Discussion: What Makes a "Badass"?

This is something I want to know from our members since we're all about creating characters and many of us like to make action or at least adventure oriented OCs.

With that in mind, what is it to you that makes a character badass? Does a badass need to be the one doing the most fighting? Can you be a badass without ever raising a finger to someone? And above all how can you avoid turning a badass into a Mary Sue?

As usual, discussion and opinion, please no violent blasting of others opinions.

I think the biggest thing that makes a badass is the one whole knows how to deliver the critical blows and prevent the damage from striking the weaker people. Standing in the middle of explosions and defying the very darkness encroaching on what is good. Fighting and standing for what is good in this world, standing fearless with the banner in hand to guide those against evil.

How badass a person or character is has very littlewith their overall strength. In fact I have seen absolute weaklings with almost no power who I would defend as an absolute badass till the end. What makes a person a badass is their ability to overcome despite their weaknesses or frailties. One who can stair death in the eye and say "I will not submit." (This being metaphorical and not literal of course... Most of the time...) Badassery is all about overcoming the odds and coming out doing better than anyone could have predicted win or lose.
I am very against the belief of just having power making one "bad ass" in fact in some case I see it as the opposite, as one hides behind the power they are given afraid to let the outside world effect them. A powerhouse is just a powerhouse, badass is a title earned after accomplishing fears beyond ones own capability. And not through the use of deus ex machina but through their own perseverance and skill. And to me that is what makes someone badass.

I know that it is an odd criteria, but I would say that a badass is a char there are able to make me smirk and wish that I were as imaginative and useful with my recurrences as that char is. One can always add extra force to solve a problem, but to solve a problem with the minimal amount of force and still end up with a good result, that makes a badass in my book.