Should Superman be weak to magic

[DochaDocha]

If a spell or whatever were sufficiently powerful enough, Superman should be vulnerable to it. If it's not particularly powerful, then no.

I dislike "magic" in Superman stories mainly because it's wildly inconsistent even compared to pseudoscience. Pseudoscience and real science have rules that writers can game, whereas magic tends to be flaky and its properties are generally harder to explain if you care to get into nitty gritty details.

[AmiMizuno]

When I mean by magic. I mean such think like Cheetah's claws or Wonder a woman's sword which as been knew to cut anything. Even Circe herself. Zatanna not really.

[Vanguard-01]

When I mean by magic. I mean such think like Cheetah's claws or Wonder a woman's sword which as been knew to cut anything. Even Circe herself. Zatanna not really.

Zatanna can affect Superman. She's one of the most powerful magicians in the DCU. If anyone can affect him with magic, she's one of the few. Circe's another, of course.

As far as Cheetah's claws or Diana's sword? Magical blades usually work by having some kind of magical quality that just lets them cut things that shouldn't be cut-able. If this quality is powerful enough to overwhelm Superman's invulnerability, then they should cut him just fine. Diana's sword and Cheetah's claws are empowered by the divine. That usually makes them capable of such a feat.

We've seen Cheetah successfully bite Superman already, after all.

[mathew101281]

Superman isn't a creature of magic. Their is no reason for him to have any invulnerability against it. As far as I'm concerned the only defenses against magic that should exit in the DCU are magical items (wonder woman's bracelets or Alan Scott's power ring) or innate magical ability. Shazam and other characters who gain their invulnerability specifically from magic should have more natural defenses against it.

[Jim Kelly]

How would Superman not be affected by magic? Superman is a science based hero, but magic isn't science. If Superman had some special invulnerability to magic, that would suggest he has magic powers himself. Magic makes sense to me as a weakness, because it's precisely not something that Superman could realistically be immune to. Of course, that there is magic in Superman's world is a questionable choice--but the horse bolted from the barn long ago on that one.

[Lois]

Don't mind this either as long as it's handled well and not overdone.
Seen some excellent Superman stories over the years where Superman is confronted by a being with magical powers.
I thought this will handled very well in the animated film The Return of Black Adam, where Superman confronts Black Adam and meets Captain Marvel.
Superman surprises Black Adam by using his heat vision.
Also, it shouldn't be seen as a major weakness for Superman instead of Kryptonite.

[KOSLOX]

I've always liked the explanation that he isn't weakened by magic it just bypasses his normal level of resistance.

[The Beast]

Just not invulnerable to it. No extra special weakness to it compared to the next man.

This is my preferred definition as well.

[Lois]

I've always liked the explanation that he isn't weakened by magic it just bypasses his normal level of resistance.

Me too.
IMHO magic doesn't really weaken him, just surprises him a bit.

[AmiMizuno]

I don't want it to be his major weakness. People like Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel have a more tolerable to magic. However one question I don't understand what's up with what I'm hearing that Superman is in New 52 more able to be mind controlled?

[Lax]

Why are people more willing to accept the existence of aliens and fictional science more than the mystical and supernatural?

For some it's another layer of "suspension of disbelief" to go through do to certain real world views on the supernatural and many in this website are of the atheist bend.

[FuturePasta]

Why are people more willing to accept the existence of aliens and fictional science more than the mystical and supernatural?

Because there are approximately 200 billion stars and possibly over 500 billion galaxies in the observable universe. With there being 200 billion stars in the universe and gravity playing a MAJOR role (bodily masses attract other bodily masses), there have to be other solar systems that exist in space aside from our own - and there are, so there's just no way that there isn't life existing somewhere else. Not to mention we do know that comets can collide with planets, and bring valuables essential for life (as we know it) to thrive and even start. There you have it and sorry or the science lesson.

[Melv]

Science is how we explain the observable Universe. If 'magic' powers existed they'd be testable with science in our universe or DC's. The concepts of magic or the supernatural are idiotic in general because once their effects manifest they would leave testable traces like anything else. Saying 'Magic did it' or 'God did it' aren't explanations. I like the idea that 'Any sufficiently advanced technology would be indistinguishable from magic.'

If magic is the answer it's never a good one, which is why if it's ever used as an answer it's a cop-out. How do the powers work? I'd like some kind of explanation for them. Superman's powers are all nonsense but at least they're given a pseudoscientific explanation you can work with. I'd like everything at least to be a little bit logical.

[daBronzeBomma]

Should Superman be weak to magic?

No, no more than say, the Hulk or Martian Manhunter or Silver Surfer would be.

If magic isn't one of their specific weaknesses, then it certainly shouldn't be Superman's.

Why does Superman, of all super-heroes, require not one, not two but THREE different specific weaknesses? Is it because he's by far the most powerful of all superheroes (well, yes he is in my opinion, but if not ... what specific weaknesses does the Hulk have again)?

I say, treat magical energy like radiant energy: It should take the equivalent of a magical thermonuclear bomb to really hurt Superman. Something few magic-users would readily be able to do. Dr. Fate? Sure. Zatanna? Yes. Some fool waving a wand? NO.

It's should be like Hulk and Adamantium. Someone like Wolverine can annoy the Hulk with those blades, but if it were the Thing wielding them, Hulk would be in serious trouble.

[Vanguard-01]

Science is how we explain the observable Universe. If 'magic' powers existed they'd be testable with science in our universe or DC's. The concepts of magic or the supernatural are idiotic in general because once their effects manifest they would leave testable traces like anything else. Saying 'Magic did it' or 'God did it' aren't explanations. I like the idea that 'Any sufficiently advanced technology would be indistinguishable from magic.'

If magic is the answer it's never a good one, which is why if it's ever used as an answer it's a cop-out. How do the powers work? I'd like some kind of explanation for them. Superman's powers are all nonsense but at least they're given a pseudoscientific explanation you can work with. I'd like everything at least to be a little bit logical.

In comics? Magic is real. Gods are real. There's no debating this.

Science can test the effect magic had on the world when it happens, sure. But it can't understand the processes by which magic did what it did.

Apollo just caused the sun to fire a concentrated blast of yellow sunlight down onto a very specific point on the Earth (i.e. where Zod and Faora were) there is no scientific explanation for how a guy can just will the sun to do something that it has never done just by wanting it to happen.

Zatanna can literally turn you into a frog just by talking about it in backwards speak. Explain that one.

I could go on.