History Main / InvincibleHero

** Batman in one Post-Crisis comic reveals his best plan for to take Diana down were she to go evil, is to call Superman. His later plans in ''Tower of Babel'' or ''Batman: Endgame'' involve tricking her into uneding combat with a VR chip or using Bind of Veils to make Diana think she's won while he moves on, in essence showing Diana generally can't be simply overpowered or debilitated. Powerful magic, cosmic power and absorbing forces can hurt or weaken her but odds are it won't put her down for long.

* ComicBook/TheFlash, mainly thanks to the Speed Force, which has gained a infamous reputation for making Barry and especially Wally so invincible that it just stops being fun after awhile. Better writers have empathised the downfalls of such power, showing the Speedsters have legitimate repercussions for using the Speed Force and need to sleep (sometimes in the middle of battle) to stay healthy and sane. Also reality warpers like Dr. Manhattan or the Darkest Knight can effectively bypass the Speed Force and reduce Speedsters to a non-threat. Wally's most egregious of this was probably him outrunning the Black Death, which is ultimately of the equivalent of just saying no to the Grim Reaper.

* [[Characters/HellblazerJohnConstantine John Constantine]] from ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}'' manages to be this and a underdog BlueCollarWarlock. He's consistently managed to wiggle out of certain death and defeat/outwit the most powerful demonic forces time and time again and always survives. He even managed to prevent himself from dying and getting taken to hell (in a moment so memorable it was adapted in the movie) by selling his soul to three different demons, forcing the First of the Fallen to remove his lung cancer. Much like Batman he's so CrazyPrepared he comes off as unbeatable, despite being phyiscally weak by DC standards. There's also Constantine's synchronicity wave travelling ability which allowed him to literally make his own luck, reshape the battlefield to his own accordance, and be in the right place at the right time. Some writers do drop this ability however for the sake of tension in the story.

* Raven from the ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'', especially in the older comics. It's affirmed her Soul Self will always regenerate meaning she can never be DeaderThanDead even if her body is destroyed. She's been heavily nerfed in modern continuities, but she's still a Physical God compared to the rest of the Titans who nowhere near as OP as she is. Given her father Trigon is often a InvincibleVillain who defeated Pre-Crisis Superman, maybe it's fitting,

* ComicBook/DoctorStrange is Marvel's original Invincible Gary Stu. The good doctor casually goes up interdimensional threats from simple rival sorcerers to outerversal gods of evil who would destroy the 616 universe if they ever properly entered the world, ''no biggie''. He's brought Hulk to heel multiple times, even matching World Breaker Hulk and he's survived an onslaught from the In-Betweener. His RoguesGallery is so far beyond most of Marvel heroes, modern comics are forced to de-power Strange or seriously nerf his magic, just to keep him interesting. Tellingly a lot of comics (even classic ones), have Strange take a back seat and play a supporting role in a less powerful character stories, as seen with Spider-Man.

* ComicBook/BlackPanther is one of these. Indestructible suit with no weaknesses? Check. King of a technologically superior nation with access to whatever gadgets he needs? Check. Makes all martial arts characters look weak in comparison and all smart people look stupid in comparison? Triple check. Wins nearly all fights outside his rogues gallery with ease? Absolutely. He has lost some fights, with Kraven surprisingly defeating T'Chala in David Liss's run, though in fariness Kraven had HomeFieldAdvantage with his experience in New York and T'Challa was lacking his vibranium suit.
* ComicBook/ScarletWitch thanks to her power scale shooting through the roof. She's a RealityWarper sorceress with PsychicPowers rivalling that of her Jean Grey and some of her feats include casually rewriting reality, defeating elder ones like Chthon and displaying multiverse breaking powers. ''ComicBook/AvengersTheChildrensCrusade'' decided to nerf Wanda by having the Life Force adversely affect her sanity the more she taps into it, likely because she would be completely unbeatable otherwise .

** Superman is also a case of DC having their cake and eating it stretching the GrandfatherClause to point where it loses credibility, as the aforementioned weaknesses like magic or red sunlight are shown affecting Superman up until the point he has some big bout of HeroicWillpower and resists long enough to win. Same goes for his battles againist opponents who are meant to be his superior like Mongul or Darkseid, he's shown losing up until the point where he gets a HeroicSecondWind and swings the fight back to his favor or in the case of ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis'' he's able to defeat True Form Darkseid with sub-quantum shout [[note]] At least with Mongul, Supes was actually losing before Jason Todd of all people saved him by dropping Black Mercy on Mongul[[/note]]. Then there's ''ComicBook/DoomsdayClock'' where it's revealed Superman is not allowed to be erased from existence, due him to being a cosmic lynchpin in the metaverse. Pretty much taking this trope as far as it could possible go.

