Not at all. For one, the second trope is restricted to superhero media. The first is any sort of combat setup.
Fight smart, not fair.![]()
No they're different. Most Common Super Power deals with superheroenes and villain, more spefically comics and comics inspired works. What Boobs Of Steel basically boils down to is that the physically strong female character's tend to processes large breasts.
My issue is it that I think this trope should really only apply to muscular female characters, usually the ones that are brawn hildas or Amazonian beauties, because unlike characters similar to Tifa from Final Fantasy VII, their bodytype signifies physical strength and at the same is largely impossible to obtain naturally in Real Life. More muscle tonnage almost always means less fat, that's why a large portion of female fitness models and bodybuilders opt for breasts implants.
Well, if you're looking at fitness models or bodybuilders, I suggest you look elsewhere. Both of those groups have a bias toward low fat content, as will most athletes. If you want the right body type for this, look for MMA fighters or boxers or something.
Fight smart, not fair.
Both sports split their athletes into divisions, so there's hardly a standard a body type. There are a lot competitors in both sports that could even pass for bodybuilders. Also, least from what I've seen, the majority of the athletes in both sports their bust size tend to range from flat chested to about average, no where near as busty as some of the examples in this trope but far more toned.
The fact the fitness models, athletes and bodybuilder tend to be low in body fat is my point. There are a many fictional muscular female characters with body that are either based or similar to ones possessed by fitness models, athletes, and bodybuilder. However, unlike the Real Life counterparts, fictional muscular women are almost always depicted with big breasts.
There's a significant difference between a runner and a fighter. Fighting, particularly martial arts styles, tend to have a less toned build compared to athletes like pro wrestlers. Seriously, do a GIS for "MMA fighter female", they're not DD's, but they're definitely present.
Fight smart, not fair.
I wasn't comparing to two and I don't know how you could since Running and fighting are two extremely broad categories of sports. Not only that but martial arts are more or less a series of combat techniques so the fighter's build isn't really a factor.
Anyway I did do a GIS and excluding the pictures featuring Gina Carano, the majority of the women were either average, small, or flat chested. I mean, fighters like megumi fujii
◊ and Cristiane Santos
◊ came of extremely quick.
The point I'm trying to get across is that a real life woman would not be able to possess the physique and bust of characters like risty
◊ from Queens Blade or she-hulk
◊ or rachel from
◊ Battle Arena Toshinden without implants.
edited 4th Jun '11 10:54:50 AM by captainpat
You get real life woman built like Helga
◊. She doesn't have implants. The muscles are just a bit softer.
It's probably the proportions and the black top on black background,but I can't really make out her bust size. I have seen clips of when she was active with her strongwoman and bodybuilding career, which was a few years before American Gladiator and she was pretty petite as far as bust size went, and far more toned, back then at least.
edited 3rd Jun '11 4:10:03 PM by captainpat
I added a line at the bottom of the description, and if no one disagrees I'm going to start cleaning out the "aversions" on the main page. I really think that's a big part of the problem. Line reprinted here for convenience:
Note that this trope is not common enough to be averted. Unless it is lampshaded, it's just an ignored trope.
Writing a post-post apocalypse LitRPG on RR. Also fanfic stuff.
That's fine, aversion aren't usually noteworthy inclusions in a trope but I still think the premise of this trope is still ridiculous.
Edit: Actually the Averted Trope page specifically we're not supposed to list aversion as an example unless the trope so common that the list of aversions is actually shorter. So I don't even think a disclaimer is necessary but it wouldn't hurt.
edited 4th Jun '11 10:59:47 AM by captainpat
I thought this trope was something it isn't. Thought it was something like Most Common Superpower + Required Seconary Powers = Boobs Of Steel. It's not that at all, is it?
Hm, I'd say that fits. They don't necessarily have to be friends, just the bulk of the (fighting) cast.
Fight smart, not fair.From what I remember of the YKTTW, the core of the trope is "the best female physcial fighter in a cast with several females is the one with the biggest breasts". So it's not just limited to teams, but series with The Smurfette Principle and others that have a very small active female cast are out since they don't have any other females to compare them to.
edited 2nd Jul '11 9:35:47 AM by Servbot
Not sure how the strongest female character is only limited the best female physcial fighter, since there are a lot ways to be strong in fiction (Black Magician Girl, Girls with Guns,etc..).

What about cases of powerful (top-tier) witches who are also the bustiest girl in their group? Because that is what Naga the White Serpent from Slayers is.
edited 28th May '11 2:47:09 PM by MarqFJA
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