History Main / SuperheroTropes

* HeroesFightBarehanded: Many superheroes prefer to use their fists snd feet instead of using any (lethal) weapons.

* DeathIsCheap: Characters killed off in superhero comics have a tendency to come back to life later, whether due to popular demand, a writer deciding it was a bad idea to kill the character off in the first place or the character simply being too important to stay dead.

* TogetherWeAreX

* RichIdiotWithNoDayJob: When not being a superhero, he is a rich couch potato who spends his days floundering his money.

* TwilightOfTheSupers: A superhero "apocalypse" in which the majority of the world's superpowered individuals are killed or depowered.

** EmpoweredBadassNormal: When an already formidable (yet physically ordinary) fighter gains superpowers.
*** CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Training makes this super, super.

* BatmanParody: An {{expy}} based on the [[{{Franchise/Batman}} Dark Knight]] himself.

* BrainsVersusBrawn: Due to {{Trope Codifier}}s for the genre in the US, [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Superman and Lex Luthor]], many hero-villain dynamics are some version of this and numerous conflicts play with the trope.

** BroughtDownToBadass: Someone loses their powers but is still dangerous to their enemies.
** DePower: Someone loses their powers for good, or for a very extended period of time.
** NightmareOfNormality: Someone is led to believe they have lost/has never had their powers.
** UselessWithoutPowers: This person becomes a nobody after losing their powers.

** CaptainGeographic: A superhero who represents their country of origin.
** CaptainPatriotic: As above, except the hero represents the ''ideals'' of their country, over and above the geography (or government).

** DisabilityNegatingSuperpower: A disabled person gains superpowers in exchange for losing their disability.

* GoodThingYouCanHeal: A superhero with the HealingFactor as a superpower.

* HeroWithBadPublicity: Everyone hates the superhero in spite of all the good they've done.

* HowDoIShotWeb: A character has to figure out how to use his newly-obtained superpowers.

** KidSidekick: When they serve as a subordinate partner to an older mentor hero.

** FightOffTheKryptonite: The hero overcomes their weakness with HeroicWillpower.
** KryptoniteIsEverywhere: Why does every damn bad guy seem to have the one thing that can give your hero a bad time?
** KryptoniteRing: The hero entrusts their ally with the one thing that can defeat them.
** KryptoniteProofSuit: A suit that protects the hero from their weakness.
** ManOfKryptonite: The villain's power is that he's made of or armed with the hero's weakness.
** WeaksauceWeakness: A super-powered being is vulnerable to a ridiculously common substance or item.

** LegacyLaunch: The hero's predecessor comes back, resulting in the successor returning their predecessor's identity in exchange for taking up a costumed persona of their own.

* NonPoweredCostumedHero: Some superheroes don't have powers, but will wear costumes anyway.

** WakeUpGoToSchoolSaveTheWorld: [[KidHero Child/teenage heroes]] also have to balance life as school students with their hero work.

** PowerStereotypeFlip: A super-powered being has powers that are ''opposite'' to their personality.

** RoguesGalleryTransplant: The enemy of one hero ends up becoming the adversary of a different hero.
** ThematicRoguesGallery: The hero's enemies all follow a specific theme, often [[{{Foil}} comparably]] to the hero.
** VillainTeamUp: Two or more of the hero's enemies team up to try and stop the hero.
*** LegionOfDoom: Several of the hero's villains band together to plan their revenge against the hero.
*** RoguesGalleryShowcase: Multiple members of the rogues gallery decide to fight the hero simultaneously.

* SamaritanSyndrome: Superheroes often feel guilty for every time they might have saved someone, but didn't.

** BruceWayneHeldHostage: The hero's civilian identity is held hostage in an attempt to draw out their alter-ego.
** CelebrityMasquerade: A superhero whose secret identity is famous in their own right -- sometimes more than the hero.
** ClarkKenting: The superhero's civilian identity is basically the hero wearing a PaperThinDisguise.
** CodeName: Aliases used by most heroes and villains to cover their real names.
*** ComicBookMoviesDontUseCodenames: Adaptations of superhero comics avoid addressing heroes and/or villains by anything other than their real names.
*** SecretPublicIdentity: A superhero uses their ''real name'' instead of an alias.
** CoverBlowingSuperpower: A superhero exposes themselves by using their powers while off-duty in their civilian identity.
** FriendOfMaskedSelf: A superhero, in their civilian identity, claims to be friends with their own heroic alter-ego.
** IdentityImpersonator: The hero protects their secret identity by appearing in public with another person pretending to be their alter-ego.
** SecretChaser: A character who will do anything to uncover someone's secret identity.
** SecretIdentityApathy: The villains don't care about the true identity of the hero they're fighting.
** SecretIdentityChangeTrick: A character must improvise a way to get out of sight to change into their superhero identity.
** SecretIdentityIdentity: It's called into question on whether the hero regards their super identity or their secret identity as their true self.
** SecretIdentityVocalShift: A character's voice changes when they assume their superhero/supervillain identity.
** SecretKeeper: A person whom the superhero has allowed to know their true identity.
** SecondSuperIdentity: A superhero has ''more than one'' secret identity.
** StevenUlyssesPerhero: The hero's real name is a clear giveaway to their superhero identity.
** TheUnmasking: When a superhero's or supervillain's true identity is finally revealed to the world.
*** AntiClimacticUnmasking: Someone rips off a superhero's mask, expecting someone extraordinary, but they get someone ordinary.
* SelfMadeSuperpowers: A scientifically-gifted character gives themselves innate powers on purpose.

