Real-life X-Men: meet our record-breaking line-up of Superlative Superheroes
What would a real-life line-up of X-Men look like?
Well, since Guinness World Records is all about celebrating the qualities that make each of us unique and special, we may know a thing or two about this.
In the 2018 edition of our book, we revealed a line-up of amazing people we dubbed the Superlative Squad.
And since today (13 May) is X-Men Day – a celebration of the iconic Marvel comic and film characters – and we’re also deep into the final season of record-breaking show The Boys, we thought we’d celebrate these incredible humans once more.
So, let’s meet our Guinness World Records Superheroes…
The Human Spider
Who better to be our answer to Spider-Man than Alain Robert (France), who holds the record for most buildings climbed. As of 2015, Alain had climbed 121 buildings, including skyscrapers, in a series of dangerous and awe-inspiring stunts.
Known as the “French Spider-Man”, Alain started scaling towers, mountains and skyscrapers in 1994.
He also holds the records for fastest time to climb The Torch Doha unassisted (solo) with a time of 1 hr 33 min 47 sec and fastest time to climb the Burj Khalifa tower – the world’s tallest building – in 6 hr 13 min 55 sec.
The Samurai
Isao Machii (Japan) could rival Wolverine’s claws with his impressive samurai sword skills.
In 2015, he broke the record for most martial arts sword cuts to one mat (Suegiri) with a total of eight and no one has outdone him yet.
He’s also held the record for fastest 1,000 martial arts (iaido) sword cuts, with a time of 36 min 4 sec, since 2007.
Isao is also the record holder for fastest BB pellet cut by sword (158.29 km/h; 98.36 mph), the most sword cuts to straw mats in three minutes (252) and the fastest tennis ball cut by sword (700 km/h; 434.96 mph).
Kilo-Girl
Ukraine’s Nina Geria could be our answer to She-Hulk thanks to her incredible strength.
In 2012, she appeared on our Italian TV show Lo Show dei Record to smash the record for farthest distance to wheelbarrow a car (female) with a distance of 90 m (295 ft 3.3 in).
Within the space of a few days, she also broke records for highest keg toss (female) (3.90 m; 12 ft 10 in) and the fastest 20 m duck walk carrying 120 kg (12.33 sec).
She’s unstoppable!
Elastic Man
Giving the Fantastic Four’s Mr Fantastic a run for his money is Garry Turner (UK).
Garry has held the record for stretchiest skin (male) since 1998.
He’s able to stretch the skin of his stomach to a distended length of 15.8 cm (6.25 in) due to a rare medical condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a disorder of the connective tissues affecting the skin, ligaments and internal organs. With this condition, the collagen that strengthens the skin and determines its elasticity becomes defective, resulting in, among other things, a loosening of the skin, and "hypermobility" of the joints.
Garry also used his stretchy skin to break the record for most clothes pegs on the face in 2013 with a total of 161.
Read about more incredible humans in our Human Body section.
Super Hooper
Marawa Ibrahim (Australia) is our Super Hooper… and she’s super speedy on her rollerskates too.
She’s been breaking records for over a decade and currently has eight titles to her name:
- Farthest distance on high-heeled roller skates spinning 8 hula hoops – 43.20 m
- Fastest 50 m hula hooping (female) – 8.76 sec
- Fastest 100 m on high-heeled roller skates – 26.10 sec
- Most hula hoops spun simultaneously – 200
- Fastest 100 m on roller skates while spinning three hula hoops – 27.26 sec
- Fastest mile hula hooping (female) – 8 min 0.40 sec
- Fastest 100 m hula hooping (female) – 17.87 sec
- Most hula hoops spun whilst suspended from the wrists - 50
The Flame
Our very own Human Torch is Josef Tödtling (Austria), who has performed a series of wild stunts while he was on fire.
Josef has held the record for longest duration full body burn without oxygen since 2013 after managing an unprecedented 5 min 41 sec.
The stuntman also holds records for farthest distance full body burn while pulled by a vehicle (582 m; 1,909.45 ft), fastest 200 m cycle during a full body burn (49.55 sec), farthest distance full body burn on a zip wire (61.45 m; 201.60 ft) and fastest 100 m car pull in full body burn (56.42 sec).
Apple Crush
Stepping up instead of Captain Marvel is strongwoman Linsey Lindberg (USA).
She used her muscles to break the record for most apples crushed with the bicep in one minute (female) in 2014. She managed 10 of them in just 60 seconds.
Linsey, who also goes by the nickname “Mama Lou”, also holds the records for most decks of cards ripped in one minute (female) and the most telephone directories torn in one minute (female), both with a total of five.
Read about more feats of strength in our Sports and Fitness section.
Captain Freeze
Every superhero line-up needs someone with a cool head.
And who better for the job than Damian Kasprzyk (Poland), who holds the record for longest duration full body contact with ice (male).
He spent 5 hr 1 min 33 sec completely submerged in ice.
What a chill guy.
Never Miss
Hawkeye is cool and everything, but can he shoot arrows with his feet?
Shannen Jones (Australia) holds the record for farthest arrow shot using feet after hitting the target from a massive distance of 18.27 m (59 ft 11 in).
Wonder Wheels
Last but certainly not least is Aaron Fotheringham (USA), who just like Professor X, doesn’t let being in a wheelchair stop him from achieving amazing things.
In 2010, he appeared on Lo Show dei Record to perform the highest ramp jump by wheelchair at 60 cm.
Before that, in 2008, he’d claimed the historic record for first landed wheelchair backflip at the Doc Romeo skate park in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He also holds records for:
- First wheelchair front flip (WCMX) – set in 2011
- Tallest quarter pipe drop-in on a wheelchair (WCMX) - 8.40 m (27 ft 6.7 in)
- Highest wheelchair hand plant (WCMX) - 8.40 m (27 ft 6.7 in)
- Farthest wheelchair ramp jump (WCMX) - 21.35 m (70 ft 0.5 in)
- Longest duration balancing a side wheelie in a manual wheelchair – 18.22 sec