History Main / ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman

** [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureGoldenWind Part 5]] has Squalo’s Stand, The Clash, a shark that can teleport from one body of liquid to another, sizeshifting to match. This would limit his effectiveness if he didn’t fight Bucceratti’s crew in Venice, where there are plenty of large bodies of water to unleash his full potential.
** [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean Part 6]] has Survivor, which was said to be the weakest, least useful stand in existence by Dio and Pucci. Its power is to cause a weak electric impulse which stimulates the parts of the brain responsible for aggression, and allowing those affected to see their opponents' weak points, turning those affected into expert, relentless fighters who attack anyone they see. The reason why it's so useless is because it affects everyone in range indiscriminately, meaning that the user's enemies become expert fighters, while his allies turn against him. The only situation where it could be useful is if you have someone you really want dead, and they're trapped somewhere with other strong fighters who could probably kill your target if a big fight started. Like say, a maximum-security prison full of dangerous criminals...

*** The game has Celes' AwesomeButImpractical Runic ability. While being able to absorb enemies' magic attacks and earn MP back from them sounds cool, against weak enemies in RandomEncounters there's kind of no need since they don't use magic that often and are easily dispatched anyway, and is only useful if you really need to refill your MP. As a result some bosses were deliberately designed to be near impossible to beat WITHOUT using Runic. In fact, the first boss you fight right after recruiting Celes fits this--it casts a lot of magic and the Celes recognizes this and tells the player to use Runic in anticipation of its spells. For many players, this is the ''only'' time they ever use the ability, since Runic will ''also'' absorb any friendly spells ''you'' cast, like Cure.

** During the Tournament of Power, the other Universes have fighters that rely on enormous stamina to fight. For a reason or the other, they end up dealing with Android 17 and Android 18, the infinite energy cyborgs with unlimited stamina.

* Though not superpower related, the murder case in ''Film/LegallyBlonde'' seems tailor made just so that Elle could help win it. What comes in handy during the proceedings isn't her law training, or her studying and work at Harvard Law, but the fact that she's sorority sisters with the defendant, and knows fashion.

* ''Manga/BlackClover'': Although Dark Magic is far from being useless, it's slow to cast and Yami usually uses it more as a supplement for his swordsmanship. However, because the attribute is the polar opposite of light, it becomes highly effective when he fights against Licht, with his magic absorbing his spells by creating small black holes. It's also highly effective against devils due to its power to affect the underworld. His magic is very useful in the fight against Zagred, whose Word Soul Magic can't block it, and when the Black Bulls fight Dante.
* [[AntiMagic]] is recognized in-universe as an [[WrongContextMagic overly broken]] power that allows a simple peon like Asta to stand a chance mages with years of training and experience. But amusingly, [[spoiler:Liebe]] comes to realize that it's absolutely pointless against Asta himself, due to him being deprived of magic to begin with, and relying soly on his swordmanship, ki-reading and guts.

** Specifically, they've taken his super-tough "ability to survive crushing ocean depths" and super-strong "ability to swim really fast" and used them a lot more; as someone noted in his "HeartIsAnAwesomePower" entry, punching people in the face at five hundred atmospheres or more puts him in the same tier as ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' - we're talking being able to move as freely as you do on land at ocean depths where the water would crush a submarine like a soda can. Needless to say, if that guy were to punch you in the face while ''not'' under the weight of tons of water, it would leave you wondering how you ended up on the moon so fast. Throw in a changing roster of magical abilities and a MadeOfIndestructium trident that even ''ComicBook/{{Darkseid}}'' will feel the stab of for good measure. Also, the 'talk to fish' bit includes {{Kaiju}} that live in water but are perfectly capable of fighting on land, so basically... imagine Franchise/{{Godzilla}} and Franchise/{{Cthulhu|Mythos}} were each part of a whole species, and he's on first-name basis with every last one of both. Also, as the king of Atlantis, if he needed backup, he could call on the whole Atlantean army. Fans of the comics don't consider him a joke at all. However, there's still a RunningGag in the comics of him being ''seen'' as a joke.

** On the other hand, the original Aqualad knew his limits at times in ''ComicBook/TheNewTeenTitans''. When ComicBook/{{Robin}} wanted him to join the team on an intergalactic mission, Aqualad declined, saying that his abilities were of little use in outer space.

