Stan Lee was frequently asked what superpower he’d want if he could choose one—and his answer was always luck. On this Saint Patrick’s Day, we’re taking a look at a few comicbook characters who have bottled up the most elusive and convenient phenomenon on earth to use in either positive or negative ways. The luck of the Irish is not an easy thing to tap into, but the following characters are at least half way there…
Domino
The luckiest of them all! Domino, A.K.A. Neena Thurman, is a mutant with the power to, simply put, have things happen in her favor. Thanks to slight telekinetic movements that take place in moments of danger or combat, it seems that luck is always on Domino’s side. This really comes in handy when you’re a mercenary for hire, as well as a member of the mutant group X-Force. Domino most recently showed off her luck-based abilities in Deadpool 2.
Longshot
Or maybe this guy’s the luckiest of them all. Genetically engineered in the Mojoverse featured in many X-Men comicbooks, Longshot is good luck personified. His left eye shines whenever he calls upon his infinite good luck powers, but they only work when Longshot is trying to do the right thing. If his motives aren’t pure, these powers might not even activate. And there’s a flipside to his powers. By drawing on the most favorable probabilities, those same prospects may be taken away from others and bring them bad luck. As Longshot has mastered his powers, he’s learned to only use them when he thinks it’s the right thing to do and when it won’t take away too much luck from others, including his friends and allies, the X-Men.
Gambit
Gambit’s power is the ability to harness the kinetic energy in inanimate objects, with explosive results. His usual items of choice are playing cards, which come in handy as small but powerful weapons. In addition to this aptitude, he has heightened dexterity, agility, and strength. His energy-enhancing powers also allow him to indirectly manipulate objects around him, making the avoidance of hazards a high probability. Gambit uses this ability during combat, so his charged-up cards always seem to hit their mark and conversely, Gambit is very hard to hit. This is definitely a lucky power to have.
Jinx
Jinx starts out as a villain in Teen Titans, but eventually her forbidden love for Kid Flash convinces her to denounce her life of crime and become an honorary Titan. Jinx is not only a sorceress, but she also has the power to create bad luck. The destruction that is the consequence of using her powers initially drives her to a life of crime, but the Teen Titans teach her to turn her bad luck to good, so to speak.
Scarlet Witch
Although it’s not depicted as such in the MCU films, the comicbook iteration of Scarlet Witch possesses the power to “hex” her enemies, causing them bad luck when trying to attack her, and in turn, causing a more favorable outcome for herself and her teammates. These abilities could be used on a grander scale to affect the luck of an entire battle, but this takes a great deal of control and concentration for her to achieve, so it is not a readily available weapon. Instead, telekinesis is usually the power she most often fights with, but it would be foolish of any enemy to underestimate Scarlet Witch’s luck-based hex powers!
Black Cat
Felicia Hardy was originally a thief who cleverly riddled her crime scenes with traps that seemed like bad luck accidents to anyone who was on her tail as she tried to escape. She fell in love with Spider-Man and for a while was his crime-fighting partner. Feeling she wasn’t up to par, she turned to the criminal underworld to gain experimental bad luck powers, which made things go poorly for anyone who attacked her. But they had the unfortunate consequence of also affecting those she loved, and Spidey’s usually troubled life became even more challenging while he remained with her. They eventually broke up, and soon Felicia returned to a life of crime, becoming a respected crime lord herself. These powers haven’t often appeared in her more recent iterations, but whatever her current powers, she remains bad luck for anyone unfortunate enough to cross her path.
Hazard
Becky Sharpe, also known as Hazard, employs a magical set of dice to either give herself good luck or impose unfortunate accidents on her enemies. In the current TV series iteration of The Flash, Hazard is a very successful supervillain thanks to the constant series of mishaps that happen to everyone who tries to get in her way.
Happy St. Paddy’s Day to you, and may your luck be as good as it is for these probability-altering comicbook heroes and villains!