useless at first. Her mother Angella encourages her not to give up and gives her her deceased father's old war staff. With the staff, Glimmer takes down several mooks until She-Ra is able to restore her powers.

* Happens in the third installment of the ''VideoGame/HeroesRise'' trilogy. After [[spoiler: the PlayerCharacter looses their powers at the end of the second game,]] they're barely able to use even a tiny fraction of their abilities, and using them takes a toll on their health, as well. After pushing their boundaries over the course of the game, [[spoiler: the PlayerCharacter's powers come back with a vengeance just in time to escape the Blessed Vessel.]]

[[folder: Web Animation]]

** {{Superman}} in ''Hereafter,'' as he lands in a [[EarthAllAlong world with a red sun.]]

* The Warrior of Light in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' is given the Blessing of Light from the goddess Hydaelyn, which insofar allowed him to thwart the Ascian threat. Midgardsormr essentially shuts it off in a bid for you to prove your worth, and you spend a large majority of the Heavensward story without it. After getting even stronger and making your case, Midgardsormr gives your blessing back, making you an even larger threat, so much that you slay a convocation of knights and their king infused with godlike power, singlehandedly.

* Becomes a major moral theme in the ending of ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', when [[spoiler: Edward sacrifices his ability to perform alchemy in order to bring his brother back to life, realizing that his powers were insignificant really, and that he still had his friends, and that made him stronger.]]

** And ComicBook/GreenLantern again in ''Hearts and Minds'' after a fight with ComicBook/Despero causes him to psychosomatically lose his powers. Regardless, he was still determined to "pull his own weight" in the final battle.

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': In the "Thousand Year Blood War" arc, the Vandenreich steal several character's [[SuperMode Bankai]]. They retrain and learn to use their regular abilities more efficiently. Byakuya uses a pretty cool metaphor in that just like you cannot see the image of a pointillism drawing unless you are far away, he wasn't able to see his full potential until it was taken from him.