* The comic ''ComicBook/XMen Legacy'' was a particularly egregious abuser of this trope for a stretch of issues: It seemed like every single crisis could only be solved by two peoples' powers at once, or one person's power with another person's knowledge. Good thing ComicBook/{{Rogue}}'s power is to absorb the powers, skills, and attributes of anyone she touches. It got to seem like less of a team than a bank of power donors and one person who ever actually does anything, blurring the line between this trope and PlotTailoredToTheParty... This Looks Like a Job For Aquaman Tailored to the Party?

** Before she got her [[ImaginationBasedSuperpower incredibly versatile]] [[BarrierWarrior force fields]], the ComicBook/InvisibleWoman (then Invisible Girl) was often subject to this because her only power was {{Invisibility}}, so the team was put into situations where stealth was required so her power could come off as being useful.
** While Namor the Submariner from their RoguesGallery had ''some'' useful abilities on land (flight and super strength), he generally needed to spend some time in the water to keep them optimal. In one early comic where ComicBook/DoctorDoom teamed up with him to try to eliminate the Fantastic Four, only to betray him along with them (since Doctor Doom wanted no super-powered competition from the Submariner either), Namor was only able to power up enough to pull everyone's fat out of the fire because the Fantastic Four happened to have a big tank of water handy in their building for him.

* The anti-hero ComicBook/MoonKnight is at full power during the full moon, due to his powers having come from a moon god. Usually, DependingOnTheWriter it makes him slightly below, the same level, or slightly above ComicBook/CaptainAmerica. During his stint as a ComicBook/{{West Coast Avenger|s}}, they entered a pocket dimension to fight a villain, but he easily repelled both ComicBook/IronMan and ComicBook/WonderMan together. Then the night fell, revealing '''''several thousand full moons'''''. Cue Moon Knight going OneWingedAngel and beating the tar out of the villain.

* "And There Shall Come... A Champion!", the issue of ''Marvel Two-In-One'' that introduced the Champion of the Universe, does this for ComicBook/TheThing. His SuperStrength and rocky skin are by no means underpowered, but in the pantheon of Marvel's heavyweights, he's always been quite a distance from the top. But in his quest to face the WorldsStrongestMan, the Champion refuses to fight anyone who cannot match him in the ring as a boxer. As it turns out, all the other really strong characters out there lack the discipline to make decent boxers (ComicBook/IncredibleHulk, ComicBook/WonderMan, Doc Samson, ComicBook/SubMariner), don't have the raw durability or determination to slug it out (ComicBook/{{Colossus}}, Sasquatch), or have weaknesses preventing them from boxing fairly (ComicBook/{{Thor}}). This leaves Ben Grimm, who has long been established as [[StrongAndSkilled an experienced boxer]] who [[HeroicWillpower refuses to give up]], as the only character in his weight class capable of fighting the Champion and going the distance long enough to convince the guy to back off.

** ''Film/{{Aquaman|2018}}'': While all Atlanteans have most of Arthur's powers, he is the only one who can [[SpeaksFluentAnimal speak to fish]]. He first uses this to hide himself and ComicBook/{{Mera}} inside a whale's mouth, and later [[spoiler:is able to talk down the [[RentAZilla gigantic sea monster]] guarding Atlan's trident. Speaking of Atlan, he was the original king of Atlantis, and he had this power as well. His trident amplifies it so that its wielder can control all the creatures of the ocean at once]].
** ''Film/TheSuicideSquad'': While rats can be found damn near anywhere, Ratcatcher II's powers are significantly enhanced by the fact the Squad is operating in a WretchedHive BananaRepublic, the exact kind of place that would have a ridiculous rat problem. Were they in somewhere cleaner, she may well have been considerably less useful.

* In ''VideoGame/DoomEternal'', the Full Auto mod for the Shotgun and the Microwave Beam for the Plasma Rifle are generally deemed the least useful weapon mods in the game. ''The Ancient Gods'' DLC added new enemies that are explicitly weak to these weapon mods — especially in the case of the Spirit, which can ''[[KungFuProofMook only]]'' be harmed with the Microwave Beam, and is a DemonicSpider to boot to encourage you to whip out that mod the instant it’s vulnerable.

