Every Superhero In The Wonderfools And Their Powers Explained

Netflix’s latest South Korean series, “The Wonderfools,” proves itself to be a brilliant addition to superhero fiction by bringing ingenuity to the well-worn genre. Viewers are used to seeing superpowered beings trying to get a hang of their powers and form a rapport among themselves to prevent a major crisis. But the way “The Wonderfools” approaches this, right from worldbuilding, to showcasing the limitations and psychological aspects associated with superpowers, surely deserves some praise. Let’s take a look at all the superpowered beings who made an appearance in the series and discuss the details of their respective superpowers.

Spoilers Ahead

Lee Un-jeong

One of the test subjects of Won-do’s “Wunderkinder Project,” who was responsible for the destruction of Haeseong and the exposure of the evil scientists, Lee Un-jeong, gained telekinesis after being subjected to the inhumane experiments. Un-jeong’s powers emerged at an early age, and are intricately connected to his depressed emotions of abandonment and guilt. Despite having fine-tuned his powers to perform both heavy and precise tasks, at times, Un-jeong loses control due to his emotional turmoil and is susceptible to mental manipulation. Un-jeong quite obviously reminds viewers of classic X-Men heroes like Jean Grey. 

Eun Chae-ni

Chae-ni’s case is a really interesting one, as she has two major abilities – vast teleportation power, and virtual immortality. Having the heart of the Child of Eternity within her, Chae-ni comes back to life every time she dies, and is impervious to any disease or physical affliction as well. Although it is quite certain that if the enhanced heart is removed from her system, she will probably lose that ability. Chae-ni’s secondary power is vast teleportation, which she gained after getting dropped in the dumping ground pool, where Won-do’s mutation chemical seeped in. Unlike another classic X-Men character, Nightcrawler, she is not restrained by sightline. What that means is, she can teleport at will, even if she hasn’t ever physically been to the place. In terms of X-Men lingo, Chae-ni’s dual abilities are so OP that she can be considered an Omega-level mutant. Her resurrection ability is always a present, active skill, while her teleportation ability is triggered by her heart racing faster than usual. 

Kang Ro-bin

Ro-bin gained his super strength and super endurance after falling into a dumping ground pool, just like his best friend, Chae-ni. As someone who was looked down upon all his life by stronger people than him, it is fitting that Ro-bin gains control over his power when he is being mocked or ridiculed by someone. It is also fitting that an innocent, humble character like Ro-bin, who knows the true worth of strength and doesn’t harbor a shred of vengefulness towards the people who belittled him, has gained the super strength and super endurance perk. Ro-bin never uses his powers to hurt or bully others, only using his ability to defend people close to him. His battle with Pal-ho was one of the most memorable highlights of the series, where Ro-bin’s unbelievable endurance was showcased in the way he didn’t even feel the crushing gravity manipulation attacks. Ro-bin’s powers and character traits may remind viewers of Superman. 

Son Gyeong-hoon 

Like the rest of his two friends, Son Gyeong-hoon gained superpowers after falling into the dumping ground pool, though his was the ability to stick to any surface. Gyeong-hoon is troubled by his fractured marriage and is dominated by his wife, who berates him for his clumsy ways. The fear of having to lie to his close ones manifested in Gyeong-hoon through his access to powers, as he gains control over his abilities while lying. Strangely enough, Gyeong-hoon remained completely unaffected by Ju-ran’s immense mind manipulation powers, and the reason behind it remained unexplained till the end. Gyeong-hoon’s adhesive powers can make others stick to different surfaces as well, which is shown in a brilliant way during the climactic sequence of the series. Gyeong-hoon’s struggle in personal life and his powers may remind viewers of Spider-Man. 

Kim Pal-ho 

One of the orphan captives who was experimented on during the “Wunderkinder Project,” Kim Pal-ho, gained the ability of gravity manipulation from an early age. Pal-ho’s powers came at a cost, as is the case with every experimented-on orphan, as his body degenerates the more he exerts himself, and in the end, it causes his demise. Pal-ho’s gravity manipulation power appears visually similar to Un-jeong’s telekinesis, even though there are certain differences. Telekinesis allows direct interaction with objects, and users can reshape them according to their will. Gravity manipulation is more like controlling the force field around an object, and is not as precise as the former. Pal-ho’s powers feel inspired by the likes of Star Boy and Geo-Force from DC comics. 

Seok Ho-ran

Another victim of Won-do’s nefarious project, Seok Ho-ran, gained the ability to create vivid hallucinations according to her will, which can create one’s personal hell or heaven in their mindscape. One of the most morally conscious and individualistic enforcers in Won-do’s group, Ho-ran, suffers from a discolored eye as a side effect of her powers. It is fitting that Ho-ran, who is never fully manipulated by Won-do’s gaslighting, can’t force people to abide by her whims, being limited only to showing visual suggestions to influence someone. Ho-ran’s ability makes her feel inspired by DC’s Scarecrow or Marvel’s Mysterio. 

Seok Ju-ran

Ju-ran is one of the surviving test subjects whom Won-do manipulated the most, making her fully believe in the lie that he cares about the surviving enhanced ones as a father. Appropriately, Ju-ran gained the power of mind manipulation, remaining oblivious to how she herself has remained trapped in someone else’s brainwashing. Ju-ran suffers from the side effect of having her hair turned whiter the more she exerts her power. It is quite obvious that she is inspired by the X-Men legend, Charles Xavier. 

Child of Eternity

The unnamed orphan test subject of “Wunderkinder Project,” who was only named as the Child of Eternity, gained his power of nigh immortality and resurrection after being experimented upon by Won-do. The cruel researcher killed the Child of Eternity repeatedly to put his powers to the test, and even after suffering brain death following the devastation in Haeseong Orphanage, the child’s heart continued to beat. Later on, Jeon-bok transplanted the heart into Chae-in’s body, making her the second Child of Eternity by default. DC’s Resurrection Man or Hellboy’s Karl Ruprect Kroenen seem to have inspired the creation of the Child of Eternity. 

Aside from the aforementioned enhanced individuals, several locals of Haeseong town got themselves contaminated with the mutant serum in the dumping ground and gained strange powers/ hideous afflictions. One of the locals became a Merman kind of entity, and a police officer got his body turned into an elastic construct. One of the former guards of Haeseong Orphanage, who helped Un-jeong escape in order to make amends for his past actions, gained the ability to release corrosive leeches from his body. In the final moments of the series, even a dead Won-do, who has Chae-ni’s blood laced mutant serum coursing through his veins, gained the power of resurrection and self-healing. 

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