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Clark's 3 other senses
We know Clark has Super Vision* (Telescopic / Microscopic / X-Ray / InfraRed / Microwave Vision) to a maximal degree.
We know Clark has Super Hearing (Extended / Directional / Superhuman / Subhuman Hearing) to a maximal degree.
But what about his three other senses?
Clark can smell, taste and touch/feel at least as good as the rest of us. But how much so?
It seems weird that his vision and hearing get almost 100% of the emphasis in terms of superhuman senses, and his 3 other senses get so little narrative spotlight by comparison.
But are his 3 senses even officially superhuman to begin with, or are we just presuming?
What, if any, is the evidence for this, either in current or former canon?
And beyond that, SHOULD he also regularly display Super Smell, Super Taste and Super Touch/Feel? And how useful would these be in a narrative sense?
* - Heat Vision is technically not part of his Super Vision but instead an effect of the solar radiation absorption dispersed through his eyes.
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I recall after the solar flare power came into play that Clark mentioned how different food tastes when he's depowered, so he has "super taste" at least.
And I'm 99% certain "super smell" has come into play.....but I can't think of exactly where or when.
Super touch.....far as I know that hasn't been touched on (pun!) unless you want to consider the super-kiss an extension of that power.
I think the narrative use for all of those powers is fairly thin. Enhanced smell would be more of a thing if Clark didn't have the eyes and ears he does. He uses those senses for tracking instead of his nose.
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On touching/feeling anybody know how Superman perceives the temperature? Maybe that's one of his senses that's possibly diminished so that the coldness of space doesn't bother him. Or maybe that just has to do with all the solar energy his body stores. Though I think it's been mentioned that he's never broke a sweat in his life, so maybe the heat also doesn't bother him as much as humans.
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Actually, I feel like a dumbass for not thinking of it before, but the fact that Clark can survive in space and extreme environmental conditions does strongly imply that his sense of touch would be vastly different from our's. Surviving that stuff indicates a very different biology when it comes to skin texture and tensile strength (its late, is that the words I want?) and nervous system.
And that he's able to operate among regular people without shattering everything around him, given his immense strength, also indicates a degree of sensitivity to pressure that humans can't even come close to.
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Super kiss. Yuck!!! Keep that garbage away from Superman. It is so creepy and unethical. Why on Earth they made that i have no idea?
His touch has been touched upon in comics. He is not affected by extreme heat or cold. He felt cold after the solar flare in Superman #39.
Imagine his touch has healing or energizing effect. Since he is a solar battery he can spare some energy. Like an absurd energy drink. Requires more thought. Those who want Jesus analogies will jump at a healing touch. I am not sure about this. It can be both good and bad.
His touch may make something weightless. You know anti-gravity. Say he can spare that to someone. Or use it as an attack. Imagine he does not want to punch. He touches a bank robber's head by his finger and that guy flies to the ceiling.(Don't laugh). Like that Aunt Petunia balloon in Harry Potter. (Okay flying aunts and bank robbers can be funny.)
Super taste has very few possibilities. I can't think of anything on a visual level. I always imagined him to be able to restrict his range. Like he can see like others. He can choose to see other wavelengths. It would be weird to see all wavelengths at all times. Similarly he can taste like humans. That would say why he likes something an ordinary person likes. If he chooses he may taste things differently. What if by tasting something he can tell its ingredients? Or say stage of decay? This would be useful against poisoning of both kinds.
Super smell. Wolverine? That is what i think of right away. He uses that for tracking. I agree with what Ascended said. It appears redundant. I can't think of anything here.
Okay none of the new ones appear to be good ideas. Still if by the law of averages there is even one fan who likes it feel free to put a word.
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The fact that his skin is so durable might mean he doesn't have a kind of super touch. But I would expect the sensory nerve and muscle information from touch to brain to be much more intimate. When he grips a baseball I imagine he should be able to perfectly shape his fingers around the contours and manipulate it completely with whatever force he wishes to apply to it. But with regards to temperature and consistency, he might just be too thick-skinned to tell with any great ability.
It might effect the skin on his tongue as well, which would explain more normal smell and taste. Super sensory ability and thick skin might balance out in that sense. Otherwise I imagine certain flavors and smells would be very offensive and he'd be very particular about his food, but it doesn't seem to be in his character.
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[QUOTE=Soubhagya;3161145]
Imagine his touch has healing or energizing effect. Since he is a solar battery he can spare some energy. Like an absurd energy drink. Requires more thought. Those who want Jesus analogies will jump at a healing touch. I am not sure about this. It can be both good and bad.
