- "Heroes aren’t born, They’re made!"
- ― (The Boys)
- "The super serum doesn’t turn us into monsters, it only brings out the truth of what we are inside, whether it’s perfect or not."
- ― (Anonymous)
- "Ever since I was blown off that roof…All I’ve felt is pain…The pain of betrayal, the pain of having every bone in my body shattered…When I hit the water. But I didn’t panic. I was patient. And that patience helped me to find a way to transform that pain…Into something else. Strength."
- ― Ricardo Diaz (Arrowverse)
The trait for a power or set of powers that is gained from serums. Scientific equivalent of Potion-Based Powers. Variation of Formula Empowerment.
Also Called[]
- Powers via Serum
- Serum-Based Enhancement
- Super Serum Powers
Effects[]
A power or a set of powers is delivered to a character who consumes a certain serum which then augments the user's physical body. Some users can be turned into super soldiers after being given a serum. Some users can be turned into metahumans/mutants or mutates after being given a serum. If users are female and pregnant, as they are being given a serum, the child/children may also gain the same powers. If, at a later date, users of either sex conceive children with non-superpowered individuals, those children may inherit their powers.
Some serums can be engineered by certain ingredients that may include chemicals/drugs or cells/blood from aliens, superhumans, etc. The effects of the serum may be permanent, or they may be time limited.
Associations[]
Associated Archetypes[]
- Augmented Superior Human
- Clone
- Modified Clone (Human clones can be genetically modified, by being injected with the super serum, and therefore given enhanced abilities.)
- Mutated Clone
- Super Soldier
Associated Traits[]
- Artificially Enhanced Physiology
- Drug-Based Powers
- Experientially Induced Powers
- Personality Attuned Powers (Some users develop superpowers that resemble their personalities.)
- Power via Genetic Mutation
- Scientifically Enhanced Physiology
- Unnatural Quality
Associated Physiologies[]
Associated Powers (General)[]
- Bio-Augmentation
- Various Superpowers
Associated Powers (Detailed)[]
- Decelerated Aging/Longevity/Semi-Immortality
- Elemental Manipulation
- Extrasensory Perception
- Flight
- Heat/Laser Vision
- Intangibility
- Invisibility/Camouflage
- Invulnerability
- Natural Weaponry
- Power Bestowal/Augmentation
- Self-Power Bestowal by injecting oneself with the serum.
- Power Restoration if the user loses their powers to Power Erasure.
- Regenerative Healing Factor
- Serum Manipulation
- Shapeshifting
- Supernatural Bodily Aspects
- Telekinesis
- Telepathy
- Teleportation
- Weakness Resistance/Limitation Transcendence
Variations[]
Limitations[]
- Users may experience unpredictable side effects from the serum:
- Depending on if the serum has time limits, the effects of the serum, which grants the user powers, may not last forever.
- Thus, the user may have to constantly inject themselves with the serum daily.
- Depending on the effects the serum has on physical age, infants/children or teenagers may have better adaptation to the effects of the serum than adults.
