Superman's powers

E

Moderator
Excelsior Club
Joined
May 17, 2004
Messages
33,346
Location
MI
From Wikipedia:

In the 1940s, "nothing less than a bursting artillery shell could break his skin"; by the 1970s he could fly through a star and shrug off a nuclear blast. In 1986, Superman was somewhat depowered. Still able to withstand artillery shells, lasers, and even nuclear explosions, he would be killed if he flew into a star.

****ing stupid.
 
You think that's stupid. You seen Justice league superman? has trouble with joker!!!!
 
Ultimate Houde said:
At one point he was made of energy and had electromagnetic powers

Superman Red & Superman Blue. I read an issue of that, and I'm glad I missed it.

Ice, I don't remember - are you reading All-Star Superman? As bad as Superman stories tend to be, All-Star Superman takes that over-the-top aspect and uses it *perfectly*.
 
E said:
Ice, I don't remember - are you reading All-Star Superman? As bad as Superman stories tend to be, All-Star Superman takes that over-the-top aspect and uses it *perfectly*.
No, I'm not reading it, currently. I may check it out later on. My LCS doesn't have all the issues, and I dont want to just pick up in the middle of things.
 
The problem I've always had with Superman is that he never seems to be hurt. He just gets pounded for several pages, then all of sudden, 'decides' to win and beats up the villain.

So, when he was being hit before... was he just pretending and playing along?

Sounds like he's a bit of a showboater.

That said... this is the problem I've always had with people writing Superman badly. All-Star Superman, and a host of other rocking Superman stories I've got don't fall into this trap. Or if they do, I dont' care that they do because the story is so well told.
 
What I hate is that some writers take it to points where theres no limitations. Like in Spider-man 2 with the train, he pushes himself to the point where he passes out, or like in Batman where he can be beaten badly and still muster the ablity to save the day. I really love those stories were that character forces themselves beyond their limit that really demonstrates the depth of their characters and their strength of will. Superman can't do that unless he's powered down or if some "magic" rock weakens him. I wish they would permanently depower him like how he is in the DCAU and leave the over the top abilities to non-cannon stories.
 
I used to hate and still do the over powered I can do anything Superman.

The movies are ruined for me when he turned back time by circling the world. That was the stupidest thing ever. I like him powerful but not to powerful.
 
The Superman movie, however, does have a wonderful moment to give Superman a task he finds incredibly hard to overcome and has to go further than he's gone before to solve it.

And that's Lex Luthor sending two rockets, in opposite directions, to tectonic fault lines, and Superman has to stop two simultaneous earthquakes.

I think that's pretty damn good.
 
Superman is the greatest superhero of all time and the basis for every comic book superhero since (Thats why they call them superheroes). That being said, he's incredibly difficult to write. A quote from Grant Morrison: "It seems to go wrong when the writers feel overwhelmed by the character's 'powers' and assume that because he's Superman he has no recognizably human weaknesses and is therefore somehow bland and uninteresting. He's only super-powerful physically, however, and, as I say, his heart is as vulnerable as anyone else's, which makes for great stories."

Most writers are intimidated by Superman and look at him the same way most of you do. He's nearly invincible, so how the hell do you pose a real challenge to him? You hurt him emotionally. Have you ever wondered why Superman, with all his powers and strength, has been constantly challenged and humiliated by a balding old man? Luthor understand better than any other villain how to really hurt Superman. Most writers don't get this idea though, so they write Superman all wrong. Another Morrison quote (You should know that I had no interest in All-Star Superman until I read Morrison's point of view on Superman and realized how great he really is): "You've got to make Superman about a few things. It's got to be about big emotions and big human feelings like death and loss and bereavement and grief and joy. Then you weave these weird sci-fi stories around those themes. I think those are the best Superman stories-the ones about human feelings but on a huge, cosmic, ridiculous, superhero canvas."

Superman can fully live up to his reputation in the right hands. If you don't like Superman, than you've probably just been reading the wrong stories.
 
Just, for me, he's not as interesting as he used to be. S'why I just don't bother with him anymore.

And I've always been more interested in Batman's character than Supes, anyhow.
 
I love the part in Superman when he turns back time, I just has a great symbol to it, a man will turn back time for this one person. I just love it. But he does need to be powered down cause there are little writers who can make a good stories with out that.
 
Bass said:
Dagnabit.
Last year they did an unbelievable interview with Morrison and Quitely. It got me really excited for A-S Superman.
 
Ok....never being a DC fan before...I used to see Superman as bland and boring. The cookie-cutter good guy. But then I decided to read All-Star Superman. The level of greatness that this book is, has not even been invented yet.

Combine my renewed love of Superman with some of the current (and downloaded final) episodes of Justice League Unlimited...and I have an even further understanding of the character. As say what you will about the series...I have just discovered the greatness that is the Superman/Batman comics---I now have a full understanding of the character. Which in turn makes me a fan.

And while my post in no way contributes to the discussion of his powers and how he uses them......I just thought that I should put it out there.........



Simply put....he's the greatest hero out there. The Alpha and Omega of Heroes.....
 
Last edited:

Latest posts

Back
Top