Think Powers Matter? These 8 Comics Prove Superheroes with No Powers Are Hot Investments
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Superheroes with no powers are very common in comic books. We always think of super strength, super speed, or blasts coming from the eyes when we think of superheroes. However, some of the most influential and interesting comic book characters have no superpowers. These powerless characters usually have a professional or emotional influence on the characters with the superpowers.
Think about how much influence Mary Jane Watson or Rick Jones has had in the comic books canon. Bruce Wayne has no superpowers; many zealous comic book fans consider Batman to be more powerful than Superman. The Joker looks like a sickly, anemic clown who sleeps in his clothes, and yet, he has no powers and is Batman’s greatest villain.
Nick Fury is one of the most well-known comic book characters in the world due to the MCU and Samuel L. Jackson’s portrayal. Nick Fury has no superpowers, yet he commands and manipulates characters with superpowers all the time.
You don’t need superpowers to be a popular superhero. Here are eight key comics featuring iconic characters with no superpowers.
1. Blue Beetle #1 (1967) Charlton Comics
The Question is one of those superheroes with no powers who is better known for inspiring much more popular characters. Vic Sage is an investigative journalist who wears a formless mask and a fedora to fight crime. As the Question, he was a master detective and martial artist with a Zen-like philosophy and perception of the world.
While the Question does have a cult following with fans, the character has yet to crossover in a big way with casual readers. DC Comics bought the Charlton Comics characters in the 1980s. Some of them were originally going to be used in Watchmen, but DC forbade it. The Question would later become the inspiration for Rorschach in Watchmen.
A 9.8 CGC grade of this comic is worth almost $7,300.
2. The Amazing Spider-Man #129 (1974) Marvel
As powerful and frightful as he is to criminals, the Punisher is one of the most well-known superheroes with no powers. He is a military veteran, strategist, and master hand-to-hand combatant, but he has no powers. The Punisher wears a shirt with a skull emblem, a constant deadly scowl on his face, and is a vigilante; that’s it. Yet, he has fought characters like Sentry, Spider-Man, Luke Cage, and others, and lived to fight again.
The Punisher made his debut in this comic. He was originally a Spider-Man villain and was inspired by the vigilante action films of the era.
A 9.8 CGC grade of this comic is worth over $14,000 on the collectibles market.
3. Tales of Suspense #52 (1964) Marvel
Natasha Romanova, also known as Natasha Romanoff, made her first appearance in this comic during the height of the Cold War. The Black Widow was originally a ditzy, fashion-conscious, Soviet, 1960s femme fatale stereotype. She was originally an Iron Man foe and not much of a threat back then.
It would take decades for writers to creatively build up Black Widow’s mythos and evolve her into the character we know today.
This comic is worth over $31,000 as a CGC 9.8 grade.
4. Spectre #54 (1997) DC
Michael Holt is the Modern Age Mr. Terrific and the second character to use the title. He is one of those superheroes with no powers but is still so powerful it’s like he actually does. Holt had the mindset of a nuclear physicist as a child and multiple PhDs before he was a teen. If he has a superpower, it’s the ability to learn and excel at anything naturally.
He can control and communicate with any kind of technology. His most common weapon is the T-Sphere drones that he employs in battle. Holt is also an Olympic-caliber athlete and business mogul. Bruce Wayne once bought Holt’s business because Holt’s tech was so next-gen.
A 9.8 CGC grade of this comic is worth $400 on the collectibles market.
Mr. Terrific: Year One is a 144-page paperback that collects all six issues of the 2025 limited series. Buy it now on Amazon for $15.93.
5. Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #1 (1963) Marvel
Nick Fury is a white man in Marvel Comics, but everyone knows him as Samuel L. Jackson in the MCU. Fury was originally conceived as a tough guy WWII sergeant in the aftermath of the war. However, after the popularity of James Bond and spy films in popular culture, Fury became a superspy, master strategist, and head of S.H.I.E.L.D. Of the superheroes with no powers, he is one of the most powerful characters in Marvel Comics and the MCU.
A 9.2 CGC grade of this comic is worth about $9,700.
6. Action Comics #23 (1940) DC
Lex Luthor was originally just a stereotypical villain and mad scientist type in DC Comics until the Man of Steel comic was published in 1986. John Byrne would reinvent Luthor for a new generation of readers. Luthor became a soulless, narcissistic billionaire and business mogul during that series.
Luthor has no superpowers, and yet his deadliest enemy is Superman, a God-like being.
This comic is worth $16,700 even with a 4.0 CGC grade.
7. Special Marvel Edition #15 (1973) Marvel
Shang-Chi was developed during the kung-fu craze of the 1970s. The character is essentially Bruce Lee in the Marvel Universe. Unfortunately, some of the early comics featuring the first appearances of Shang-Chi and his father are not politically correct. However, they are historically important because this is Marvel’s first Asian superhero.
If you can find a copy of this comic with a 9.8 CGC grade, it is worth $2,800.
8. Batman #1 (1940) DC
The Joker made his debut in this issue. He was originally a Golden Age villain and gangster. However, the Joker would become one of the most popular and recognizable comic book villains ever. It is impossible to imagine Batman without the Joker, like Superman without Lex Luthor.
This is a very rare comic book, but if you can find it, it would be a great investment. A raw and ungraded copy of this comic is worth over $13,000.
Superheroes with No Powers Are Hot Investments
Don’t fall into the circular thinking that only comics featuring superheroes with powers are worth something. Everyone is hoping they will find a copy of Action Comics #1 in their basement. However, fewer than 100 copies of that comic might exist on the planet, and only a handful might be in good condition.
There are other valuable comics out there, so always look for value where others ignore. There are plenty of collectible comics featuring superheroes with no powers that most people ignore.
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Allen Francis is a full-time writer, prolific comic book investor and author of The Casual’s Guide: Why You Should Get Into Comic Book Investing. Allen holds a BA degree from Marymount Manhattan College and has decades of experience in comic investing and personal finance. Before becoming a writer Allen was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years. Allen now focuses on comic book reviews, collectible investments, and helping others collect and enjoy comics.