Superhuman strength

"Super-strength" redirects here. For the beverage also known as Super-strength lager, see Malt liquor.

Superhuman strength is a superpower commonly invoked in fiction and other literary works, such as mythology. A fictionalized representation of the phenomenon of hysterical strength, it is the power to exert force and lift weights beyond what is physically possible for an ordinary human being. Alternate terms of superhuman strength have included enhanced strength, super-strength and increased strength. Superhuman strength is an amorphous ability, varying in potency depending on the writer or the context of the story in which it is depicted.

It is also common trope in fantasy and science fiction. This is generally by means of mechanisms such as cybernetic body parts, genetic modification, telekinetic fields in science fiction, or magical/supernatural sources within fantasy. A plethora of comic book superheroes and super-villains display some degree of super strength. Some films invoke a fictional substance or drug that gives the superpower. The level of superhuman strength portrayed can vary greatly, from just outside the natural human range of the strongest strongmen, powerlifters, and weightlifters (for example Captain America, Spider-Man, Imhotep, Jaws, Bane and Mountain), to nearly unlimited strength (such as Hulk, Juggernaut, Hercules, Thor, Superman, Saitama and Goku).^[1][2]

History

Depiction of Hercules by sculptor Guillaume Coustou the Elder, 1704.

Many fictional works involving superhuman strength are rooted in ancient chronicles,^[3] and the depiction of it dates as far back as the earliest recorded work of writing, with the Sumarian hero Gilgamesh. Early legends portray characters gaining their superhuman strength from the gods and exhibiting characteristics of both heroic humans and gods.

Superhuman strength is a common ability of many gods and demigods in ancient mythology and religion, such as Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Apollo, Heracles/Hercules, Theseus, Perseus and Achilles (Greek/Roman), Beowulf (Anglo-Saxon), Samson and Goliath (the Bible), Bhima and Hanuman (Hindu), Kintarō (Japanese), and Māui (Polynesian).

In Ancient Rome, Gladiators would drink herbal infusions to strengthen them before chariot races. Attempts to modify the human body in order to gain extraordinary strength is also depicted in fiction through characters such as Terminator, Robocop, Iron Man, and Cyborg. Similarly, humans too have tried to use external devices to enhance their strength. The earliest device that was patented for this specific purpose can be credited to Nicholas Yagn, who filed the patent in 1890. The device was described to be an apparatus for facilitating walking, running, and jumping through the use of bags of compressed air.^[4] The United States Department of Defense is considering a variety of technologies to create an exoskeleton intended for military use to enhance soldier performance.^[5]

Applications

In the real world, extraordinary strength can occur via science. Currently, drugs including stimulants, anabolic steroids, diuretics, and β-blockers are ingested to enhance strength and other attributes of modern day strength athletes, in addition to their years of consistent training.^[6]

Records describe instances of people going beyond 'normal' strength in specific circumstances without taking any specific measures, as in the case of Tom Boyle, who was able to lift the front of a car in order to rescue a person trapped beneath it.^[7] Penn State professor of kinesiology Vladimir Zatsiorsky stated that extraordinary strength can occur when a person engages their muscles through the conscious "exertion of will".^[8] Zatsiorsky claims that trained athletes can improve their strength under specific conditions of competition.^[8] Fear can also cause a person to exhibit enhanced human strength, like for example hysterical strength. The term appears in weight-lifting^[9] and 'protein formula'^[10] commercials without proof of their efficacy.

Strength athletes routinely perform feats of strength that are superhuman to others. For example in 2025, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson of Iceland, who is widely regarded the strongest human being to have ever lived^[11][12][13] broke the all-time world record deadlift by lifting 510 kilograms (1,124 lb) as if it was a warm up weight for him,^[14] and defeated a collosal machine which is 50 times stronger than the average human, in a one on one strength duel.^[15]

See also

• Berserker
• Furor Teutonicus
• Myostatin
• Physical strength
• Hysterical strength