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The powers of the DC Comics character Superman have changed a great deal since his introduction in the 1930s. As the character developed, his abilities were enhanced in order to maintain the interest of his audience. He is one of very few fictional characters that had his abilities expanded already by his own creators, for example originally Superman only had super strength, speed and invulnerability, then in Action Comics #11 he is portrayed to also have X-ray vision and limited (compared to later instances) super hearing, which he clearly did not have before as Superman tended to peek through windows in order to see and hear criminals, eventually, already in the later 1940's Superman could very easily time travel by running too fast to pass through a "time barrier". The extent of his powers peaked during the 1960s and - the 1970s was the first time when depowering of Superman occured In Kryptonite No More! Under writer John Byrne after the Crisis on Infinite Earths series Superman powers went through drastical change in terms of how they work. After Byrne's departure, Superman's powers were gradually increased again, although he still remains weaker than his Pre-Crisis incarnation, especially in the 1960s or Superboy (because since 70s Clark as Superboy was more powerful) until Crisis.

Golden Age/Earth-2 Superman[]

The K Metal from Planet Krypton original prototype for Kryptonite page 15

Unreleased officially but still nevertheless Siegel's explanation for people of Krypton's powers.

As presented in the original 1939 ongoing (last time co-creator Jerry Siegel ever wrote published origin of the character in comics), Superman's powers were innate to all supermen (original name of the people of Krypton) whos "physical structure was millions of years advanced of [humanity's] own." Later on, supermen were shown using the same powers that Superman would have on Earth

In unpublished K-Metal story whole planet charged them with powers, then remnants of it would serve as depowering element for Kal who lived too long on Earth, similar to different poles on a magnet. (x-ray and super hearing weren't shown). Krypton's larger size and gravity was given as an explanation for the character's powers advancements.

When introduced in 1938, Superman had the following powers and limitations, some of which will be added or expanded in the next issues of the original Siegel's writing:

  • Super Strength: The character was depicted as having the ability to move large vehicles, including cars, trains, and ships. Later on he was depicted jump on incredible heights holding cars, even before learning to fly.
  • Super Speed: Superman could run faster than an express train. Later on he was able to run at invisible to a human eye speed. In order to avoid creating sonic booms he used vibration-stunt which he was taught by Earth-2 version of The Flash. At certain point in his stories (since Jerry Siegel's part of Superman #48) Superman could travel in time by circling around arbitrary point in space and then entering it as fast or by sprinting or flying in the straight line. In some stories it was shown that Superman couldn't change significant parts of history, either he was obstructed by invisible wall or reality simply shifted in two creating parallel world with changed events, however not writers followed that notion.
  • Enhanced Leaping: could leap over an 8th of a mile or over a tall building. Later on he learned how to fly, first by manoeuvring in mid-air and later on by completely countering gravity somehow.
  • Super Durability: Superman was highly resistant to injury. However, he was not so invulnerable as in his modern depictions; although immune to conventional firearms, heavy artillery could injure and possibly kill him. Full body control: Superman (as shown in the Jerry Siegel's part of Superman #45) was capable to completely alter his entire appearance along with his costume and was able to change his face, haircolor and even grow and remove natural mustashe from his face as soon as Superman #5.
    Superman shown to be able influence an alien from another dimension telepathically as well as capable of changing his entire appearance along with costume somehow from Superman 45 by Jerry Siegel writer

    Telepathic manipulation and transformation by Superman. Writer Jerry Siegel

  • Super Senses: Superman’s eyesight and hearing were far in excess of a human being’s.
  • Mind Abilities: Even though original Superman wasn't perfect, was mostly very simple and physically forcefull in his approach towards most of the problems in early stories and sometimes even (at least initially) wrong in some of his stories, despite that his mind had an amazing potential just as his body as such he was capable of creating new materials for indestructible clothes from which he made his uniform or memorize things with photographic accuracy, or his mind and eyes could resist numbing substances even when rest of the body caved in. In Superman #14 he is shown to be able to instantly understand and speak foreign language of underwater city woman, despite that he never heard it before. In some stories he could even influence a living being telepathically (like in Jerry Siegel's part of Superman #45) by concentrating enough, resembling in this the very first version of the character by Siegel and Shuster.
  • Superman transmitting of the power McClure Siegel Shuster 1941
    X-Ray vision : Ability to see through anything, except lead. Additionally (since Superman #59) in Golden and through certain Silver Age period heat vision was established and just as a more intense version of X-ray vision, one issue even portrayed lead to be an obstacle for Superman's heat vision (Superman #245).
  • Regaining of power level: As can be seen in The Superman Family #217 after being hit with power reducing ray which rolled back all physical abilities of Kal-L back to it's initial level forbidding him from flying or running at invisible to a human eye speed(but for some reason X-ray ability and it's intense heat vision version remained), later on using special equipment and running in circles Superman was able to retain his full strength and flight ability.
  • Power transfer : Superman in one McClure episode was shown to be able to cure permanent blindness by transmitting some of his power into a woman.
  • Weaknesses : initially Superman's direct weakness was stated to be "bursting shell" which was minimal requirement for piercing his incredible skin. Later on Superman is seen to be knocked out by big explosions or sometimes even ducking them instead of tanking damage as it was too much even for him. Later on his invulnerability greatly progressed. While there is no kryptonite in official canon of Earth-2 Superman, there was a 1942 story ("The K-Metal from Planet Krypton") about asteroid with radioactive metal from his home planet's remnants to be reaching Earth and making Superman as weak as humans of Earth while making humans of Earth to be super strong, however because editorial refused to publish it Kryptonite would only be introduced in Superman (comic book) #61 in 1949 and as element that only weakens Superman.

Silver/Bronze Age (Pre-Crisis)/Earth-1 Superman[]

Superman's powers were enhanced and added to from the 1940s until the mid-eighties. His powers were explained as a result of two factors: the comparatively weaker gravity of Earth, and the intensity of Earth's yellow sun (Yellow Sun as a power source is first mentioned in Action Comics #262 1961, in a back-up story by Otto Binder and Jim Mooney). As such, Superman's powers were negated if he entered an environment similar to that of Krypton, such as the bottle city of Kandor, or if he was exposed to the solar energy of a red sun (Red sun and Yellow sun radiation also affect any material that came from Krypton, as seen in Action Comics #500) so much so in one story Superman's costume is used by ordinary homeless and was able to survive laser weapons that otherwise would disintegrate him as long as costumed parts of his body were hit (Superman #400) . In Silver Age stories, the powers and limitations of Superman were instantly possessed by any Kryptonians exposed to Earth or Earth-like conditions (or simply to Yellow sun radiation). Individuals from the planet Daxam, such as Mon-El, possessed identical powers, but were invulnerable to Kryptonite and highly susceptible to lead poisoning.