* ComicBook/WonderWoman much like the other members of the Trinity is often this. Sometimes she's more egregious than Superman who at the very least is given clear weaknesses, whereas Diana by comparsion shrugs off things that would kill other Justice League members and what exactly can and cannot harm her is very much DependingOnTheWriter. In one comic she survives a point blank imperiex explosion which contains a a portion of the Big Bang while in other comics, modern ones bullets can still hurt her. Diana also rarely loses fights or at the very least isn't usually overpowered for very long, before getting a epic second wind. Neron was able to kill her in the 90s, but Wondy did not stay dead thanks to Olympian Gods bailing her out.
** Batman in one Post Crisis comic reveals his best plan for to take Diana down were she to go evil, is to call Superman. His later plans in ''Tower of Babel'' or ''Batman: Endgame'' involve tricking her into uneding combat with a VR chip or using Bind of Veils to make Diana think she's won while he moves on, in essence showing Diana generally can't be simply overpowered or debilitated. Powerful magic, cosmic power and absorbing forces can hurt or weaken her but odds are it won't put her down for long.
** Wondy can also heal herself with her lasso, she's been blinded more than once and simply wrapped her lasso around her head until her eyes grew back. When fighting Decay, she was able to use the lasso in conjuction with the Earth itself to prevent herself from getting killed by Decay's powers and restore herself to fighting shape. Much her of invincibility comes from experience and fighting skill rather simply bouncing back from any possible threat like Superman.

** The final issue of ''ComicBook/ImmortalHulk'' justifies this somewhat when Hulk is revealed to be [[spoiler: the "son" of the One Above All and serves as his counterweight in creation by being a destroyer. This means Hulk is essentially a green muscly Jesus who represents a vital element in the circle of life, Hulk is invincible as this comic puts it because he's literally a force of nature, not just a powerful superhero.
* ComicBook/TheMightyThor is very much this. While he's been nerfed or suffered TheWorfEffect a fair amount, it never truly sticks when Goldilocks can do things like clash with Glory a multiversal god made up of pantheons of dark gods and the blow back simply makes him revert to Donald Blake. The climax of the ''ComicBook/ThorGodOfThunder2012'' Gorr arc has Thor absorb the God Bomb, a weapon designed to kill every god in existence, across time and space and Thor simply sleeps it off. Like Superman, Thor can just say no to being erased from existence and it's stated neither him or the rest of the Asgardians can truly die and will just reincarnate at some point.
** Tellingly neither Galactus or Thanos, two of the greatest cosmic foes have managed to put Thor down. Galactus losing to him multiple times, Thanos has had better luck in their bouts but outside alternate universes he's never outright killed the Thunderer either. Thor is also one of the few characters who's taken on the Celestials, Eternals and the Beyonders and lived to tell the tale. Not to mention it's inferred Thor holds back when it comes to many fights on Earth and he's able to get even stronger with the Warrior's Maddness or Odinforce or Thorforce.

* Herbie Popnecker, ''a.k.a.'' The Fat Fury is this trope taken to its logical extreme. He doesn't look it, but he's quite possibly the most powerful character in all of comicdom. His superpower is mainly "being able to do whatever would be most convenient at the time," whether that be time travel, hypnosis, or walking on air. Note that Herbie is a fat (literally, ball-shaped) nine-year-old with thick eyeglasses and a fondness for lollipops.

* The titular ''ComicBook/{{Herbie}}'' has never been defeated -- partially because his opponents tend to be ineffectual buffoons, partially because he is armed with magic lollipops that provide NewPowersAsThePlotDemands, and partially because he's so unstoppably powerful that giant monsters from across time and space [[TheDreaded quake at the mere mention of his name]]. Of course, it's all [[GagSeries played for laughs]], so his invincibility is not a storytelling problem.

** Creator/GrantMorrison has saved him from this multiple times by making him the ShowyInvincibleHero and [[RuleOfCool making him fun to watch.]] The ComicBook/AllStarDCComics run being the most prominent example.

