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I know the film Hancock is fiction, but I still can't help but wonder if there is a word that describes how, although he tossed that boy hundreds of feet in the sky, the boy had no damage done to his belly when he landed on top of Hancock's shoulder. For those who don't know, Hancock is an invincible guy who can also fly and has super strength.

Is there a word to refer to Hancock's unique ability as described here?

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  • "Surviving anywhere" and "not being injured by extreme trauma / assault" are... very different things. Can you convey your target a bit more clearly?
    – New Alexandria
    Commented Jul 20, 2015 at 21:39
  • What does it mean for an object to "survive"? There's a criterion for living beings -- they've survived if they're still alive -- but how do you tell if a random physical object has survived?
    – John Lawler
    Commented Jul 20, 2015 at 21:40
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    We don't all know who Hancock is. Please can you help us by providing better context. Who do you want to describe, the boy or Hancock? Do you want a noun or an adjective?
    – chasly - supports Monica
    Commented Jul 20, 2015 at 21:47
  • "superhuman" is my tongue-in-cheek answer
    – DyingIsFun
    Commented Jul 20, 2015 at 21:55
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    Sienus your right,but even superman doesn't have the ability to leave a citizen unharmed after pulling a stunt like that.Anyone would get ripped in half if they landed on him the same way.
    – Casey Affleck
    Commented Jul 20, 2015 at 22:05

8 Answers 8

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More suggestions...

PARADOX: One exhibiting inexplicable or contradictory aspects.

ENIGMA: One that is unfathomable, incomprehensible, mystifying.

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I think the word supernatural would fit.

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  • Not very well: a Balrog is 'supernatural'.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Jul 20, 2015 at 22:42
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From the world of Marvel Comics comes the term adamantium:

Adamantium is a fictional metal alloy appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, and is best known as the substance bonded to the character Wolverine's skeleton and claws...In the stories where it appears, the defining quality of adamantium is its practical indestructibility.

(Wikipedia)

The root of this term is adamant, from the Greek root adámas, “invincible”:

  1. An imaginary rock or mineral of impenetrable hardness; a name given to the diamond and other substances of extreme hardness.  
  2. An embodiment of impregnable hardness.

(Wiktionary)

And the adjectival form adamantine was used in literature to signify unshakableness and indestructability, notably in Milton's Paradise Lost.

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    How does this cover 'but not able to allow another organism to come to harm'?
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Jul 20, 2015 at 22:41
  • Not sure on the exact nature of the fictional substance, but apparently it is used for protection (as in Woliverine's skeleton) and not as a weapon. But who's to say it might not hurt someone who tries to punch it, etc.? This question is best left up to someone who is well-affiliated with these comics.
    – jsoteeln
    Commented Jul 20, 2015 at 22:46
  • But isn't it the boy who is the vulnerable one?
    – W9WBH
    Commented Jul 21, 2015 at 9:55
  • For sure, in a world that obeys the laws of physics, both the one falling and the one catching the falling person would probably die in the circumstances described. But if one character's indestructibility is allowed, why stop there and subject the other characters to mundane physical restrictions? Once you're in the realm of Sci-Fi/Fantasy, anything goes.
    – jsoteeln
    Commented Jul 21, 2015 at 14:44
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    OP asks for an indestructible material in the context of a fantastical world, so it seemed appropriate to suggest something--adamantium-- that itself is derived from a fantastical world. As for meeting all the OP's criteria, one would be hard pressed to find a single word that encompasses both indestructible yet harmless in the context of the traditional laws of physics, but maybe it's out there.
    – jsoteeln
    Commented Jul 21, 2015 at 16:15
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fantastic means

a : based on fantasy : not real
b : conceived or seemingly conceived by unrestrained fancy
c : so extreme as to challenge belief : unbelievable; broadly : exceedingly large or great
(Merriam-Webster)

However, if you capitalized it, you might have an argument with followers of Marvel Comics.

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  • This is far too broad.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Jul 20, 2015 at 22:41
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I suggest the word fictional.

Another possibility is implausible.

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invincible is the correct term here.

incapable of being conquered, defeated, or subdued.

or invulnerable

impossible to harm or damage.

Both of these terms of often used to define superhero powers.

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Given that Casey Affleck's comment is entirely to the point, I would suggest impossible.

I wouldn't turn up my nose at chasley's answer, either.

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OMNIPOTENT. Of or having infinite power: over wind, water, physics, the laws of the universe.

The omnipotent Hancock can bend the laws of physics, gravity etc. and catch that boy unharmed.

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  • Omnipotence is pretty good, though I'm not sure it immediately suggests "harmless" any more than adamantine does. And careful with the religious connotations of omnipotence--it's most often used to describe deities. But I'm not familiar with this film, and perhaps Hancock is described as godlike.
    – jsoteeln
    Commented Jul 21, 2015 at 17:51
  • EDIT @jsoteeln BTW I finally get it now. Adamantine. I was thinking it was a kind of armour, or something like that, so it wasn't making much sense to me. D'oh. Omnipotence doesn't mean harmless. As to the religious aspect of the word, that is a secondary definition in my dictionary. Omni- pref. Latin, from omnis, all. You really should see the movie, it's pretty funny. Harmless or god-like he is NOT. :) Adam...Ant...ine... Hmm.
    – W9WBH
    Commented Jul 22, 2015 at 6:45
  • Puzzled by the downvotes?
    – W9WBH
    Commented Jul 23, 2015 at 0:45
  • Not sure what you mean. Downvotes are an an accepted part of the site, and you just take them as they come. Thanks anyway for the clarifications, and for conceding a couple of points. But continuing the discussion would just be beating a dead horse.
    – jsoteeln
    Commented Jul 23, 2015 at 3:18
  • Nope, I only conceded the one point; but it was not that "adamantium/adamantine" answers the OP's question in any way. And yes, I agree; this convo has run its course.
    – W9WBH
    Commented Jul 23, 2015 at 5:05

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