** Grass is also similarly a weak offensive type, with a whopping 7 types resisting it and the things it does hit super-effectively overlapping with more generally useful Electric and Water attacks. However, Game Freak introduced powerful Water / Ground type Pokémon such as Swampert whose sole weakness is Grass (and being a 4x weakness, nearly guaranteed to take them out in one blow), ensuring Grass attacks have a role as an anti-meta call against such threats. Starting in Generation VI, Grass-types are also immune to all moves involving powder and spores, moves that normally inflict nasty StandardStatusEffects and can otherwise cripple an entire team. In particular is [[MushroomMan Amoonguss]], a StoneWall made even tougher to defeat by access to an otherwise guaranteed Sleep-inducing move...who, thanks to that immunity, crumbles in the face of any Grass Pokémon that can withstand Poison-type moves.

** Picture this; Zacian-Crowned, the strongest pokemon introduces in Sword and Shield thus far. So powerful was this monster that until it was banned the unholy realm of Anything Goes (Mega Rayquaza's domain of all places) It has a grand total of '''''One''''' reliable counters, and that total has not increased with the national dex version of Anything Goes. That pokemon? Unaware Quagsire. Berserker blade is ''at best'' a 5 hit-KO and Play Rough is 3-4. Both these moves have low PP, and Quagsire can easily outlast them with Recover. It also gets stab on Earthquake and thanks to Unaware, Zacian cannot even power up to break through. Quagsire currently resides in PU, but during Zacian's time in ubers, Quagsire was solidly Underused, three tiers above where it is, solely through the useage it got for being the only thing to stop the monster that was Zacian-Crowned.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' episode "Three Girls And A Monster" has Blossom and Buttercup unable to dispose of a giant lizard monster. Mainly because it's too big and strong, but also because the two sisters are arguing over whether brains or brawn are more effective. This leaves Bubbles. With her sweetness, innocence and politeness, she... [[MundaneSolution asks it to leave]]. And it does.

** The series' version of ComicBook/BlackManta has the same problem, with his character and ability set being reduced to "he owns a boat". In several episodes of the Legion of Doom era he and Aquaman have no purpose on their respective teams except to counter each other.
* Zigzagged by ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans''. While Aqualad does only show up when the ocean is in trouble for the most part, he's proven that he's perfectly capable of fighting on dry land. (Most people tend to forget he's also got super strength - AND [[MakingASplash Hydrokinesis]].)

* An arc of ''ComicBook/MegaMan'' dealt with an {{EMP}} disabling most of the world's technology, including the friendlier Robot Masters and Mega Man himself. This meant that Plant Man, mostly seen as one of the lamer Robot Masters due to his flower motif and weak weaponry, got ADayInTheLimelight: it turns out he actually really is part plant, and therefore part-organic, making him resistant to the EMP.

* Picture this; Zacian-Crowned, the strongest pokemon introduces in Sword and Shield thus far. So powerful was this monster that until it was banned the unholy realm of Anything Goes (Mega Rayquaza's domain of all places) It has a grand total of '''''One''''' reliable counters, and that total has not increased with the national dex version of Anything Goes. That pokemon? Unaware Quagsire. Berserker blade is ''at best'' a 5 hit-KO and Play Rough is 3-4. Both these moves have low PP, and Quagsire can easily outlast them with Recover. It also gets stab on Earthquake and thanks to Unaware, Zacian cannot even power up to break through. Quagsire currently resides in PU, but during Zacian's time in ubers, Quagsire was solidly Underused, three tiers above where it is, solely through the useage it got for being the only thing to stop the monster that was Zacian-Crowned.

* Before he was given his signature "all the powers of Superman but only one at a time" deal, Ultra Boy of the ComicBook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}} only had the power of "Penetra-Vision" ([[AccidentalInnuendo hee]]), which worked the same as Superman's "vision" powers (EyeBeams, XRayVision, telescopic/microscopic vision, etc), except that unlike Superman, his vision could penetrate lead. Cue Ultra Boy being confronted by people firing lead bullets, falling lead-lined boulders, and killer robots made of lead. Even after, this is how he dodges the Legion's "[[CastSpeciation no two people with the same power]]" clause; technically, his only unique power is being able to see through lead.

* ''ComicBook/AllStarComics'': In the issue in which Dr. Mid-Nite joins the ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica the villain orchestrating everything runs into a pitch dark building and the other JSA members stand back to have Mid-Nite run in and fight him, since he can see in the dark.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Monorails have been a classic example of AwesomeButImpractical modes of transportation, and are very seldom used in comparison to their BoringButPractical standard rail counterpart. UsefulNotes/LosAngeles mayor Eric Garcettit, however, [[https://la.curbed.com/2017/6/14/15801770/monorail-405-freeway-mayor-garcetti-sepulveda-pass considered monorails a viable option for alleviating traffic along the Sepulveda Pass]], citing resistance to earthquakes and ability to travel inclines better than standard rail as reasons why a monorail could be considered practical in this specific area.
[[/folder]]

* In ''VideoGame/DoomEternal'', the Full Auto mod for the Shotgun and the Microwave Beam for the Plasma Rifle are generally deemed the least useful weapon mods in the game. ''The Ancient Gods'' DLC added new enemies that are explicitly weak to these weapon mods.