[/QUOTE]
I like this idea so long as its subtle. Like, the plants grow a little bigger and greener when he spends days close to them. Or he slightly boosts human immune systems and moods with super hormones and oxytocins.
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I always have thought than Superman have somekind of "super touch" but that quality gives him the capacity of feel the world balancing his invulnerability. Something as invulnerable as Superman could not feel the world, making him very detached, but with "Super touch" he can feel the world around him.
And las remember hehas used the super smell, but he don't used very often. Why use he have a kryptonian hound? After all, Krypto must have a superduper extra super smell power if he is capable to detect time travelers by their fragance.
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[QUOTE=Bogotazo;3161291]I like this idea so long as its subtle. Like, the plants grow a little bigger and greener when he spends days close to them. Or he slightly boosts human immune systems and moods with super hormones and oxytocins.[/QUOTE]
Thanks. Okay something which approached good. Subtle effect seems good. Effect on plants? It sounds something like sun. Like his body is kind of a sun. It is very subtle now. But this can be used to hint Superman at the end of All Star Superman. Or Superman Prime of DC One Million.
If writers want to hint at this future. Superman Prime of DC One Million it would not be out of place. Superman used to give his powers to the dynasty. That is a more advanced stage of this. It would be a very subtle hint just as Mutants at the end of 'Black Mirror'.
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[QUOTE=Thor-Ul;3161342]I always have thought than Superman have somekind of "super touch" but that quality gives him the capacity of feel the world balancing his invulnerability. Something as invulnerable as Superman could not feel the world, making him very detached, but with "Super touch" he can feel the world around him.
And las remember hehas used the super smell, but he don't used very often. Why use he have a kryptonian hound? After all, Krypto must have a superduper extra super smell power if he is capable to detect time travelers by their fragance.[/QUOTE]Krypto... was tossed in to give him an animal companion. He doesn't really have any powers Kal-El doesn't.
But yeah, the super-touch thing makes sense. If I touch something my skin deforms around it. that creates a tactile sensation of a sort Supes won't have if his skin doesn't.
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I always figured his senses largely behaved like a regular humans (exceptions being things, for example, like being able to see the entire light spectrum) but they were just Super.
Maybe he can feel the buzzing of electrons through touch? Can he even possibly determine their electrical charge? Feel the electro-magnetic spectrum buzz around him? Can he determine the temperature of a room simply by being in it? Can he possibly even feel the very curves in the fabric of spacetime?
Can he distinguish individual scents in a room full of them? Smell your diabetes or cancer? Tell what your last three meals were or what your currently getting high on?
Can determine the individual chemical components in processed food? Or the chemical and atomic make-up anything he puts in his mouth, for that matter?
I'll admit, I eye-rolled at this thread at first, but it's actually really fun to think about.
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As Ascended mentioned, in one of the Johns Superflare issues, Superman and Jimmy are eating hot dogs. Superman mentions that when he has his powers, he can taste the individual ingredients in the food he eats and better taste how they interact. The Justice League cartoon also had a brief moment that involved Superman's sense of touch. In the episode where Brainiac merges with Lex and takes control of Lex Tower, there is a little bit of dialogue with Superman and Wonder Woman.
Wonder Woman: "How are we going to get near the building?"
Superman: "What do you mean?"
Wonder Woman: "Can't you feel the heat coming off that thing?"
Superman: "No."
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[QUOTE=_Feely_;3162015]
Can he distinguish individual scents in a room full of them? Smell your diabetes or cancer? Tell what your last three meals were or what your currently getting high on?[/QUOTE]
Well, depending on your drug of choice it wouldn't take super senses to tell that. If your stuff is decent the whole room will know. :)
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One comic, I think it was after 52 did mention that he has a more sensitive sense of touch to the point he even notices small stuff touching him, he was thinking about that while thinking about how different he was from a normal human, so I guess to feel anything else he's more sensitive, but I guess that pain isn't included in this because if it was, if someone managed to just pierce his skin, it'd hurt far more than it would with a normal person.
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[QUOTE=Lukmendes;3163306]One comic, I think it was after 52 did mention that he has a more sensitive sense of touch to the point he even notices small stuff touching him, he was thinking about that while thinking about how different he was from a normal human, so I guess to feel anything else he's more sensitive, but I guess that pain isn't included in this because if it was, if someone managed to just pierce his skin, it'd hurt far more than it would with a normal person.[/QUOTE]
I think Clark must have some way to dampen/control/compartmentalize sensation. Otherwise, he'd be crippled by his hearing and sight alone. So he's gotta be able to process sensory input and make it manageable.