  • Super Strength: Superman's strength allows him to battle with omega level threats such as Darkseid .
  • Flight: The character gained the power of true flight. In some instances his ability to direct his momentum anywhere was attributed to secret and unusual organ inside all Kryptonians.
  • Super Speed: Superman's speed increased to the point where he could travel faster than light. Several stories depict him traversing great distances through space to other solar systems and distant galaxies and even other universes. He could cross our own solar system in minutes or even in seconds. He could also use this power to travel through time, as shown in his boyhood visits to the 30th century as a member of the Legion of Superheroes. Superman can also swim at speeds approaching Aquaman's speed as well as run at speeds similar to that of the Flash. Superman is unable to beat Flash in a race.
  • Invulnerability: By the 1970s, Superman became able to withstand an atomic explosion and even fly through the core of a star. He was also immune to non-Kryptonian diseases and all radiation except for that of a red sun or Kryptonite.
  • Vision: In addition to X-ray vision and heat vision, Superman was also given telescopic and microscopic vision. The character could see across interstellar distances and observe events that occurred on a microscopic and even atomic level. He could also see across the full electromagnetic spectrum, including infra-red and ultraviolet light.
  • Hearing: Superman could hear sound at almost any wavelength and at great distances. His hearing is use for people calling him for his help as for distress calls.
  • Super Breath: Superman's breath was capable of freezing objects and generating hurricane-force winds. His super breath can extinguish fires or freeze things. He could also hold his breath indefinitely, allowing him to travel underwater or in space without breathing apparatus.
  • Mental Powers: Superman possessed genius-level intelligence and an eidetic memory. These enhanced mental capabilities were a direct result of his exposure to a yellow sun, as evidenced by the depiction of Superman's dog, Krypto. While under a yellow sun, Krypto's intelligence was boosted to that of a typical human. Superman also possessed the mental ability to screen out the enormous amount of information received by his enhanced senses, and to focus on a single detail, such as a particular voice or location. As well, his speed reading abilities were much like that of the Flash. He was able to absorb large amounts of information quickly; whether it entered his short term or long term memory is hazy. Under a yellow sun, a Kryptonian gains the ability to speak and understand all languages.
  • Super Ventriloquism: Superman could throw his voice across great distances. This power was used to confuse enemies or protect his secret identity by tricking others into believing that he (or Clark Kent) was in a different location.
  • Super Hypnotism: This power enabled Superman to hypnotize anyone. He could make people forget incidents or obey his commands. This power was often used to safeguard his identity.
  • Stamina: Superman could survive indefinitely without food, water, or rest due to the yellow sun's radiation sustaining him.
  • Healing factor: Superman could regenerate physical damage to his body at an accelerated rate. He was able to regenerate when Wonder Woman slit his throat with her tiara in Wonder Woman #219. In the series Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Superman regenerates his body after being reduced to near a skeleton by a special nuke that was designed to blot out sun light and disrupt energy. Superman's healing rate has been inconsistently portrayed, however. In the first issue of the "Superman/Batman" comic, Alfred is able to remove a Kryptonite bullet from Superman's body without fear of the wound closing (probably because the Kryptonite was affecting his ability to heal).
  • Other Powers: Writers of Superman would occasionally experiment with new powers for the character. In general, the abilities that proved popular and useful became part of his regular repertoire, while others would be discarded after a single use. In addition to his other super senses, Superman was occasionally shown as having highly-enhanced senses of touch and smell.

"Kryptonite Nevermore" At the dawn of the so called "Bronze Age" in 1970 Superman's powers went through a slight changes in Action Comics #233 "Kryptonite Nevermore" story by the writer Denny O'Neil. After , explosion of human made Kryptonite run power station in close proximity to Superman, his powers were reduced at least in half in their potency, but at the same time All Kryptonite on the planet Earth turned into iron-like substance causing no harm to Superman. This change was short-lived and after certain time was reversed (to a certain degree, Superman still wasn't as powerful as before in many of stories), but it greately inlfuenced other writers and creatives, and set the new "normal" limit on the powers of Man of Steel in all of the future interpretations.

O'Neil version is also notable for notion that Superman actually doesn't ever sleep, even though it is contradiction to some other stories by other writers like Superman #365.

According to Silver Age canon (as can be seen in Superman #171) Superman's hair does not grow under rays of Yellow sun, however it does grow under rays of Red one. It was not always consistent rule, especially during Bronze Age era comics.

  • Weakness: Envioment similar to that of Krypton, Red sun which makes him "normal" , kryptonite with it's different colored variations which were introduced in Silver Age, one of the more prominent being green which depowered and was slowly killing Superman, red which was giving random 24 hour mutation and gold which depowered Superman or other Kryptonians permanently (although not always irreversibly).

Post-Crisis[]

When the Superman character was revised by John Byrne shortly after Crisis on Infinite Earths, it was decided to place restrictions on his abilities. This was designed to make it easier for writers to come up with suitable challenges for the hero, and to eliminate or reduce those powers that had become too sensational or unbelievable for modern audiences. Emphasis was placed on yellow sun energy as a source for the character's powers. Superman's origin story was altered so that his powers developed gradually as his body absorbed yellow sunlight, and stories such as the Final Night series depicted the character gradually losing his powers when deprived of the sun's energy. When Superman's reserves of solar energy were depleted, as in Infinite Crisis or the Death of Superman story arcs, he required an extended period of time under a yellow sun, or some type of artificial solar enhancement in order to recharge.

Power Reduction Superman's strength was reduced to the point where he could still move tremendous amounts, but the character no longer had the ability to move planets. His speed was also reduced so that he could not exceed the speed of light. While still capable of surviving a nuclear explosion, such events would severely weaken him. Superman's sight, stamina and breath powers were also similarly reduced, and the character was also shown as requiring an oxygen mask for prolonged travel in space or underwater. His mental abilities were also curtailed to the point where intelligent humans, like geniuses Lex Luthor or Batman, could possibly outsmart him. The powers of super-ventriloquism and super-hypnosis were not generally used during this period, although it was never stated whether they had been eliminated or not.

Tactile Telekinesis An attempt was made to explain Superman's ability to fly with large objects through the introduction of tactile telekinesis. Objects that Superman touched were enveloped by an invisible telekinetic field that allowed him to move them with the force of his will. The ability also explained Superman's ability to fly. This power was the only ability originally duplicated in the Superboy clone, allowing him to emulate Superman's strength, speed, and flight capabilities, but none of his sensory powers. Over time, Superboy, or Kon-El as he came to be known, would eventually develop the same set of powers as the original.

