We all love superhero movies, and every time we go to the theatres, we are excited to see them doing incredible feats as they fight against threats to their worlds. Yet, movies use computers to tell fictional stories that could never be repeated or replicated in real life. But, did you know that there are real-life superhumans living with us?
Some of these humans with incredible capabilities were born with gifts, but others chose to train and perfect their abilities. As scientists try to discover what makes these humans special, let’s see the superhuman abilities they have. Do you agree that they deserve the superhero tag?
10 Real Samurai: Slicing Projectiles In Two
In the past, samurais were warriors whose skills in combat were legendary and feared by both friends and enemies. Isao Machii is a talented superhuman whose skills could rival those of any samurai from ancient stories. Machii can slice anything in two with his sword — even a pellet shot from a gun at 200 mph!
While most people might know how to use a sword, Isao Machii is different because of his great speed and accuracy that helps him break one incredible feat after another. In the Guinness World Book of record, Machii is credited for the fastest 1,000 martial arts sword cuts, most martial arts katana cuts, and the fastest tennis ball cuts with a sword. His skills are often compared to a robot since machines are the only things that can come close to his abilities.
Yet, Isao Machii was not born with the talent since it’s a product of hard work and training. For many years, the Japanese Iaido Master has honed his skills with the sword, and every day, he picks his favorite weapon and trains. Isao Machii gives a new meaning to the phrase, “Practice makes perfect.”
9 Real-Life Batman: Blind Man Sees With His Tongue
If you lost your eyes today, how would you move around? Daniel Kish is technically blind, but he has a superpower that enables him to move around and see objects around him. Using echolocation, the same ability that bats have, Kish can drive a bike in heavy traffic, camp in the wild, and even climb trees.
So, how does he do it? After losing his eyes to retina cancer when he was a kid, Daniel Kish taught himself how to use his tongue as a navigational technique. By clicking his tongue, Kish listens to the sound that bounces off objects in the surrounding environment. When the sound returns in different volumes, he estimates the size of the obstacle and how far it is.
Daniel Kish is just like “Daredevil,” the blind superhero from the comics who uses “radar sense” to perceive objects around him. Over time, Kish got so good in his ability that other blind people hire him to help them get around.
As an expert in human echolocation, Kish can describe places he has never seen before to prove that the human body is capable of magical feats. Truly, disability is not inability!
8 Photographic Memory: No Camera, No Problem!
Ever wished you could remember everything that you ever saw? Stephen Wiltshire is a superhuman with a photographic memory, with the ability to memorize and draw anything he sees in intricate details.
Stephen Wiltshire was born autistic and didn’t speak until age five. But when he finally did, his first words were “Pen” and “Paper.” As an adult, Wiltshire uses his powers for good, making impressions of skylines and street scenes with just one helicopter ride across.
One of the best achievements by Stephen Wiltshire was his “London Skyline in 360” painting, which was a panorama of major landmarks in London. The most astounding fact is that he did the painting without any sketches, photos, or notes. Every detail he captured was on point!
We might carry our cameras around, but they come nowhere close to matching Wiltshire’s superhuman abilities.
7 Head Balancer: My Head Can Carry Anything!
John Evans earned his fame as a strongman who can balance anything on his head, and for many, his talents are both astounding and entertaining. Evans’ achievements require no introduction, and from lifting pints of beer to a 352-pound (159.6 kg) car for 33 seconds, the superhuman can support anything with his head and neck.
John Evans, who holds 33 Guinness World Records for balancing items on his head, is not your everyday weightlifter, and he admits that he never goes to the gym! While working as a laborer in construction, Evans realized that balancing bricks on his head made him haul more bricks than he would with his hands. Over time, he developed a strong neck as the daily work kept him in shape.
Years later, Evans tested his capabilities only to discover that his bone density was just like that of a 20-year-old! While many people get weaker as they age, Evans’ body keeps getting stronger, an ability that makes it possible for him to support weights with his skeleton alone.
Other notable achievements by this superhuman include balancing motorcycles, two cyclists on their bikes, washing machines, and bunk beds. It is very probable that John Evans could carry the weight of the world on his head if he was big enough to hold it.
6 Human Lightning Conductor: Lightning 7, Man 0
They say that lightning never strikes the same place twice, but one man from the US is an exception to this rule. Roy Cleveland Sullivan, a former US park ranger, earned the title of the “Spark Ranger” after being struck by lightning seven times in his life!
Roy, who holds the record for most lightning strikes for any human in history, was exposed to risks of lightning strikes in his job as a park ranger. By working out in the open, the ranger was at more risk of being hit by lightning, but the surprising thing was that with each incident, he survived exceptionally.
The first time he was hit, Roy walked away with a hole in his shoe, the second burned off his eyebrows and eyelashes, and the third time, it seared his left shoulder. Defying statistics that show that 10% of people who get struck by lightning die while 90% are left with disabilities, Roy never saw an emergency room after a lightning strike.