** Somewhat averted in ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns''. The first time Batman fights the leader of the mutants, he gets whomped by the guy. As the series progresses, he gets more and more injured. [[spoiler:By the end, he even dies... temporarily]].

* ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'' is a big offender. Every single battle between Romans (or, really, anyone) and Gauls has the Gauls [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomp]] their opponents, thanks to their magic potion that grants SuperSpeed, SuperReflexes, SuperStrength, and arguably NighInvulnerability. Plus, even in case of a shortage, they have [[TheJuggernaut Obelix]], who doesn't need to drink any potion since he fell in it during his childhood, and the effect never wore off. As a result, the Romans never, ''ever'', in any comic, manage to gain the smallest durable advantage over the Gauls.
** Most plot tension actually comes from [[TheHero Asterix]] being excessively prudent and avoiding confrontation with Romans troops, even though he and Obelix are more than able to defeat hundreds of EliteMooks on their own, and have already done so a few times.
** When trying to steal Caesar's laurel wreath, Asterix states that the magic potion doesn't protect from being harmed by Roman weapons. Whether it's true or not is unclear, but they never seem to be hurt anyway.
** On one occasion, a Gaul spy working for Caesar pulls what looks like a perfect XanatosGambit: he tries to prevent Asterix from getting [[MacGuffin the oil necessary to cook the magic potion]] by all means necessary, hoping to trick Getafix into giving him the recipe. Even after Asterix somehow [[DeusExMachina stumbles upon an oil well]], he destroys their oil bag and informs Ceasar that the Gauls [[OnlyTheAuthorCanSaveThemNow are now totally deprived of their only mean of defense]]. Except that Getafix turns out to have found a new recipe for the magic potion during their journey.
** In ''Asterix and the Cauldron'', Asterix and Obelix sign up for some prize fights in order to raise money. However, the Magic Potion makes the fights so one-sided that people quickly lose interest, and the fight promoter runs out of other fighters willing to fight the pair.
** The reason Asterix is excessively prudent some of the time, is that there are often non-powered allies or something else that they want to protect, like a barrel of magic potion (in ''Asterix in Britain'') and a direct confrontation would put them or it at peril. Otherwise, plot tension happens only when Asterix loses his flask of potion.
** Some of the biggest threats to the Gauls come from things that can't be physically fought anyway, averting this trope. In ''Asterix and the Roman Agent'', everyone in the village turns on each other because of the manipulations of one guy with a knack for causing strife. (The Finnish translation is able to use a handy expression for him, and the album title: "riidankylväjä", literally "sower of discord".) ''Asterix and the Soothsayer'' has a similar premise. In ''The Mansions of the Gods'', the Gauls are threatened with commercial and cultural assimilation because of nothing more than an apartment complex built near the village. In the movie ''WesternAnimation/TheTwelveTasksOfAsterix'', the only tasks that give Asterix and Obelix any trouble are a LeaveYourQuestTest and, especially, a building full of bureaucrats, of which the latter nearly drives them insane.
* ''Magazine/{{Mad}}'' has a character who is a {{lampshad|eHanging}}ing of this trope named "Fantabula-man".
* Fletcher Hanks' ''ComicBook/StardustTheSuperWizard'', who has [[FlyingBrick super-strength, flight, invulnerability]] and [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands any power that would be useful in a situation]], and no weaknesses. A large part of the entertainment value comes from the utterly bizarre punishments he doles out to evildoers.
** His other character, Fantomah the Jungle Queen, was Stardust's DistaffCounterpart.
** These were pretty much Hanks' stock-in-trade, in fact - even his CharlesAtlasSuperpower characters like "Space" Smith and Big Red [=McLane=] were capable of taking on wave after wave of enemies in a fight and winning effortlessly every time (unless the plot demanded they [[BadassInDistress suddenly be struck from behind and captured]], and even that would be only a minor inconvenience). At the end, their adversaries would either be swiftly brought to justice or ironically killed in the last few panels, and the comic would abruptly end with the heroes leaving to go elsewhere. From the perspective of an unsophisticated, hard-living guy like Hanks, who abandoned his children at a young age and regularly got into bar brawls in taverns across New York, this was a perfectly sensible way of telling a story.

