Even with the abundance of superhero entertainment, the Arrowverse is a feat onto itself. The connected universe, which includes heroes of every gender, color, orientation, and power level is a world teeming with life and possibilities.
Throughout its six-year existence, the Arrowverse has done things that would’ve seemed impossible in another era. The fact that all of these superheroes exist and that they’re believable on a TV budget is extraordinary.
Yet the Arrowverse isn’t the most perfect representation of the characters. There are certain powers and feats that the heroes of the Arrowverse are capable of doing in the comics but have been left out of the series.
The reasons why these powers have been absent do vary. Some of them might be too expensive, while others just may not fit the medium of television or the story being told. The fact that some of these powers work in the comics, may not be mean that they’ll work on TV or should even be considered.
Even if these powers never do show up, the heroes of the Arrowverse are capable of them. Therefore, it’s conceivable that one day the barrier will go down and they’ll make to the small screen.
For now, though, here are 15 Superpowers You Didn’t Know Arrowverse Heroes Had.
Superhman Aim - Green Arrow
One of Oliver’s defining features in the Arrowverse is that he has no powers. Oliver is nowhere near as strong as Supergirl or as fast as The Flash. This is certainly true. It has been suspected, however, that Oliver isn’t completely powerless.
It’s been theorized in the comics that Oliver is a latent metahuman.
Oliver’s aim with a bow and arrow is so good and so precise that it can’t possibly be the product of just dedicated training and natural skill.
Certain characters, including the world’s greatest detective Batman, have tried to prove that Oliver has the skill of superpowered aim. He's not a powerful meta but a meta all the same.
However, it's never been proven one way or the other. It’s near impossible to definitely show that someone has a superpower when it’s so specific and narrow as being very accurate. Yet there’s a chance that Oliver, despite protestations, is a metahuman.
Solar Bomb – Supergirl
Even Kara could destroy an entire building with a punch, so it doesn’t feel as if there are no stakes or consequences on Supergirl. The series plays down Kara's powers. Therefore, it does make sense that one of Kara’s most impressive and most recent powers, the Solar Bomb, has been left out of the show.
Supergirl gets her powers from the sun and her cells are soaked with radiation. The radiation fuels her flights, heat vision, strength, freeze breath, and hundreds of other powers. There is a possibility than Kara can become too charged with energy and explode outwards in a "solar bomb."
Interestingly, the use of the bomb will then make Kara weak for a long time afterward, as she has to recharge. This renders Kara effectively human. A human Kara was a brief storyline in Supergirl season 1 but it occurred because of an excess of heat vision, not because of a solar bomb.
Heat Absorption - Killer Frost
Killer Frost is one of the more unique characters in the Arrowverse. Caitlin Snow’s powers function differently from pretty much every other metahuman, in the sense that her powers create a whole new personality.
This isn't where Killer Frost's uniqueness ends. She's has also been through one of the quickest and most lasting redemption arcs going from crazed killer to grudging ally.
Killer Frost’s powers have been equally big assest and obstacle to Team Flash. One power has yet to appear.
Killer Frost, especially recently, has been known to absorb heat.
In recent comic stories, this has basically translated to a vampiric quality. Frost needs to take people’s body heat to survive. Unless The Flash wants to get very dark (again), this probably won’t happen.
However, if a fire or some heat-centric meta shows up, Killer Frost might be able to stop them in their tracks.
Enhanced Brain Activity – Deathstroke
It might be a bit of stretch to call Deathstroke a hero. Slade Wilson was a ruthless villain in Arrow season 2 and still tried to kill Oliver and his sister years after that arc had concluded. However, Arrow has mostly waved away Slade’s villainous actions as a side effect of Mirakuru, the serum that gave him his powers in the show.
Mirakuru is an Arrowverse invention but it gave Slade Wilson most of his famous powers from the comics. However, one was left out. Slade Wilson is supposed to be incredibly intelligent, so much so that it’s considered a superpower.
Slade Wilson can think faster, plan longer, and plot more scenarios than the average man because he has more access to his brain power than the average man.
Arrow’s Slade did enact a year long plan that nearly destroyed Oliver Queen. However, he was just a bit too crazy under Mirakuru to be called a super genius.
Power Replication - Vixen
Vixen has the entire power of the animal kingdom at her finger tips. Thanks to her totem, Mari McCabe (or Amaya Jiwa) can tap into the abilities of nearly any animal.
