R-Rated Comic Book Superpowers That We'll Never Get To See On Screen

By their very nature, comic books are home to some strange and bizarre characters. For every high-profile hero like Spider-Man and Batman, there are more obscure heroes that have weird powers or abilities. In fact, even some of the more established heroes and villains have sometimes had powers that would likely never make it onto screens. Often this is because they are R-Rated in some way.

That could mean a number of different things when it comes to why they are inappropriate for children. There are powers that include graphic violence, drug use, offensive language, and even sexual activity such as nudity. Whatever the case, there are numerous comic books that contain abilities that are in some way R-Rated. Obviously, this is a problem when comics are generally aimed towards teenagers or children, with screen adaptations targeting wide audiences that include families and viewers of all ages.

Despite the fact that there are some R-Rated comic adaptations, including "Deadpool" and "The Boys," even they would probably try to avoid these controversial powers. They are simply so offensive, unusual, or horrifying to really be shown outside of the realms of comic book pages.

Any use of bodily fluids as a superpower is certainly going to make some people squeamish, so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the Corruptor is a character that is unlikely to make an appearance in the MCU anytime soon. The supervillain, who was first introduced in 1976, is probably best known as an enemy to both Thor and Nova — in fact, his debut came in "Nova #4" as a factory worker known as Jackson Day. Living a normal life until he came into contact with powerful psychoactive chemicals as a result of a fire at his workplace, he subsequently went on to help found the criminal gang known as the Inner Circle.

The Corruptor's power is a form of psychoactive sweat that he produces due to mutations he suffered after being exposed to chemicals in the fire. Any contact with this sweat causes his victims to lose all of their social inhibitions and become almost completely subservient to his will. This can lead those who come under his influence to behave in ways they normally wouldn't as they lose all sense of morality.

Maggott is a mutant from the "X-Men" series that first appeared in the 1997 comic, "Uncanny X-Men #345." Hailing from South Africa, he briefly joined the X-Men team but has not been a regular character since his introduction. As a child, he was unable to digest food properly and ran away from his poverty-stricken home to give his family a better chance of survival. It was at this point that he encountered Magneto. The villain revealed Maggott's mutant power, unleashing two sentient slugs from his digestive system.

Named Eany and Meany by Maggott, these two slugs eat out of his torso and consume whatever is in front of them before returning to their host. This can include organic materials and solid objects, with the slugs then transferring the power gained from this back to Maggott, allowing him to grow in strength, size, and stamina. Not only are the creatures themselves pretty horrific but the way they have to essentially dig out of his stomach every time they are released is too graphic to be shown on screen.

As her name might suggest, Marrow is a Marvel Comics character who has a power associated with her own bones. She is one of the more recent additions to the world of the "X-Men" as a mutant who was first shown in "Cable #15" in 1994. Also known as Sarah, she lived as part of the underground mutant society, the Morlocks, as a child before they were attacked by the Marauders. Saved by Gambit as the massacre took place, she later joined the Gene Nation after being raised by Callisto.

Marrow's main power is her control over her own skeletal structure. She can cause particular bones to grow at an intense rate, to such an extent that they protrude from her body. This is a violent process, with the bones growing through her skin and flesh to form various types of items such as weapons and shields. By snapping the bones off once they are outside her body, Marrow can use them as she battles her opponents.

Also known as Paige Guthrie, Husk is a Marvel Comics character that is usually seen in "X-Men" comics. The superhero made her first appearance in "Rom Annual #3" way back in 1984 and has been part of the Generation X and X-Men teams throughout her career. Originally from Kentucky, Husk grew up as part of a coal mining family and is the younger sister of the mutant known as Cannonball. She first discovered her mutant powers shortly after the death of her father, who died while she was still a child.

Husk's main mutant power is that she is a metamorph. By shedding the outer layer of her skin, she can reveal a brand new layer of skin underneath that can take a different shape and be made of any material that she has previously studied. That effectively means Husk can appear to be composed of anything from adamantium to glass, taking on the physical characteristics of the material. However, this particular power may never be seen on screen as it not only means that she discards her entire skin like a snake, an image that isn't exactly family-friendly, but also leaves her nude as her clothes are also shed in the process.

Big Bertha is another mutant from Marvel Comics that has a power that would leave anyone around her reeling. Little is known about her origin but following her first appearance in the 1989 comic, "West Coast Avengers (Vol. 2) #46," she established a name for herself as a member of the Great Lakes Champions. In fact, Big Bertha helps fund the group in Milwaukee thanks to the wealth she earned as a supermodel.

