Ten Best: Superheroes and their gadgets

Debating which superhero is best has raged on for decades, and even more so since the blockbuster movies that dominate our screens. With fans engaged in battles to determine if Batman is better than Superman or if Thor could defeat Hulk; this looks like a discussion that will never be resolved. But there is one way to help us decide the best of the best.

One thing the majority of superheroes have in common, aside from being super, is their array of nifty gadgets. With everything from bows and arrows to shields and teched up suits, there’s probably more devices than heroes. The folks at Brother wondered just which superhero had the best gadget and put together this great Top 10 of superheroes and their gadgets. Check it out:

10) Captain America

Although he has no super powers to speak of, Steve Rogers aka Captain America, possesses the best in human strength, speed and agility all thanks to a serum he was injected with. Due to his superhuman abilities, Captain America requires just one gadget; his almost indestructible shield – meaning the first avenger should probably receive more credit than he already does.

9) Green Arrow

Despite no super powers again to speak of, Green Arrow fights crime like a modern day Robin Hood – thanks to his trusty collection of arrows. Although arrows may not seem the ideal weapon in the modern age, we should point out these aren’t any old arrows. Known as trick arrows, the crime fighter’s bow can shoot acid, glue, nets, freezing and regular arrows, as he sees fit.

8) Spider-Man

Everyone’s favourite wall crawler Spider-Man relies on more than just gadgets, with his super quick reflexes, wall crawling abilities and spidey sense; but even Spider-Man needs a little assistance. This help comes in the shape of his web shooters, which gives him scope to swing from building to building, as well as grab falling objects and, of course, his enemies.

7) Thor

Surely Thor’s hammer can be classed as a gadget? Ok it may be a little controversial, but the hammer does a lot of cool things associated with a gadget; so it shouldn’t be written off because he’s a god. After all, if thrown at enemies it’ll return, and it can only be used by Thor – giving it perfect gadget status.

6) Star Lord

The Guardians of the Galaxy may be a mismatched group of intergalactic criminals, but they’re heroes none the less. Helped along by their leader Star Lord, the group are a little bit like a space based Avengers. A master strategist, skilled marksman and fencer, it’s his suit that helps him achieve superhuman strength, alongside flight and space travel abilities. But his gadget, or weapon, of choice is a pair of Kree sub-machine guns – complete with various types of ammunition, such as explosives.

5) Black Widow

Natasha Romanoff is a member of S.H.I.E.L.D, and possibly one of the most dangerous women in the Marvel universe; oh and she’s an Avenger. With enhanced human abilities thanks to a serum similar to Captain America’s, Romanoff is a world class gymnast, athlete, marksman, acrobat and martial arts expert with training in espionage and weaponry. But all of this hasn’t deterred her from a few trusty gadgets, which include grappling hooks, tear gas, transmitters and bracelets that fire energy blasts containing 30,000 volts; known as the Widow’s Bite.

4) Nightwing

After fighting crime alongside the caped crusader, Dick Grayson hung up his Robin costume and went solo in the form of Nightwing. With a number of peak human abilities such as agility, strength, speed, endurance and the intellect of a genius – he also owns a gadget collection to rival his former mentor. However it’s his mask that comes out on top; complete with a built in computer, radio transmitter/receiver, thermal, sonar, night, x-ray and electromagnetic vision, what else would you possibly need?

3) Iron Man

Rather than relying on a collection of gadgets, Tony Stark went for something a little different; his Iron Man suit. Complete with a built in computer in the helmet, and powered by artificial intelligence JARVIS, this suit is pretty awesome, allowing Tony to fly at rocket speeds and ultimately save the planet – why isn’t it number one? Well clearly there are some much niftier gadgets around the superhero world.

2) Batman

Just missing out on the top spot is the Dark Knight himself; Batman. Bruce Wayne has a whole cave filled some of the most amazing gadgets to ever leap out of the DC Universe, which combined with his training, more than makes up for his lack of actual superhuman powers. Batman’s list of gadgetry is practically never ending, and across the decades we’ve seen amazing items such as; the line launcher, the batpod, the batarang (which come in remote control, electric, magnetic and computerised versions), grappling gun, freeze grenades, explosive gel, audio frequency jammer and of course his utility belt.

1) Superman

Coming in at first place is the man who embodies everything a superhero should; Superman. I hear you asking why Superman is in the poll position; after all, he has superhuman strength, speed and intelligence due to his alien ancestry, and has wowed us all with super powers like heat vision. So why is he at the top of the gadget list? Well this is because of his trusty glasses, which have helped Clark Kent keep his identity secret for decades. Whereas other superheroes are looking for the latest high tech gadgetry to fight their villains; superman uses the most basic of human gadgets to keep his friends and loved ones safe.