Fortified Blood as can be seen in Superman (comic book) (1987) 211, somehow Superman weaponize even his own blood drop, throwing it so fast it can serve as some sort of speeding bullet.

While being significantly less powerful, fast or smart than previous iteration (or before Crisis on Infinite Earths since sometimes it was believed to be exactly the same person from Earth-1, but within significantly different context) this Superman shown some incredible feats, such as shooting from one point on Earth and reflecting heat vision beam with one eye from a satellite in order to write message on the wall in the other building, as can be seen in Superman: Last Son .

Modern Era[]

Powers Summary: After Byrne's departure from the series, Superman's powers and abilities were once again increased over time. He regained the ability to travel interstellar distances and to hold his breath for the amount of time required to make such journeys. His strength, speed, and sensory abilities were again increased, although not to Pre-Crisis levels. After New52, Superman's heat vision power has a variant use where he can project destructive heat energy from all over his body as a massive solar flare when an attack in all directions is needed. However, this use will drain Superman's internal solar energy reserves, leaving him powerless for the roughly 24 hour period necessary to recharge in a yellow sun environment.

Weaknesses: The comparative weakness of the Superman character to his Pre-Crisis incarnation was definitively shown during Infinite Crisis. The Superboy-Prime character, endowed with nearly the same power levels as the Silver Age Superman, was capable of defeating large numbers of DC universe heroes, including the Teen Titans and many members of the Green Lantern Corps. The Modern Era Superman and his Earth 2 counterpart were only able to defeat Superboy-Prime after plunging him through Krypton's red sun, there by reducing his powers. As shown in Superman #330 Kal also can be hypnotized to "believe" he has no powers.

Regenerative Healing Factor: Allows superman to recover any severe, damage he took in a short amount of. Time thus mainly comes from his kryptonian powers which allows him to heal.

Power Reduction Superman's strength was reduced to the point where he could still move tremendous amounts, but the character no longer had the ability to move planets. His speed was also reduced so that he could not exceed the speed of light. While still capable of surviving a nuclear explosion, such events would severely weaken him. Superman's sight, stamina and breath powers were also similarly reduced, and the character was also shown as requiring an oxygen mask for prolonged travel in space or underwater. His mental abilities were also curtailed to the point where intelligent humans, like geniuses Lex Luthor or Batman, could possibly outsmart him. The powers of super-ventriloquism and super-hypnosis were not generally used during this period, although it was never stated whether they had been eliminated or not.

  • Super Strength: Superman's strength allows him to battle omega level threats such as Darkseid which has shown great strength that could destroy planets others such as Black Adam which is god tier.
  • Flight: Thus gives superman the ability to travel around without relying on super speed or walking.
  • Super Speed: Superman's can move at an speed to the point where he could travel faster than light. Superman can also swim at speeds approaching Aquaman's speed as well as run at speeds similar to that of the Flash. Superman is unable to beat Flash in a race.
  • Vision: In addition to X-ray vision and heat vision, Superman was also given telescopic and microscopic vision. The character could see across interstellar distances and observe events that occurred on a microscopic and even atomic level. He could also see across the full electromagnetic spectrum, including infra-red and ultraviolet light. During New52 Superman also shown to be able to read information from a flash drive in mere seconds just by looking at it.
  • Hearing: Superman could hear sound at almost any wavelength and at great distances. His hearing is use for people calling him for his help as for distress calls.
  • Super Breath: Superman's breath was capable of freezing objects and generating hurricane-force winds. His super breath can extinguish fires or freeze things. He could also hold his breath indefinitely, allowing him to travel underwater or in space without breathing apparatus.

During New52 era Superman frequently was shown with bruises after the fights with foes of similar or even greater strenght than him or after collision with tanks, planes, buildings, or trains. Also New52 Superman was shown to be able to save multiple people around the city even without dressing as Superman, but by careful and precise application of x-ray vision, super hearing, heat vision, super breath, freeze breath and trigonometry .

New52 era Superman also shown to be considerably smarter or just more capable in the earlier stage of his carrier, compared to Post-Crisis one, as he was able to read entire surgical library and conduct successful operation using his thumbnail as scalpel (Action Comics (2011 )#12), something that previous version could not or did not even attempt to do (as could be seen in Superman (comic book) (1987) #64) .

Comparative strength[]

While Superman is frequently assumed to be the strongest hero in the DC universe, following the Byrne reboot, his strength tends to fluctuate depending on the amount of solar energy his cells have absorbed and the writer of the particular story. He has received a temporary boost in power after surviving a plunge into the Sun, and has had his powers depleted when deprived of such energy. The limits of how much energy Superman can absorb, and by extension the maximum limits of his power, has never been stated. Additionally, because of the solar energy that empowers him, he has often been depicted as being potentially immortal, as well as having a different ageing process, as seen in the Grant Morrison written series set in the far future of the DC Universe, DC One Million.[1] The canonicity of this series is unknown.

Characters such as Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, and Martian Manhunter have been described variously over time as equals, at least equal (possibly superior), or, in the last case, even superior.[2] Captain Marvel has been able to knock him out with 1-2 punches by taking him by surprise,[3] and Superman has stated outright that the latter has the advantage in a fist-fight due to his magic-derived powers.[4] When the Modern Era Supergirl was introduced, it was suspected that she was stronger than her cousin, but this was due to the fact that Superman had learned to restrain his strength through years of living with weaker individuals, an ability that Kara Zor-El had not yet learned.

It is important to note that while Superman is among the strongest DC heroes, there are many who match his strength, most notably Darkseid, Bizarro, Lobo, the Cyborg Superman, Eradicator, the original Mongul, General Zod and Black Adam, while Doomsday and Despero have occasionally been shown as stronger, the former being able to effortlessly stand his ground against the entire Justice League,[5] and the latter defeating Superman, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, and Power Girl at the same time.[6] Heroes and villains with magical capabilities, like the Spectre, Zatanna, and Doctor Fate, have displayed cosmic level power vastly beyond Superman's capabilities. The Flash possesses the ability to travel at the speed of light, shunting his mass towards infinity, and enabling him to perform such feats as defeating a white martian with one punch,[7] or almost overcoming the Anti-Monitor singlehandedly.[8] Hal Jordan, with the will-fueled power of the Green Lantern ring, has also been cited as being a match for Superman, being able to lay him down with one punch while possessed by Parallax.[9] The Guardians of the Universe allegedly possess abilities dwarfing those of regular Green Lantern Corps members. Kyle Rayner, inhabited by the benevolent symbiote "Ion", was recently touted as the most powerful of Earth's superheroes. Maxima, has many powers such as telepathy and psi-bolts that have knocked out Orion, who is on equal footing to Superman, effortlessly. She also possesses Matter Manipulation, Telekinesis, and possession abilities that would make her a threat to the entire Justice League. Maxima also can hold her own against Doomsday in strength and can increase her physicallity to infinite levels.