* ComicBook/BlackPanther is another one of these. Indestructible suit with no weaknesses? Check. King of a technologically superior nation with access to whatever gadgets he needs? Check. Makes all martial arts characters look weak in comparison and all smart people look stupid in comparison? Triple check. Wins nearly all fights outside his rogues gallery with ease? Absolutely.
* ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}, thanks to his ridiculous [[HealingFactor regenerative abilities]], can now regenerate from [[FromASingleCell only a few cells]] in a matter of minutes. While still a very popular and interesting character, his ability kills any dramatic tension.
** [[TheWorfEffect Doesn't mean Wolverine always wins, though]]. And you always know he isn't going to win against ComicBook/{{Magneto}}, who nearly killed him [[ComicBook/FatalAttractionsMarvelComics at least once]].
** Used [[TearJerker tragically]] in Jason Aaron's run, where the BigBad's plan actually ''depended'' on Logan being invincible, and since Logan ''is'', of course, invincible, [[KarmaHoudini he's entirely successful]]. Logan comes away without a scratch as always but is more ''emotionally'' broken than he's ever been before.
* Lampshaded in Robert Kirkman's ''ComicBook/{{Brit}}'' comics. The hero's one power is that he's invincible.
* Similarly, Kirkman's character "ComicBook/{{Invincible}}", from the same-titled comic, has a main character who's the most powerful person on Earth, because he's the son of that comic universe's answer to Superman (well, sorta). And indeed, he ''is'' pretty invincible... [[spoiler:until his dad beats him nearly to death.]] While he remains impossible to hurt for most, there're plenty of critters out there more than powerful enough to kill him. [[spoiler:Chief among these are the fifty-or-so supervillains that comprise the "viltrumite" species from which Invincible's dad hails, who are effectively-ageless {{flying brick}}s with physical powers that increase the longer they exist.]] The existence of such threats requires ComicBook/{{Invincible}} to lend significant focus to things other than straight-up fights, like the ethics of superheroism, the best ways for empowered individuals to improve their civilizations and the [[spoiler:choice between preserving traditions that are killing his people and abandoning culture in order to survive (in Thragg's case)]].
* Monica from Brazilian comic ''ComicBook/MonicasGang'' falls into this sometimes. Sure, a [[PintsizedPowerhouse 7-year-old super strong girl]] is funny. But [[ImprobableWeaponUser beating up people with a plush bunny]] is [[ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption the only way to defeat every villain in existence]]? Especially when she's not the protagonist of the story?!
* In ''ComicBook/LuckyLuke'', this is very much how Luke evolved in the series... An example of [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools Tropes Are Not Bad]]: Morris and Creator/ReneGoscinny used this to their advantage by making the villains (especially the Dalton Cousins) the driving force of many stories. The fun is not watching how Luke will win, but how the villains will lose (and, in the Daltons' case, how will Averell and Joe's interactions ultimately doom Joe's plans).
* Franchise/{{Tintin}} in the eponymous comic series. Hergé, the author, was so aware of this trope that he grew uninterested in his lead character and began focusing more on sidekick Captain Haddock halfway through the series.
* Subverted with [[ComicBook/LesLegendaires the Legendaries]]; despite the fact they have the reputation of being invincible heroes, they actually appear as goofy and clumsy most of the time, having trouble with quotidian tasks such as protecting a potion from a mere thief, only to [[LetsGetDangerous reveal]] [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass how badass they truly are]] when a ''real'' threat shows up. Even then, they are usually over-powered and have to earn their victory, especially during the [[GodOfEvil Anathos]] [[DarkerAndEdgier Cycle]].
* This trope is often held to be one of the reasons ''ComicBook/XMan'' got cancelled. Nate Grey, the title character, was powerful to begin with (which is unsurprising considering his background) but frequently lost fights due to his [[HowDoIShootWeb inexperience]] and the genetic flaw which made sure that his powers were killing him, leading to frequent instances of PsychicNosebleed and one of his powers switching off. Even so, he was powerful enough to beat AOA!Apocalypse to a pulp after taking on [[OverlordJr Holocaust]] and ''unconsciously resurrected'' someone (though it is dubious as to how alive Maddie actually was). Most of the tension came through his CharacterDevelopment away from being a LivingWeapon while trying to figure out his place in this new world and fix his powers. By the end, he'd got his powers fixed and was leaps and bounds ahead of every other telepath and telekinetic in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, with only planetary or universal scale threats being capable of giving him pause, and treated the multiverse as his personal stepladder. He was killed off in the final issue ([[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence sort of]]), and when he came back some years later, [[DeathIsCheap as comic characters are wont to do]], after several rounds with the Dark X-Men and Dark Avengers, the writers made note to depower him down to a very limited form of telekinesis and an even more limited form of telepathy.
* Herbie Popnecker, ''a.k.a.'' The Fat Fury is this trope taken to its logical extreme. He doesn't look it, but he's quite possibly the most powerful character in all of comicdom. His superpower is mainly "being able to do whatever would be most convenient at the time," whether that be time travel, hypnosis, or walking on air. Note that Herbie is a fat (literally, ball-shaped) nine-year-old with thick eyeglasses and a fondness for lollipops.
* [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]], especially during the Golden Age. With having no discernible limits on his strength, speed, and invincibility, and only a handful of short-lived opponents able to challenge him in a fight, most stories were about trying to defeat him psychologically or contriving to trap him before he could change to his super-powered form.

