His story has been passed on for generations. He has appeared in movies, on TV, in books, and comics. There are a great number of famous songs that sing his praises. He has met just about every celebrity in the world, and they're always excited to be in his presence. He is Santa Claus, the man who brings the gifts.

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Since the 4th century, stories of Santa Clausーoriginally going by Nicholas of Myraーhave been told around fires every winter. The jolly old man who brings presents to good boys and girls around the world, Santa is just as real as Superman, Spider-Man, or Mickey Mouse in that he may not be a person of flesh and blood, but his influence is felt across the globe. And just like Superman and Spider-Man, Santa is a superhero.

10 He Has Superpowers

Santa Claus Without His Outfit

The clearest proof that Santa Claus is a superhero is that he has superpowers. Santa is an immortal being who appears to use magic to shrink himself so he can enter locked up homesーoften through chimneyーto leave behind presents. Santa can also fly, though he prefers to travel in his sleigh, and some stories can even chance his appearance so that he will go unrecognized by others. Santa also carries around a heavy sack filled with all the gifts he gives outーthe sack itself must be magic since he can carry it on his back, but inside, it holds millions of toys.

9 He Has A Costume

Santa Claus Batman Robin

Every good superhero has a cool costume. Some, like Batman, seems to have a costume for every occasion. Following that, Santa also wears many costumes, each fitting with different locations. His most famous costume, the red and white, is what he wears when he visits the children of most of the world, but in England, Father Christmas tends to wear a green hood, harkening back to his earlier days.

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In some areas of the world, like the Netherlands, Santa is dressed more like a Bishopーagain connecting him to the original storiesーwith a large hat and a capeーand capes are very much a superhero accouterment.

8 He Has A Cool Base

Santas Workshop Nightmare Before Christmas

Superman has the Fortress of Solitude. Batman has the Batcave. Flash has a secret area in the Flash Museum. Many superheroes have cool superhero bases, including Santa, who spends most of his time in the North Pole at Santa's Workshop.

Like any cool base, Santa's Workshop is broken into sections. The living quarters house Santa and Mrs. Claus and contain Santa's den where he keeps track of world events. The stable houses the reindeer Santa uses to pull his sleigh. The actual workshop itself is filled with hard-working elves who spend the year building toy cars, rocking horses, and, presumably, gaming consoles.

7 He Knowns Who All The Bad Guys Are

Santa Claus A Nightmare Before Christmas

From his den, Santa can keep watch on every person on the planet. The magical gift giver uses a personal diary to keep count of every good or bad thing everyone does during the year. This means, essentially, that Santa Claus has tabs on every bad guy in the world at all times. From the jerk who stole old Mrs. McClunky's package from her son to the fraudster who scammed families out of their savings to the murderer who took the life of a waitress on her way home from the late shift, Santa seesーand knowsーwho they are.

6 He Teamed Up With Other Superheroes

Santa vs the Illuminati from Marvel Holiday Spectacular 2009

Over the years, Santa Claus has found himself teaming up with several superheroes. He's worked alongside Superman on several occasions, as well as Batman. In the Marvel Universe, Santa is one of the few people ever to wield the Infinity Gauntlet. Santa has also had run-ins with some supervillains. Famously, Old Saint Nick is known to bring the evil New God Darkseid a piece of coal every Christmas, and no matter how hard the ruler of Apokolips tries, he can never stop the jolly immortal being from reaching him.

5 There's An Evil Version Of Him

Santa Claus And His Other Half

Every good superhero has an evil counterpart. Spider-Man has Venom, Flash has Reverse-Flash, and Santa Claus has Krampus. Santa brings toys to good children, Krampus goes around and kidnaps bad kids, stuffing them into his own magical sack and taking them away to be either drowned, eaten, or sent straight to Hell. Santa Claus is a kindly looking older man with a big belly and an even bigger smile. The vile Krampus is a twisted and deformed figure with hooves, claws, horns, razor-sharp teeth, and a long, pointed tongue.

4 He Has Sidekicks

Belsnickel, The Office

Superheroes like to have company while they're out there, keeping their cities and the world safe. From Robin to Bucky Barnes and beyond, sidekicksーboth beloved and forgottenーare a big part of the superhero story. And like so many other superheroes, Santa Claus has his own sidekicks.

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Knecht Ruprecht is a farmer who sometimes accompanies Santa on Christmas to give children healthy snacks like nuts and fruit. Then there is Belsnickel, a cranky old man covered in fur, which fills good kids' shoes with candy and bad kids' shoes with coal. Finally, Zwarte Piet is a rather controversial character, not because he beats bad children with sticks, but because of his racist history.

3 He Has Strange Weaknesses

Santa Claus

Superheroes often have a strange weakness. A less confidant Green Lantern, for example, is powerless against the color yellow, Martian Manhunter is afraid of fire, and Superman famously can't be around Kryptonite. Just like these heroes, Santa has his own odd weaknesses. He seems unable to pass by a plate of cookies and a glass of milk without ingesting some of it. He also has an aversion to being seen, which, while it does not take away his powers, usually leads to Santa leaving the area as fast as he can.

2 He Has Superpowered Animals

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and Hermie the Elf

From Streaky the Supercat to Lockjaw, the giant teleporting dog, everyone loves a good super pet, including Santa Claus. While Santa may be responsible for getting into every home on Christmas, it's the reindeer who are tasked with getting him across the planet in a single night.

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These famous flying creatures can travel at near-light speeds, and one of them, Rudolph, has a glowing nose that can cut through even the densest fog, ensuring that Santa can deliver every present on time. These magical beasts even have their very own holiday songs and specials.

1 He Occasionally Fights Evil

Santa Claus Movie

While he isn't as famous for his battles as he is for filling stockings hung over the fireplace with care, Santa Claus has had his fair share of adventures. As shown in the 1959 film Santa Claus vs. the Devil, good old Claus took on a demon named Pitch and his three cronies to save a little girl's soul. Then, in 1964, Santa Claus faced off against aliens in the aptly titled Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Over the years, dozens of movies have been made across the world that show tales of Santa Claus battling evil.

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