12 Times Athletes Made Us Think They Were Superheroes

It's one of the most interesting questions out there—what superpower would one want if given the chance to choose?

No matter how unrealistic it is to think about seeing into the future, jumping to the moon, lifting an entire building above your head or going into complete invisible mode, it's always fun to ponder what it would be like to be a superhero.

And because sports and superheroes are so intertwined, it got me thinking about times when athletes showed uncanny powers, with each player acting like a superhero with his or her play.

12. Aaron Hicks Is Strong Arm

After seeing the miraculous throw that New York Yankees left fielder Aaron Hicks made in a game last week against the Oakland A's—in which Hicks fired a 105 mph throw from his position to home plate—it's totally normal to think the guy really is superhuman.

And since Hicks put his cannon of a right arm to unbelievable use, who else but the superhero Strong Arm to use as a comparison?

One of Stan Lee's Mighty 7, Strong Arm is the megahero with super strength—and Aaron Hicks proved he had that and more with his laser to throw out an A's runner.

11. J.J. Watt Is The Incredible Hulk

If there's a better pure football player on the planet than three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt, I have yet to see him, because the Houston Texans star is a freak of nature.

Whether it's bullying his opponents by nearly single-handedly winning games or showing that he has some solid ball-catching ability in addition to his tackling skills, Watt can do it all and more on the football field.

Oh, and when he played catch with a fan sitting in the upper deck—as seen on Hard Knocks last summer—J.J. Watt showed that he's a real-life Incredible Hulk.

10. Tim Howard Is Captain America

Who better than U.S. men's soccer goalie Tim Howard to represent Captain America? After all, this is the same Howard who protected the great country from goal after goal after goal during the team's World Cup match versus Belgium in 2014, stopping nearly anything that came at him.

While the team did lose the game 2-1, Howard played like a superhero—with the Internet taking notice—as memes of Howard making saves and saving the day graced social media.

Making 16 saves and showing the pride of a great American, Howard showed superhuman ability that day.

9. Stephen Curry Is Iceman

Basketball Hall of Famer George Gervin might be best known as "The Iceman," but it's Stephen Curry who has shown that he has ice water in his veins, overtaking the nickname from Gervin in a superhero sense.

Curry, the league's predominant shooter and reigning MVP, is cold-blooded with the basketball in his hands. He can cross up a defender, stop on a dime and pull up from anywhere on the floor to bury a shot.

The things that Steph has shown hoops fans these past two years have been insane, and with the killer instinct he has, Iceman is a fitting comparison.

8. Rob Gronkowski Is Beast

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski can only be described with one word—beastly. So, of course, the superhero that Gronk will best be compared to is Beast.

Much like the fictional character, Gronkowski is blessed with superhuman physical strength and agility, as well as oversize hands and feet, which help him not only haul in passes but freakishly also elude defenders and, when necessary, just drag them as if they were nothing.

Built like a rock, Gronkowski is a dominant force that is a load to try to take down.

7. Bryce Harper Is Deadpool

He's young, brash and, arguably, the best ballplayer on the planet, so it only seems right that reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper is similar to Deadpool for so many reasons.

While Harper is in commercials and enjoys the spoils of being a superstar, he's kind of the anti-star, refusing to play things politically correct by speaking his mind and pushing the envelope when it comes to the future of the sport.

Either you love him or hate him—much like Deadpool—but you have to respect Harper for the way he assassinates baseballs and plays with a flair for the game that is fun to watch.

6. Dwight Howard Is Superman

OK, so this one might not be as true of a comparison as it was, say, five years ago, but the fact that Dwight Howard actually busted out a Superman cape during the 2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest is still enough to get him recognized as the superhero.

It's too bad D12 hasn't been the same since, though, as he's clashed with teammates and has seen a major dip in his production.

Prior to all this drama, though, Howard was Superman—a real-life version of power, strength and wit who could save his team from defeat. 

5. Odell Beckham Jr. Is Spider-Man

Given the way that New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. pulls in footballs like he has spiderwebs for arms, one can't help but think that the two-time Pro Bowler is Spider-Man.

He showed his otherworldly sticky hands during his rookie season when he made one of the most insane catches in NFL history against the Dallas Cowboys. The one-handed, off-balance, over-the-head grab instantly put him on the map.

While Beckham has yet to prove that he can scale walls and web-sling from building to building, he has done everything else on the football field, displaying versatility like Spider-Man himself.

4. Kobe Bryant Is Wolverine

During his NBA career, Kobe Bryant had plenty of memorable moments that left fans speechless. Guess what, though, he may have saved his finest for the last chapter.

That's when The Black Mamba shocked the world by playing out of his mind against the Utah Jazz, dropping 60 points and putting on a vintage Kobe performance that included him outscoring the entire Utah team in the fourth quarter—even though he was noticeably gassed.

Sure, Bryant had an 81-point effort and won five rings during his illustrious career, but if there was ever a moment when he showed he was like Wolverine with enhanced skills and powerful regenerative ability, it was during his final act.

3. LeBron James Is Iron Man

There's plenty of evidence that shows LeBron James is like Iron Man, but the one that every sports fan witnessed was during last year's NBA Finals when James single-handedly led his team to two victories before losing to the Golden State Warriors.

Nailed by injuries to fellow All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, James was about as solid as Tony Stark, playing inside and outside to dominate like no other player has in the NBA's final round.

The Cavs may have lost, but most superheroes need a sidekick to earn victory, and James just didn't have many healthy Avengers to help him out there.

2. Michael Phelps Is Aquaman

Is there any athlete on this list more appropriate to be Aquaman than 18-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps? It should be an easy answer, because there isn't.

At the height of his career, Phelps was the most dominating force in swimming, winning a record 22 medals in the Olympics and instantly rising to fame after breaking numerous other records.

With Phelps set to swim again in this year's Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, sports fans should be intrigued to see him return to the pool. Like Aquaman, he possesses abilities that only those who live underwater truly understand.

1. Conor McGregor Is Batman

There's a ton of controversy about the future of UFC superstar Conor McGregor after he announced via social media that he was prematurely retiring (which he rescinded), but while in the Octagon, there's no one quite like the Irishman.

I know, I know, he did lose his last bout to Nate Diaz last month, but every superhero needs a good nemesis to try to beat, and Diaz is McGregor's at this moment.

McGregor's skills are so good that Batman himself even tries fighting like him—at least that's who Ben Affleck said he modeled his performance after in the most recent movie.

Dark, brash, confident and a man for his native people, McGregor is Batman.