Real-Life Superpowers: The People Who Are Basically X-Men

If you’re anything like me, you probably spent a lot of your childhood (and maybe even some of your adult life) wishing for superpowers. I always dreamed of teleportation, mostly for very practical reasons. Imagine sleeping until two minutes before you need to clock in, then zipping straight to work! Or being able to eat that amazing street food in Tokyo, then have dessert in Paris, all without dealing with airport security and airfares. Talk about convenience! Funnily enough, there were a few powers I definitely didn't want. Flying seemed cold, and I figured people would probably try to shoot down random objects in the sky. Invisibility? Too risky, I don't want to get hit by a car that can't see me! And reading minds? No thanks. I’m fine not knowing if someone secretly dislikes my new shirt.

But putting my own selfish desires aside, there are people in the world who genuinely possess abilities that seem straight out of a science fiction movie. Here are some of the most mind-blowing examples of real-life "superhumans."

1. The Boy Who Sees with Sound

Meet Ben Underwood. Ben lost both of his eyes to cancer when he was only three years old. Yet, he plays basketball and rides a bike! How? He taught himself to use echolocation. Ben makes a short, sharp clicking sound with his tongue. The sound bounces off objects, and his ears are incredibly tuned to pick up the echoes, allowing him to navigate the world like a sonar. He's often called the real-life Batman or Dolphin-Man, and for good reason. He's the only person in the world who "sees" using nothing but echolocation.

2. The Real-Life Magneto

While he might not be moving metal bridges like the X-Men villain, Liew Thow Lin, a retired contractor in Malaysia, possesses a unique form of magnetism. He made news for pulling a car 20 meters along a level surface using an iron chain hooked to a plate on his stomach. He discovered this amazing ability after reading an article about a family in Taiwan with similar powers. The gift is apparently hereditary, as three of his sons and two of his grandchildren also exhibit the same magnetic pull!

3. The Man Who Pulled 47 Years of All-Nighters

This is the power I might envy the most: not needing to sleep. Sixty-four-year-old Thai Ngoc claims he hasn't been able to sleep since getting a fever in 1973. Doctors gave him a clean bill of health, and he says he’s as strong as ever. Since he doesn't need to sleep, he’s able to do extra farm work, guard his property at night, and he even used three months of his sleepless nights to dig two large ponds to raise fish! Imagine the sheer productivity.

4. The Iceman

He can't generate ice, but Wim Hof's ability to withstand freezing temperatures is seriously cool. Hof has run marathons over snow barefoot, been buried in ice, and holds the world record for the longest time submerged in an ice bath (1 hour and 52 minutes). He even climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in nothing but shorts! When asked how he does it, the Iceman explains he achieves these feats through a combination of breathing exercises and meditation, essentially turning up his inner thermostat.

5. The Super-Fast Swordsman

Here's one that defies belief: Isao Machii can cut a BB gun pellet traveling at upwards of 200 mph in half with a katana. You read that right. While the average person would only just begin to register the sound of the shot, Machii visually senses the pellet and instantaneously anticipates where it will be. He reacts with a speed that truly surpasses normal human capability. That's like Bruce Lee catching a bullet with his teeth!

6. The Girl with X-Ray Vision

In Russia, Natasha Demkina is known as "the girl with X-ray eyes." She claims to have the ability to see through people’s skin and into their internal organs and tissues. She first noticed this when she was just 10 years old and has since used her ability to perform medical diagnoses. Though a 2004 study by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry concluded that there wasn't enough evidence to promote further study, Natasha continues to use her gift to diagnose people and has a large group of devoted supporters. It's a fascinating and potentially life-saving power!

These powers might not be as glamorous as the ones we see in comic books, but they are certainly incredible. If you had to pick just one of these supernormal abilities, which one would you choose? Personally, I'd go with the super-fast swordsman ability. If I could dodge a 200 mph pellet, think about how easy it would be to avoid a punch in a boxing ring. I'd be the only boxer in history who never got hit! Let me know your choice.