History Main / OurAncestorsAreSuperheroes

** Voldemort is descended from one of Hogwarts' founders (a Parselmouth, a rare ability that allowed him to speak with snakes) and believes in the purity of blood (despite the fact that most of the pureblood families are heavily inbred, and he himself is half-Muggle), while Harry is descended from a family of wizards who created extremely potent magic items, to the point where legend held them made by Death itself.

* The superhumanly powerful Headdmasters from Mamoru Nagano's ''Manga/TheFiveStarStories'' are the last remnants of the ancient precursor civilization known as the Farus Di Kanon, or the Super Empire.
* In the manga ''Manga/ElfenLied'' assert the Kakuzawas that they were the descendants of pure Diclonius who have lived in the Japanese Middle Ages, and were greatly feared by the humans, and the cause of the myths about gods and demons. But they had common offspring with ordinary humans what their DNS "diluted". Their forces were weaker, and were eventually completely lost, so that humans have they brutally hunted and killed.
** However, there is another theory that the ancestors of Kakuzawas were ordinary humans who had just caused by a genetic mutation horns, but had no special powers.
*** Which may be true theory, is unknown. But in their family, there was still [[http://elfen-lied.wikia.com/wiki/Male_Diclonius a real Diclonius]].

* In Creator/DCComics' title ''The Great Ten'', Thundermind is a character that resembles a kind of Bodhisattva, an enlightened Buddhist with superhuman powers (siddhis) like invisibility, bilocation, super strength, super speed, telekinesis and telepathy. He is the powerhouse of the team. However, although it absolutely contrasts the understanding of an enlightened Buddhist, these powers can be knocked on or off. In reality, Thundermind is a high school teacher who is in love with his colleague Ms. Wu; however, love is something an enlightened Buddhist wouldn't feel, because it's a passion. He also uses a Dixie toilet to change into Thundermind ''à la'' Clark Kent by a magical incantation.

* The beginning of ''Film/ThreeHundred'' has "We Spartans are descended from Hercules himself". The rest of the movie is essentially the Spartans living up to that.

* In one of the later ''Literature/MyTeacherIsAnAlien'' books, the protagonists learn that ''all'' humans were once telepaths. People eventually suppressed this ability because of the growing population - contact with so many other minds would have driven them insane otherwise. This is used to explain, in part, why HumansAreBastards sometimes, as they evolved to coexist using a means of communication and understanding which they no longer possessed.

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': It's believed being RandomlyGifted comes from [[RecessiveSuperGenes having a witch or wizard somewhere in their ancestry]], though once the [[FantasticRacism Death Eaters]] come to power anyone but the wizard-descended and those who have an immediate wizarding relative are considered to have "stolen" their magic ([[InsaneTrollLogic it's not explained how]]) and referred to as "Mudbloods".
** Voldemort is descended from one of Hogwarts' founders (a Parseltongue, a rare ability that allowed him to speak with snakes) and believes in the purity of blood (despite the fact that most of the pureblood families are heavily inbred, and himself is half-Muggle), while Harry is descended from a family of wizards who created extremely potent magic items, to the point where legend held them made by Death itself.
** Fleur Delacour is repeatedly described as extremely beautiful (her sister Gabrielle has a slightly lesser effect, but she's only eleven) and entrancing to men, it turns out her grandmother is a veela, a siren-like magical creature.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' there was the Cetra or later called the Ancients. They were gifted with powerful magic and a high affinity toward the planet and the lifesteam allowing them insights such as if someone has died and rejoined the lifesteam. Sephiroth states that human are decendants of the Cetra, who forsook the migratory ways (and lost the magic powers) of the Cetra and hid in fear (thus surviving) when Jenova was busy wiping out the Cetra who tried to protect the planet from her/it.
* ''VideoGame/HyruleTotalWar'': Magical power was very common amongst Ancient Hylians, until TheMagicGoesAway

Compare with: {{Precursors}} and HereThereWereDragons, as well as BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy, in which a historical figure who's not necessarily a precursor is supernatural.

* One of the core tenants of the [[Franchise/Nasuverse Nasuverse]] - In the beginning of humanity's history, during the age of gods, humans were capable of incredible feats, but over time as the world's mysteries (the source of magic's power) disappeared, so too did humanities, power to the point where individual humans are the weakest that they will ever be. However eventually, should humanity survive long enough and not fall into decline, our decedents may become superheroes again, leading to Literature/AngelNotes.