* ''Literature/UnnamedMemory'': Oscar is already strong enough to breeze through Tinasha's trap-ridden tower at the start of the story and possesses a sword that nullifies magic, but on top of that Tinasha herself protects him with a spell that repells nearly all physical attacks and trains him so that he becomes strong enough to kill a witch (i.e. her) if the need arises. By the end of volume 2, there's isn't a single human who would stand a chance against him in a duel. The only thing that comes even remotely close to threatening his life ends up being [[spoiler:a poison needle used in a sneaky way by an assassin diguised as a court lady.]]

* Lina, the [[AntiHero anti-heroine]] of ''Literature/{{Slayers}}'', is less of this trope than it warrants, but it is painfully obvious how fellow mages Zelgadis, Amelia, and Sylphiel are out-classed against her, as she is the only person among them (and probably the entire world) who can both beam-spam the most powerful spell in the verse's BlackMagic, and can also draw power from [[GuardianOfTheMultiverse the Lord of Nightmares.]] She also shows ridiculous insight and intelligence often in random bursts, whereas normally she is fairly smart, but not inquisitive - the reverse happens with [[TheSmartGuy Zelgadis]], who is normally book-smart, but fails at battle strategies. It is her that takes down every single demonic being that the group encounters, which makes Xellos' comment of all four main characters being "[[TitleDrop Slayers]]" of demons far less credible - Lina defeated Shabranigdo while the others were taken down in one blow each. Filia, a Golden Dragon, Naga, [[GoldfishPoopGang her alleged rival]], and Pokota, a prince, are probably the only people that could rival her, but Filia is a [[HolierThanThou stuck-up, prissy, and naive]] priestess who often refuses to take part in the group's antics, Naga is incredibly flaky, and Pokota is stuck in the body of a [[RidiculouslyCuteCritter stuffed animal]], knocking down his use by a solid margin.

* {{Deconstructed|Trope}} in ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia''. All Might is considered this by the public as he never seems to have lost a fight and considered the "Symbol of Peace" and the man throw down when need be. But most of these feats are what was given to the public to keep the ideal going; in truth, by the time of the main story, he was severely weakened following a skirmish with a powerful villain that destroyed most of his body and surgeries could only do so much. Thus he could only turn into his buff form for about 3 hours a day and had to work quickly within that time frame. [[spoiler:Still, when he finally does fight All-For-One within the series with his depleting power (this time due to the fact that he had given it to Midorya), he gives it his all and manages to come out on top one more time before being forced to retire.]]

* ''Literature/ACertainMagicalIndex'': This is one problem that AntiHero Accelerator can run into at times: his powers are so unbelievably strong and versatile that there are very few situations that are any threat to him whatsoever, even after he's been {{depower}}ed to some extent. Like Alucard of ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'', he tends to keep the fans' interest because it is usually ''very'' entertaining watching him slaughter all the bad guys, and the focus of his battles is usually on his inner character rather than the carnage he's perpetuating.

* The [[UsefulNotes/KaijuDefenseForce Japanese Self-Defence Force]] in ''Literature/{{Gate}}'' never lost a single engagement - they won them all with sadistic ease. {{Justified|Trope}} most of the time since they are a modern, relatively well-funded [[InsistentTerminology armed force]] that has to face mostly [[MedievalStasis pre-medieval armies of legionnaires armed only with spears, shields, bows and arrows]] and [[OurDragonsAreDifferent the odd dragon]]. However, when they start simultaneously [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomping]] American, Russian ''and'' Chinese [[ElitesAreMoreGlamorous Spec-Ops units]], things start to smell exceedingly fishy for a country that has been nominally anti-militaristic since UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. The fact that [[WordOfGod the author]] is ex-JSDF himself and has expressed some [[PatrioticFervor strong feelings about Japan and the world]] doesn't help.

