7 Awesome X-Men That Could Actually Exist (And How You Could Be One Too)

Okay, unlike Bobby Drake (aka Iceman) it may be impossible to exist as a solid block of ice or a sentient cloud of gas. Still, extreme body temperature control is a super power already documented by science... and you don't even have to be a mutant to do it!

Sometime in the '80's, researchers became interested in Buddhist monks practicing a special meditation technique. These monks are able to sleep outdoors in the Himalayas without shivering, and can dry several wet towels with only their body heat, while raising the temperature of their extremities by as much as 17 degrees!

Non-Buddhist-monk Wim Hof - the aptly named "Iceman" - has developed a practice of breathing exercises that allow him to endure amazing feats of body temperature regulation in extreme cold (and heat). These include hiking Mount Everest in his shorts, sitting in an ice bath for two hours, and running a marathon in the African desert without water. All of these feats are performed under the watchful eye of scientists. Moreover, Mr. Hof teaches others how to develop the same abilities via training camps in Holland and online.

"Dryer Man" isn't a very catchy name, but being able to survive for extended periods in sub-zero temperatures is a handy superpower to have!

While most superpowers described in X-Men are unlikely to happen in real life, with the assistance of technology (or breathing exercises), some of them are becoming ever more probable. Although it may not seem as cool as shooting lasers from your eyes or being able to stop a speeding bullet with your mind, if you skin chances colour in the sun, or you can digest milk (most adult mammals can't), you're already on your way to becoming one of the X-Men!

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