Yet, because Roy was a lightning magnet, many people avoided him for fear that they would also get struck if a storm hit. At the end of his life, Roy took his own life by suicide for unknown reasons that had many theorizing that he was tired of watching out for storm clouds.
5 Baby Superman: Strongest Toddler Ever
Liam Hoekstra shot to fame when he was just 5 years old, earning the title of the “world’s strongest toddler.” When he was 6 years old, his parents got curious about what made their special son strong and after a study, it became clear that Liam was stronger than 85% of other 6-year-old kids.
The condition that made Liam special was his myostatin deficiency, which led to a massive increase in body mass and double muscling. The lack of myostatin meant that Liam developed muscles easily, as they grew at a faster than normal rate without any exercise. Also, his body is completely unable to store body fat, no matter how much he ate.
After his biological mom gave up out of fear that she couldn’t take adequate care of him, Liam stood out from his peers from a young age. While other kids struggled with chin-ups, he could easily hold himself up for minutes, impressing many and shocking others.
The only side effect of Liam’s superpower was that he consumed more food than other kids since his body needed more energy to grow. In the end, with great power came great and delicious responsibilities.
4 Spider-Man: Climbs Any Building With No Equipment!
Alain Robert, aka ‘The French Spiderman,’ is a professional rock climber, but mountains aren’t the only things he can scale! Name the tallest buildings in the world, and Roberts has likely climbed a few of them!
Alain Robert takes pride in being the most famous free climber in the world and he’s climbed over 100 buildings and he’s still going. In 2011, Robert proved why he’s the best when he climbed Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. In the 828-meter climb, Robert took just six hours, using nothing but his hands, feet, and an indomitable spirit.
What makes Alain Robert special? His technique, training, and physical conditioning enable him to scale buildings by latching on to small outcrops. Robert is a daredevil who believes that fear should not control our lives.
In the past, Robert has been arrested on multiple occasions for scaling buildings while wearing a spiderman outfit! For the athlete, being great has more to do with sacrifice and concentration, qualities he has mastered over many years.
3 Metal Bender: World’s Strongest Granny
Sakinat Khanapiyeva is not your average grandma and while she hasn’t entered any weight lifting event, she’s easily the strongest in her age group. When she was 10 years, Sakinat discovered that she was a superhuman when she moved a 661-pound (299 kg) grain container. For a scale, 661 pounds is equal to the weight of four grown men!
As she got older, Sakinat Khanapiyeva realized that she could still do some amazing things like twisting 2-inch steel rods and rip a phone-book in half! Think that is standard? In her 70s, Sakinat shocked everyone by lifting a 52-pound dumbbell while standing on nails!
What else can she do? She can also break a horseshoe in two like a cookie! Even Schwarzenegger couldn’t beat that! Truly, Sakinat Khanapiyeva from Daghestan, Russia, deserves her Guinness World Book record as the strongest grandma in the world.
2 The Flash: Legs that can’t stop running!
How many marathons can you run in a year? Dean Karnazes is an ultramarathon runner, but his greatest accomplishment was running 50 marathons in 50 days, back-to-back.
In 2005, Karzanes showed the world why he’s better than ‘Flash’ from the comics when he ran 350 miles (560 km) in 80 hours and 44 minutes across North Carolina! In the incredible display of both stamina and endurance, Karzanes didn’t stop to eat or sleep and for over 3 days, his legs just couldn’t stop running.
Other achievements by this legend include running a marathon to the South Pole in 2002 and a 199-mile (320 km) relay from Calistoga to Santa Cruz. According to ‘Men’s Fitness’, Dean Karzanes is one of the fittest men on the planet, and from his impressive resume, it’s clear why he deserves the title.
Like all the great runners, Karzanes has trained himself never to give up even when his body tells him to stop. But, as a superhuman, Karzanes’ muscles don’t ever get tired, an ability that makes it possible to keep moving where many would quit!
1 The Iceman: Real Life Snowman?
How much cold is too cold for you? Wim Hof entered the Guinness World Record for his unique ability to sit in an ice bath for 1 hour, 53 minutes, and 2 seconds!
Hof, famous for his ability to withstand freezing temperatures, is a daredevil who is always chasing the next world record. With over 26 records under his belt, Hof is always pushing the limits of the human body, and his accolades are even more impressive.
Some of the most notable achievements by “The Iceman” include running the fastest half marathon barefoot on ice/snow and attempting to climb Mt Everest wearing nothing but shorts and shoes! It seems that there’s nothing this real-life snowman won’t try. If it involves shocking acts of cold endurance, you can bet that Wim Hof has tried it.
As a fitness guru, Wim Hof credits his achievements to techniques such as the Buddhist Tummo meditation technique. The practice that was perfected by monks literally translates to ‘inner fire,’ a deep state of meditation achieved through breathing and visualization. Also, using his very own ‘Wim Hof Method’, the unstoppable man aims to change the world through breathing, meditation, and cold exposure.