* Sibling Tatsuya and Miyuki Shiba of ''Literature/TheIrregularAtMagicHighSchool'' are practically TropeCodifier for this, since they are both without any effort, defeat any enemy and stronger than anyone else in the novel universe, so much so that the characters themselves begin to discuss it. And although in the future it gets an explanation, since [[spoiler:Miyuki is the perfect DesignerBaby]], Tatsuya's abilities are still so abnormally powerful that he can instantly calculate the sequence of any spell or even blow up a planet.
** The reason for this lies in the fact that the author, by his own admission, prefers long dialogues and intrigues, and not battles, so in the original web-novel, most of the battles were even almost instantaneous.
* ''Literature/LegendOfTheGalacticHeroes'':
** Played with in Yang Wenli, who ''never'' actually militarily loses anything in which he plays a part, even against incredible odds. ''Ever.'' To his allies, he's a HopeBringer, to his enemies he's a HeroKiller, and on both sides, he's FamedInStory. However, his role as the Invincible Hero is subverted often and PlayedForDrama by Yang himself when he candidly admits that the moment he stops being invincible is also the moment he stops being a hero. By the end we find [[spoiler:he's NotSoInvincibleAfterAll]]. Also, while Yang ''does'' win almost any battle as long as he's involved, it's often mentioned and hinted that he'll still lose in some areas. For example, while he nearly kills Reinhard during Battle of Vermillion, [[spoiler:Mittermeyer captures Alliance's capital, forcing Yang's fleet to ceasefire]]. In two other battles he wins over the Empire, capturing back Iserlohn Fortress, but [[spoiler:he lost Bucock and Fischer, one being his father figure, and another the "heart" of his fleet]]. It's even notified that [[spoiler:Yang won't stand a chance if Reinhard attacks again after Fischer is killed]].
** Reinhard, on the other hand, is also considered as Invincible from the beginning of the story to the point that [[spoiler:he effectively ends the whole war and unifies the universe ''halfway through the story'']], but interestingly he'll always feel that his victory isn't complete when Yang is there to disrupt him from getting a total victory. The only real time he gets a crushing defeat is the Battle for the Corridor [[spoiler:where he lost two top admirals to Yang's ragtag fleet]].

* The Hero in ''Literature/{{Maoyu}}'' is a level 99 ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' protagonist, and is practically unbeatable in combat. However, this level of power makes him feel apart from humanity. He and the Demon Queen are trying to find a way to save the world peacefully.

* Sora and Shiro, the brother/sister duo from ''Literature/NoGameNoLife'', seem to not only win every game they play, but also have every move of their opponent planned out in advance. [[spoiler:However, they do occasionally "tie" when the outcome is still favorable to them.]]

* Ainz in ''Literature/Overlord2012'' is a level 100 MMORPG player character who, along with his similarly leveled NPC minions and guild HQ that was considered one of the hardest dungeons in the game it came from, are all TrappedInAnotherWorld. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on the circumstances), even the most legendary of creatures considered leagues above anything any mortal man could hope to challenge are mid-tier at best when compared what was in the MMORPG. It's increasingly shown that the only thing that could actually give Ainz and his henchmen a run for their money is another level 100 player character (none of which have yet appeared in present time,) or one of his direct underlings going rogue [[spoiler:which eventually happens when Shalltear is mind-controlled by a World-class item]]. To get around the protagonist and his party being so overpowered, the plot focuses mostly on Ainz exploring the New World, his political maneuvering among the various nations (both as Overlord Ainz and his adventurer persona Momon that he uses to infiltrate the Adventurer's Guild,) and the far less invincible natives he affects.

