Can someone explain why Superman needs a mask to be in space?

[The Whovian]

Seems rather silly

[Soubhagya]

That's a breathing apparatus. He can live without air for some time. I guess a couple of hours. After that he needs air to breathe.

[Embryonic Superman]

Right. He can make quick jaunts in space unaided, but anything longer than a few hours and he needs the oxygen. This has varied different times since the '86 reboot (for example, shortly after his death his powers were supercharged and he found he could be in space for far longer than ever before), but it's more or less always defaulted back to this.

[Superlad93]

Largely depends on the writer and artist. Some teams feel like, as others here have said, he can hold his breath for some hours, but will eventually need to breath, so on long space trips he gets a mask. Other teams feel like he either doesn't need to breath because he can live just off the solar power in his cells or he can hold his breath basically indefinitely, so no mask regardless.

There's also a third option that many modern writers are taking: he uses a mask in space when he either needs to communicate with someone there with him or someone back on Earth or whatever via radio. The mask being needed because no air in space.

My opinion: doesn't matter. Doesn't change the story one way or another unless the writer expressly states that it does. He can travel just as far with or without a mask. He can punch gods in the face with or without a mask. He can do all the crazy stuff regardless of a breathing mask. All comes down to a stylistic choice more than anything.

[magha_regulus]

This is one of those things that irks me. Whenever they do it, my headcanon always goes in the direction of Suprlad93's third option of it being used for communication purposes. Superman needing to a mask to be in outerspace just feels wrong on so many levels.

[jimmy]

Seems rather silly

Writers prerogative as was mention, likely culprit and major contributor but, I'm with you on this! -

A Re-breather on Superman is Silly... you bet, it should be done away with, as it just looks wrong, especially from some one coming from the pre-crisis era where Superman didn't need to breathe and his body internally was so oxygenated along with the excessive nitrogen in his system, that he used Super-Ventriloquism to communicate in space or, airless voids and environments.

[mrbrklyn]

Seems rather silly

Do youi want him to end up looking like Benjamin Grim?

[micahbevans88]

Maybe he wears one for safety in case he comes too close to a red sun on his space adventures. After all, he has a family to think about now.

But really we shouldn't have to rationalize it, do away with it in my opinion. He's superman.

[Kuwagaton]

In one of his early post crisis adventures, he goes into the depths of space with a Hawkman imposter who leaves in stranded in a fight. By the time he settled things he ran out of air and passed out. So from then on, when leaving the solar system he brought air in case he got in trouble. Also, in newer continuity versions he doesn't have super ventriloquism so it allows him to communicate in a vacuum.

[The World]

Back in the day when they were kicking off post-crisis Superman story telling they decided to give clunky explanations to all of Superman's powers and for the things they couldn't wrap their minds around they decided to simply relegate to gadgets. Flying unaided and Super Strength were essentially relegated to psychic powers and bioelectic auras but not needing to breath was deemed impossible hence the breathing apparatus. But since in post-crisis continuity he was also a total dumbass he couldn't even build the damn thing and had Professor Hamilton build it for him.

So now whenever there is a particularly strong bout of nostalgia for post-crisis we are forced for watch him fly around with that thing on face anytime his job forces him off world and we have our immersion of watching a man do the impossible broken because the writers truly feel it is in fact impossible.

Frankly if his he's so fragile he should probably leave this stuff up to the green lanterns/doctor fate/wonder woman. If he's to far away from earth and loses that mask he's screwed.Should probably leave that work up to the big boys/girls.

[Kuwagaton]

It's kind of a weird idea, that he's seeking help and using tools outside of his natural ability makes him less capable.

As for leaving it to real heroes, like the Green Lanterns, given weapons that can do anything they will...



I think Superman wouldn't be too worried about that.

[The Learner]

That must be a communication device. Other Kryptonians in rebirth do not need a breathing apparatus to travel through space. Kara didn't, Zod family under Jurgens didn't. Zod and co traveled lightyears without an apparatus. Superman is the most powerful Kryptonian, he wouldn't and shouldn't need it.

[Ra-El]

Unless the writer say otherwise, in my mind he is using it just for communication, or worse case scenario, in case he enters in some poisonous atmosphere.

[JBatmanFan05]

This is one of those things that irks me. Whenever they do it, my headcanon always goes in the direction of Suprlad93's third option of it being used for communication purposes. Superman needing to a mask to be in outerspace just feels wrong on so many levels.

I agree. The mask irks me. Communications is my head canon on it as well.

[beetee]

In the previous Superman and Son story penned by Robinson, it's clearly used for communication. I suspect Bendis will ignore the breather/communication device and have him talk.... because Superman....