* One of the core tenants of the Franchise/Nasuverse - In the beginning of humanity's history, during the age of gods, humans were capable of incredible feats, but over time as the world's mysteries (the source of magic's power) disappeared, so too did humanities, power to the point where individual humans are the weakest that they will ever be. However eventually, should humanity survive long enough and not fall into decline, our decedents may become superheroes again, leading to Literature/AngelNotes.

Compare with: {{Precursors}} and HereThereWereDragons.

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': It's believed a MageBornOfMuggles comes from having a witch or wizard somewhere in their ancestry, though once the [[FantasticRacism Death Eaters]] come to power anyone but the wizard-descended and those who have an immediate wizarding relative are considered to have "stolen" their magic ([[InsaneTrollLogic it's not explained how]]) and referred to as "Mudbloods".

* The [[SpaceMarines Adeptus Astartes]] of ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' are slowly transformed from ordinary if battle-hardened humans to the seven-foot-tall SuperSoldiers by regular genetic therapy from the geneseed of the fifteen-foot tall quasi-war god Primarchs, which is why they share some of their personality traits. The Primarchs themselves were created from the genetic material of the Emperor, and a diluted version of the process creates the GreyKnights and the Adeptus Custodes, who are to Astartes what Astartes are to normal humans.

* In the manga ''ElfenLied'' assert the Kakuzawas that they were the descendants of pure Diclonius who have lived in the Japanese Middle Ages, and were greatly feared by the humans, and the cause of the myths about gods and demons. But they had common offspring with ordinary humans what their DNS "diluted". Their forces were weaker, and were eventually completely lost, so that humans have they brutally hunted and killed.

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': It's believed a MageBornOfMuggles comes from having a witch or wizard somewhere in their ancestry, though once the FantasticRacists come to power anyone but the wizard-descended and those who have an immediate wizarding relative are considered to have "stolen" their magic ([[InsaneTrollLogic it's not explained how]]) and referred to as "Mudbloods".

* In ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'', the first humans were actually called nephalem (being the hybrid children of angels and demons), and had great powers of varying effect. Each successive generation of nephalem was less powerful, so eventually the species lost that name and became 'humanity'. (This lore also justifies character classes- a human barbarian is following in the footsteps of the first nephalem barbarian, who founded that martial order.) In the present day, Diablo!humans still have the ''potential'' to wield great power, they just can't realize it as effortlessly as nephalem could.

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* In ''Literature/TheBible'' the first humans are depicted as living for anywhere from 300 to 900 years, even the ones who didn't have god-given superpowers. Justified in other cases like Samson, or the miracles of the prophets like Moses, Elijah and Jesus. There is implication that humans were originally created immortal with natural abilities that could be considered superhuman but greatly diminished after the Fall and have been further declining over time, healthcare and technology notwithstanding.

* {{Tall Tale}}s from the American oral tradition like Paul Bunyan and John Henry are built on this idea (with a wink and a nod).

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* The [[SpaceMarines Adeptus Astartes]] of Warhammer40K are slowly transformed from ordinary if battle-hardened humans to the seven-foot-tall SuperSoldiers by regular genetic therapy from the geneseed of the fifteen-foot tall quasi-war god Primarchs, which is why they share some of their personality traits. The Primarchs themselves were created from the genetic material of the Emperor, and a diluted version of the process creates the GreyKnights and the Adeptus Custodes, who are to Astartes what Astartes are to normal humans.

** Fleur Delacour is repeatedly described as extremely beautiful (her sister Gabrielle has a slightly lesser effect, but she's only fourteen) and entrancing to men, it turns out her grandmother is a veela, a siren-like magical creature.

* ''VideoGame/HyruleTotalWar'': Magical power was very common amongst Ancient Hylians, until...
** ...TheMagicGoesAway

* In the manga ''Elfen Lied'' assert the Kakuzawas that they were the descendants of pure Diclonius who have lived in the Japanese Middle Ages, and were greatly feared by the humans, and the cause of the myths about gods and demons. But they had common offspring with ordinary humans what their DNS "diluted". Their forces were weaker, and were eventually completely lost, so that humans have they brutally hunted and killed.

* In the manga "Elfen Lied" assert the Kakuzawas that they were the descendants of pure Diclonius who have lived in the Japanese Middle Ages, and were greatly feared by the humans, and the cause of the myths about gods and demons. But they had common offspring with ordinary humans what their DNS "diluted". Their forces were weaker, and were eventually completely lost, so that humans have they brutally hunted and killed.