* Lina, the [[AntiHero anti-heroine]] of ''Literature/{{Slayers}}'', is less of this trope than it warrants, but it is painfully obvious how fellow mages Zelgadis, Amelia, and Sylphiel are out-classed against her, as she is the only person among them (and probably the entire world) who can both beam-spam the most powerful spell in the verse's BlackMagic, and can also draw power from [[GuardianOfTheMultiverse the Lord of Nightmares.]] She also shows ridiculous insight and intelligence often in random bursts, whereas normally she is fairly smart, but not inquisitive - the reverse happens with [[TheSmartGuy Zelgadis]], who is normally book-smart, but fails at battle strategies. It is her that takes down every single demonic being that the group encounters, which makes Xellos' comment of all four main characters being "[[TitleDrop Slayers]]" of demons far less credible - Lina defeated Shabranigdo while the others were taken down in one blow each. Filia, a Golden Dragon, Naga, [[GoldfishPoopGang her alleged rival]], and Pokota, a prince, are probably the only people that could rival her, but Filia is a [[HolierThanThou stuck-up, prissy, and naive]] priestess who often refuses to take part in the group's antics, Naga is incredibly flaky, and Pokota is stuck in the body of a [[RidiculouslyCuteCritter stuffed animal]], knocking down his use by a solid margin. This mostly applies to the anime and the novels.

* Kirito of ''Literature/SwordArtOnline''. He's shown to be ridiculously smart (having built a top-of-the-line custom gaming PC at age 14, knowing how to hack SAO's code, among other things), and is easily considered the best player. He wins every fight with little effort. In fact, one of the only times he's ever lost was when his opponent ([[spoiler: the BigBad himself, the creator of the game]]) cheated. There's one scene in particular in which a gang of player-killers rush him. He stands still, completely unfazed while he explains that his health regeneration skill is so high that ''it refills at a faster rate than his enemies can deal out damage.'' Later on, he gains a sword skill that is exclusive to him and him alone. Even when his health is depleted to zero, he somehow wills himself back to life to land the finishing blow on Kayaba. Then, in [=SAO2=], he transfers to the FirstPersonShooter-themed Gun Gale Online, and immediately begins consistently and handily defeating his opponents, despite having never played the game or any firearm-based [=MMOs=], and going up against players with far more experience than him. It isn't until the end of [=SAO2=] that he actually loses a fight fair and square, and by that point, it hardly matters.

* [[Characters/RickAndMortyRickSanchez Rick Sanchez]] from ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty''. [[NominalHero For a certain definition of "hero"]]. Even given the SadistShow nature of the series, Rick is notable for his impressive win record against villains. He has gone up against galactic governments, alien scientists, impossibly vast and powerful extradimensional beings, and even the Devil himself, and he has outsmarted and defeated all of them. Even alternative versions of himself have been made fools of. Only a single episode so far has ended with Rick not coming out on top. [[spoiler:It's ''not'' the Season 2 finale which sees him being arrested by the galactic government; he allowed himself to be captured so he could bring it down from the inside. [[OneManArmy And he does]].]] [[spoiler:He has, however, been bested by Evil Morty. He only escapes death because Morty saves him at the last second.]] The Season 3 finale is also another rare failure for Rick, as [[spoiler:all has plans have fallen apart and Jerry is back with Beth, and the family are stronger than ever.]] Season 4 finale also is a moment of failure for Rick, [[spoiler: as both Space Beth and Normal Beth have rejected Rick alongside Morty and Summer, and that episode ends with Rick lamenting upon his mistakes.]]

** In "Vindicators 3 The Return Of World Ender", Rick brutally kills the [[OmnicidalManiac World Ender]] [[spoiler:''offscreen. In a matter of hours''. '''''While being so drunk that he doesn't even remember doing it the morning after.''''']] Good grief.

* Suzaku Kururugi of ''Anime/CodeGeass'' is a {{perspective flip}}ped version of this trope. He's always able to take down the "bad guys" with his SuperPrototype [[MiniMecha Knightmare Frame]], and always foils [[MagnificentBastard Lelouch's]] plans--but Lelouch is the ''protagonist''. Invoked by the Camelot research team, who name the afore-mentioned SuperPrototype '''[[FridgeBrilliance the "Lancelot"]]'''. Played straight toward the end when [[spoiler:he and Lelouch end up on the same side and he effortlessly defeats the most powerful knight in the series, even after he reveals his future-reading superpower]].

%%* {{Discussed|Trope}} in the [[Creator/IsaacAsimov Black Widowers story]] "[[Franchise/{{Batman}} Northwestward]]"

* Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse:

'''Fry:''' That's because he was [[ComicBook/SpiderMan bitten by a radioactive]] Franchise/{{Superman}}!

