How important is it that Superman is the strongest one there is?

[Jon Clark]

To me Superman's powers being pretty high is part of the appeal. Now how powerful that needs to be depends on the world around him.

If we are in the 1930's where a bunch of guys with machine guns was a major threat, then being strong enough to resist bullets and maybe a slight bit more was fine. Morrison largely had his New 52 in a world where that seemed to be the case. If you gave me his jeans and T-shirt Superman in a Metropolis where police wear hi-tech body armor and Intergang regularly uses blaster cannons and/or tanks it wouldn't work as well.

And to me part of the real appeal is the idea that Clark chooses to be a hero when there can be no pressure on him to do so. If he wanted to take something there is no force that could easily be brought to stop him. Sure maybe a fellow JLAer, but short of nuking Metropolis he should laugh at what the regular world (SWAT, military) could realistically do to him. Putting him an a classic Spider-man or Luke Cage power level undermines that. And so does stating that there is a laundry list of other heroes that outclass him.

[Stanlos]

Is it selfish that I don't think Flash should be faster?

[Jon Clark]

Is it selfish that I don't think Flash should be faster?

No more selfish than Wally or Barry fans who feel their favorite should be faster

[jimmy]

Somebody has to be the strongest so why not Superman?

Agreed - Superman is all about power and the strength he can generate should be off the charts~

Is it selfish that I don't think Flash should be faster?

Flash really shouldn't be faster but, he may know how to use it better, as he is born to it like a fish is to water meanwhile...
Superman's overall endurance and invulnerability means he can go for ever. Superman has gone so fast as to rip through the dimensional barrier realms and would have broken even more if not for the Spectre and that was with out the "Cosmic Treadmill". Superman has to ramp up to it, but once he gets going his speed is limitless.

[manwhohaseverything]

The most important thing for Clark is that he's the most decent, heroic and inspirational, the most good.

Having said that, I always view Clark as the ultimate limit breaker. He's the guy that's always got another gear when things get darkest. Just when you think he's given all he's got, he finds that extra to win the day. In a practical comic book story sense, you can say that he's someone who's always holding back and never letting out his full power, but ultimately it's more a metaphorical thing - good overcoming evil, light beating back the dark no matter how bad it gets. Clark is the embodiment of his own line, "You're much stronger than you think you are."

As for the day to day on the DC Earth though, Clark is basically the strongest person on the planet, and everyone knows it. Diana, Manhunter, they all know that if he just let it all out, there's no one quite as strong as Clark is.

Go beyond! PLUS ULTRAAA!!!

For me, if superman is nerfed. Then everyone else should be as well.

[phonogram12]

I go back and forth on whether not he should be the strongest, but I definitely think he should be among the strongest. Like Shazam, Orion, Martian Manhunter, and guys like them can definitely be in the ballpark, IMHO. But like others have said, guys like The Spectre and even Darkseid can and should be stronger (I mean, I enjoyed the finale of JLU as much as the next guy, but even I found just how much stronger Supes was than Darkseid a bit problematic). What makes Supes such a match for Darkseid, however, is his will and wide array of powers and how he uses them.

[stargazer01]

I go back and forth on whether not he should be the strongest, but I definitely think he should be among the strongest. Like Shazam, Orion, Martian Manhunter, and guys like them can definitely be in the ballpark, IMHO. But like others have said, guys like The Spectre and even Darkseid can and should be stronger (I mean, I enjoyed the finale of JLU as much as the next guy, but even I found just how much stronger Supes was than Darkseid a bit problematic). What makes Supes such a match for Darkseid, however, is his will and wide array of powers and how he uses them.

but Supes lost that fight. Lex came to save the day in a different way.


Like I said, for me Superman should be the strongest superhero, otherwise what's his specialty? His niche, his thing? His kind heart? So all the others can have a niche but he doesn't? Don't like it at all.

[phonogram12]

but Supes lost that fight. Lex came to save the day in a different way.


Like I said, for me Superman should be the strongest superhero, otherwise what's his specialty? His niche, his thing? His kind heart? So all the others can have a niche but he doesn't? Don't like it at all.

I was pretty much talking about in terms of pure strength. It was just insane just how easily Supes was batting around Darkseid and Darkseid being damn near helpless the whole way through. It was just through pulling out a sneaky last minute weapon that Darkseid got the upper hand.

As for Lex, he saved the day due to his intellect and being able to endure the Anti-Life Equation.

[stargazer01]

I was pretty much talking about in terms of pure strength. It was just insane just how easily Supes was batting around Darkseid and Darkseid being damn near helpless the whole way through. It was just through pulling out a sneaky last minute weapon that Darkseid got the upper hand.

As for Lex, he saved the day due to his intellect and being able to endure the Anti-Life Equation.

Well I think Superman should be able to give Darkseid a good fight at least.

[SiegePerilous02]

but Supes lost that fight. Lex came to save the day in a different way.


Like I said, for me Superman should be the strongest superhero, otherwise what's his specialty? His niche, his thing? His kind heart? So all the others can have a niche but he doesn't? Don't like it at all.

Unfortunately, a kind heart and determination is something almost ALL DC heroes possess to some degree. So even that isn't that unique.
Giving the other major heroes niches seems to have been done to make them not appear useless and to not give Superman the advantage in everything. Which is fair and necessary, but it seems there is resistance to going in reverse. If it's even debated that he's the strongest (he was created to be and marketed as such, and actually WAS for a not small length of time) something has gone wrong and needs fixing. Evening the playing field is not an excuse to go overboard.

[Arsenal]

I don't mind Supes being the most powerful hero overall but I don't need him to be the most powerful in any particular area.

[Stick Figure]

Powers don’t mean much to me. If I was a child I guess I’d want my favorite character to be the strongest or whatever. I’d rather see Superman stripped way down. He can be a badass without being that powerful. Green Lantern should be more powerful. So should Flash, Wonder Woman, & Shazam. Just make his struggles interesting.

[HeroVladimir93]

I don't need Superman to be the strongest superhero ever, but at the same time, I don't want to see him depowered. That's just lazy and means the writer just don't want to make an effort at portraying a fully realized Superman. I just want his stories to be good.

[SiegePerilous02]

Powers don’t mean much to me. If I was a child I guess I’d want my favorite character to be the strongest or whatever. I’d rather see Superman stripped way down. He can be a badass without being that powerful. Green Lantern should be more powerful. So should Flash, Wonder Woman, & Shazam. Just make his struggles interesting.

What reason is there for these characters to be more powerful than him? Maybe as powerful in different ways, but similarly why is there a need to be perceived as powerful if not more powerful than him to be badasses?

And stripping him down to make him struggle would make him less interesting, not more. The threats should be raised to his level, not the other way around. Making him more mundane has not helped his popularity.

[HeroVladimir93]

What reason is there for these characters to be more powerful than him? Maybe as powerful in different ways, but similarly why is there a need to be perceived as powerful if not more powerful than him to be badasses?

And stripping him down to make him struggle would make him less interesting, not more. The threats should be raised to his level, not the other way around. Making him more mundane has not helped his popularity.

Of course not. Just look at Superman: Truth.