Known Users[]
- Mega Minions (Despicable Me 4)
- Eldians (Attack on Titan)
- Supers (The Boys)
- Stormfront
- The Seven
- Homelander
- Queen Maeve
- Black Noir
- Starlight
- A-Train
- The Deep
- Translucent
- The Lamplighter
- Mister Marathon
- Shockwave
- Supersonic
- Payback
- Soldier Boy
- Eagle the Archer
- Crimson Countess
- Tek Knight
- Gunpowder
- Swatto
- Mindstorm
- TNT Twins
- The Boys
- The Female/Kimiko Miyashiro
- Billy Butcher (Temporarily)
- Hughie Campbell (Temporarily)
- Sage Grove Center
- Cindy
- Love Sausage
- Tim
- Phasing Patient
- Tongue Patient
- Wall Punching Patient
- Zapped Lights Patient
- Tiny Hero
- Acid Vomit Patient
- EMP Dude Patient
- Glowing Eyes Patient
- Airburst
- Behemoth
- Big Game
- Blindspot
- Doppelganger
- Ezekiel
- Gecko
- Kenji Miyashiro
- Laser Baby
- Mesmer/The Mesmerizer
- Malchemical
- Naqib
- Popclaw
- Stacker
- Victoria Neuman
- Moonshadow
- Silver Kincaid
- Livewire
- Blue Hawk
- Supes (The Boys Presents: Diabolical)
- Various Metahumans (DC Comics)
- Roy Lincoln/Human Bomb I (DC Comics)
- Slade Wilson/Deathstroke the Terminator (DC Comics)
- Lois Lane (DC Comics' All-Star Superman)
- Lex Luthor (DC Comics' All-Star Superman)
- Various Characters (Arrowverse)
- Ricardo Diaz
- Roy Harper
- Slade Wilson
- Various Metahumans (Black Lightning)
- Green Light Babies
- Maryam Luqman
- Erica Moran
- Issa Williams
- Lynn Stewart; Temporarily
- Original Vaccine Kids
- Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning
- Looker
- Wendy Hernandez
- Baron/"T.C." Technocrat
- Carson Williams
- Tobias Whale
- Tyson Sykes/Gravedigger; formerly
- Green Light Babies
- Users of Velocity-9 (The Flash)
- Hunter Zolomon/Zoom
- Eliza Harmon/Trajectory
- August Heart/Godspeed
- Nathaniel "Nate" Heywood/Steel (Legends of Tomorrow)
- Compound B Users (Image Comics)
- Roger Davenport/Captain Man
- Grant Matthews/Thunderman
- Henry Davenport/Vertigo
- Wanda Smirnoff/Shadow Witch
- Klaus Bautista/The Crusher
- Charlie/Soundwave
- Zoe McConnell (The Lazarus Effect); via Lazarus serum
- Nick Fury (Marvel Comics)
- Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman (Marvel Comics)
- Julia Carpenter/Spider-Woman (Marvel Comics)
- Various Mutates (Marvel Comics)
- Super Soldiers
- Steve Rogers/Captain America
- Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian
- James "Bucky" Barnes/Winter Soldier
- Isaiah Bradley
- Johann Schmidt/Red Skull
- John Walker/U.S. Agent
- Flag Smashers
- Karli Morgenthau/Flag-Smasher
- Peggy Carter/Captain Carter
- Robert Reynolds/Sentry
- Norman Osborn/Green Goblin
- Super Soldiers
- Beast (Marvel Comics/X-Men Movies)
- Luther Hargreeves/Number One/Spaceboy (The Umbrella Academy)
Known Serums[]
- Titan Serum (Attack on Titan)
- Compound V (The Boys)
- V24 (The Boys)
- Super Serum (DC Comics/All-Star Superman)
- Mirakuru Serum (Arrowverse)
- Original Vaccine (DC Comics/Arrowverse)
- Velocity Serums/Velocity-9 (Arrowverse)
- Green Light (Arrowverse/Black Lightning)
- Meta Booster (Arrowverse/Black Lighting)
- Anti-Aging Serum (Arrowverse/Black Lightning)
- Harun-El/Rock of Yuda Kal/Black Kryptonite (Arrowverse/Supergirl)
- The Lazarus serum (The Lazarus Effect)
- Golden Sentry Serum (Marvel Comics)
- Infinity Formula (Marvel Comics)
- OZ Formula/Goblin Serum (Marvel Comics)
- Spider Serum (Marvel Comics)
- Super Soldier Serum (Marvel Comics/Marvel Cinematic Universe)
- Dr. Erskine's Early Prototype Serum
- Dr. Erskine's Perfected Serum
- Zola's Super Serum
- U.S. Military Super Serum
- Howard Stark's Super Serum
- The Other US Military Super Serum Variant
- Hulk Serum/Gamma Serum
- The Abomination Formula
- Nagel's Super Serum
- Patriot Serum (Marvel Comics/Marvel Cinematic Universe)
- Hydra Super-Serum (Marvel Comics/Marvel Cinematic Universe)
- Mutant Growth Hormone (Marvel Comics/X-Men Films)
- Trilsettum Serum (No Ordinary Family)
- Elixir (The Perfect Run)
- Cauldron's Vials (Worm)
Gallery[]
Eldians (Attack on Titan), like Eren Yaeger, transform into Titans after being injected with the titan serum.
