The physics of Superman's feats. Does modern have to mean realisitc?

[marhawkman]

If Cadmus can make a TTK field for kon-el out of Supermans aura,that aura might possibly do the same or something similar.

Even when Supermans cape wasn't invulnerable he would use it to shield ppl or things,and have a aura that can lend protection somehow makes some sense.

I like the aura explanation myself,it simply solves all the anal questions ppl need to complain about with Superman s powers.

Like... why is his costume as durable as he is?

If the answer is anything along the lines of "Super-Kevlar", then I have to question why he doesn't let his friends use it...

[stephens2177]

My point being if flash and GL can just be allowed to get away with anything,because their writers made up a "make believe" excuse,than Superman should also get away with anything,even if it seems he is only human,but to the billionth degree.

You would think being as powerful as Superman would be way harder to get used to than someone else with a "easy out" answer to their powers.

I don't really want Superman to get TTK,but at the same time he either needs some explanation that anal fans will accept or just agree that he is a imaginary character in a imaginary world,and that's normal there.

So if superman gas to deal with all the physics issues,why don't we hear about wonder woman,captain marvel,and the martian manhunter having to deal the same,when DC wants everyone to "believe" they are all around the same in power level?

[KC]

Yes, but those (heroes) exist in the DC, as well as, the Marvel Universes because of Superman the progenitor. No suspension of disbelief of any kind, it simply a matter of sheer numbers - as there are more problems for more heroes to handle - universe intact!

In dealing with certain problems; Flash is a specialist in speed and more adept on how to use it both; offensively and defensively manner. Superman, on the other hand, is a generalist with more options at his disposal and should be able to handle any problem by taking a different, if not, multiple routes to deal with the same or, any problem - for that matter.

Superman could still handle the problems of a lot of the heroes that are less powerful than him, putting them out of the job. He would not be able to do it for every hero, but he could do it for a lot more then he did or does.

[stephens2177]

GL,flash,or Cyborg all could go into any city where a street level hero is guardian and do a better job,that's just reality.good for comics that "their" reality,is NOT ours

[Bigwinnie101]

Only thing realistic that I require from superman stories is that ships snap in half if they try to pick it up without proper reinforcement.

[SiegePerilous02]

Superman could still handle the problems of a lot of the heroes that are less powerful than him, putting them out of the job. He would not be able to do it for every hero, but he could do it for a lot more then he did or does.

How often does he actually do that though?

The DCU is a big And busy place. Superman isn't around to solve their problems because he has his own stuff to deal with. I don't care what he's doing while I'm reading a Batman vs Joker story

[adkal]

Like... why is his costume as durable as he is?

If the answer is anything along the lines of "Super-Kevlar", then I have to question why he doesn't let his friends use it...

Because it has the same 'give' as normal cloth, so, while it won't tear, a stab or slash or bullet or shrapnel etc will still cause damage to human flesh. It could be layered over body armour, of course, but mobility becomes an issue.

There also isn't much of it around.

As an aside:

Depending on the continuity, one of the reasons for the suit's durability is that it was made of Kryptonian fabric and, like other Kryptonian things, became significantly more durable under a yellow sun.

Originally, Superman made the fabric himself. Later, it was made of his baby blankets. Later still, he devised a formula to make earth fabrics durable enough to keep him clothed (and he used it on Clark's suits, rendering them blue).

Post-CoIE, it was down to his own bio-aura (and there were times when the only clothing that survived an attack he couldn't escape as Clark without revealing the secret, were his socks and underwear) and his cape was often shredded. Later, his suit was made by the Eradicator (when it was a device the size of a Coca Coand his cape was much more durable (although a clone of Superman did burn it once), 'nudged' by Pocketverse Supergirl, and pulled together by the reborn Eradicator realigning a Kryptonian bio/healing suit.

[adkal]

How often does he actually do that though?

Usually when he pops into someone's town for a quick visit

The DCU is a big And busy place. Superman isn't around to solve their problems because he has his own stuff to deal with. I don't care what he's doing while I'm reading a Batman vs Joker story

References as to why he (and others) isn't around do tend to be made, though. It adds to the connected-verse, usually.

[Last Son]

I am in favor of making the physics surrounding Superman more realistic while not sacrificing any of Superman's powers. It's the ultimate compromise of not weakening Superman (I hate that) while also reaching out to Superman doubters that he literally can't solve everything with his powers. You can do things like make him run as fast as Flash in a vacuum (assuming you could set this up at all...), but Superman loses a footrace on Earth because Speed Force doesn't have to fight against friction and air resistance. Superman can lift a mountain, but the mountain would crumble under its own weight, so to handle the same task Superman would have to recruit the help of someone like Green Lantern. Superman could swoop in and evacuate people at light speed, but they'd die anyway because they can't handle the G's. Etc. And who knows, if you had a smart writer accomplish all of this scientific know-how into a Superman story, maybe the audience would get a little smarter, too.

