If you were as powerful as Superman...

[Darkseid Is]

I have a friend who doesn't like Superman. Actually hates him. He says he's too powerful and too "good." My argument is always if you had that much power would you be that good? That moral? I don't think I would. When I watch the news and see the pedophiles and rapists and murderers of the world I can't help but think if I had the power of Superman I wouldn't let the law take care of these real world monsters. But I do think about what would Superman do and that grounds me. It makes me want to be a better person. Once again why Superman is great and why super heroes are great in general.

What would you do if you had his powers? I'm talking maybe a Superboy Prime type of scenario where you were the only one on the planet with powers. No one to keep you in check. Could you be as honest and as righteous as the man of steel? Or would you become a dictator?

[Jon Clark]

I definitely wouldn't be as good or noble as Superman.

I doubt I'd be a dictator, since by-and-large I could care less what other people do. But I would probably impose my will where I came into conflict with the law. More Superman in Superman III than "Kneel before Zod".

With Superman's powers I don't need a lot. I need food (maybe), clothing (even if I'm invulnerable I'm not a nudist by nature) and a place to relax. But by and large I'm willing to trade for that. So I'd probably be willing to work in some capacity rather than just take things by force.

I'm not going to go around picking fights just for the fun of it, but if you were to get in my face about something and not back off when asked- well I'm really not going to worry how bad I hurt you to make you stop. And if that led to me being confronted by police or the military then expect a lot of collateral damage unless I'm in a mood to simply walk off and the authorities are smart enough to let it go at that.

I'd sort of be like a semi-belligerent grizzly bear. You are reasonably safe if you stay out of my way and just leave me to do as I please.

[Celgress]

I'd likey trend towards doing bad things although my intentions would be noble. I'd be far more proactive than Superman is about all the injustice in the world, especially nation states which abuse their own people in places like Africa or the Middle East or the Korean Peninsula. No doubt I'd kill a few dictators and their cronies, at least by accident, which would start me down the slippery slope towards being an authoritarian god-king even if for the "right" reasons. So, yeah, Clark has me beat in the good person department as I would likely abuse my powers even if I were initially helping others.

[qwertyuiop1998]

i can no doubt say i wouldn't be as good as superman
but at first,i probably will pretend normal and uses some powers to do some good things and benefit me(like help somebody occasionally,and use power to finding job).
then,maybe i will out earth to traveling space,or maybe thing turn to worse,i will be a dictator.

[GreatKungLao]

I'm afraid I would've become Punisher with Superman powers, because real world system doesn't work and can't be trusted. You have to take justice into your hands and be the executioner or else the villain will buy his way out of the system that was suppose to take care of things. I wish I was as good as Superman, but it is hard to do when your world is not a comic book.

[Vakanai]

If I were as powerful as Superman, I would shunt Trump, much of the current Republican Party, the Koch brothers, the people in charge of Monsanto, Kim Jung Un, Putin, the Chinese president who's name I forgot how to spell, and a few select dictators and authoritarian rulers the world over into the Phantom Zone very discreetly and call it a day. Oh, and then squash some coal into diamonds and live a middle class lifestyle. That'd be about it.

[DCStu]

I've never really thought about what I'd do if I was Superman...

But I remember having a conversation with someone once and she said to me that she wished Superman was real. Just cause of what a horrible world this can be. Since she said it, I've often thought the same thing.

[stargazer01]

If I had Superman powers, I don't know if I'd be as good and noble as he is but I'd try my best to be. I'd try to right what I see is wrong in the world. I'd try to stop all injustices and help those in need as much as I could. For instance, I'd stop all those horrible macho men in Saudi Arabia who treat women worst than animals; I learned yesterday while watching a show that there is even classes to teach men how to punish (beat) their wives... *cries* I'd also send into the Phantom Zone all those child molesters. I'd avoid killing unless there was no other option like trying to stop a Doomsday haha. Oh and I'd also do things to raise $$ and help the poor, and I'd supervise those programs to be sure the $ goes to where is supposed to.

I honestly also take a bit of advantage with my powers and travel the world to see all I want to see. I'd go to the moon for sure. I'd also try to live well because after all I've done I deserve it.

[Celgress]

If I were as powerful as Superman, I would shunt Trump, much of the current Republican Party, the Koch brothers, the people in charge of Monsanto, Kim Jung Un, Putin, the Chinese president who's name I forgot how to spell, and a few select dictators and authoritarian rulers the world over into the Phantom Zone very discreetly and call it a day. Oh, and then squash some coal into diamonds and live a middle class lifestyle. That'd be about it.