One villain that is often portrayed as vastly superior to Superman in every way is the five-dimensional entity Mr. Mxyzptlk. While the limits and nature of Mxyzptlk's powers is unclear, he is often portrayed as being, for all practical purposes, 'omnipotent,' and his encounters with Superman often amount to him simply toying with the Man of Steel.

Alternate versions and timelines[]

Over the years, many alternate versions of Superman have appeared, in Elseworlds books or other timelines. Many of these were limited series' and one shots, so the extent of Supermans abilities is not always explored in great detail.

The Dark Knight continuity[]

Frank Miller's Dark Knight continuity, which includes The Dark Knight Returns, The Dark Knight Strikes Again, and All-Star Batman and Robin, has depicted Superman's powers in a variety of ways. All-Star Batman and Robin, for instance, depicts a younger Superman traveling from the U.S. to Paris by means of running fast enough to cross the ocean surface, possibly implying that he has not yet developed the power of flight. The Dark Knight Returns depicts him as having the usual super speed, heat vision, flight, and strength, but it also depicts him as being vulnerable to several things. Kryptonite still harms him, and he is nearly killed at one point by a massive nuclear detonation (as opposed to mainstream Earth-1 canon of that time where nuclear blast could only remove Kryptonite scars from his face) . Whether this was the result of the blast itself, radiation, or the bomb designed specifically to block out the sun and pollute nature, or a combination of those factors, is not made clear. He is also shown to be susceptible to a sound wave device, which causes him temporary pain. In some lines, Batman hints that these weaknesses may be related to him being older, although this is never substantiated.

Also in The Dark Knight continuity he was shown to be able to sip powers from Earth itself, similar to how in original concept by Siegel (as stated in unreleased K-Metal from Planet Krypton) Kryptonian humans were all given powers on Krypton from planet itself.

Just Imagine Stan Lee's Superman[]

Just like in classic versions Superman is an alien from planet Krypton, where he is as an adult is part of Kryptonian Police Force. On Krypton he already possessed an ability to fly by using special flying harness gadget. Upon arriving on Earth he is discovering that Earth's gravity is weaker, which gains him relative super strength and ability to leap on great distance. Salden (Superman's name in this story) also discovers because of Earth's atmosphere he is now able to see much further and even see through solid objects.

Superman: Red Son[]

The Elseworlds book Superman: Red Son features a massively powerful Superman, akin to his Silver Age version. Flight, super speed, super intelligence, and massive strength, are all depicted, although other powers associated with the Silver Age, such as time travel, are not depicted, and no real limitations are placed on his powers themselves. Fight with this version of Bizzaro which is USA clone made from Superman's cells caused much more devastating collateral damage and death toll than in regular comics. He is unable to see through lead in this version, and his powers are affected by red sunlight radiation. He is never stated to be immortal, but it is revealed that he lives for an extremely long period of time. Just like Silver Age Superman he is able to hear at incredible distance. Kryptonite is never mentioned in the story. Unlike many other versions this Superman isn't an alien from another planet, but just a more advanced human from the future sent back in time, which is a concept that is similar to original concept of Superman by Jerome Siegel, before eventually it was changed into another planet (which still initially was more advanced version of planet Earth and it's people in the earliest depictions).

Kingdom Come[]

Superman's powers and weaknesses in Kingdom Come are similar to many of his other incarnations. Strength, flight, and heat vision are all depicted. He does not seem to any more or less intelligent than an average human in this continuity. His vision is portrayed as being able to easily scan a continent for signs of trouble in a matter of moments, from orbit. During the story, he is caught in a large nuclear blast, and while it does not state that he was unharmed, it does not seem to have affected him at all. He is not exposed to Kryptonite at any point in the story, but Lex Luthor says that it "does not pack the punch it used to", and that Superman is at "the height of his invulnerability." His speed seems somewhat limited, as he is shown speeding across the U.S., from Gotham to somewhere in the heartland, but it is depicted as taking him a few moments to arrive there, placing some potential limit on his speed. It is also worth nothing that Captain Marvel is regarded as equal to or more powerful than Superman, and a potential match for him in battle. Superman is shown as being susceptible to harm via Captain Marvel's magic lightning bolt. Another sequence in the story portrays Superman as accidentally cutting his finger on Wonder Woman's sword, to which she responds; "you always were a bit susceptible to magic."

All-Star Superman[]

Grant Morrison's depiction of Superman in the All-Star Superman title portray his abilities as similar to that of Silver Age Superman, except he is unable to travel through time on his own, rather has to use special gadget. He was also shown to be unable to unshrink Kandor, unlike his mainstream Silver/Bronze Age counterpart from main continuity, as well as from Imaginary Stories. Also unlike Golden, Silver and some Bronze Age comics his physiology is completely differentfrom people of Earth , so he can't have children with Lois or any other human without special scientific arrangement. This version of Superman also supercharged his body by being too close to the Yellow sun, which caused its cells to self-destruct and transform Kal-El into pure energy within one year while giving additional boost to all of his powers and intellect for the time being, which was never the case in comics before of after All-Star Superman as frequently came into close proximity with the sun many times. Relatively new (at that time) concept of bioelectric aura as source of Superman's ability to basically avoid laws of physics, and which is responsible for most of his super abilities, was expanded (and mixed with rare instances of telekinesis/remote gravity manipulation which were in some comics of Silver Age and in Superman I and II) in this limited series, after too close exposure to the Yellow sun Superman was able to extend it and carry spaceship along with it, also he was able to channel that energy and release it from his hands as a powerful electricity blast that he used against Human Bomb and Bizarro.

Superman Secret Identity[]

In this version, inspired by Superboy Prime, a boy named "Clark Kent" living in the world where Superman and other DC Comics characters are characters of fiction, his real parents named him after a fictional character. After some time , as a teenager, Clark accidentally discovers that he can fly, then later on he discovers other abilities of fictional (in his world) character, that he is incredibly fast, that for some reason he can hear over entire planet and arrive at disasters in time, even though realistically sound waves should be slower than that, or the fact that he somehow able to rescue people at invisible to naked human eye speeds without breaking them. Essentially he has all the standard powers of modern version of Superman. His weakness is, just like DCAU version, is discovered to be high electricity. He wears Superboy/man costume from a store that parents bought him, initially as teenager the costume stretches on him as he grows old, similarly to John Byrne's version costume is made from ordinary material, but is somehow reinforced due to being tight to Clark's skin, as such bullets bounce from his chest without damaging the suit, and he is always moves too fast for any fire to have effect on his suit and somehow his suit and even cape survive all that punishement of incredible friction and even space to Earth entrance.

