If Superman shaves with his heat vision...?

[mathew101281]

Doesn’t that mean that heat vision is capable of bypassing his invulnerability? Hair and skin are made of the same thing aren’t they? Also, if you go by the force field explanation for Superman’s invulnerability, his hair is close enough that it should be covered by the force field. What does this mean when Superman fights other kryptonians or other beings that have heat vision like Daximites or Bizzaro? Deep thought😄

[SuperX]

Doesn’t that mean that heat vision is capable of bypassing his invulnerability? Hair and skin are made of the same thing aren’t they? Also, if you go by the force field explanation for Superman’s invulnerability, his hair is close enough that it should be covered by the force field. What does this mean when Superman fights other kryptonians or other beings that have heat vision like Daximites or Bizzaro? Deep thought��

I am a huge fan of the bio field, (duh tactile telekinesis and all), but I think the hair has always just been "played" like it's already dead, so he is able to get rid of it.

No it doesn't make sense when you factor in everything, but it's what I got

[SuperX]

I think the bio field for kryptonians is instinct, and for Kon it's controllable. So I think his field just does it, just like his field knows to extend around things that he shouldn't be able to pick up without falling apart.

[Yoda]

I think hair is technically dead once it grows out, skin cells are alive. So you could get around it that way.

[Fire Angel]

Hair is made up of dead cells.

Skin is alive but only the bottom layers. The top layers that you touch with are dead. When they are cut your live layers of skin are revealed which should cause the pain sensation.

[seismic-2]

What does this mean when Superman fights other kryptonians or other beings that have heat vision like Daximites or Bizzaro?

I would assume that Kryptonians can in fact hurt one another, or themselves, with heat vision or with just brute strength. The old irresistible force vs. immovable object showdown. When Superboy was growing up, did he pull his own teeth?

[Jon Clark]

I would assume that Kryptonians can in fact hurt one another, or themselves, with heat vision or with just brute strength. The old irresistible force vs. immovable object showdown. When Superboy was growing up, did he pull his own teeth?

Maybe Kryptonians only have one set of teeth their whole lives. Their teeth might grow with them like bones do in regular humans.

[Jim Kelly]

I know that John Byrne showed Superman using this method to shave. But Byrne wasn't actually a Superman writer for very long, in his first iteration, so is it really something that has stuck? I just assumed it was quietly dropped over the years.

The problem with Byrne's big ideas is he was explaining a lot that didn't need to be explained. Once they start explaining stuff--to get around the old story traps of yesteryear--they set new traps for themselves. The better approach, I think, is to not explain so fully every little thing and let the reader imagine how it all works.

Byrne's Superman was not yet that powerful or invulnerable. You could just say that his heat-vision at that time was enough to eliminate his stubble. Maybe as he gets more powered up, the Man of Steel has a steel beard. I think, when he grew that beard during his space exile, he shaved it off when he was de-powered.

In the old days, Clark simply didn't grow a beard as a function of having super-powers. He only grew beards when he was de-powered and/or under a red sun--and then he shaved just like any normal male. But also, most Kryptonians were shown not to have beards. The super-power explanation came after--the not having a beard was the pre-existing standard. So you could just say that Kryptonians don't grow beards as a rule. They are an advanced civilization and they select for that in their genetic profile--and any that do grow beards have deliberately chosen to give themselves that genetic feature.

I didn't like it when they decided to give Jor-El a beard. I preferred when he looked virtually the same as his son. There's a place where the Byrne cloning idea could have interconnected with the previous model, when so many Kryptonians looked alike. Genetic selection could have meant that there were certain looks that were popular on Krypton and they chose those looks for all their offspring. So there are thousands of models like Kal-El or Kara Zor-El or Lara Lor-Van. I suppose the bio-similarity would also make it easier in harvesting organs and for blood supply--as most donors would be a perfect match.

I guess the ability to grow a beard is something Byrne wanted, because it looks cool. Just like the cape and the costume getting torn and shredded looks cool. Since Clark so often loses his powers or is weakened by Kryptonite, he has many opportunities to shave. This seems to happen on a daily basis, so Supes just has a Bic razor stashed in the pouch of his cape and when he experiences a power loss, he whips out his razor and gives himself a quick shave, before his powers come back at full strength.

[manwhohaseverything]

I have to ask,is this one of those "who changes the wheels of batmobile" questions? if not..it means he can get hurt by heat vision from other dudes or if he gets hit really hard.

[Jim Kelly]

My opinion is that Clark should be the most powerful Kryptonian, because he's been working at the super-hero job longer than anyone (especially if he was Superbaby and Superboy). But modern stories say No! and it seems like any newly arrived Kryptonian is more powerful than Superman.

[Doctor Know]

I know that John Byrne showed Superman using this method to shave. But Byrne wasn't actually a Superman writer for very long, in his first iteration, so is it really something that has stuck? I just assumed it was quietly dropped over the years.

The problem with Byrne's big ideas is he was explaining a lot that didn't need to be explained. Once they start explaining stuff--to get around the old story traps of yesteryear--they set new traps for themselves. The better approach, I think, is to not explain so fully every little thing and let the reader imagine how it all works.

