Videos by ComicBook.com
Heroes and villains across DC and Marvel Comics have used many of these dangerous abilities for both altruistic and selfish purposes. Yet, even when used for good, these powers can give people far too much control over others – control that can all too easily be abused. Some of these ghastly abilities seem intended to cause people to be overcome with fear, take them unawares, or transform them into gut-wrenching versions of their former selves.
10) Invisibility
Invisibility is used by many heroes, including Invisible Woman and Martian Manhunter, to sneak up on bad guys. While at first the power to be unseen might sound somewhat innocuous or nonthreatening, all you have to do is look at the infamous monster, the Invisible Man, to understand how truly nightmarish it can be. The idea that someone could be standing in the same room as you, watching your every move, without you even knowing it, is incredibly unsettling. Add in the idea that this invisible intruder can attack at any moment, and you’ve got a recipe for a haunting experience. Humanity has always had a deep-seated fear of the unknown and the unseen, and invisibility is the perfect ability to exploit those fears.
9) Life Force Absorption
The ability to absorb energy to make oneself stronger can be a beneficial power. Still, it can quickly turn into the stuff of nightmares depending on the type of energy absorbed. The power to drain a person of their life force through touch is an ability shared by Marvel’s superhero Rogue and DC’s supervillain Parasite. With just a touch, they can drain a person of their skills, memories, and energy. If they keep contact for too long, they can reduce their victim to a withered and lifeless husk as they drain them of every last drop of their energy. The ability to drain a person of their very essence like a vampire is incredibly dark and deadly.
8) Monster Transformation
While there are plenty of characters capable of shapeshifting in comics, there’s a special type that transforms both body and mind. The most popular version of this ability is that of werewolves, but in comics, there are plenty of other characters that can either voluntarily or involuntarily morph into mindless beasts, such as Marvel’s Lizard and the Hulk. This type of power can be disturbing for both the person who wields it and those around them. The process is often incredibly torturous as the person’s muscles and bones reshape, and their mind devolves into being driven by primal and savage urges. Not to mention the sheer horror of someone else having to witness a normal person contorted into such a hideous form that will kill anything in sight.
7) Dream Manipulation
Everyone needs a good night’s rest if they want to live a healthy life, but it’s also the time that you’re most vulnerable. Even worse, some villains can turn a person’s dreams against them. Villains like Nightmare on Elm Street’s Freddy Krueger and DC’s Doctor Destiny can enter their victims’ minds while they are sleeping to inflict insanity-inducing torture by exploiting their deepest fears and secrets. Doctor Destiny can even take it a step further by manifesting those same nightmares into the real world. Even worse, if you die in the dream, you die in real life. Of course, there is always the option to never go to sleep, but no doubt your body and your mind would not take kindly to this.
6) Death Touch
Some of the deadliest characters in comics are those that can kill people with a touch. Unlike with life force absorption, which takes a certain period of time to be lethal, characters with a death touch can kill a person instantly. The exact cause of death can vary from character to character. For example, the touch of Marvel’s Wither can instantaneously reduce people to dust, whereas DC Comics’ third Clayface can cause flesh to melt on contact. The nature of this lethal touch can also range from being entirely within the wielder’s control to being involuntary and unchecked. Either way, the mere thought that a single touch could extinguish your life is enough to fill anyone with paralyzing dread.
