Supersoldier

Concept design for exoskeletal amplification for body armor.^[1]

The supersoldier (or super soldier) is a concept soldier, often fictional, capable of operating beyond normal human limits or abilities.

Overview

Supersoldiers are common in military science fiction literature, films and video games. In 2012, DARPA was reported to be developing an externally powered XOS exoskeleton design for greatly increased strength and endurance.^[2] Fictional supersoldiers are usually heavily augmented, either through eugenics, genetic engineering, cybernetic implants, drugs, brainwashing, traumatic events, an extreme training regimen or other scientific and pseudoscientific means. Occasionally, some instances also use paranormal methods, such as black magic or technology and science of extraterrestrial origin. In entertainment, the creators of such programs are viewed often as mad scientists or stern military personnel depending on the emphasis, as their programs would typically go past ethical boundaries in the pursuit of science or military might.

Cyborg soldier

Some supersoldiers can also be categorized as cyborgs or cybernetic organisms because of augmentations that are intended to enhance human capabilities or to exceed physical human restrictions.^[3]

U.S. Army

In the book The Men Who Stare at Goats (2004), Welsh journalist Jon Ronson documented how the U.S. military repeatedly tried and failed to train soldiers in the use of parascientific combat techniques during the Cold War,^[4] experimenting with New Age tactics and psychic phenomena such as remote viewing, astral projections, "death touch" and mind reading against various Soviet targets. The book inspired also a war comedy of the same name (2009) directed by Grant Heslov, starring George Clooney.^[5]

See also

• Captain America
• Deathstroke
• First Earth Battalion
• Future Soldier 2030 Initiative
• Master Chief (Halo)
• Project MKUltra
• Space marine
• Superhero
• Superhuman
• Übermensch
• Clone Trooper

References