* "And There Shall Come... A Champion!", the issue of ''Marvel Two-In-One'' that introduced the Champion of the Universe, does this for ComicBook/TheThing. His SuperStrength and rocky skin are by no means underpowered, but in the pantheon of Marvel's heavyweights, he's always been quite a distance from the top. But in his quest to face the WorldsStrongestMan, the Champion refuses to fight anyone who cannot match him in the ring as a boxer. As it turns out, all the other really strong characters out there lack the discipline to make decent boxers (ComicBook/IncredibleHulk, ComicBook/WonderMan, Doc Samson, ComicBook/SubMariner), don't have the raw durability or determination to slug it out (ComicBook/{{Colossus}}, Sasquatch), or have weaknesses preventing them from boxing fairly (ComicBook/{{Thor}}). This leaves Ben Grimm, who has long been established as [[StrongAndSkilledan experienced boxer]] who [[HeroicWillpower refuses to give up]], as the only character in his weight class capable of fighting the Champion and going the distance long enough to convince the guy to back off.

* "And There Shall Come... A Champion!", the issue of ''Marvel Two-In-One'' that introduced the Champion of the Universe, does this for ComicBook/TheThing. In his quest to face the WorldsStrongestMan, the Champion refuses to fight anyone who cannot match him in the ring as a boxer. As it turns out, all the other really strong characters out there lack the discipline to make decent boxers (ComicBook/IncredibleHulk, ComicBook/WonderMan, Doc Samson, ComicBook/SubMariner), don't have the raw durability or determination to slug it out (ComicBook/{{Colossus}}, Sasquatch), or have weaknesses preventing them from boxing fairly (ComicBook/{{Thor}}). This leaves Ben Grimm, who has long been established as an experienced boxer who [[HeroicWillpower refuses to give up]], as the only character in his weight class capable of fighting the Champion and going the distance long enough to convince the guy to back off.

** In the spinoff crossover ''Anime/IsekaiQuartet'', Aqua shows exactly how dangerous she is to undead: with one cast of TurnUndead, a low-level spell, she makes [[InvincibleHero Ainz Ooal Gown]] shout in pain.

* In ''LightNovel/KonoSuba'', despite being a goddess, Aqua is almost useless; she's lazy, impulsive, and dumb, and her divine powers cause more trouble than they're worth. So she is overjoyed when she finds a quest on the guild job board that perfectly matches her skill set: Purifying a corrupted lake. In the spinoff crossover ''Anime/IsekaiQuartet'', Aqua shows exactly how dangerous she is to undead: with one cast of TurnUndead, a low-level spell, she makes [[InvincibleHero Ainz Ooal Gown]] shout in pain.

* In ''LightNovel/KonoSuba'', despite being a goddess, Aqua is almost useless; she's lazy, impulsive, and dumb, and her divine powers cause more trouble than they're worth. So she is overjoyed when she finds a quest on the guild job board that perfectly matches her skill set: Purifying a corrupted lake.
** In the spinoff crossover ''Anime/IsekaiQuartet'', Aqua shows exactly how dangerous she is to undead: with one cast of TurnUndead, a low-level spell, she makes [[InvincibleHero Ainz Ooal Gown]] shout in pain.

* In ''LightNovel/KonoSuba'', Aqua is overjoyed when she finds a quest on the guild job board that perfectly matches her skill set: Purifying a corrupted lake.

* In ''VideoGame/CrashTeamRacing'', the "beginner" class of racers are [[TierInducedScrappy typically seen as worthless]] because their only strength, superior handling, comes at the cost of having low max speeds and actually makes it harder for them to get power slide turbo boosts which are ''the'' way to win races. However, they completely and utterly dominate Battle Mode owing to their ability to maneuver around opponents and dodge projectiles. Even when playing Adventure mode you'll notice that, while you're struggling to win races and get even Sapphire Relics (where other racers can casually get a Gold with little problem) you'll be dominating the [[ThatOneLevel normally difficult]] Crystal levels with a solid 30 seconds to spare.