When it comes to heroism in the DC Universe, some crusaders for justice have powers that are, for lack of a better word, the worst. While it’s always nice to see anyone with a superhuman ability or enhancement dedicate their lives to making the world better, that doesn't mean their powers aren’t cringy or disgusting.
Perhaps it’s not fair to judge. After all, bad power or not, a hero who risks their life to protect others is worthy of respect. But let’s face it, in a world with worst powers in the DC Universe.
10 Arm-Fall-Off-Boy's Detachment
First Appearance: Secret Origins #46
Arm-Fall-Off-Boy is one of the 30th Century’s many colorful and creative heroes. But for all the oddballs in the Legion of Super-Heroes, one hero who never made the cut is Arm-Fall-Off-Boy, and yes, his power is exactly what it sounds like. Floyd Belkin’s limbs are completely detachable, and they can be used to strike enemies. While the young superhero should be ired for his spirit and determination to get into the Legion of Superheroes, it’s a pretty useless power. Not only does he only have marginal strength at best, Arm-Fall-Off-Boy’s power only ends up putting himself at risk.
9 Halo’s Light Powers
First Appearance: The Brave and the Bold #200
When Batman broke away from the Justice League, he decided to form the Outsiders, a stalwart crew of younger heroes who weren’t afraid to go to places the League was hesitant to. But while the Outsiders had cool and powerful heroes like Black Lightning and Metamorpho on the team, it also included Halo. Gabrielle Doe is an alien who possessed a deceased body and has the ability to fly and manipulate light. While she can create auras and beams to assist her friends in battle, her powers are a joke compared to other light-wielders like Green Lantern.
8 Matter-Eater-Lad's Superhuman Appetite
First Appearance: Adventure Comics #303
When it comes to more notable of the Legion of Super-Heroes, Tenzil Kem, aka Matter-Eater-Lad, usually tops the lists. But this hero isn’t notable because of many true acts of heroism, but rather, for his strange and, frankly, disturbing power. Matter-Eater-Lad, as his name implies, can eat anything, no matter how dangerous or toxic or inedible something is, or rather, should be, Matter-Eater-Lad can get it down his gullet. While it’s neat, it’s not exactly a power that’s going to be useful in a battle to save the DC Universe (but it does come in handy for bar bets).
7 Infectious Lass's Disease Spreading
First Appearance: Superboy #201
When a hero doesn’t make the cut for the Legion of Super-Heroes, they usually wind up in the 30th Century’s backup squad, the Legion of Substitute Heroes. One of the more notable of this B-list crew is Drura Sehpt, aka Infectious Lass. Sehpt is an alien whose species serves as a colony for micoorganisms. As such, she carries thousands of diseases with her at all times. While she herself is immune, she’s a walking biohazard and deemed too dangerous for the Legion of Super-Heroes. She may have a good heart, but it’s better for her to practice social distancing.
6 Flex Mentallo's Inflation Intensity
First Appearance: Doom Patrol #35
Flex Mentallo is a seriously cool, if not underrated, hero. While his curious Muscle Mystery powers are capable of bending reality to his will with a flex of his pecs or glutes, there’s an extremely bizarre side to the beach hunk’s powers. As seen during the “Milk Wars” event, Flex has an additional complimentary power known as Inflation Intensity, which also has the power to change reality. However, to do so, it requires him to inflate his body (or as “Milk Wars” showed, other people’s bodies). Useful, yes, but Mentallo’s hidden power is disturbing to see in action.
5 Flemgem’s Phlegm
First Appearance: Hitman #18
Fans of Hitman no doubt Section Eight, the team of D-list ‘heroes’ that operate in the seediest corners of Gotham. The nastiest member of this team was a hero simply known as Flemgem and as one may guess from his name, his power is mucus-based. He’s got powerful sneezes and is able to hawk loogies that completely blind anyone he encounters. Even among Section Eight’s crew of reprobate do-gooders, Flemgem stands out as one of the most disgusting heroes with a positively disgusting superpower.
4 Hourman's Time-Constrained Strength
First Appearance: Adventure Comics #48
Sure, Hourman was a mainstay member of the Justice Society, and he’s more than worthy of being called a respectable hero. But at the same time, his powers have one of the worst drawbacks. Rex Tyler uses Miraclo, a drug that gives him amazing powers for one full hour. But when that hour is up, he’s back to normal until he can take another Miraclo pill. Maybe it’d be more impressive if Tyler’s powers were more than just the average collection of powers like enhanced strength and durability, but as far as DC heroes go, Hourman’s powers aren’t that special.
3 Bueno Excellente's Unspeakable Power
First Appearance: Hitman #18
Of all the heroes on this list, the most questionable is Bueno Excellente of Section Eight. While the team is full of heroes who have powers, suspect or otherwise, the most skin-crawling among them is the mysterious Bueno, who fights crime with “the powers of perversion”. What’s meant by that isn’t said outright, but it’s implied enough in whatever stories he’s in. Despite the disturbing nature of his powers, they are effective enough to stop heroes as powerful as Green Lantern (sorry, Kyle). But that doesn’t mean that Bueno Excellente’s powers can be considered good by any stretch.
2 Blue Lanterns' Limited Powers
First Appearance: Green Lantern #25
The Green Lantern’s wield but only one part of the overall Emotional Spectrum. During the epic ‘War of Light’ saga, Hal Jordan met the Blue Lanterns, an organization powered by hope in the same way that the Green Lanterns operate off willpower. They possess limited capabilities such as flight and the ability to travel through space, like any ring-slinger. However, they can’t access the more powerful parts of their rings without being in proximity to a Green Lantern (after all, hope is nothing without willpower). They may have good hearts, but they’re a bit lame compared to Green Lanterns.
1 Superman’s Forgotten Superpowers
First Appearance: Action Comics #1
Yes, Superman absolutely has some of the coolest and strongest powers in the DC Universe. That being said, he’s had a lot of surprisingly useless powers, most notably in the Silver Age of Comic Books. During that time, he was capable of hypnotism or throwing his voice using ‘super-ventriloquism’. He could eat more than several hundred times his weight with ‘super-eating’. In one story, Superman could shoot little clones out of his hands, while in another he had a shape-shifting face. Superman might be an incredible superhero, but even he’s had his share of bad superpowers over the years.
