DCEU Superman strength levels (contains BvS: DoJ and JUSTICE LEAGUE spoilers)

[jimmy]

True but he was still at a significant power level and it still goes against the idea that nothing but kryptonite could harm him. It killed him or seemed to. Even had he been at full power, it's reasonable to think it would have done him some real harm.

Now, by JL, I'm not sure it would have. There's been a subtle or not so subtle reset. Now, according to Batman, Superman is more powerful than a planet and supposedly was all along. A nice well-placed nuclear missile should have done wonders to give Steppenwolf an attitude adjustment if it could harm even Superman and the air force certainly didn't show any hesitations about doing things like, oh, launching all-out strikes in the middle of small towns. By JL, I don't think it could have harmed Superman.

Unless that nuclear missile is laced with Kryptonite - it should have no effect on Superman, since he can withstand the sheer amount of cosmic radiation from a sun, up close and in person, which is far more lethal than any man-made nuclear missile.

So, having him (Superman) succumb to common "nuke" makes NO sense at all!

[jimmy]

Hmmm....

DCEU Superman's power is accurate to modern comics in that he's depicted with virtually infinite strength, but that doesn't mean he lifts anything and everything easily. Rather, he has an untold power to surpass barriers as he pushes. So if he needed to defeat the Justice League he could, but I wouldn't really say it's because he died as opposed to dealing with the ultra high power level of Doomsday. Being unhinged after resurrection probably made it a lot easier.

People say Doomsday killed Superman, but they killed each other. Superman and Doomsday don't have X strength, they escalate and cancel each other out, so it doesn't really put them in a category with others who are able to fight or even beat them.

With Superman, being beyond human - Actually, one may argue that Superman's power / energy levels where knocked down to bare minimum (near zero )levels simulating suspended animation as Superman entered a re-start cycle of sorts.

[Osiris-Rex]

Unless that nuclear missile is laced with Kryptonite - it should have no effect on Superman, since he can withstand the sheer amount of cosmic radiation from a sun, up close and in person, which is far more lethal than any man-made nuclear missile.

So, having him (Superman) succumb to common "nuke" makes NO sense at all!

In the CW crossover Supergirl survived Overgirl going nuclear with no apparent harm other than getting knocked unconscious for a few seconds. And it seemed to be a pretty big blast seeing as how the shock wave covered a
significant amount of sky. In the beginning of the Supergirl Rebirth comic books Supergirl was flown into the Sun itself to restart her powers. So it would seem Superman would be at least as invulnerable as Supergirl.

[Kuwagaton]

Unless that nuclear missile is laced with Kryptonite - it should have no effect on Superman, since he can withstand the sheer amount of cosmic radiation from a sun, up close and in person, which is far more lethal than any man-made nuclear missile.

So, having him (Superman) succumb to common "nuke" makes NO sense at all!

*shrug*

I suppose it's like how we can passively crush an ice cube, but getting hit in the face by a thrown ice cube stings. I've never thought it was bad to have hit have an effect on him, like knock him off guard, but not actually contribute to his demise.

With Superman, being beyond human - Actually, one may argue that Superman's power / energy levels where knocked down to bare minimum (near zero )levels simulating suspended animation as Superman entered a re-start cycle of sorts.

Yeah, I think if anything he'd do the comic thing and start out rather depleted. But I've never had a doubt that any well feeling Superman could beat a ragtag group of other heroes. In JL I remember Wonder Woman, Flash.... uh, Aquaman, and Batman working on his mook chivalry in the background. I think resisting a group like that is about as typical of Superman's powers as is the fact that he draws energy from the sun.

[jimmy]

In the CW crossover Supergirl survived Overgirl going nuclear with no apparent harm other than getting knocked unconscious for a few seconds. And it seemed to be a pretty big blast seeing as how the shock wave covered a
significant amount of sky. In the beginning of the Supergirl Rebirth comic books Supergirl was flown into the Sun itself to restart her powers. So it would seem Superman would be at least as invulnerable as Supergirl.

Hey O.R.

That Overgirl blast - did it contain in kryptonite, or was her system blood contaminated with it, and how did she get sick with it anyway?

[jimmy]

*shrug*

I suppose it's like how we can passively crush an ice cube, but getting hit in the face by a thrown ice cube stings. I've never thought it was bad to have hit have an effect on him, like knock him off guard, but not actually contribute to his demise.

Yeah, I think if anything he'd do the comic thing and start out rather depleted. But I've never had a doubt that any well feeling Superman could beat a ragtag group of other heroes. In JL I remember Wonder Woman, Flash.... uh, Aquaman, and Batman working on his mook chivalry in the background. I think resisting a group like that is about as typical of Superman's powers as is the fact that he draws energy from the sun.

