Of all the mutants in the X-Men franchise, few have left so much of their power’s potential on the table like Colossus. Also known by his real name, Piotr Rasputin, Colossus is perhaps the single biggest tank in the entire roster of X-Men mutants, the lovable metal-clad Russian mutant being the premiere frontliner of the superhero strike force. His ability to transform his bodily tissue into organic metal is well-known, but Colossus has displayed some other impressive powers in the comics.

Only appearing in five of the many live-action Fox X-Men films, Colossus is usually a supporting character at best, frequently regulated to the role of a background cameo. However, his increased prominence in the Deadpool movies as Wade Wilson’s primary point of contact with the X-Men granted him two impressive fight scenes, which do a better job showing off his impressive super strength and durability. As unbelievable as it may sound, Colossus has also used other powers, skills, and techniques in the comics that make these moments pale in comparison.

10

Telepathic Resistance

Colossus’ armored form protects his mind as well

Obviously, the primary draw to Colossus’ mutant ability is the protection it gives him from physical attacks. From gunfire to superhuman punches to even Howitzer shells, Colossus’ armored form is known for being able to withstand all sorts of punishment, both in the comics and the movies. But physical blows aren’t the only thing being in his metal form protects him against, as Colossus has demonstrated a degree of psychic resistance while fully chromed up.

Perhaps as a result of his altered brain, as Colossus’ metal transformation applies both inside and out, Piotr has repeatedly resisted psychic and even telekinetic attacks through sheer force of will. That being said, a sufficiently powerful telepath, like Professor X, can still overcome this resistance, making it not a totally infallible defense. Still, for a physical powerhouse like Colossus, it’s remarkable that not even mental attacks are regularly able to penetrate his tough exterior.

9

Self-Sustenance

Colossus can survive without food and oxygen while armored

If there’s one aspect of Colossus’ powers that the X-Men movies might have the most difficult time portraying, it’s his ability to subsist without food, water, or sleep. So long as Colossus remains in his metal form, Piotr’s body can survive indefinitely without the basic necessities of human life. In Deadpool, Colossus is seen eating a bowl of cereal while in his armored form, suggesting that this aspect of his powers is not only not shown in the Fox movies, but straight-up doesn’t exist.

Colossus doesn’t even need air to function while in his armored form, which can come in handy in the many hostile environments the X-Men can find themselves in across their various missions. Since Colossus’ body simply sinks in water, this allows him to simply walk along the bottom of aquatic environments, albeit with the threat of rusting over time. Colossus has even demonstrated a limited ability to survive in the vacuum of space with nothing but his armored form.

8

Unstoppable Force Generation

Colossus was briefly the Avatar of Cyttorak

While Juggernaut in the X-Men movies may be very powerful, he is still just another mutant at the end of the day. This is in stark contrast to his comic origin, in which Cain Marko becomes the patron Avatar of Cyttorak, a powerful demonic deity in the Marvel Comics cosmology. It’s through his connection to Cyttorak via the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak that Juggernaut gets his powers. In the comics, Colossus once briefly took over as the being’s representative on Earth.

Becoming the Avatar of Cyttorak came with a massive increase in power, gaining all the powers of the Juggernaut on top of his already impressive mutation. This allowed him to generate forcefields, demonic armor, and the Juggernaut’s signature unstoppable charge, in addition to vastly increasing his strength and durability even further. It’s said that of all the people who have taken on the mantle of the Juggernaut, Colossus was Cyttorak’s favorite, allowing him special bonuses to power not granted to other Avatars.

7

Slowed Aging

Colossus’ metal form doesn’t age as rapidly

Another more esoteric aspect of Colossus’ power is its effects on Piotr’s aging. Effectively existing in a sort of state of suspended animation while in his armored form, Colossus ceases to age so long as he maintains his metal body. Over time, this could mean that Piotr ages at a slightly slower rate than his peers thanks to his near-constant use of his mutation, gradually shaving away bits of time that eventually add up to years, keeping his human form looking younger than it should.

This element of Colossus’ mutation came into play heavily in an X-Men run written by none other than Joss Whedon of The Avengers fame. Trapped in an environment with no food or air for seven years, Colossus manages to uphold his armored form indefinitely, eventually being freed. When he finally reverted back to his human form, he didn’t look a day older than the last time anyone had seen him, proving the anti-aging effects of his power.

6

Swordsmanship

Colossus was trained by Nightcrawler

Superpowers are all well and good, but Colossus is also notable for his skills and mental acuity, as well. His history of Judo training can be hinted at in his fights with Angel Dust and the Juggernaut in Deadpool and Deadpool 2, and the first X-Men movie gives him a small cameo showing off his skills as an artist. Both of these proficiencies come from the comics, but one skill the movie Colossus has yet to utilize is swordsmanship.

