Daniel Kish

Daniel Kish is the real life Daredevil. Losing his sight when he was just an infant, as a child Daniel taught himself to use echolocation making clicks with his tongue and listening for the echo bouncing off objects around him.

Kish is the co-founder of World Access for the Blind and has helped many children and families the world over to overcome blindness and take up activities such as mountaineering, mountain biking, skiing and other mainstream sports.

World Access for the Blind
Youtube: Daniel Kish explaining Echolocation

Liew Thow Lin aka 'Mr Magnet'

Liew Thow Lin is a Malaysian who can make metal objects stick to his body. His power has also been inherited by his three sons and grandchildren.

Incredibly he has used this ability to tow a car.

Malaysia's University of Technology says Lin does not have any magnetic field but it's actually down to a super-suction effect of his skin. Perhaps he should rebrand to Mr Velcro? Not quite the same ring, plus it's only metals apparently.

Wikipedia Profile
Good Reverend article

Though technically not a wall-crawler, since Lin's skin is considered to have a 'suction' effect allowing him to 'stick' to metal (not unlike the tiny barbs in Spider-Man's skin allowing him to 'stick' to walls), I'm going to file under Wall-Crawling.

Roy Sullivan aka 'The Human Lightning-Rod'

Sullivan was a US Park Ranger in Virginia who was struck by lightening seven times during the span of his 36 years as a ranger:

• 1942: On the fire lookout tower, struck in the leg and lost his big toe-nail.
• 1969: Driving his truck, knocked him unconscious and burned his eyebrows.
• 1970: In his front yard, burned his left shoulder.
• 1972: Struck him in a ranger station and set fire to his hair. After that he started carrying a pitcher of water with him.
• 1973: Hit on the head by a bolt that blasted him out of his car, again setting his hair on fire.
• 1974: Struck in a campground, injuring his ankle.
• 1977: Hit him whilst fishing, hospitalized for burns to his chest and stomach.

What attracted lightening bolts to Roy? Scientifically it remains unknown though some possible theories are that Sullivan was based at a lot of thunderstorm sites as a ranger, probability of local weather in Virginia or possibly a higher power trying to kill him. Nevertheless he earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records, who have two of his singed hats on display at their exhibit halls.

Sadly Roy took his own life in 1983, reportedly over an unrequited love.

Wikipedia Profile
Astrology Weekly Biography

 

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Claudia Mitchell

Claudia is the first woman in the world to be fitted with a bionic arm, making her the first female cyborg.

Her story reads almost like a comic book origins tale.

A former US Marine who lost her arm in a motorbike accident, read about a prototype being worn by Jesse Sullivan (the first male cyborg) and decided to undergo the operation herself. She received, however, an even more advanced prototype than Jesse's, making hers the most advanced bionic arm to date.

The project cost $4 million and it works by sensing chest muscles through a connection to the nerves that once sent signals to the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder. It seems that the arm can only manage to lift about 10lbs though, which does rather hinder that crime-fighting potential, but she is still an Incredible Human.

Wikipedia Profile
Endgadget article
Washington Post article

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Natalya Demkina aka 'Girl With The X-Ray Eyes'

Natalya discovered her ability at the age of 10 when she saw inside of her mothers body. Word soon spread and people from far and wide across Russia came to visit her for diagnosis of their problems.

Her ability has been tested in Russia, United Kingdom, America and Japan with varying degrees of success.

She is currently a full-time student at Semashko State Stomatological University, Moscow and has worked for the Center of Special Diagnostics of the Natalya Demkina (TSSD) since 2006. She uses her gift alongside her practical skills as a doctor.

Criticism

Natalya is a controversial choice, since her gifting was dismissed by America's Committee for Skeptical Enquiry (CSI), formerly know as the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP).

I have taken the initiative to draw up a point-by-point analysis of why CSI's results could have been wrong, and why she is the genuine article:

• CSI is not the world authority on biological or spiritual matters, it is not sponsored by any government (though I'm sure it likes to give the impression).
• Natalya volunteered to take the CSI tests herself. There was no pride or arrogance involved, neither did she do it begrudgingly. She was simply looking for affirmation.
• CSI set 5 out of 7 as the 'pass' rate of the test. Natalya correctly identified 4. Given that the odds of achieving 4 matches were 1 in 50, this was statistically high.
• It is my opinion that the tests themselves were flawed because they relied upon mutually exclusive multiple choice diagnoses, rather than logical either/or with each subject separately. This meant she had to rely on deduction rather than her gift, much like you or I would to complete a crossword puzzle when we discover a word doesn't fit or we don't know the answer.
• Brian Josephson (a Nobel-prize winning physicist) has criticised the test pointing out the results should have been ruled 'inconclusive' and that CSI relied on a Bayesian inference. (Ironic since this scientific method was derived from the work of a Reverend, not a skeptic).
• Natalya had disputed 2 of the subjects conditions for the test before taking it, however she was forced to accept them if she wanted to continue with the test.
• Of the failed diagnoses, she failed to determine a metal plate in one subjects skull and a resected esophagus. CSI questioned why she had not discovered these as the metal plate was visible beneath the subjects scalp and the other patient had scar tissue around their throat. Wouldn't this confirm she genuinely using her gift, and not simply looking for tell-tale signs?
• After New York, Natalya visited Tokyo for tests with Professor Yoshio Machi. Unlike the CSI tests, these tests required stricter measures, including that the subjects bring with them a medical certificate stating their health issue.

Natalya Demkina Official Website (Use Babelfish to translate http://demkina.ru to English)
Wikipedia Profile

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Angle-Grinder Man

This anonymous hero serves the people of London by patrolling at night looking for clamped, stranded drivers and sets them free with his angle-grinder.

"I may not be able to single-handedly and totally cast off the repressive shackles of a corrupt government - but I can cut off your wheel-clamps for you." - AGM

In May of 2003 AGM went full-time setting up a website - www.anglegrinderman.co.uk, with a telephone number to call if your car was clamped, however the site has since disappeared (replaced with a zombie ad site). Where is the Angle-Grinder Man now? Has he been overcome by his nemesis or a parking attendant with a grudge?

BBC News Story
Superheroes Lives profile

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Lewis Gordon Pugh aka 'Ice Bear'

Not only is Lewis Gordon Pugh an Incredible Human, but he already has a cool superhero tag.

Born on 5th December 1959, Ice Bear has swam in all 5 oceans of the world and broken a number of records, including the world record for the most northern and southern long distance swim at the North and South Poles. By day he is Polar explorer, pioneer swimmer and public speaker. He was born in England, but raised in South Africa and fights the cause against climate change.

His unique super-power comes in the form of 'anticipatory thermo-genesis', he is able to elevate his core body temperature in anticipation of swimming in freezing waters:

"I am acclimatized to the cold having spent many years in cold places. As soon as I enter cold water my body shunts all my warm blood to my core to protect my vital organs. It then generates incredible heat. However, before I even enter the water, I am able to elevate my core body temperature by as much as 1.4°C (2.5°F). This phenomenon, now known as "anticipatory thermogenises", has to our knowledge not been noted in any other human being." - Lewis Pugh, Official Website

Ice Bear is the first featured here of many Incredible Humans to come.

Wikipedia Profile
Official Website

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Super Power Classification

For all intensive purposes, I will be using Wikipedia's List of Comic Book Superpowers and SuperHero Database for reference. I may manage to come up with a superpower not listed, but it is unlikely. Discussion and suggestions are welcome!