Her main power is the ability to dramatically alter the amount of fat in her body at will. This allows Big Bertha to swell in size, increasing her strength and durability at the same time. The disgusting part of the power comes when she wants to return to her normal size and form, which involves intense vomiting to purge herself of any fat. Even more problematic is that this power is also seemingly linked to the eating disorder known as anorexia, which television shows and movies would generally want to avoid making light of.

If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).

Starfox is a superhero in Marvel Comics hailing from the moon Titan. The brother of the villainous Thanos, Starfox — or Eros when not in his superhero form — fights against the Mad Titan and has even fought as part of the Avengers in the comics. Like the other Eternals, he has a variety of powers that range from superior strength and durability to a vastly increased lifespan due to slow aging. He can also fly at high speeds and control the emotions of those around him using his psionic powers.

Part of these psionic powers is the ability to stimulate the pleasure centers of those around him. Those within a short distance of Starfox will feel these effects automatically and the power can be so strong that it leaves those affected completely sedated. In other words, it can render people helpless by causing them to orgasm as their pleasure center is overwhelmed. Starfox has appeared in the MCU, played by Harry Styles in the mid-credits scene for the film, "Eternals," although this particular power was not used and it is unlikely to ever appear on screen.

Heavy Flo is unlikely to be a comic character that many people will be intimately familiar with. For starters, she is not part of the continuity of either of the big two comic book publishers. Instead, she can be found in Image Comics' "Savage Dragon" series, a comic focusing on the heroics of the green-skinned police officer known as the Dragon. She made her debut in "Savage Dragon #32" before finally meeting her end in "Savage Dragon #202" after spending time in The Vicious Circle. Ultimately, Heavy Flo is killed after being brutally attacked by Melvin Bellco.

In keeping with some of the more bizarre and occasionally disgusting villains in the world of "Savage Dragon," Heavy Flo is not a character that is ever likely to appear on screen. That's because her main power is to fire menstrual blood at those unfortunate to be in her vicinity. The character has effectively weaponized a natural bodily function, turning it into a tool that can harm anyone close enough to be hit by the blood.

A DC Comics character that first appeared in 2006 as part of the comic, "52 #9," Everyman is an example of a shape-shifting villain that can transform into a variety of different forms. An ally of Lex Luthor, he has fought against the Teen Titans and the Justice League, going so far as to almost kill both Green Arrow and Black Canary.

His real name may give some clue to his sinister nature, with Everyman actually being called Hannibal Bates in reference to Hannibal Lecter and Norman Bates. To transform into living beings he has to consume some part of their body, forcing him to become a cannibal to shape-shift into another human form. Everyman usually only requires a tiny amount of body matter but will still ravage bodies as he enjoys the process of eating his victims. Everyman does appear in "The Flash" as part of the Arrowverse continuity but his powers are changed so that he can assume the form of anyone he touches, getting rid of the somewhat sadistic method he uses to shape-shift in the comics.

Bueno Excellente is a DC Comics character that only the most ardent of readers will be aware of. He is a member of the controversial hero team, Section Eight, and made his first appearance in Gotham City during the 1997 comic, "Hitman #18." That meant he regularly appeared alongside other members of the group including its alcoholic leader, Sixpack, and the Defenestrator. Described as a pervert who would only say the words in his name, he worked with Section Eight as part of an effort to assist Hitman and appeared in some eight comics in total.

The reason why Bueno Excellent is an unlikely candidate for a screen adaptation is that he is essentially little more than a serial sex offender and rapist. His only power is to intimidate his enemies with threats of sexual violence and it is even implied that he may have used drugs to assault one of the Green Lanterns in the form of Kyle Rayner. He and his general nature make him wholly inappropriate to be shown on screen — especially when he is supposed to be one of the good guys.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Jerome Beechman is actually a supervillain called Mandrill. Making his debut in Marvel Comics in the 1973 comic, "Shanna, The She-Devil #4," he went on to form the Black Spectre group with a collection of his followers and also joined an offshoot of the Brotherhood of Mutants under the banner of Mutant Force at the behest of Magneto.

As is common with comic book characters, Mandrill actually has a range of powers. He possesses superhuman strength, endurance, and durability as well is a gifted strategist. However, his most notable ability is a mutant power to control females with his powerful pheromones. This mind control makes women completely submissive and allows Mandrill to hold them in his sway to do whatever he wishes. Combined with the villain's view that he is superior to females and deserves to have control over them, it is a highly problematic power that television and movie executives would almost certainly want to avoid.

It doesn't matter whether it's DC or Marvel, the world of comics is full of weird and wonderful characters that can continually astound readers. One of the strangest is undoubtedly a villain called Codpiece. His only appearance came in 1993 when he was the focus of "Doom Patrol #70." As you may have guessed, his entire persona is built around a crotch cannon that he has built for himself.