Taught to him by Nightcrawler, the X-Men’s premiere blade master, Colossus takes up dueling with blades to supplement his close-combat acumen. Amazingly, he’s able to hold his own against Nightcrawler, despite the agile mutant wielding three swords at once with his arms and tail and making liberal use of his teleportation powers. It would be incredible to see Colossus hoist a blade in the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine, even though he’s likely to have a reduced role.

5

Extreme Temperature Resistance

Colossus can handle more than physical blows

Colossus’ resistance to physical and mental attacks has been well documented, but the iron-willed mutant is also, unsurprisingly, resilient to extreme temperatures as well. In the comics, Colossus handles energy-based attacks from all sorts of villains, allowing Pyro’s flames to wash over him and even eating strays from Cyclops’ powerful kinetic beams. This is indicative of his general resistance to extreme temperatures, both hot and cold, while in his armored form.

Considering how many mutants use some form of energy-based attacks, Colossus’ ability to soak up volatile temperatures certainly comes in handy. That being said, Colossus’ metal composition can be exploited, creating a weakness to rapid alternation of incredibly hot and incredibly cold temperatures. In one instance, Colossus is exposed to liquid nitrogen shortly after being superheated by Pyro, nearly killing him. This alludes to metal’s real-life properties, expanding and contracting in hot and cold environments, respectively.

4

Phoenix Force Powers

Colossus was a member of the Phoenix Five

Cyttorak isn’t the only cosmic entity Colossus has briefly become host to in the comics. When the phenomenally powerful Phoenix Force of Dark Phoenix fame decides to look beyond Jean Grey for hosts on Earth, it splits itself into five pieces, inhabiting the minds of the group that becomes known as the Phoenix Five. The recipients of the Phoenix Force in this storyline include Cyclops, Namor, Emma Frost, Colossus, and his little sister, Magik.

As an avatar of the Phoenxi Force, Colossus enjoys a dizzying array of incredible new powers. These include telepathy, telekinesis, time manipulation, and the creation of Cosmic Fire, a powerful flame that can burn selective targets in any environment with staggering heat. It’s safe to say that with the addition of the Phoenix Force to his usual abilities, Colossus briefly became one of the most powerful mutants on the planet.

3

Magnetism Resistance

Colossus, surprisingly, isn’t always a sitting duck against Magneto

As impressive as Colossus’ metal-based powers are, they seemingly pale in comparison to the Master of Magnetism in the Marvel universe. Alongside Wolverine’s Adamantium skeleton, Colossus’ metal body seems to be directly countered by Magneto’s magnetic control, making Piotr one of the few X-Men uniquely disadvantaged against the team’s all-time greatest enemy. Surprisingly, Colossus has demonstrated himself to not always be a simple sitting duck for Magneto’s powers.

It’s true that in most instances, Colossus is helpless against Magneto’s power, his armored form being made of Osmium steel that, while organic, is still a metallic compound. However, as the Juggernaut, Colossus demonstrates a rare ability to resist Magneto’s grasp, allowing him to continue his assault while fully protected. In other instances, Piotr can utilize an underrated element of his power — The ability to drop his armored form at will at any time.

2

Accelerated Healing

Colossus’ armored form is Wolverine-lite

Durable though Colossus may be when full shielded by his metallic form, some attacks are capable of denting, warping, or even penetrating his tough exterior. One of the most notable examples of this are Wolverine’s claws, whose impossibly-sharp Adamantium coating can actually tear through Colossus’ skin and flesh. Luckily, while in his armored form, Colossus enjoys the benefits of accelerated healing.

Granted, the speed of Colossus’ healing in his armored form is no match for that of Wolverine’s, taking days to heal from injuries that may take Wolverine mere moments to recover from. Nevertheless, his rate of healing far exceeds that of a standard human, and so long as he remains in his armored form until his flesh knits back together, Colossus can fully recover from even grievous wounds. This could explain why Colossus stays in his metal form throughout both Deadpool movies, recovering from some unseen fight.

1

Enhanced Speed

Colossus isn’t a sitting duck

Because of his immense strength and durability, it could be assumed that Colossus embodies the trope of a slow-moving brute, whose strength can be overcome by a sufficiently fast opponent. The comics have repeatedly disproved this point, demonstrating time and time again that Colossus’ armored form makes him not only strong and indestructible, but superhumanly fast. Despite having so much weight, Colossus can throw himself around surprisingly quickly.

In the X-Men’s many fights throughout the comics, Colossus has impressed other mutants with his remarkable reflexes. Piotr has dodged Sentinel fire, energy blasts, and even straight-up bullets, just as often putting himself in harm’s way to protect a teammate. It’s a shame the X-Men movies haven’t gone on record establishing the speed with which Colossus can move, even if he’s clearly no slouch in the few fights he does get to enjoy.