* In DCComics' title ''The Great Ten'', Thundermind is a character that resembles a kind of Bodhisattva, an enlightened Buddhist with superhuman powers (siddhis) like invisibility, bilocation, super strength, super speed, telekinesis and telepathy. He is the powerhouse of the team. However, although it absolutely contrasts the understanding of an enlightened Buddhist, these powers can be knocked on or off. In reality, Thundermind is a high school teacher who is in love with his colleague Ms. Wu; however, love is something an enlightened Buddhist wouldn't feel, because it's a passion. He also uses a Dixie toilet to change into Thundermind ''à la'' Clark Kent by a magical incantation.

Compare with: {{Precursors}}.

* Odysseus is actually an aversion; he has no special powers beyond being a really devious and clever man (and knowing how to string a recurve bow; which, again, relies on a trick and not on brute force).
* Tall Tales from the American oral tradition like Paul Bunyan and John Henry are built on this idea (with a wink and a nod).

* While [[Franchise/AssassinsCreed Desmond Miles]] knows he grew up in an assassin compound, he is shocked to discover the truth about his ancestors. Both Altair and Ezio, for example, have the Eagle Vision ability, which allows them to distinguish friend from foe and even see things that are hidden. Due to the "bleeding effect" of the Animus, he gains that ability as well. The assassins were also master engineers, as they had technology centuries ahead of the rest of humanity. Not to mention the whole First Civilization plotline, which is pure AncientAstronauts.

!!Examples

[[folder: Literature ]]

* In one of the later ''Literature/MyTeacherIsAnAlien'' books, the protagonists learn that ''all'' humans were once telepaths. People eventually suppressed this ability because of the growing population - contact with so many other minds would have driven them insane otherwise. This is used to explain, in part, why HumansAreBastards sometimes, as they evolved to coexist using a means of communication and understanding which they no longer possessed.
* In Vasiliy Golovachov's ''Literature/TheEnvoy'', the protagonist accidentally becomes a new Envoy after witnessing the assassination of the last one. He occasionally gets glimpses of his ancestors via GeneticMemory, who were ancient Russian knights with nigh-superhuman abilities.

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* In Literature/TheBible the first humans are depicted as living for anywhere from 300 to 900 years, even the ones who didn't have god-given superpowers. Justified in other cases like Samson, or the miracles of the prophets like Moses, Elijah and Jesus. There is implication that humans were originally created immortal with natural abilities that could be considered superhuman but greatly diminished after the Fall and have been further declining over time, healthcare and technology notwithstanding.

* The ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' episode ''Film/TheFinalSacrifice'' has the ancient Xiox civilization, which the cultists are descended from (and which Rowsdower is only a halfbreed descendant of.) Before being cursed by their gods, the Xiox had the power to make floating cities and, if [[BigBad Sartorus]] is any indication, at least some of them had psychic powers as well.

* ''{{Sanctuary}}'' pegs UsefulNotes/NikolaTesla as a vampire with electric, and later magnetic, powers, [[Literature/SherlockHolmes Doctor Watson]] as a super-human genius, and UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper as a teleporting bloodthirsty maniac.

* The ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' episode ''TheFinalSacrifice'' has the ancient Xiox civilization, which the cultists are descended from (and which Rowsdower is only a halfbreed descendant of.) Before being cursed by their gods, the Xiox had the power to make floating cities and, if [[BigBad Sartorus]] is any indication, at least some of them had psychic powers as well.

* In one of the later ''MyTeacherIsAnAlien'' books, the protagonists learn that ''all'' humans were once telepaths. People eventually suppressed this ability because of the growing population - contact with so many other minds would have driven them insane otherwise. This is used to explain, in part, why HumansAreBastards sometimes, as they evolved to coexist using a means of communication and understanding which they no longer possessed.
* In Vasiliy Golovachov's ''The Envoy'', the protagonist accidentally becomes a new Envoy after witnessing the assassination of the last one. He occasionally gets glimpses of his ancestors via GeneticMemory, who were ancient Russian knights with nigh-superhuman abilities.

* ''GoldenSunDarkDawn'' makes a recurring plot point out of the ancestral Adepts known as Jenei, whereas earlier games in the series pretty much hand-waved Adept-hood as the result of [[GreenRocks Psynergy Stones]]. How this affects the Adepts who emerged from non-Adept communities in said previous games isn't shown.

->"''I fell 8,000 feet and landed on some jagged rocks. Of course, people were a lot tougher in those days. I was jitterbuggin' that very night!''"
-->'''[[TheSimpsons Grandpa Simpson]]''', ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', "King of the Hill"