Superpowers are just in the movies and comics
right? While most of us mere mortals don’t have
super strength and green skin or lightning bolts for eyes, there are some gifted humans
hiding amongst us. Blessed with some strange and sometimes paranormal
abilities, these magical mutants can mystify us with their unique talents. Is it genetic evolution or exposure to radioactive
waste? Whatever it is, the X-Men are here. Ready to meet the superhumans that live among
us? Let’s get it on. ETIBAR ELCHYEV
Given enough time, there was bound to be someone close to the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown who
exhibited a phenomenal ability. Meet Etibar Elchyev from Georgia. His day job is training aspiring kickboxers
but in his spare time, he practices breaking his own world record. This man has the unique ability to attract
metal to his body, having nothing to do with his not-so-magnetic personality either. Dubbed the human magnet, he’s able to hold
53 spoons onto his chest and back. Becoming the world record holder was his initial
dream, but now he has his sights set on something bigger. He’s pulled a Mercedes along the road with
a metal plate on his back! Who knows, in a few decades time with some
intensive training we might see this guy twisting and manipulating metal at will. WIM HOFF
Many people have claimed to be able to control their body temperature over the course of
history, but few have put it to the test to the degree that Wim Hof has. The Iceman has climbed Mount Everest and Mount
Kilimanjaro barefoot, with just a pair of shorts to be able to record it all. In fact, he holds over two dozen world records
for surviving in conditions that would prove fatally cold for other mere mortals. Using Tibetan Time style meditation, Hof is
able to shut off activity in his mind and redirect his energy into keeping his body
heat constant. This ability also works with extreme heat,
as incredibly he ran a full marathon in the Namib Desert without food, water or change
in his core temperature. Proof that power of the mind and body is far
beyond scientific understanding! KEVIN RICHARDSON
Doctor Doolittle could talk with the animals. Tarzan was raised in the jungle by apes. Is it too far fetched to believe that someone
like this can exist in the modern era? South African Kevin Richardson is proof that
some people possess a natural affinity for understanding and communicating with animals. Move over crazy Joe Exotic, this guy is the
true Tiger King, and he’s against raising cubs in captivity just for tourists to pat. Richardson is the real-life lion whisperer,
and has been accepted by a wild pride of lions in the Dinokeng Game Reserve in Pretoria. He rolls around on the ground wrestling with
his lion buddies, and joins them for a good roaring session on all fours. He has a wife and family, but once he sets
foot on the savannah grass, he becomes one of the pride. DEAN KARNAZES
Imagine if you could just run forever. Well one man can – Dean Karnazes. He’s run 50 marathons in 50 days and completed
a trek of 350 miles in 80 hours and 44 minutes without needing to stop for sleep or rest. He even ran a marathon in the South Pole in
temperatures of -13F! For those who don’t know, lactic acid is
responsible for muscle soreness, tightness, and the feeling of legs as heavy as lead after
a long session of training. It’s produced as a by-product of converting
blood sugar into energy. Cramps and fatigue signal to the brain that
it’s time to stop, but Karnazes never receives these signals giving him the ability to run
almost indefinitely due to his body’s extremely rare ability to rapidly filter lactic acid
out of his muscles. JAMIE KEETON
Jamie Canhead Keeton is known as the human suction cup. For some bizarre reason, an undiagnosable
skin condition turns his pores into something more closely resembling the properties of
the suckers on an octopus’ leg. He can stick cans, bottles, and even random
objects like smart phones and house keys to his head and body. After shaving his head on a hot summer’s
day, he stumbled upon this weird super power by accident after rubbing a soda can on his
head to try and cool down from the midday sun. He’s made a full-time career out of entertaining
people, with beverage companies paying him to pour drinks out of bottles stuck to his
head. Celebrities stop to take happy snaps with
him all the time, and at one Nascar event he posed in an astonishing 80,000 photos with
fans. TROY JAMES
Troy James is not your average contortionist. There are few people on Earth more terrifying
than this man, rising up from an inanimate pile of crumpled up limbs only to run and
leap towards you like something straight out of your worst nightmare. James is double jointed and extremely flexible,
able to force and twist his body into unnatural positions. It’s more terrifying as his whole demeanour
and behaviour undergoes a monstrous transformation. His one-of-a-kind posture has served him well
in his various roles in sci-fi and horror tv series and films. He also performed on Australia’s Got Talent,
abducting one of the judges. His human spider routine caused the judge
to let out a bloodcurdling scream as James crawled up over his body, and it’s safe
to say he wouldn’t have had much sleep that night. JERRY MICULEK
In the Wild West, it was the quick and the dead. Draw fast, aim true, and you might just survive
long enough to see the sun rise on another day. Jerry Miculek is a throwback to a bygone era. He’s a professional sharp-shooter closely
resembling Deadshot who’s won numerous national titles and shattered multiple world records. He can fan the hammer at a speed faster than
the human eye. His skill with a revolver is arguably unmatched
by anyone who has ever lived. It takes a little over half a second for him
to hit a target with five shots. One second with eight shots. Three seconds with six shots, a reload, and
another six shots. The footage looks almost like it’s been
faked or doctored, and gives a new meaning to the phrase “the hand is faster than the
eye”. ESKIL RØNNINGSBAKKEN
Highwire acts aren’t news, as performers have been showcasing their control and balance
for centuries. What Eskil Ronningsbakken is able to do is
a whole different ball game, and goes beyond what you’ve seen in the Circus big top. The Norwegian has perhaps the best sense of
balance in the world, but sees his demonstrations as art and not just mere stunts. Some of his notable feats have to be seen
to be believed. Like balancing on a single ice cube measuring
2 square feet, supported on each end ropes suspended 1000 feet above a glacier. Or riding a bicycle upside down on his head,
using his hands to pedal across a tightrope between two cliffs. Although he doesn’t possess fear, he does
have a natural sense of self preservation, an important trait when you live life on the
edge. HO ENG HUI
Sometimes it’s a case of mind over matter. For Ho Eng Hui, a lifetime of training in
the martial art of Qi Gong aligned his body, breath and mind and has given him a crazily
powerful and resilient finger. This guy is able to punch his finger clean
through a green coconut and pour the juice straight into your Pina Colada. Hui has a permanent spot on the streets of
Malaysia where he performs for tourists, joking that his finger provides a living for his
family. He’s continually broken his own Guinness
world record and can currently pierce four coconuts in a shade over 12 seconds. Just imagine what this gnarled finger could
do to a human skull, it could pop it like a water balloon. Best to stay on his good side! STIG SEVERINSEN
Human being or aquatic sea mammal – you be the judge. Stig Severinsen has more than earned his nickname
as the man who doesn’t breathe by using a state of Zen to control his breathing underwater. He’s able to spend 22 minutes submerged
stationary in water. To put this into perspective, a regular person
can only hold their breath for between 30 seconds and 2 minutes before beginning to
take in water and eventually drowning. He holds the record for the world’s longest
underwater swim, travelling an astounding 500 feet under a frozen lake without breathing
apparatus, wearing flippers and a wetsuit. He took things up a notch the following day
by swimming 250 feet in just his trunks. Scientists have studied Severinsen, remarking
that he has almost triple the lung capacity of a person. We say his mother was a dolphin.
