Every few months or so, a new superhero movie appears on a silver screen near you.
Each time, you watch in awe as superheroes and heroines perform impossible stunts, survive great physical threats and mammoth smack-downs, all in the name of science and saving the world you live in.
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When not fighting the world’s biggest threats, they are also prime examples of physical perfection and thus ‘born naturals’ on the sports field.
Here is a geeky look at what sports the most popular superheroes would excel in had they not been so busy saving the world.
#1 Thor (Thor Odinson)
Sport: Hammer Throw
In Norse mythology and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms and mankind’s protection.
Note the key word here – hammer. Have you seen the relative ease with which Thor wields his mountain-crushing hammer Mjolnir?
Although the Norse God of Thunder’s throwing routine may seem a bit unconventional for track and field purists, there exists no better hammer thrower in all the nine realms.
So Thor, if he weren’t too busy saving earth from certain destruction, would have been a champion hammer thrower for Norway.
#2 Captain America (Steve Rogers)
Sport: Discus Throw
Injected with the super-soldier serum, Steve Rogers was frozen in suspended animation for a few decades. The serum gave Captain America enhanced physical powers and a mean throwing arm. All it takes is one swing of that massive arm for his shield to soar hundreds of metres away.
What if one day an eagle-eyed American coach substituted his shield with a much smaller discus? Quite simply, you would have the world’s best discus thrower to have ever lived or died.
With the super-soldier serum slowing down his ageing process, Captain America could just keep winning Olympic gold medals, long after other competitors were dead and gone.
#3 Hulk (Bruce Banner)
Sport: Greco-Roman Wrestling
When in human form, Bruce Banner is a genius scientist. But once he gets angry, he transforms into a mean fighting machine.
Undoubtedly, he would make for a great American Greco-Roman wrestler. Obviously, he would toy with his opponents on the wrestling mat. If you’ve any doubts about his superhuman strength on the fighting pad, all you have to do is ask Loki, a God in his own right, who bore the brunt of Hulk’s attention during the famous Avengers movie.
#4 Iron Man (Tony Stark)
Sport: Formula Racing
Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, race care driver... Tony Stark, A.K.A the Iron Man, could be any of those in a little less than a heartbeat.
A self-styled maverick flyer, he sometimes dabbles in the enthralling world of Formula Car racing. The last time he did so, in Monaco, a bad, mad Russian villain put an end to his plans.
But irrespective of the sudden stop to his career as a racecar driver, he has shown a great passion for it. So if Iron Man ever decided to power down his Arc Reactor, he wouldn’t have to wander far in search of an alternate career.
#5 Black Widow (Natalia ‘Natasha’ Romanova)
Sport: Gymnastics
Natalia ‘Natasha’ Romanova may not be a superhero in the strictest sense of the word, but that does not make her any less awesome. Anyone who’s seen her gymnastic prowess while taking down enemies will not bother messing with her.
A lady who appears to have hardly any bones in her body, she would make a stunning addition to the Russian gymnastics team.
She feints, leaps and sashays her way through enemy hordes. What wouldn’t we give to see that expertise being put to good use on an Olympic gymnastics floor?
#6 Hawkeye (Clint Barton)
Sport: Archery
This seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? That’s because it indeed is.
Orphaned at an early age when his parents died in a car accident, he performed at a travelling circus for a long time. Over the years, he polished his natural archery skills to near invincible levels.
While he does not boast of any superhuman powers, he has always managed to hold his own while saving the world alongside his superhero band of brothers – The Avengers.
Is there a target he cannot hit? Is there an Olympic gold he cannot win with his eyes taped shut? The answer to both questions is a big, resounding NO.
#7 Deadpool (Wade Wilson)
Sport: Pistol/rifle shooting
Wade Wilson became a part of the ‘Weapon X’ programme quite early in his life and transformed himself into an elite assassin.
His choice of weapon is the gun and he’s an expert at wielding it. It is said he can hit a running target while being suspended upside down, beneath a moving aircraft, violently shaking and about to crash, several thousands of feet above the ground.
That kind of deadly accuracy can be put to good use on a shooting range, be it pistol, rifle, skeet or trap events. America, are you listening?
#8 Flash (Barry Allen)
Sport: Sprinting
Move over, Usain Bolt. Flash, the fastest person alive on earth, a founding member of the Justice League of America, is here.
An avid scientist as a young boy, he got his powers when chemicals from one of his experiments got charged by a lightning strike and ended up all over him. Ever since, he’s had difficulty in slowing down.
If the USA ever decide to put him on their Olympic track and field team, that would be the day they break Jamaica’s stranglehold on sprint events.
#9 Aquaman (Arthur Curry)
Sport: Swim events
Aquaman, the king of Atlantis, is the ruler of the sea. He possesses many abilities including super-strength, durability, super-speed, the ability to stay underwater for long periods and telepathy.
His ability to swim like a fish makes him a natural in the swimming pool. If ever the tall, rugged, bearded maverick made it to an Olympic Games, the other competitors may as well just suit up and leave.
Be it the short course, long course, free diving or diving events, he will win them all.
#10 Wonder Woman (Diana Prince)
Sport: Fencing
The Amazonian warrior princess is the daughter of Hippolyta and the Gods gave her superpowers to fight evil in its many forms.
Raised only by women on the island of Themyscira, she became an ambassador to the world of man, spreading their idealistic messages of strength and love.
Working under the human name of Diana Prince, Wonder Woman is a master swordswoman who is unmatched in skill. With so much dexterity, power and swashbuckling swordsmanship, she is a natural in any fencing competition. Fencers around the world, tremble at her name.
