There is a major difference between superheroes with powers and those with none. Those with powers inherently can punch at a much higher weight class than the average powerless hero. Those without special abilities are forced to train or create measures to close the distance, using everything from their wits, smarts, and fighting skills to stand alongside other heroes. One of the most famous powerless heroes to ever fight crime is Batman. He doesn’t just make up for his lack of supernatural skills; he succeeds where most heroes with world-ending powers would fail. Batman is a man who has pushed past every limit to save the day, and the same can be said for the many heroes he’s trained.
Every member of the Bat-Family is one of the world’s greatest heroes, rising far and above their human restrictions. Recently, however, Batgirl’s status was upended as she developed brand-new powers. Her blood was infused with magic, letting her whip in any number of shapes or forms. As of Batgirl (2024) #19, however, Cass has been permanently depowered. Her powers only lasted for three issues, and that is definitely for the best. Batgirl definitely should not have superpowers, and, frankly, giving characters like her powers never sticks for a reason.
Batgirl recently learned that she’s related to the leader of the criminal organization known as the Blood of Wu. Every member exhibited magical control of their own blood, attained from a ritual done to strengthen their connection to their Spirit World god, the Midnight Eye. In issue #17, Batgirl’s blood activated on its own, granting her the same deadly powers if she could learn to control it. However, given how Cass sees her blood relatives as a curse she wished to live behind, her blood was tearing her apart. She traveled to the Spirit World with Jade Tiger and her friend Jaya, where they found the previous leader of the Blood, Lin. He agreed to train Cass if she helped him stop his deceased father from stealing his body.
The heroes fought their way to the top of the Midnight Eye’s tower, where it was revealed that Lin’s father awakened Cass’s powers. He used the recent influx of Alpha Energy to attempt to escape death and possess Lin, which had the negative side effect of cursing Batgirl. After Lin tricked the Midnight Eye into making him his champion, Lin talked the god into freeing Cass from the curse of these powers. He relented, and Cass’s powers were stripped, leaving her a normal human once again. The Midnight Eye warned Batgirl that he would one day require her services in exchange for this gift, and the heroes escaped back to the living world.
Cass is definitely better off without superpowers. Her character has revolved around being an unmatched fighter since her introduction, and adding superpowers could water down the impact of her hand-to-hand skills. Adding new powers to a hero without any is difficult enough on its own, but Cass is especially so intimately tied to having none. Arguably, she pushes the boundaries of powerlessness with her ability to read body language. Cass’s entire character is built around being so geared towards fighting that she almost physically cannot relate to other people. Connecting with others by becoming more “normal” has always been essential to the drama of her stories, and giving her powers upends that dynamic irrevocably. Suddenly, she can never be like her family.
Similarly, giving other normal heroes superpowers very rarely works. Most of these heroes have villains and dynamics centered on the fact that they don’t have any powers, so suddenly introducing new abilities tends to throw their entire world into a tizzy. Most heroes with powers are designed around them, with those abilities being core aspects that reflect who they are and the challenges they face. Introducing a whole new element that threatens to disrupt everything. Especially if those powers aren’t very carefully implemented to impact the hero on a thematic level. A hero who only fought street crime suddenly being able to bench press a building would drastically change their stories, after all, and usually it’s for the worse.
Batgirl #19 is on sale now!
Adding powers to non-powered heroes takes away what makes that hero unique, or even destroys their identity and niche. It can be done right, but Batgirl definitely isn’t the character for it. Which characters do you think could be improved by getting powers? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