Eventually Clark Kent marries Lois Chaudari and they successfully conceive two daughters who eventually inherit their father's powers somewhere during puberty , without both parent's knowledge up until both of the daughters grow up into women.

It is said that although Clark can practically hear entire planet (if he wants, he was in total control of his powers since beginning) there are some things even he doesn't know, like that fact that there may or may not be more of people with extraordinary abilities. Also there is no definitive explanation of his abilities as well, best guess is some experiment on population of small town in Kansas by US government.

Unlike some versions of Superman this one doesn't have slowed down aging, also eventually his powers weaken.

This version of Superman can "relax" and make his body hair susceptible to be cut by ordinary scissors or razors, instead of shaving with heat vision bouncing from piece of mirror/piece of Kryptonian ship like other versions of Superman shave.

Earth One Superman[]

In J. Michael Straczynski's Earth One trilogy, Superman is depicted as having the powers typically seen in most continuities. However, in this universe, Kal-El gained his powers almost immediately after arriving on Earth. As an infant, he is seen bending a tire iron in the Kents' car after being taken from his space craft; in the first issue, he experiences physical pain for the first time as an adult. As a result, Clark is very familiar and adept with his powers and has developed a fighting style that takes full advantage of them. Superman is showing fighting on par with Tyrell and General Zod, experienced military men with strength to his own.

However, this long experience with his powers burdens Clark psychologically. Unlike most depictions of the character, this Superman feels alienated from humanity, possibly suffering a form of depression. Clark was frequently bullied as a child and developed an introverted, isolationist personality, unable to get close to the people around him. This initially made him reluctant to publicly use his powers, as he believed it would doom him to permanent loneliness. Even after becoming Superman, Clark struggles trying to discover how best to use his powers, balancing his own ability to change the world without terrifying humanity at large or world leaders, at times failing at this to his detriment.

Unlike most incarnations, Kal-El seems to have inherited his father's genius. Clark is shown solving complex chemical equations at a glance and claims he can't watch mystery shows because he always solves the case within the first five minutes of viewing. Superman is capable of adapting to new threats quickly and discovering ways to deal with them as he did with his first encounter with kryptonite in the desert; he took advantage of an underground spring Zod hadn't realized they were standing on.

Like in most depictions, Superman is harmed and can possibly be killed by exposure to kryptonite. After his battle with Zod he was able to use his space craft to develop a skin suit theoretically capable of blocking kryptonite radiation, but it was never tested. Also like in most depictions, Superman's powers are dependent on the light of a yellow sun, and he loses his powers when exposed to light from a red sun. Stracyznski expandes on this in the Earth One continuity; Tyrell (a native from another planet in Krypton's solar system) claims that exposure to blue dwarfs or quazars would make himself and Superman godlike beings while proximity to a black hole would be fatal.

Year One[]

In Frank Miller's version of Superman's origin his powers are mostly the same as in all previous incarnations , especially to all Frank Miller's written comics of the Earth-31 continuity (The Dark Knight series, Batman Year One, All-Star Batman & Robin, etc). Superman portrayed to be able to live in underwater environment indefinitely long (unlike, for example Superman in DCAU continuity, who needed special underwater suit). Also in the very beginning it is ambiguously hinted that Superman may also posses some psychic mind-altering abilities upon touching Jonathan Kent's forehead, perhaps similar ability to the one Superman possessed during Silver and Bronze age that made most people practically unable to recognize Superman and Clark Kent as one person or allowed Superman to erase particular memory with a single kiss.

Film and Television[]

Adventures of Superman[]

On the TV series The Adventures of Superman, Superman also demonstrated some one-time-only powers; in the first season episode "Rescue", he develops the ability to split himself into two (slightly weaker) Supermen. In the sixth season's "The Mysterious Cube", Superman learns how to walk through solid matter. The source of Superman's powers was stated to be his dense molecular structure, a trait that was occasionally mentioned in the comics.

Superman The Movie Series[]

The Superman depicted in films of the 1970s and 80's was based on the Silver Age incarnation and possessed nearly the same capabilities. He is shown performing such feats as stabilizing an earthquake fault line and (infamously) rewriting history by altering the rotation of the Earth. In Superman II, Superman and his Kryptonian counterparts are shown using telekinesis in the form of a blue ray emanating from their fingers. Superman also uses a cellophane-like substance from his S-insignia to trap a villain, although whether this was a power or a device was not made clear. All four Kryptonians in the film also displayed line-of-sight teleportation abilities, and Superman was able to materialize illusory duplicates of himself as well; however, these are potentially the result of moving at invisible super-speed, and leaving controlled after-images (a la the Flash). Superman also has a minor form of telepathy, which he uses to erase Lois' recent memories with a kiss. This ability first appeared in 1963 in Action Comics #306. In Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, he demonstrates a degree of telekinesis as he rebuilds the Great Wall of China by staring at it. Some movie critics dubbed this "Masonry Vision".

Unlike his comic book counterpart of those years this universe Superman had no problem to change history, although maybe it was due to the method of reversing time which he applied.

Smallville[]

In the television series Smallville, most of Clark Kent's powers develop over his teenage years. In the first episode of the series, he is aware of his super-strength and superhuman speed, and first experiences his invulnerability when Lex Luthor hits him with a Porsche at 60 miles an hour. Clark's invulnerability undergoes a steady progression over the course of the series: his body is bruised (but not pierced) by bullets and does not immediately heal in early episodes, but by the fifth season episode 'Hidden', Clark is capable of falling from the Earth's atmosphere without sustaining any physical damage. Clark's super-strength also increased over the course of the series to the point where in the sixth season episode 'Combat', Clark exhibited the ability to set off powerful shockwaves with his punches in which he successfully dispatched an extremely powerful intergalactic foe and in the ninth season episode 'Salvation', Clark's punch was able to send Zod flying into the sky. By the season ten episode 'Finale', Clark was able to carry the planet Apokolips away from Earth, even while the planet rivaled Saturn in size.

Clark developed x-ray vision in the first season episode X-Ray, heat vision in the second season episode Heat and super hearing in the third season episode Whisper. Flight is developed very gradually over time. The first mention is in the first season episode Metamorphosis, where Clark first "defies gravity"; however, this is not really controlled. He is shown to be hovering over his bed while sleeping, but falls and destroys his bed once he wakes up. The first real controlled flight is in the second season episode Vortex, although this is with the help of a tornado. In the third season finale Covenant, his "floating" in the air is assisted by Kara, a dead human who has been empowered and brainwashed by Jor-El. In the fourth season episode Crusade, he flies properly, but only in his Kal-El persona. The limitation on this power is due to the "No Tights, No Flights" rule made by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar to make Smallville more believable. As long as the character had no Superboy costume, he would not be allowed to fly. He discovers super breath in the sixth season episode Sneeze. Clark's breath can create powerful winds, but only began demonstrating freezing capabilities after the season nine episodes 'Rabid' and 'Upgrade'.

