10 Powers Comic Book Characters Only Used ONCE
Wait... Harley Quinn can breathe underwater?
When a new hero or villain is introduced in a comic, the first thing established is usually their superpowers. Before anyone knew Magneto's past or his real name, readers knew he was the Master of Magnetism. Before we saw Wolverine's face or learned he was experimented on by Weapon X, he was known for his healing factor and metal claws.
To keep comic book characters interesting, it's not uncommon for the writers to give them brand-new abilities. After all, it would be boring if a character maintained the exact same power-set for decades. Some superheroes became far more popular after their abilities were changed. Superman couldn't fly when he debuted but it eventually became one of his most identifiable traits.
This doesn't always work out though. Sometimes, a character will develop a power with no explanation and it's never mentioned again. In one issue, Venom transformed into a car. According to Doctor Doom, vampires cannot touch him. Two-Face showcased he has superpowers in one story even though he isn't supposed to have any!
Let's have a look at some of the most random powers that comic book characters have only used once.
10. Magneto - Hypnotism
The X-Men's nemesis, Magneto, is a mutant with the ability to create electromagnetic fields, allowing him to control metal. As his powers intensified, he developed other abilities including flight, force-fields, wormhole creation, and healing.
Probably the weirdest power Magneto has performed occurred in X-Men #18. The story begins with Magneto successfully infiltrating Professor X's mansion. He traps the X-Men inside a high-altitude hot-air balloon before casting it into the sky.
As Magneto claims the X-Men's home as his new base and begins destroying Cerebro, he is interrupted when Angel's parents arrive to check on their son. To stop them from calling the police, Magneto uses "magnetic attraction" hypnotism to convince them to go to sleep.
Here's a question; if Magneto can hypnotise people, why hasn't he done this before? Why doesn't he hypnotise the X-Men to stop fighting him? Why doesn't he tell Professor X to abandon his cause to bring peace between humans and mutants? Why doesn't he make the leaders of the world do whatever he wants? The only time he decided to use this ability was to trick Angel's parents to take a nap!