** GratuitousAnimalSidekick: Basically the hero's TeamPet.
** KidSidekick: Some sidekicks are quite young, either young boys or young girls.
** RecklessSidekick: A sidekick who runs headfirst into danger and requires the superhero to come to their aid.
** SidekickGlassCeiling: The sidekick is never allowed to become more powerful than the hero.
** SidekickGraduationsStick: On the other hand, sidekicks often become heroes in their own right.

* SuperLoser: Being a superhero does not prevent this character from being uncool.
** SuperZeroes: Incredibly lame, incompetent superheroes.
* SuperMobBoss: A crime lord or gang leader who is tough enough to be considered a supervillain.
* SuperRegistrationAct: When the government enacts laws that require super-beings to register their superpowers and secret identities with them.
* {{Super Robot|Genre}}: A HumongousMecha whose abilities and adventures place it on the level of a superhero.
* SuperRugPull: A hero with super strength can pull out a chunk of rock and whip it like a rug.
* SuperSerum: A [[AppliedPhlebotinum chemical substance]] that gives people superpowers.
* SuperSoldier: Military personnel who have special abilities or superpowers, thus making them elite warriors.
** MilitarySuperhero: A superhero who is also an enlisted member of the armed forces.
* SuperSupremacist: A supervillain who believes that [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividuals superhumans]] are superior to [[{{Muggles}} normal people]] and should rule over them because of it.
* SuperTeam: A group of superheroes (or a gang of supervillains) who closely work and fight together.
** SuperFamilyTeam: A group of superheroes who are (biologically) related to each other ([[FamilyOfChoice or at least love each other like family]]).
* {{Superdickery}}: [[CoversAlwaysLie Cover art]] shows the hero acting [[OutOfCharacterMoment uncharacteristically]] [[JerkassBall nasty]].

* SuperheroesInSpace: Superheroes who travel across outer space to fight extraterrestrial supervillains.
* SuperheroesStaySingle: Superheroes are not allowed to have stable romantic relationships or get happily married.
* SuperheroesWearCapes: Superheroes tending to wear capes.
* SuperheroesWearTights: Superheroes tending to wear tights.

* SupermanSubstitute: An {{expy}} based on the [[{{Franchise/Superman}} Man of Steel]] himself.

* SuperpowerLottery: When a hero or villain has a very diverse set of powers.
* SuperpowerMeltdown: A superhero overuses or loses control of their powers and destroys the surrounding area.
* SuperpowerSillyPutty: A character who gains extremely volatile superpowers that come and go frequently.

** SuperpoweredEvilSide: A character has a split personality that's a supervillain.
* SuperpoweredDate: Superpowers allow a character to take their LoveInterest on a grandiose date.
* SuperpoweredMooks: {{Evil|Minions}} [[{{Mooks}} henchmen]] who have superpowers, but are not quite at the level of a proper supervillain.

* UtilityBelt: The standard belt full of gadgets that no BadassNormal superhero can go without, popularized by {{Franchise/Batman}}.

** HeartIsAnAwesomePower: A power that seems useless can actually be pretty effective when used correctly.

* WolverineWannabe: An {{expy}} of {{ComicBook/Wolverine}}.
* WonderWomanWannabe: An {{expy}} of Franchise/WonderWoman.

* SuperpowerDisability: A character with a super power is given a disability as a result.

* SuperheroEpisode: An episode where a character temporarily gains superpowers.

* HulkMashUp: An {{expy}} of Franchise/TheIncredibleHulk.

* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Training makes this super, super.

* {{Kaiju}}: [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever Giant monsters]] that are capable of demolishing cities. They're fairly common [[MonsterOfTheWeek stock enemies]] for superheroes to fight.

* {{Kaiju}}: Common enemies that superheroes fight.

* SuperRobotGenre: A HumongousMecha whose abilities and adventures place it on the level of a superhero.