Clark also exhibits a healing factor seen rarely in the comics. Any wound he suffers appears to heal within seconds. If he suffers injuries during a period of power loss, any wounds will heal up as soon as his powers return. This power doesn't appear to have limits; for example, in the sixth season episode "Wither," an alien plant impales him through the chest for an extended period of time, yet upon the plant's removal, he appeared recovered within seconds. Clark is also noted to have an exceptional sense of balance for he has never tripped without the use of Kryptonite or some form of mind control (stated in "Jinx"). His immune system also provides a defense against virtually all forms of Earth disease, which is broken very rarely (temporarily by an artificially created and fatal-to-humans virus in "Scare", and once again in "Sneeze", presumably due to Clark's loss of his powers during his time in the Phantom Zone).

In addition to these, Smallville also features a number of abilities not seen in other incarnations, not all of which find their source in Clark's Kryptonian origin, but rather some appear particular to Kal-El himself. The third season episode "Hereafter", explores Clark's immortality and his ability to alter the destiny of others. Later in Season 3, in the episode "Resurrection", it is said Clark's blood has the power to revive the dead. In addition, his spirit itself is accredited with special healing properties in season four's "Transference". He even affects the moral inclinations of others for an extended period of time. Clark has also shown to have limited defenses against psionic powers. One episode had a character unsuccessfully try to read Clark's mind. However, Clark's mind also seems to have differing vulnerabilities than a humans, as in the fourth season episode "Blank," another character inadvertently wiped out Clark's entire memory, while he was trying to merely erase the last few moments (and his powers were never seen to have any impact greater than that on humans).

In season 10 finale Clark finally gained the ability to fly after 10 years of trials by Jor-El. He also shown to be able to quickly move entire planet Apokolips.

In season 11, alongside his ability to fly, other dormant abilities like the full array of vision-related abilities and the classic ability to learn, speak and understand any language Superman comes in contact with, as well a considerable increase on his power levels.

Superman Returns[]

Being spiritual sequel to the first Richard Donner directed Superman movies this Superman possessed all similar powers, besides those he just didn't use like reverting back time. Unlike those two movies this Superman also possesses freeze breathe. Also heat vision was done in a manner similar to Smallville and John Byrne's The Man of Steel as translucent streams of red heat waves while in the air and as two red lines while in the water, unlike in Superman II Donner Cut where heat vision was portrayed as two visible (at least to an audience) lasers like in Silver/Bronze Age comics. He is able to hear entire planet.

Also this Superman showed a significant resilience to Kryptonite, being able to lift an entire small island-sized chunk of it into space, despite suffering painful effects while doing so.

Clark and Lois were able to conceive a son, but it is not specified through which means, only that Superman had no knowledge about that fact at the start of the movie and his return to Earth.

DC Animated Universe[]

In the animated series Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League and its sequel, Justice League Unlimited, Superman is depicted with power levels similar to those he possessed immediately following his 1986 reboot in the comics. Superman possesses the powers of flight, superhuman strength, x-ray vision, heat vision, cold breath, super-speed, enhanced hearing, and nigh-invulnerability. While Superman is immensely strong both in terms of muscle power and ability to take physical punishment, he is not all-powerful. He can be injured, bleed, and conceivably be killed, and sometimes he has been known to strain and sweat when performing superhuman feats of strength, as demonstrated in "Doomsday Sanction" when he is ambushed by Doomsday while catching his breath after using his own body to drill several holes in the ground to vent the magma from a volcano. In the Superman episode "Little Girl Lost", Superman was able to hurl a huge comet through space to stop it from hitting Earth. Superman killed a whole army of Parademons with a huge blast of his heat vision. Superman also has the ability to precisely control his muscles, which allows him to imitate any human voice.

Superman derives his power from the yellow sun of Earth. Forced under a red sun akin to the red sun of his homeworld, Krypton, or exposed to red sun radiation, Superman rapidly loses his powers, reverting to the stature of a normal human.[10]

Aside from red sun radiation, Superman's main weakness is Kryptonite, radioactive shards of his former home planet. Exposure to Kryptonite will rob Superman of his power, and with prolonged exposure, will kill him.[11]

Superman seems somewhat vulnerable to electricity. He is shown recoiling in pain from electrocution multiple times (such as from Dr. Gavler's electrified door and the device Deadshot attached to a manhole cover). Although it is unknown if he could be killed by such forces, the sensations clearly hurt enough to force him to look for alternative routes. Livewire is able to injure Superman with her electrical attacks, presumably enough to kill him, especially if he is otherwise weakened. This vulnerability may be related to why he is susceptible to Parasite's energy drain, which is depicted as electricity flowing from Rudy's victim into his own body.

Superman's only other known weakness is magic, which can injure him as easily as it can any other being. Magical beings are able to injure the man of steel easily.

However, at one time Superman said that he hasn't shown his full power because "he feels like like he lives in a world full of cardboard" and the risk he could kill someone in the Justice League Unlimited finale, "Destroyer". Seeing that Darkseid merged with Brainiac to become a more formidable villain, and Batman's perseverance, Superman decides to "cut loose", fighting Darkseid at full force virtually outclassing the villian in stature. At full force, Superman was shown to be either on even terms with Darkseid or superior. At full power, Superman was shown to be physically superior to the resurrected Darkseid, as he has defeated him many times. His physical strength surpasses that of Darkseid and rivals that of Doomsday. In addition, Superman rarely used all his powers to their full extent. On one occasion, he finally cut loose, revealing to Darkseid that the world was like cardboard to him before proceeding to send him across the city and through at least three or four skyscrapers with one punch.

DC Extended Universe[]

In Man of Steel (film) Clark already "received" super-senses such as super hearing, x-ray vision and John Byrne's-esque heat vision (it is also first time in the cinematic history when "red eyes" of Superman visuals were fully adapted in the way they were conceived for the first time by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and Tom Ziuko in For the Man Who Has Everything and adopted by many other artists of more modern comics about Superman, especially since Post-Crisis) in , as soon as 9 years. He is said to possess some form of invulnerability as well as shown to be able to bend a metal pipe at the age 13. At the age of 17 he wasn't shown to be as fast as his counterpart in Smallville or Silver Age to be able to move at speed completely invisible to human eye. To prevent sensory overload it is said that he was taught since childhood how to only focus on what he wants to hear and see, because otherwise (at that point in his life) he won't be able handle that much information at the same time, which sometimes makes him unaware of a potential "danger" that could come at him, as first scene on a fishing boat clearly demonstrated.