* The creators of ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'' mentioned that they weakened a number of characters for the show so that they wouldn't be {{Story Breaker|Power}}s. ComicBook/{{Superboy}} and Miss Martian in particular are far less powerful than their comic book counterparts, and this may extend to Franchise/{{Superman}} and ComicBook/MartianManhunter as well.

* Franchise/{{Superman}} is perhaps the most famous example, albeit one DependingOnTheWriter. He's just really hard to take out in a "fair" fight when the KryptoniteFactor isn't in play (or JokerImmunity for certain archvillains such as ComicBook/{{Darkseid}} or ComicBook/LexLuthor). Not all writers know how to write a good Superman story that [[ForgotAboutHisPowers lets Superman use his powers competently]] but that doesn't [[StoryBreakerPower instantly kill all tension in the plot]].

---->'''Franchise/TheFlash (Wally):''' This is the man who said he couldn't live up to his legend... he's wrestling an angel.

** Creator/JossWhedon talked about the difficulties of WB putting together a ''[[Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica JLA]]'' movie versus his own massive success with ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}''. He pointed out that the Avengers are easier to write and film since they all either have relatable problems or are weak enough to write action scenes for, while comparatively, characters like Superman and Franchise/WonderWoman are seen as "gods" without many flaws [[note]]despite the fact that [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor one of the Avengers is]] [[PhysicalGod literally a god.]][[/note]]. Add in other powerhouse characters like Franchise/GreenLantern and Franchise/TheFlash, and it becomes very difficult to write convincing threats for the group in a cinematic setting.
* Much like Superman, Franchise/{{Batman}} is memetically thought of as this. While he suffers several personal losses, in the public's eyes he rarely loses battles. What? He's CrazyPrepared and a master of the BatmanGambit!

** Batman exemplifies this trope in ''Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica''. He has to since he wouldn't survive his first mistake against a JLA-class menace.

* Lampshaded in Robert Kirkman's "Brit" comics. The hero's one power is that he's invincible.

'''Fry:''' That's because he was [[Comicbook/SpiderMan bitten by a radioactive]] Franchise/{{Superman}}!

* Some in the ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' fandom depict Reimu Hakurei as this, an unstoppable force not unlike a Determinator but with much less motivation required. Storyline-wise this is somewhat accurate; the main purpose of the spellcard system is to let anyone have a fair go at Reimu while ruling out the possibility of accidentally killing her, as her existence is necessary for the setting's continued existence. On the other hand, she ''has'' lost a number of fights in the multiplayer games' story modes and was outright stomped by Watatsuki no Yorihime, who herself is a clearer example, capable of defeating [[TimeMaster Sakuya Izayoi]], [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Remilia Scarlet]], [[DarkMagicalGirl Marisa Kirisame]] and Reimu herself, all of them considered some of the strongest players in Gensokyo, ''in succession''. It is later revealed that she actively {{defie|dTrope}}s this in Imperishable Night: her last word, ''Fantasy Heaven'', has her fly away from reality and it is said that the only reason it doesn't make her unstoppable is due to a self-imposed time limit. For reasons only known to herself, she tries to [[HoldingBackThePhlebotinum limit the use of this ability]] to the absolute minimum, even if it could theoretically solve many of her problems (like the above Watatsuki no Yorihime.)

* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' has been accused of becoming one in later installments of the franchise. No matter how daunting a task may be, he usually ends up solving it with little to no issue and at worst will just get beaten down by the villains for a while before recovering and coming out on top regardless. This is most evident in ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' where, despite being locked up and tortured[[note]]The torture line was added in the English script, which is why he doesn't show any signs of it.[[/note]] for six months and Eggman taking over most of the world, Sonic shows no signs of being worse for wear from it and ends up turning the whole situation around in the span of a few hours. The [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics Archie Comic]] made it the most apparent after its short-lived ContinuityReboot, where one of the mandates SEGA inforced on it was that Sonic could only ever face a temporary setback that must be undone in the span of that issue.

* ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza}}'': As the series goes on, Kazuma Kiryu is basically treated as an unstoppable force of nature that simply cannot be beaten in a fair fight (which is why villains often resort to threatening Haruka). At best, certain characters like [[TigerVersusDragon Taiga Saejima]] can get close to a stalemate, but never a full victory. This becomes most evident in [[spoiler:"Like a Dragon", where he single-handedly takes on Ichiban and (ignoring the ArbitraryHeadCount) his entire crew (including another Han) and [[HeadsIWinTailsYouLose beats them with little trouble]] while likely holding back]].