Byrne's Superman was not yet that powerful or invulnerable. You could just say that his heat-vision at that time was enough to eliminate his stubble. Maybe as he gets more powered up, the Man of Steel has a steel beard. I think, when he grew that beard during his space exile, he shaved it off when he was de-powered.

In the old days, Clark simply didn't grow a beard as a function of having super-powers. He only grew beards when he was de-powered and/or under a red sun--and then he shaved just like any normal male. But also, most Kryptonians were shown not to have beards. The super-power explanation came after--the not having a beard was the pre-existing standard. So you could just say that Kryptonians don't grow beards as a rule. They are an advanced civilization and they select for that in their genetic profile--and any that do grow beards have deliberately chosen to give themselves that genetic feature.

I didn't like it when they decided to give Jor-El a beard. I preferred when he looked virtually the same as his son. There's a place where the Byrne cloning idea could have interconnected with the previous model, when so many Kryptonians looked alike. Genetic selection could have meant that there were certain looks that were popular on Krypton and they chose those looks for all their offspring. So there are thousands of models like Kal-El or Kara Zor-El or Lara Lor-Van. I suppose the bio-similarity would also make it easier in harvesting organs and for blood supply--as most donors would be a perfect match.

I guess the ability to grow a beard is something Byrne wanted, because it looks cool. Just like the cape and the costume getting torn and shredded looks cool. Since Clark so often loses his powers or is weakened by Kryptonite, he has many opportunities to shave. This seems to happen on a daily basis, so Supes just has a Bic razor stashed in the pouch of his cape and when he experiences a power loss, he whips out his razor and gives himself a quick shave, before his powers come back at full strength.

Superman was shaving with glass before Byrne.




Alan Moore - DC Comics Presents #85 Featuring Swamp Thing



Byrne - The Man of Steel #4



Time and and Time Again 1991



Adventures of Superman and Lois and Superman TAS


Nuperman had a full beard after traveling through space after Doomed. I'm sure he shaved the same way.


As to how Superman is able to shave his face and presumably how Supergirl is able to shave her legs. Likely due to Kryptonian invulnerability requiring a degree of concentration. If they were super strong and invulnerable all the time, they'd break/pierce/shatter everything around them, without trying. No one would be able to touch Clark, without being broken to pieces. Think about the force field explanation for Supes' powers. A person runs into Clark, and what happens? Do they break every bone in their body, or does Clark's supreme level of invulnerability cut through them like a hot knife through butter? Same thing when Clark has to save someone falling and he catches them. These things don't happen, because Clark and others can control when and when they don't want to be touched.

[Vordan]

I would assume that Kryptonians can in fact hurt one another, or themselves, with heat vision or with just brute strength. The old irresistible force vs. immovable object showdown. When Superboy was growing up, did he pull his own teeth?

My take on Kryptonian invulnerability is that it’s like the toughness of a diamond. You can’t cut a diamond with anything other than another diamond. Likewise you can’t hurt a Kryptonian unless you have something as tough as them (kryptonite, magic, red solar radiation aside). So because other Kryptonians are equally as tough as Kal, yeah they can hurt him with brute force, and their heat vision should be able to hurt him albeit it would burn him rather than instantly disintegrate him like it would do to a normal human.

[sunofdarkchild]

Superman was shaving with glass before Byrne.


Bronze Age



Alan Moore - DC Comics Presents #85 Featuring Swamp Thing



Byrne - The Man of Steel #4



Adventures of Superman and Lois and Superman TAS


Nuperman had a full beard after traveling through space after Doomed. I'm sure he shaved the same way.


As to how Superman is able to shave his face and presumably how Supergirl is able to shave her legs. Likely due to Kryptonian invulnerability requiring a degree of concentration. If they were super strong and invulnerable all the time, they'd break/pierce/shatter everything around them, without trying. No one would be able to touch Clark, without being broken to pieces. Think about the force field explanation for Supes' powers. A person runs into Clark, and what happens? Do they break every bone in their body, or does Clark's supreme level of invulnerability cut through them like a hot knife through butter? Same thing when Clark has to save someone falling and he catches them. These things don't happen, because Clark and others can control when and when they don't want to be touched.

That first pic is post-Bryne. It's from the Time and Time Again story which was right after he revealed his identity to Lois.

[Doctor Know]

That first pic is post-Bryne. It's from the Time and Time Again story which was right after he revealed his identity to Lois.

Thank you. I thought it was Bronze age by the art style. They went retro, I see. I should read Time and Again now.

So, the first person to have Superman shave with glass was Alan Moore in 1985. Then Byrne followed suit in 1986.

[manwhohaseverything]

My opinion is that Clark should be the most powerful Kryptonian, because he's been working at the super-hero job longer than anyone (especially if he was Superbaby and Superboy). But modern stories say No! and it seems like any newly arrived Kryptonian is more powerful than Superman.

Clark gets recharged pretty quickly after he loses energy many a times..I tend to think kryptonians are fast at recharging to full capacity.(I am not a fan of the sun explaination.it's just not sci-fi enough for me,far too simplistic and more fantasy).Also,zod is a military guy.if clark is better than him then there would be no tension..