You know it reminds me of "Frank Miller's Dark Knight" the scene where Superman intercepts that "nuke" shrivels up in near skeleton - which still doesn't makes sense to me especially from a common "nuke" as it would have to be some form of anti-radiation with properties of kryptonite that can interfere with Superman's energy matrix, that actually draws energy out of the body - in theory, it would be a reverse application of an explosion.

[Batgrayson]

Hey O.R.

That Overgirl blast - did it contain in kryptonite, or was her system blood contaminated with it, and how did she get sick with it anyway?

She flew too close to the sun and her body was exposed to high levels of solar radiation. All her cells were overcharged with energy and started to burst from within. It´s the same story from All Star Superman.

[jimmy]

She flew too close to the sun and her body was exposed to high levels of solar radiation. All her cells were overcharged with energy and started to burst from within. It´s the same story from All Star Superman.

Thank you!

As I remember - All Star Superman extended is Bio-electrical matrix Aura near the sun which started that chain reaction cellular breakdown disruption.

[adkal]

*Shrugs* bit of both I guess.

It's basically established that Steppenwolf stayed away from Earth because after the war the scout ship landed, Krypton called dibs apparently, and he wasn't tryina catch a cold Kryptonian flavored fade.

I thought the war took place around 5,000 years ago - Kara landed around 18,000 years ago, so pre-dated the war, no?

So, I can only assume that Doomsday would've wrecked him and the army. However, it's also likely that Superman has gone through a boost in power given he seems overall more powerful and he has super breath. He's probably stronger than that version of Doomsday by this point.

BvS-Supes had lifted a tectonic plate (it was a headline to an article on Keefe's board).

It's also worth noting that the Superman in these films has never been hurt in any substantial way by anything short of kryptonite or Kryptonian atmosphere interference. He's warn down and even rendered unconscious by a fight with two full grown Kryptonians (one much more grown than average), but never injured. And over the run of MOS to BVS to JL he goes from struggling to hold an oil rig, to pulling an oil tanker full of people across the arctic, to effortlessly lifting a building full of people and then beating up a god.

It collapsed around him - he didn't know he could fly at the time, otherwise he would have been able to position himself at a point where the stresses of the platform could have been countered. He was more than strong enough to hold it up but the beams he was standing on weren't.

[Superlad93]

I thought the war took place around 5,000 years ago - Kara landed around 18,000 years ago, so pre-dated the war, no?

If all the details about that supplementary comic are still true they yeah I guess. But since BVS and JL were not originally planed after MOS, I wouldn't be surprised if they reshuffled the dates. Otherwise there's no real reason why Stepp didn't come back when the only superhero around was like Wonder Woman and the gods were dead. BVS tell us that it was because their was a kryptonian on Earth (Superman) but that was only for like 35 years and only relevant for like 10 of those years.

BvS-Supes had lifted a tectonic plate (it was a headline to an article on Keefe's board).

I heard about that feat, but since we don't see it or have it proven, I didn't feel comfortable counting it. I'm sure he was able to do it though given Batman was sure he was "stronger than a planet" before he came back to life.

It collapsed around him - he didn't know he could fly at the time, otherwise he would have been able to position himself at a point where the stresses of the platform could have been countered. He was more than strong enough to hold it up but the beams he was standing on weren't.

That's fine. Strange direction to have him scream and wince as if it were hard then. And if he was making all that audible fuss because he was worried the people wouldn't get away in time then having him mainly focus on the people and the bending steel at his feet would've gotten the point across better. At this juncture I think it's fair to either assume he was strong enough but just had poor footing, or that he was in fact continuing to test his limits throughout the film and gained power and confidence that way.

I'm fine with either, but my main point was that the films kept upping what we saw him do and how easy it was for him up to the point where we see him lift a building like its nothing (wondering why he didn't simply pick that tanker up in BVS), move so fast people are frozen to him (wondering why he didn't just do that with Batman before the K hit him. I mean he was fine ramming him through a building but not stripping his armor at super speed and talking to him?) and beating up a god nearly by himself.

Then there's the whole arctic breath thing. We basically get no idea of the power until BVS, so logically we gotta assume it's new. But neither Batman nor Superman seemed to be surprised that he had it or was that powerful, so I'm guessing it's been there, but.... never....useful....I guess?

*shrugs* bottom line, I'm more than okay with how his powers have been depreciated in all the films to be honest with you, and these are mainly slight inconsistencies that can be contrived away if you really want, but mainly don't matter.

[W8IN4KAL-EL]

When Superman 'woke up' he simply wasn't holding back as he usually does. He always been that strong and then some.

