What the Hell Are You?

"Carmine Falcone: [frantically loading his shotgun] What the hell are you?

Batman: [breaks open the limo's sunroof and pulls Falcone out] I'm Batman!"

- Batman Begins

What does it take to kill this guy, he's only human, right? Right?

Assumptions are dangerous. You assume that your foe is mortal and limited, that there are certain things he cannot do or survive. When these assumptions break down, in their panic many heroes or villains will ask, "What the hell are you?"

This panic can be triggered by the character having an unusual appearance or abilities, stunning the person who assumed he was normal and could be easily beaten.

See also Who Are You and Mugging the Monster.

Anime and Manga
"Frieza: You... You... What are you?!"
 * Frieza has a moment in Dragonball Z after he realizes what a Super Saiyan is capable of. Frieza blasts Goku, square in the face, with one of his beams, sending his head reeling backwards. But, Goku just slowly lowers his gaze back to normal like nothing happened. It's at that moment Frieza realizes just what he's dealing with.

"Luke Valentine: What are you? WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU?!"
 * In Naruto, this is an equivalent of Oh Crap, usually uttered when the speaker realises he has just attacked a demonhost.
 * Said (in the English dub at least) by Luke Valentine to Alucard in Hellsing.

""What are you? Why don't you bleed?""
 * Said once in Inuyasha, but surprisingly enough said to Kagome by Yura of the Hair. Her confusion came from the fact that every time she swung a sword at Kagome, it bounced off of Inuyasha's kimono rather than slicing off her limbs.

"Fairy Queen: Eeh?! What in the world are you?"
 * In "Bleach", Orihime's humanity is brought into question on a few occasions.  POSSIPLE (easily not) foreshadowing by Tite Kubo.
 * There's a non-adversary variant in one manga adaptation of Maoyuu Maou Yuusha. When Hero rescues Fairy Queen, she's grateful but warns that the Demon Wolf General who held her prisoner has an even more powerful superior, the Black Wolf King ... and Hero interrupts to say he defeated him, too, "last week."

Comic Books
"Terrorist: What are you?
 * Amazing Spider-Man #328 parodies Batman's use of this line:

Spider-Man: I'm Bat— *ahem* I'm Spider-Man."

Film
"Cephalopoid: [blinks his eye gills]
 * Batman Begins: Falcone meets Batman, violence ensues (see page quote)
 * Men in Black: Agent J saw the Cephalopoid climb up a wall and has now cornered him at the edge of the roof.

Jay: What the hell are you?"

"Tommy: What the hell are you?
 * Jack Frost 1997 (the horror film): The title character is a serial killer transformed into a snowman.

Jack Frost: The world's most pissed-off snow cone!"

"Mugger 2: [to the title character] What the hell ARE you?"
 * Maniac Cop


 * Arnold Schwarzenegger in Predator, after he's seen the titular character with his mask off.

Live Action TV
"Brainiac: What the hell are you?"
 * Smallville has at least two examples:
 * Episode "Arctic": Brainiac thinks Chloe Sullivan is a normal human. When he pierces her head with his finger tendrils, she unleashes her healing powers in defense, weakening him.

"Clark Kent: What the hell are you?
 * Episode "Phantom". Bizarro [a Clark Kent lookalike] has just been rejuvenated from kryptonite instead of harmed, and knocks Lionel Luthor against a wall.

Bizarro: I'm you, only a little more bizarre."

"Kessler: What the hell are you?
 * The Crow: Stairway to Heaven episode "Solitude's Revenge"

The Crow: Death without parole."

Video Games
"Lara Croft: Tell me this: what the hell are you?
 * Tomb Raider: Underworld

Lara's Doppelganger: I am you with the flaws removed!"

"Balrog: What ARE you?
 * Batman Arkham Asylum: Scarecrow asks this of batman after he has had ten times the normal dose of fear gas and is still alive and sane.
 * From Starcraft, Zeratul to Duran: "Who... What are you?"
 * Cave Story: After the second fight against Balrog, as Balrog is retreating:

Player character: ..."

"Cerberus: You're not human, are you?
 * Devil May Cry: This exchange in DMC 3, after Dante beats Cerberus (paraphrased from memory):

Dante: Who knows? To tell you the truth, I'm not even sure myself!"

"Berial: Your arm... you're not human!
 * And again in DMC 4:

Nero: Don't ask. Damn thing drives me crazy, though."

"Firion: You make me shiver... What are you!?"
 * Dissidia Final Fantasy: Firion to Sephiroth at the start of a fight.


 * In Heroes of Might and Magic V, Nicolai asks this of Agrael when the demon lord resists the power of Nicolai's Amulet . This is the first hint that Agrael

Web Comics
"Lawman: And Elka isn't crazy... you do have a mule's tail! Twin's mercy, and those teeth! What are you?
 * Unsounded:
 * Chapter 4, page 10.

Sette: Awesome."

"Ephsephin: Gods, you— W-what the fuck are you under this?!"
 * In Chapter 5, Ephsephin gets a glimpse of what's under Duane's hood.

Western Animation

 * From The Legend of Korra: Tarrlok says this, after