James Barnes/Winter Soldier (Marvel Comics) gained his powers from the Infinity Serum.
Steve Rogers/Captain America (Marvel Comics) gained his enhancements from the Super Soldier Serum.
Natalia "Natasha" Romanov (Marvel Comics) took the Red Room's prototype variant of the Super Solider Serum and was enhanced to peak human condition and granted Decelerated Aging.
Isaiah Bradley (Marvel Comics)
.jpeg "The Seven (The Boys).jpeg (55 KB)")
The Seven (The Boys), as Supers/Supes, gained their powers from Compound V.
Stormfront (The Boys) was the first to be given the successful Compound V, which turned her into the first Super/Supe.
The Female/Kimiko (The Boys), by injecting herself with Compound V, was able to regain her powers after losing them to Soldier Boy.
_Electricity_Absorption.gif "Black Lightning (DC Comics) Electricity Absorption.gif (4.22 MB)")
Jefferson Peirce/Black Lightning (Arrowverse/Black Lightning) gained his powers from the original vaccine.
Lena Luthor (Supergirl) made the Harun-El into a supernatural drug that when injected into humans it gives them superpowers that can go toe-to-toe with solar-powered Kryptonians.
Slade Wilson (Arrow) was injected with the Mirakuru serum, which altered his physiology and transformed him into a super soldier. The injection initially made him either faint or temporarily die as Oliver felt no pulse before Slade woke up, with extreme pain and bloody tears as side effects.
Roy Harper (Arrow) was forcefully injected with a recreated version of the Mirakuru Serum.
Tobias Whale (Black Lightning) constantly injects himself with Anti-Aging Serum, that not only grants Decelerated Aging but also Superhuman Strength and Durability.
Ricardo Diaz (Arrow) injected himself with a special strength serum that acted like a biomolecular enhancer drug he made to artificially enhance his body, thus giving him even greater physical strength which he broke solid concrete and easily took down Oliver in a few blows.
Hunter Zoloman/Zoom (Arrowverse) created the Velocity 9 serum to increase his speed to greater levels but is started to degenerate his body despite his accelerated healing factor.
Eliza Harmon/Trajectory (Arrowverse) reverse engineer the Velocity serums to give a regular person the powers of a speedster.
.png "Godspeed (DC Comics).png (367 KB)")
August Heart/Godspeed (Arrowverse) recreated the Velocity-9 serum in order to gain super speed and modify it to prevent cellular degeneration by combining it with tachyons, which gave him an unstable connection to the Speed Force and made him completely unaffected by the death of the Speed Force and meta-dampening tech.
Nate Heywood/Steel (Arrowverse/Legends of Tomorrow) gained his powers from a super serum created by the Reverse Flash.
Gravedigger (Arrowverse/Black Lightning) gained extra powers from the meta-booster, before losing the extra powers from the anti-booster.
Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (Marvel Cinematic Universe) is the Russian counterpart of Captain America having taken the Russian variant of the Super Soldier Serum
Luther Hargreeves/Number One (The Umbrella Academy) gained enhanced resilience and an ape-like body, after being given a serum from his adoptive father.
Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
Emil Blonsky (Marvel Cinematic Universe) gained his enhanced abilities from another variant of the US Military super serum. Before being given the Abomination formula, exposed to Gamma Rays, and becoming Abomination.
.jpg "Green Goblin (Spider-Man movie).jpg (401 KB)")
Green Goblin (Spider-Man Movies)
Peggy Carter/Captain Carter (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
Videos[]
The Forgotten Marvel Hero of World War II-2