[adkal]

If all the details about that supplementary comic are still true they yeah I guess. But since BVS and JL were not originally planed after MOS, I wouldn't be surprised if they reshuffled the dates.

The 18,000 years ago date for the scout ship is from the Man of Steel movie...

Otherwise there's no real reason why Stepp didn't come back when the only superhero around was like Wonder Woman and the gods were dead. BVS tell us that it was because their was a kryptonian on Earth (Superman) but that was only for like 35 years and only relevant for like 10 of those years.

In Justice League, he says 'no protectors here' first. He then lists the Lanterns and Kryptonians. With regard to 'protectors', we probably have to look away from the standard modern-day view of a hero and look towards the older magical/mystic-based ones. He was fought back but it may well be that those who had been there in the battle set up a host of protections and that it took time and mankind moving away from an acceptance of magic to weaken those protections.

The various pantheons
Various mages (Arion, Shazam etc)

There were probably a number of factors that prevented his return.

I heard about that feat, but since we don't see it or have it proven, I didn't feel comfortable counting it. I'm sure he was able to do it though given Batman was sure he was "stronger than a planet" before he came back to life.

Attachment 64178

Semantics, perhaps, but it is 'proven'.

(Note: he also rescues victims from a building explosion, but seems to let a lot of criminals flee the scenes of their crimes...)

That's fine. Strange direction to have him scream and wince as if it were hard then.

I didn't see it as him finding it hard to lift but more a 'rage' or frustration against it falling apart around him. A roar of 'don't fall/stay up'.

[quote]And if he was making all that audible fuss because he was worried the people wouldn't get away in time then having him mainly focus on the people and the bending steel at his feet would've gotten the point across better. At this juncture I think it's fair to either assume he was strong enough but just had poor footing, or that he was in fact continuing to test his limits throughout the film and gained power and confidence that way.[quote]

Agreed.

I'm fine with either, but my main point was that the films kept upping what we saw him do and how easy it was for him up to the point where we see him lift a building like its nothing (wondering why he didn't simply pick that tanker up in BVS),

Stress-points, perhaps. He burrowed under the building and that likely provided some form of (temporary) reinforcement while he moved it.

move so fast people are frozen to him (wondering why he didn't just do that with Batman before the K hit him. I mean he was fine ramming him through a building but not stripping his armor at super speed and talking to him?)

He was trying to be easy on him...

and beating up a god nearly by himself.

It's because he's got a thing for truth. And justice.

Then there's the whole arctic breath thing. We basically get no idea of the power until BVS, so logically we gotta assume it's new. But neither Batman nor Superman seemed to be surprised that he had it or was that powerful, so I'm guessing it's been there, but.... never....useful....I guess?

You mean Justice League...

Deleted scene aside, we didn't know he couldn't see through lead, either.

*shrugs* bottom line, I'm more than okay with how his powers have been depreciated in all the films to be honest with you, and these are mainly slight inconsistencies that can be contrived away if you really want, but mainly don't matter.

Same

[sunofdarkchild]

I don't think Steppenwolf himself is that powerful. WW, who is significantly weaker than Superman, can fight him pretty evenly. The problem is that the JL also has to deal with an army of parademons, an environmental threat, and rescuing civilians, and that keeps them from being able to take Steppenwolf all at once. Kind of like how Loki was weaker than Thor, Hulk, and arguably Iron Man in Avengers but the army he summoned was still a huge threat.

[Lokimaru]

You know it reminds me of "Frank Miller's Dark Knight" the scene where Superman intercepts that "nuke" shrivels up in near skeleton - which still doesn't makes sense to me especially from a common "nuke" as it would have to be some form of anti-radiation with properties of kryptonite that can interfere with Superman's energy matrix, that actually draws energy out of the body - in theory, it would be a reverse application of an explosion.

I think the Nuclear Radiation from a Bomb is to Dirty for his body to process while Solar Radiation is Cleaner. Even Supes need to eat Clean to stay healthy.

[sunofdarkchild]

You know it reminds me of "Frank Miller's Dark Knight" the scene where Superman intercepts that "nuke" shrivels up in near skeleton - which still doesn't makes sense to me especially from a common "nuke" as it would have to be some form of anti-radiation with properties of kryptonite that can interfere with Superman's energy matrix, that actually draws energy out of the body - in theory, it would be a reverse application of an explosion.

TBF, that was a supernuke that was the equivelant of dozens of regular nukes going off at once and caused an emp that fried all technology over an entire continent. No real nuke has ever come close to it. Solar radiation is also not the same as regular radiation. It just means the energy given off by the sun. Solar panels and plants that draw energy from the sun don't draw energy from nuclear radiation.