<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Invulnerability is the inability to be injured, and is a power possessed by some superheroes.

Probably the most famous example in contemporary sci fi is Superman. Bullets bounce off him (including memorably off his eye in Superman Returns in 2007), missiles can not harm him, and he can walk through fire. This invulnerability is shared by other Kryptonians (on Earth), including his cousin Supergirl, Krypto the superdog, and Beppo, the supermonkey.

In ancient times, legends of Achilles said he was invulnerable (beginning with a poem written by Statius in the first century AD), because his mother dipped him into the River Styx. However, she forgot to dip the heel by which she held him, leading to a fatal point of vulnerability.

Invulnerable characters are said to be invulnerable except for their weakness or vulnerability. Superman has a vulnerability to kryptonite. In the comics, he is additionally succeptible to magic. Character's one vulnerability is sometimes referred to as their "Achilles' heel".

Invulnerability can also be a specific type of attack, such as fire.

Intangible characters are usually invulnerable in that state, although they may also be incapable of affecting others.

A similar ability is regeneration.

For specific information, such as individual characters and stories, please click the Invulnerable Characters category link at the bottom of this article.