And therein is where the true danger starts. It is one thing to get rid of dictators but it is quite another thing to get rid of elected leaders because you don't agree with them. People have the right to be wrong if you start deciding what is best for them you become no better than the flawed leaders you replace, maybe even worse. I think the temptation to "decide what is best" for others would be too great for most to resist if given Superman's powers.

[The Frozen Reptile]

If I were as powerful as Superman, I would shunt Trump, much of the current Republican Party, the Koch brothers, the people in charge of Monsanto, Kim Jung Un, Putin, the Chinese president who's name I forgot how to spell, and a few select dictators and authoritarian rulers the world over into the Phantom Zone very discreetly and call it a day. Oh, and then squash some coal into diamonds and live a middle class lifestyle. That'd be about it.

And that’s why Danyaeres had to die...and why Red Son is so powerful as a story. What makes you think you know better than me?

[myownlittleusername]

I'm afraid I would've become Punisher with Superman powers, because real world system doesn't work and can't be trusted. You have to take justice into your hands and be the executioner or else the villain will buy his way out of the system that was suppose to take care of things. I wish I was as good as Superman, but it is hard to do when your world is not a comic book.

I don't think the real world justice system is as much a revolving door that the comics pretend it is due to necessity.

[DrNewGod]

I don't think the real world justice system is as much a revolving door that the comics pretend it is due to necessity.

Perhaps not. But wealth has a way of buying immunity to the justice system. You've got to have an avalanche of both evidence, and publicity to truly get the 0.1% called to account.

[Hypestyle]

isn't part of the point of the appeal of Superman is that he is the guy who is going to be "moral to a fault"? Not killing known dictators-- and supercriminals like Lex-- even though he can?

[Ascended]

Probably first spend a month in deserts so I can learn to touch things again without crushing them.

Goes without saying. I mean, just the fact that the dude can breathe without knocking cars over is an incredible feat of self-control on a involuntary level we can't even imagine. It'd take some time to adjust to that kind of reality.

(Since everyone's talking political/world-changing ramifications here: aside from seeing if I could do something about global warming, relatively little direct action. I'd make my views entirely publicly clear, but the majority of the stuff being discussed here leads - not in a slippery slope sense but immediately - to "are you willing to go to war with and then have to rule the world because every government on the planet is going to be terrified of you and anything like that will immediately set them all off?" For me, the answer is no.)

For me personally, I think "responsibility" would be my downfall. When you can do what Clark can, the *right* choice lies in what you *dont* do, rather than what you do. And I very much doubt I could sit back and watch something like Syria happen without feeling responsible for the situation, because I would very much be able to make an impact. I might tell myself that I'm no diplomat and my very presence would just incite the world's governments and I'd just make everything worse.....and then I'd see a photo of a little refugee who reminds me of one of my kids, and reasonable arguments would go out the window.

I'm not a selfish or greedy guy. I try to be pretty even-minded about stuff. I have no desire to see my name in lights or resound down through history. And I have no interest in enforcing my opinions on everyone else (who would I argue with?) But I am a big believer in doing everything you can to make the world around you better. You give me Superman's powers and I'm not going to want to rule the world but I am definitely not going to be able to limit myself to putting out fires.

Best case scenario is I have the presence of mind to go find someone like the Dalai Lama, and say to him "I'm not wise enough to use these powers properly. So you just tell me what to do and we'll hope your wisdom is enough." Better than putting my trust in a bunch of politicians like the UN.

isn't part of the point of the appeal of Superman is that he is the guy who is going to be "moral to a fault"? Not killing known dictators-- and supercriminals like Lex-- even though he can?

Yes. But none of us are Clark Kent.

[Stanlos]

I have a friend who doesn't like Superman. Actually hates him. He says he's too powerful and too "good." My argument is always if you had that much power would you be that good? That moral? I don't think I would. When I watch the news and see the pedophiles and rapists and murderers of the world I can't help but think if I had the power of Superman I wouldn't let the law take care of these real world monsters. But I do think about what would Superman do and that grounds me. It makes me want to be a better person. Once again why Superman is great and why super heroes are great in general.

What would you do if you had his powers? I'm talking maybe a Superboy Prime type of scenario where you were the only one on the planet with powers. No one to keep you in check. Could you be as honest and as righteous as the man of steel? Or would you become a dictator?

I like that Superman is good. I think people who call him too good or corny are sim8lar to persons in the office who call others overachievers or say that they are doing too much.