Before putting on red and blue Kryptonian underarmor suit from a scout ship, as a 33 years old (present time of the film) Clark Kent is shown to be able to jump a considerable (compared to a normal human) amount in length, is completely unharmed by fire, was able to at least hold heavy oil rig's derrick, crushed steel beam with his naked feet, survived being crushed by a bunch of steel beams with oil rig exploding on him afterwards, shown to be able to easily control John Byrne's style heat vision to melt snow and even to cauterise wound and stop the internal hemorrhaging (bleeding) without causing excessive harm to a human body. It was demonstrated that he can be easily tackled by a human if he doesn't focus and at the same time become nigh-immovable against strong human push if he wants.

After putting on Kryptonian underarmor he is shown to struggle to fly at first, beginning with just incredibly long and high leaps. After some time he is finally able to completely defy gravity by "standing" in the air in front of military. In this version Kryptonians' ability to defy gravity (and possibly as at least additional source of their invincibility, strength and endurance) also shown to be affecting (at least at the initial untrained level) small dust or even large chunks of armor, as can be seen with General Zod, also making them levitate. Interestingly enough both Kal-El and Zod were shown flying only when they were in Kryptonian underarmor suits. Underarmor suits are as durable as Kryptonians themselves, unlike Kryptonian's biomasks which were shown to be damaged by Clark's punches, or Krypton's armor plates which had heat vision trails on them after Kal-El used it against Nam-Ek, it is also clearly shown that Kryptonians can't fly by defying gravity while in armor. Previously a Kryptonian metal and some other materials has shown it's capabilities to defy gravity pull even back on Krypton, Kryptonian ships' hulls which shown to be succeptable to damage from at least sun-powered Kryptonians (twice by Superman and one time by Faora trying to find the Codex in Kal's rocket).

High intensity reddish-orange visible beam version of heat vision is shown to be extremely painful to the user such as Superman or General Zod, even to the point of temporarily disorienting them and limiting their mobility. Also , unlike in some other versions, heat vision, at least high intensity version of it, is shown to be one of direct weaknesses to a Kryptonian causing them to yell in pain as can be seen with Faora or Superman himself in the next film. Kryptonian weapon's blast also cause at least some temporary discomfort even to sun-powered Kryptonian as seen during Smallville battle.

One of other weaknesses (at least for novice untrained Superman) were shown to be a high caliber bullet when shot to the head.

Unlike in most other versions where only suns and gravity are different between Earth and Krypton and that difference only affecting Kryptonians (with some exceptions like Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #64 where Jimmy Olsen was given powers similar to the ones of Superman) either giving them, kryptonians, powers or making them powerless, in this film difference between Krypton's and Earth's atmosphere also playing part in giving them abilities, particularly super senses (similarly to Stan Lee's Superman), also it takes some considerable amount of time for Kryptonian to adapt to the Earth's atmosphere, it is said that as a baby little Clark had heavy breathing, while it is shown through Zod and Faora that first time exposure can even make them immobile due to sensory overload. Opposite to that it is shown that an exposure to (space ship's simulation of) Krpyton's atmosphere makes Superman, who was only a newborn on his home planet and spent rest of his life on Earth, coughing blood, which was in general one of rarest cases of him ever bleeding in the first place, during entire DCEU. It is not clear whether humans actually experience any difference while breathing within (simulated) Krypton's atmosphere.

Like in Smallville whenever Clark made charged high jumps, punched someone with his at least some of his true strength or used super-speed, most of the time during Kryptonians' fist fight with each other there were visible shockwaves.

Similarly to Action Comics #805 it is shown that it is possible to kill someone with powers similar to Superman's by snapping their neck. It is not clear whether that was possible only during high intensity heat vision usage or even without it.

Superman shown to be able to withstand gravitational beam of Black Zero terraforming machine that had smog around it similar to Krypton's atmosphere, long enough to be able to thrust upwards during phase when the beam was shooting from Metropolis into Indian Ocean end of machine in order to destroy it. Afterwards he is shown that even sunlight obstructed by clouds can help him to fully recover to be able to cover entire distance from Indian Ocean and Metropolis, grab Lois before she falls on the ground and push against Phantom Zone's implosion pulling him (as it did to anyone who already was in the Phantom Zone, similarly to Superman: Last Son version) back inside.




In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Superman was shown to be able to fly through a rocket and drone destroying both. Was shown to be able to grab people at speed faster than person can pull a trigger on a gun while smashing through the walls in process without killing (similarly to Action Comics #14 and #814), as was definitively confirmed later on by the director. In a brief montage Superman is shown to be able to carry an entire Icebreaker ship, it is not clear whether his slow pace was due to limit of his abilities or as a precaution to cause as little damage as possible. In an Ultimate Cut Edition version of the film newspaper clippings declare that Superman shifted tectonic plate to prevent an earthquake, similarly to what was shown in Superman The Movie, as well as was able to prevent a volcano disaster.

High-caliber machine gun fire was shown to be able to move Superman until he "steels" himself enough to become completely unfazed by impact. High pitched sound emmiters , just like in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, were shown to cause some temporary discomfort that Superman can eventually overcome.

After being exposed to Kryptonite dust (in similar way to Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134) Superman and losing most of his abilities, he is shown to be able to withstand punches and kicks from Batman (who was shown to be much stronger than any other human) a well trained human in peak physique covered heavy exosuit metal armor (similar to The Dark Knight Returns version). In this weakened state he can be knocked out by a sink smashed against back of his head. Can survive fall from approximately 10 floors crushing his back on pile of radiators. All without a single drop of his blood. Only an actual sharply cutted out piece of Kryptonite (which in this version is a remnant of terraforming Black Zero machine instead of just radiated pieces of his home planet Krypton like in most versions).

Superman is shown to arrive to save Lois Lane so fast and swift as if he was always with her during the fall. It is unclear how far away he was in the first place, but it is implied in the film that he is always cautious of her movements.

Just like in The Dark Knight Returns Superman shown to be turned into shriveled diflated and thin version of himself upon close proximity with nuclear explosion, and can be relatively quickly restored back to his normal appearances and with his eyes glowing red by a direct sunlight from space. In this version either nuclear blast or direct sunlight from space is capable of erasing scar from Superman's face made by Kryptonite which is similar to Action Comics #239 situation.

During battle with this version of Doomsday he was shown to be knocked out by a heavy rock plate from a memorial names list statue, smashed against back of his head by him.

In this film Kal-El has shown progress with controlling his high intensity heat vision beams, now he is able to fly forward or move his neck while shooting them.