Having developed an inferiority complex due to a misunderstanding over the size of his genitals, he focused entirely on crafting a weapon that would make him appear well-endowed. A multi-weapon and tool, this Codpiece can fire missiles, emit sonic vibrations, drill into rock, and even extend a giant boxing glove for melee attacks. Obviously, such a weapon would not really be suitable for a superhero movie when the genre is usually aimed at families. It would be even stranger to have the codpiece cannon considering the motivation behind its creation.

Dogwelder is another member of Section Eight, the bizarre and questionable superhero team that appears in several issues of the DC Comics story, "Hitman." Based in Gotham City, the group is led by Sixpack and is also made up of other controversial characters such as the perverted Bueno Excellente, a hapless hero known as Friendly Fire who is only capable of shooting his own team, and a stereotypically French man named Jean de Baton-Baton. He was eventually killed along with the vast majority of Section Eight in their fight against the inter-dimensional Many-Angled Ones.

As his name might suggest, Dogwelder is best known for his power, which has become known as dogwelding. The hero would trap stray dogs in the back streets of Gotham before killing them and forcibly welding them to the faces of his enemies. James Gunn considered the character for inclusion in 2021's "The Suicide Squad" but felt that the power was too grisly and graphic to appear in a film.

The mutants traditionally have some of the strangest powers in the whole of Marvel Comics. One of the more recent comic book characters to appear in this list, Miranda Leevald, was first shown in 2001 when she appeared in "Uncanny X-Men #399." Throughout her time in the X-Men and the New Warriors, she has been known as Stacy X and Ripcord. Her mutant powers first manifested when she was still a teenager, coinciding with a sudden transformation of her skin into a snake-like scaly form.

Her powers mainly focus on the release of pheromones. Secreting them through her skin, anyone she touches can be affected by a variety of different sensations. These range from intense vomiting and a healing factor to orgasms. In more recent comics, Stacy X has even become able to induce these effects without touch. Combined with the fact that her skin is constantly shedding like a snake, she's unlikely to appear on screen in the near future.

The Punisher, who also goes by his birth name Frank Castle, is a Marvel Comics character that many people are aware of. Initially introduced as a villain who fought against Spider-Man, Punisher has established himself as one of the most popular antiheroes who isn't afraid to use more violent methods, including murder and torture, to get results. Following his debut in 1974, he has appeared in hundreds of comics and made several on-screen appearances in the likes of the animated "Spider-Man" series and Marvel's "The Punisher" and "Daredevil."

Most of the time, Punisher doesn't have any particular superpowers. He instead relies on his military training, martial arts skills, and physical prowess to overcome enemies. However, in some recent issues, Frank Castle has been endowed with mystical powers after becoming the Fist of the Beast in an attempt to resurrect his dead wife. He has been shown capable of ripping men in half with his sheer strength and killing people in more elaborate and horrifying ways than ever before.

Arguably the most popular and successful of any of the characters in Marvel Comics, Spider-Man has become an archetypal hero. Bitten by a radioactive spider, Peter Parker developed a number of superpowers, including a powerful healing factor, a spider-sense that can almost predict threats, and the ability to cling to walls in addition to enhanced reactions, strength, and endurance. Despite his normal carefree nature, Spider-Man is actually among the strongest of the Marvel heroes and can hold his own against almost anyone.

Yet, in 2022 the web-slinger morphed into a more beast-like version of his character known as Savage Spider-Man. In previous comics, Spider-Man has been known to rip the face off an enemy using the adhesive power of his spider abilities on his hands but Savage Spider-Man takes things to a new extreme. He can shoot red webs out of his mouth that are shown to wrap around the head of an enemy and give Peter Parker control over the victim, terrifying everyone in the vicinity.

Published by Image Comics, "Sex Criminals" is a comic book series that made its debut in 2013 and ran until 2020. It follows a pair of strangers who end up having sex after meeting at a party and suddenly find that they can freeze time when climaxing together. Suzie is a librarian and Jon agrees to use their newly discovered sex-powered time-freezing ability to rob a bank in the hopes of getting the money needed to stop Suzie's library from being shut down.

As you may have guessed, "Sex Criminals" features a lot of sex, nudity, and R-rated discussions about the sexual histories of the main characters. This makes it unlikely to ever be adapted for the screen except for an R-rated television series or movie. The fact that Suzie and Jon can only freeze time by having sex complicates matters even more. For many, this is a shame because the series had been highly rated by reviewers and praised for the way it deals with sex in a positive manner.