I'd like a Superman who his self-sufficient, and not dependent on non-Superman characters like GL. I don't expect any other hero to be dependent on characters outside their supporting cast for that matter. I mean, why exactly is it ok to say that a GL can make anything they want out of "hard light" which possibly allows them to do all these things that Superman is limited from doing, like lifting normally unsupportable, large objects such as mountains? Or that Flash can run around with people at light speed without the friction burning them to a crisp or tearing their skin off? My point is because it's baked into these characters' powersets, they're allowed to skirt the laws of physics but because Superman's strength is just plain old super strength, he has the amazing ability break anything he attempts to lift, except for maybe a car. No thanks.

[KC]

How often does he actually do that though?

The DCU is a big And busy place. Superman isn't around to solve their problems because he has his own stuff to deal with. I don't care what he's doing while I'm reading a Batman vs Joker story

I am not saying that he does do it, I am saying that he could do it.

He has his own stuff to deal with, but he could still help solve the problems of heroes that are not as powerful as him.

[JBatmanFan05]

I am in favor of making the physics surrounding Superman more realistic while not sacrificing any of Superman's powers...Superman could swoop in and evacuate people at light speed, but they'd die anyway because they can't handle the G's.

I'd like a Superman who his self-sufficient, and not dependent on non-Superman characters like GL.

Yes, me as well. Nor am I a fan of going super realistic like Superman swooping people around, but he must watch out for the g forces. Crumbling mountains, etc. Suspension of disbelief I'm very big on and embracing the unreal. Might as well have Batman hang up his swinging between skyscrapers with his bat-lines because that has never been realistic.

[stephens2177]

Things don't break when superman lifts them because it's his damn universe,the rest of the DC characters just live in it

Hehe

[Osiris-Rex]

Things don't break when superman lifts them because it's his damn universe,the rest of the DC characters just live in it

Hehe

If some things don't break, nothing should break. Or if one object breaks, an object of equivalent mass and and composition should break. Like if a tanker breaks when lifted,
a building should break when lifted. At least be consistent.

[Last Son]

Yes, me as well. Nor am I a fan of going super realistic like Superman swooping people around, but he must watch out for the g forces. Crumbling mountains, etc. Suspension of disbelief. Might as well have Batman hang up his swinging between skyscrapers with his bat-lines because that has never been realistic.

I'm just more in favor of coming up with a semi-plausible explanation for why Superman can do the things he does, but without actually taking away his ability to do those things. That's what the Flash got when they came up with the Speed Force. They didn't take away his ability to spin his arms so fast he could fly, or run on walls or time travel or transplant a thousand people from a dangerous location to safety instantaneously without killing them.

I don't expect Superman to be a planet-mover either, but I want his feats to still elicit a few "holy ****s" from audiences/readers, and I don't think Man of Steel-style feats really have the power to shock or amaze anyone anymore. And it just happens that outside fighting supervillains, a lot of Superman's heroics center around his ability to move and lift heavy objects. Even in Man of Steel, his first two feats of heroism were pushing a bus out of a river and lifting a tower on an oil rig. I'm almost certain in 15 years time, there will be a generation of superhero fans saying he shouldn't be able to do those things either because his hands would punch straight through the girders or the back of the bus.

I think there's a way to make a TTK-like ability for Superman that sound more scientific(something like extending his invulnerability into whatever he touches, strengthening its molecular structure, or maybe he's extending the force of his flying power into it, thus negating the effects of gravity on the object), and also put limits on it so he can't literally do anything with it. Like if he's going to lift something huge, it has to be something rigid and stable, so he's not going to lift a huge mound of dirt and rocks without it all crumbling to pieces, but he might be able to lift a rock the size of a mountain. Or he could support a building as long as he's grabbing the steel framing of it rather than lifting it by pressing against the brick outer wall which is only held together by mortar. And if he has to lift a landmass, he could fuse the silicates together to create a solid bowl underneath it so that he isn't just pushing against loose rocks and dirt.

[stephens2177]

If some things don't break, nothing should break. Or if one object breaks, an object of equivalent mass and and composition should break. Like if a tanker breaks when lifted,
a building should break when lifted. At least be consistent.

They are made different with different materials,and on top of that Superman has a sliver of the multiversal all spark didn't you know,he can keep anything together lol