History Main / RealLifeSuperPowers

* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'': Even without his psychic superpowers, Professor Charles Xavier still exerts influence through his intelligence, charisma and money, and these three attributes are more vital to the formation and continuation of the X-Men than his mutation.

** Could be argue that is the case of the protagonist too, after all the whole concept is "how superheroes would exist realistically in real life", most of Creator/BruceWillis's character "superpowers" are not impossible in real life, at the very much they are in the MaybeMagicMaybeMundane category.

* Princess Morbucks in ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' can spend as much money as she needs; her plots are ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney in their purest essence, from buying top engineers to produce weaponry for her to buying the local government altogether.

* The protagonist of ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'' is [[BadassAbnormal so skilled in armed combat]] that he can defeat other Contractors who have specifically taken measures to protect themselves from his [[ShockAndAwe electrical]] powers. In fact, he earned his nickname "[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Black Reaper]]" based on the number of Contractors he was able to kill [[spoiler:before he had powers of his own]].

* ComicBook/ThePunisher has the kind of skills you'd only expect from people in fiction, namely the ability to kill numerous (evil) people in limited time...and his way of pulling off such feats includes (but is not limited to) [[KnifeNut skill with blades]], [[TortureTechnician knowing how to physically break people]], [[BareFistedMonk the ability to murder a man with his bare hands]], and [[MoreDakka LOTS of]] [[SuperheroPackingHeat guns, bombs and bullets]]. And all of this comes from his ''extensive'' military training, the kind you could realistically get as a Navy SEAL or Marine. [[Comicbook/ThePunisherMAX The MAX series]], which is far DarkerAndEdgier and is steeped in greater realism than the Marvel-616 universe, exaggerates this.

* ComicBook/ThePunisher has the kind of skills you'd only expect from people in fiction, namely the ability to kill numerous (evil) people in limited time...and his way of pulling off such feats includes (but is not limited to) [[KnifeNut skill with blades]], [[TortureTechnician knowing how to physically break people]], [[BareFistedMonk the ability to murder a man with his bare hands]], and [[MoreDakka LOTS of]] [[SuperheroPackingHeat guns, bombs and bullets]]. And all of this comes from his ''extensive'' military training, the kind you could realistically get as a Navy SEAL or Marine. [[Comicbook/ThePunisherMAX The MAX series]], which is far DarkerAndEdgier and is steeped in greater realism than the Marvel-616 universe, takes this and runs it UpToEleven.

{{Power}} can take many forms. When fiction is LikeRealityUnlessNoted, any power is something that requires [[SkillsAndTrainingTropes Skill]], [[RenaissanceMan Knowledge]], [[EasyLogistics Resources]] and [[OldMaster Time]]. Without each of these things, power becomes unrealistic. At the far end of the spectrum, abilities that happen instantly, [[NoConservationOfEnergy consume no resources]], and can still tip massive scales of power are considered "super" powers. Often, these abilties are fantastical, and take forms such as {{Magic}}, {{Telekinesis}}, SuperStrength or {{Flight}} powered by nothing but some vague [[TheForce Force]] or AppliedPhlebotinum. There's usually a very clear difference, because said power sources won't exist in RealLife.

* ''SherlockHolmes'' and Professor Moriarty sometimes get into this territory, although the degree of it depends on the adaptation. Holmes's intelligence, powers of observation, unusual skills, and [[BadassBookworm combat prowess]] are all impressive but within the realm of what it's theoretically possible for a "normal" human to do - but with his combined skillset he's unmatched in his area of expertise. Moriarty's intelligence and web of influence make him the most dangerous of all of Holmes's adversaries.

{{Demythtification}} thrives on this. In settings with actual paranormal or magical abilities, a BadassNormal is likely to have this.

* In ''Literature/{{Discworld}},'' a running theme is that magic is sort of like nuclear weapons--it's good to ''have,'' but ideally people shouldn't be ''using'' it very often. Brains are generally a better way of achieving one's goals, and the witches in particular see "headology" as their primary skill.

** Could be argue that is the case of the protagonist too, after all the whole concept is "how superheroes would exist realistically in real life", most of Creator/BruceWillis's character "superpowers" are not impossible in real life, at the very much they are in the MaybeMagicMaybeMundane category.

** Could be argue that is the case of the protagonist too, after all the whole concept is "how superheroes would exist realistically in real life", most of Creator/BruceWilli's character "superpowers" are not impossible in real life, at the very much they are in the MaybeMagicMaybeMundane category.

** Could be argue that is the case of the protagonist too, after all the whole concept is "how superheroes would exist realistically in real life", most of Creator/BruceWilly's character "superpower" are not impossible in real life, at the very much they are in the MaybeMagicMaybeMundane category.

* ''Film/{{Unbreakable}}'': The "superpower" of the antagonist Mr. Glass is that he highly intelligent.

* In ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' Lex Luthor (intially) doesn't posses any supernatural power like the Justice League does. However, he becomes more dangerous than the superpowered villains when he manages to discredit the League.

* Franchise/IndianaJones has Intelligence, Skill, Fame, and Money, and is also highly charismatic and dashing. But perhaps most importantly, he is an ''extremely'' lucky son-of-a-bitch.

As an example, let us take a character who is known for [[ScrewTheRulesImBeautiful using her beauty to get her way]]. If said character is beautiful to ''anyone'', in spite of ''any'' context or changes that can affect how beautiful she is, then she probably has a fantastical superpower called "{{Glamour}}". On the other hand, let's assume her beauty requires plausible upkeep, modification, cosmetics, or skill, with the risk of being ruined by something as simple as a scar, becoming smudged or dirtied, or encountering a person of an [[SorryImGay incompatible sexual orientation]]. Now, she has a [[TitleDrop Real Life Super Power]].

* David Xanatos from ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' is smart and charismatic enough to become the Gargoyles' greatest foe through indirect manipulation.

* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'': Even without his psychic superpowers, [[Characters/XMenFilmSeriesProfessorCharlesXavier Professor Charles Xavier]] still exerts influence through his intelligence, charisma and money, and these three attributes are more vital to the formation and continuation of the X-Men than his mutation.

[[folder:VideoGames]]
* Master Chief from ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' is stated to be the "luckiest" of all the Spartans many times throughout the franchise, having survived things that even others of his kind wouldn't be able to live through.
* The Courier from ''VideoGame/{{Fallout New Vegas}}'' is either a Skill or Luck variant of this. [[OneManArmy He/She]] can do many things that large portions of the NCR Military can't accomplish. Taking care of the lawlessness in Primm, or clearing the Deathclaws out of Quarry Junction are good examples.
** It also helps that the Courier is a free agent, operating outside of the chain of command (so no being tied to an assigned post or complications with going AWOL), fields his/her own equipment (so no worries about logistics systems), and can bring his/her own crew to the battles. The NCR's bureaucracy really bogs them down in comparison.
* Jason Brody, the protagonist of ''VideoGame/FarCry3'', possesses an ample amount of these. With Skill being his primary asset. His official character profile refers to him as "naturally gifted", and it shows, because he catches on to the ways of the Rakyat and [[MightyWhitey becomes the finest warrior they have]]. By the end of the game, he becomes TheDreaded and gains the Infamy portion of the trope as well.
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'''Please limit examples to characters who really stand out in the work. If ''all'' the characters are {{Badass}} {{Samurai}}, we can skip that work.'''

* Spandam in ''Manga/OnePiece'' is weaker than an ordinary footsoldier but has a high position in the World Government forces, thus allowing him to influence his underlings in ways to give our heroes just as much trouble as any other villain, if not more. He is also a fairly competent strategist, though a total jerk.