Similarly to Superman Returns, but on much more smaller scale he was shown to be able to resist effects of Kryptonite while flying and holding piece of radioactive green mineral in front of him.

Superman can be easily cut by sharp piece of this version of Doomsday, which is mutated by a human Kryptonian hybrid (similarly to DCAU version) capable of shooting his own heat vision beams (similarly to All-Star Superman version of Doomsday). And a hit through his chest was seemingly enough to kill him, although final scene in the film shows that there is at least still some gravity defying energy left in his body, although just like beginning of the film it is up to interpretation whether scene carries literal meaning or just simply a philosophical symbolism.

Justice League

Upon revival by the Motherbox Kal-El is shown for the first time to be flying without Kryptonian underarmor. Despite being dead for half a year the unfrozen body didn't yet began it's decomposition.

Based on his reflexes , or muscle memory , or also because of possible upgrade by the motherbox Superman, even without his own consciousness intact was able to fight off against 3 other superstrong metahuman Cyborg, halfatlantean Aquaman and a demigod-amazon Wonder Woman, while also was able to easily spot one incredibly fast metahuman The Flash, almost successfully catching him. Later on he was shown to be able to easily catch up to speed of The Flash.

In this version Superman was shown to be able to lift and carry an entire Housing Block building with people inside without breaking it, similar to Action Comics #352 and many other comics from Silver Age era.

This is first time in this continuity when Superman used his iconic Freeze breathe power, similar to actor's Christopher Reeve movies it is the third installment (and also similar to Reeve's era it involved one director replacing another). Which was shown to be enough to completely crystalize Steppenwolf's axe which was destroyed into pieces by Wonder Woman's sword, which she couldn't before.

By far he was shown to be most capable out of all other superheroes presented on screen.

Zack Snyder's Justice League

This original version of character's third installment has mostly similar elements with version above. Just like in above version Superman is shown to be most capable and dangerous out of all characters presented, even merely seconds after being revived after being considered dead. Just like in above version it is first time when we see Clark fly without wearing his Kryptonian underarmor.

Kryptonian armor plates that Batman and Alfred integrated into gauntlets of batsuit were shown to be capable of absorbing heat vision blast that showed to be capable to easily melt military's Hammer vehicle

In the very beginning Superman's final scream's sound waves were shown to travel around almost entire planet.

In this version Superman demonstratably became proficent in "steeling" himself (termin that was historically used by Kal in comics whenever he made himself immovable, for example The Death of the New Gods #8 ) that he was completely unfazed by Steppenwolf's axe hit, which also was reference to Action Comics #814.

Freeze breathe also debuts for the first time in this original version of the film, but it has very different form, instead of strong gust of cold wind pushed by Superman for some time like in most other versions, it is slight exhale at the short distance that is yet still capable to have very same affect as in version above creating cascade freezing effect spreading through the structure of the axe, except in this version Superman destroys Steppenwolf's axe (which is also different in this version, instead of containing fire it contained yellow electricity) by himself.

In this version Superman's punches against Steppenwolf's armor created light emmissions. Also in this version his intense heat vision beam was capable cutting one of Steppenwolf's hornes and removing parts of his armor (without hurting skin under the parts where there was one).

In both versions of Justice League Superman was instrumental in helping Cyborg to separate Motherboxes from so called unity.

In the so called "Knightmare" timeline in the near future Superman is controlled by Darkseid (similarly to Superman: The Animated Series Legacy Part I) and kills innocent people and superheroes such as Batman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman. He is shown to pierce through Bruce Wayne's armored torso with his naked palm by applying relatively small pressure, as well as was shown to cut Batman's supporters in half with his heat vision beams while slowly walking and turning his head around.

In Black Adam post-credit scene Superman arrives as soon as Teth Adam blows up Amanda Waller's drone with his lightning. Though it is unclear how far he was from that location in the first place.

Superman & Lois[]

Superman in this series is portrayed mostly as he is in the other media. He discovered his powers as a teenager. His first costume was made by Martha Kent (direct reference to Superman For All Seasons) though it is unclear whether from alien materials or Earth-based, and why it didn't get any damage by fire.

Unlike DCEU Superman and other Kryptonians this version was shown to withstand power of intense heat vision directly pouring into his naked palm, and without rays burning through it like in some comics (Final Crisis Legion of Three Worlds #3).

Similarly to John Byrne's Superman & Batman: Generations comics series Clark successfully married and conceived children with Lois, one son Jon (named after his foster father) without powers (so far) and Jordan (named after his real father) who eventually gets his powers unlocked. Unlike Jon Kent in the current comics, these two sons grew up into teenagers without knowing that their dad , Clark Kent, is Superman. Until Jordan's powers were awakened with passing of time and seemingly puberty. It is said that due to be only half Kryptonian and half Human Jordan has only half of his father's power level.

Progression of Superman's abilities[]

The Reign of The Super-Man :[]

Ability to see far away up to the point of observing other worlds far away , ability to see as if deattached from the body, ability to hear far away, ability to read minds.

The Superman :[]

Super-strenght, bulletproof skin, ability to jump high.

Superman :[]

1938 Super-strenght (can lift a 1933 model car above his head), ability to jump high (1/8 of a mile in lenght), super-speed (can outrun express train), imprevious skin (nothing less than bursting shell can penetrate his skin).

1939 Super-hearing (limited, can hear what is happening in a room besides the wall), x-ray vision (limited, can see what is in the next room, except if an object is covered in lead)

Trivia[]

Interestingly enough, while originally Superman didn't have ability to fly by directly defying gravity, other character such as Dr. Occult, that was also created by Siegel and Shuster (under pen named "Legar" and "Reuths"), was clearly flying, while also donning red cape, blue underpants and triangle "protective symbol of the seven" on his chest, along with sword in 1936's More Fun Comics #14. While another character co-created by Siegel The Spectre could "stand" in the air in his first ever appearance in comics, something Superman only really demonstrated in the realm of comics after 1986 reboot .

Dr Occult flight vs The Spectre flight vs Pre Crisis vs Post Crisis

Even after flight was established as separate ability both of Pre-Crisis Superman always flew in continuous motion.

Sources[]

  1. DC One Million
  2. JLA #84-89
  3. JLA #28
  4. Superman/Batman #4
  5. Superman/Doomsday: Hunter Prey; Superman: The Doomsday Wars
  6. JLA/JSA: Virtue and Vice
  7. JLA #1–4
  8. The Flash vol. 2, #150
  9. Zero Hour
  10. S:TAS - The Main Man, Part II; S:TAS - Solar Power; S:TAS - Legacy, Part II
  11. S:TAS - A Little Piece of Home

External link[]

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