Originally Posted by
manwhohaseverything
it's a crutch and plot device,that's my problem.It removes agency from protagonist and tension from a story.My problem is ,superman needs the sun to punch harder itself.Especially, in a story with punching.He doesn't punch harder cause he had genetic potential and he put effort to manifest that potential.My problem is superman needs just the sun constantly for all those other powers you mentioned to even work.it is an external source.while,hulk generates the gamma to punch harder himself.If he doesn't go through the turmoil(the struggle and tension for power won or earned in a story withstanding adversity) he would not create the chain reaction needed.Simply put,spiderman needs to make webfluid himself.There is an effort and struggle from the characters that people find relatable.In superman's case,there exists none.He does'nt struggle that way.The normal superman wisdom is "you want a stronger superman?put him under the sun".While,hulk,cap,spidey,bruce...etc go through something to get something.Thor needs to prove he is a noble warrior inorder to have the power of thor.Superman is superman cause the powersource and just that.
how is getting beaten by a rock making him use other faculties other than fists ,exactly?There is zero strategy involved in ninety percent of the time.Atleast diana gets shot or stabbed as weakness.Clark's big weakness is a rock that doesn't even cause any permanent damage for building tension.He gets weakened momentarily for anyone to walk over him and he gets back up a-ok the next scene.As if lex and clark engage in any mind games of the caliber of world's smartest men .they don't.i have never seen clark actually neutralising lex or his hold on the kryptonite weakness with just strategy .ever.heck!usually,people don't even know clark is intelligent in any fashion.Just a naive farmboy.