Superhearing - Why is it considered such a wimpy superpower?

Everyone takes hearing for granted - unless of course they have hearing damage or are deaf.

Thus perhaps it is no surprise that "super hearing" isn't really considered to be that great of a superpower when it comes to comic books.

For example Superman can fly, is super stronger, can shoot lasers from his eyes, has X-ray vision and a lot of other awesome powers (eg. super fast healing whenever he is in the yellow light of the sun). His super hearing isn't really a central part of his character. (Same goes with Supergirl and any other Kryptonian.)

Another character with Super Hearing is Aquaman - but he only has super hearing when underwater. He also has super strength underwater, super swimming, the ability to breathe water, etc. So his ability to hear really well underwater is a lesser ability.

Wolverine - again, another character who's other abilities overshadow his hearing ability. His super sense of smell overshadows even his hearing, let alone his healing factor and bone claws.

Spider-Man - Yada yada yada, you know the drill. Super reflexes and strength vs his spidey-sense hearing.

Wonder Woman - On the long list of Wonder Woman's powers, yes, she also has super hearing. Yeehaw!

Daredevil - You were probably wondering when I would get to Daredevil. Yes, Daredevil's super hearing is basically his main forte. His hearing is so good it is basically radar. He also has a super sense of smell, touch, balance - and despite being blind, apparently can match red colours with matching red colours so his outfit looks normal.

But Dare Devil's enhanced senses are really just designed to counter his lack of sight. Yes, he has super hearing. Yes, it is amazingly good - like radar. But it really is kind of a wimpy super power.

But here is the interesting thing.

If you shoot yourself with a couple CCs of adrenaline in a syringe, you too can have super hearing. The extra adrenaline heightens brain activity and boosts your senses - giving you what could basically be considered to be a super power. It wears off over time, adrenaline shots do that, but it is one way of boosting hearing to superhuman levels.

You could also combine adrenaline with hearing aids and other electronic devices to give yourself unusually powerful hearing. So much that you could be "Super Hearing Man!" or "Super Hearing Woman!"

But what would be the point? Could you stop crimes using your super hearing? Not really. No more than police or spies using tech toys to listen in on criminals or other spies.

eg. The tech toy on the right is a mere $62 USD on Amazon.com.

Call it part of the whole "why is there no superheroes" problem. The problem isn't really the issue of having access to tech toys so you can become Batman, the problem is being able to find criminals and stop them in the act.

Anyone with enough money and wherewithal could train themselves to become a proverbial Batman - but having the ability to find criminals, that is the true challenge. Vigilante crime fighters are as rare as female Navy Seals (there are no female Navy Seals currently, but the Pentagon recently changed their policies and are hoping to have the first female Navy Seals trained by 2016).

There have been people who wander around at night, in costume, masquerading as vigilantes. But they are the superhero equivalent of firefighters who rescue kittens trapped up trees and boy scouts helping elderly people to cross the street.

Yes, you could go out and spend lots of money on audiologists, visiting hearing clinics, buying the most high tech hearing aids that money can buy, but even if you did have superhuman hearing, what would you even do with it???