The only limit is that she must interact with them face-to-face. However, since Amaya is a time-traveler, she has been able to expand her repertoire to a T-Rex in the Arrowverse.
Vixen has an incredibly useful power that hasn’t even really been hinted at in the Arrowverse. Vixen can’t only replicate any animal’s powers, she can also mimic the powers of other superheroes.
After all, humans-- and even metahumans-- are technically animals as well.
Whether this manifests in the Arrowverse or not is anyone’s guess. However, Vixen could become a one-woman wrecking crew for the Legends if it does happen.
Super Dancing – Vibe
Cisco Ramon is The Flash’s obvious comic relief character. While every character on the show has cracked jokes, Cisco is the biggest source of amusement and levity on Team Flash.
Yet even though Cisco is funny, his character and his powers have never become much of a joke. The same can't be said of his comic counterpart.
Vibe is more of the more ridiculous characters in DC canon. He does have most of the inter-dimensional hopping pops and multiverse sensitives as Cisco. Yet there’s really just one thing that sets Vibe apart in the comics-- he’s a literal super dancer.
Vibe’s real hook was that he was a break-dancer turned superhero. This means that he used his powers to enhance his dancing skills. So much so that he became weirdly respected and ired for his dancing. Cisco has never shown anything more the goofy of dance moves but he could, presumably, vibe on the dance floor.
Transmute Matter - Firestorm
Since his first appearance in season 1 of The Flash, Firestorm has been recognized as one of the strongest heroes in the Arrowverse. The first iteration of Firestorm even ed with Oliver Queen and Barry Allen to take down the Reverse Flash.
However, for the most part, Firestorm’s powers have been translated as flying and hurling fireballs. Firestorm can do much, much more.
As the molecular bonding of two people, Firestorm has a command over almost all of the elements. This means that while he can hurl fireballs and looks like flying comet in the air, he can also transmute matter.
Firestorm has the ability to take any material and transform it, on a molecular level, to something else entirely.
It has been hinted in the Arrowverse that this could be done. Jax’s Firestorm powers did help him become a better mechanic. Yet, mostly Firestorm's powers were translated to easiest and most fire-hurling route.
Dimensional Travel - The Atom
One of the incredibly fun things about the Arrowverse is that it's not just a single world. It’s an interconnected multiverse, spanning multiple dimensions and realities.
The ability to hop between these worlds has been limited to Vibe (and heroes with similar powers like Gypsy). However, they’re not the only ones who can hop between realities. The Atom also has the capability.
On Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow, Ray Palmer’s expensive super suit has boiled down to two basic functions. It can help Ray grow and shrink in size and it also allows him to fly.
Yet The Atom has also been known to shrink so much that he’s entered a whole new universe, the microverse. It’s a plane of existence that exists outside anything view-able by humans.
In addition, The Atom suit has also been modified to allow him to travel impossible distances, like between telephones wires and into new Earths.
Super Kiss - Superman
Throughout his long history, Superman has exhibited a number of bizarre powers. This is especially true in the early days of the character.
The only limits on what Superman could or couldn't do in the Golden and Silver Age of comics was dependant on what the writers could dream up.
One of Superman’s most insane powers, though, is his ability to perform a Super Kiss.
The most infamous use of his power was in the movie Superman II where Superman kissed Lois Lane to make her forget his identity. Yet that's not the only time that Superman’s lips have come with a bit of an extra punch. Back in Action Comics #306, Clark Kent kissed Lois under a mistletoe and it was so intense it nearly knocked Lois out cold.
Plenty of characters on Supergirl salivate over Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman but they evidently might want to reconsider getting too close.
Super-Strength and Durability - Martian Manhunter
Kara Danvers is always going to be the most impressive hero on Supergirl. It’s only right as the series is, after all, her show. Yet the show often seems to forget that Martian Manhunter is also incredibly powerful.
For his ability to phase through material and launch telepathic attacks, J’onn should be considered strong but few fans probably realize how impressive J'onn is in reality.
Martian Manhunter has a strength that rivals and sometimes even sures the abilities of Kryptonians. Martin Manhunter has towed the moon behind him, pushed the Earth into proper orbit and lifted tankers out of the oceans for large distances.
J’onn is also basically immortal. His unique Martian physiology makes him very malleable and his only real weakness is fire.