Can Superman Fly in space without a space suit ?

[joku2]

ok so me and my dad have been having alot of conversations recently about super man one of them turned into an arguement about weather superman can fly in outer space with out a space suit , my answer was no he cant because he has been seen in justice league and some comics that he has to wear a space suit , but my dads argued that if he needed a space suit to fly in space then why did he fly to krpton in super man returns and we dont see a glimpse of a space suit , also he says that superman doesnt need to breath

[Jack Zodiac]

In the cartoons, he's almost always needed a space suit. In the movies, he never has. In the comics, it's off and on, but most of the time he doesn't. He doesn't need a suit, he doesn't need to hold his breath, nothin'. But then, for some reason, in the latest Supergirl comics, she needed to hold her breath to survive in space for a couple hours or something while Superman's flying to Pluto and back no sweat.

[Slaughter]

From what I can recall, in the Post-Crisis reality, Superman had the need of a space suit or at least a oxygen mask to travel through space. However, after Death and Return of Superman, he returned more powerful and with the hability to just need a breath to get all the oxygen he needed. Before that, Superman could hold his breath for a LONG time, but today, he does't needs to breath anymore, I think. I believe the sun nourishes him now.

[marshal99]

Post-crisis , early on , when he exiled himself in space , he needed to wear some sort of breathing device. That was when he first encounter Mongul and Warworld in post-crisis.

http://image.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/83756635410.30.GIF

Then , after his death and return , there was a storyline where superman is absorbing too much sunlight or something and caused him to have a power surge and making him bloated and huge that they had to bring in parasite to absorb his excess powers. I think from that point on , he had no problem in space anymore.

http://image.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/large/83756635410.89.gif

[dancj]

It's a trickily worded question.

Superman does breath.
Obviously he can't breath in space because there's nothing to breath.
But...
since he died and came back he can hold his breath indefinitely so he doesn't need to breath - and doesn't need a space suit.

[Knight Lancer]

Oh and by the way, tell your dad that in Superman Returns, Clark took a Kryptonian space ship (assumed grown at the Fortress) to get to Krypton.

[Joe Acro]

He can. See Bizarro World for a recent example.

Whether he should be able to or not is a different matter entirely.

[Samuraixsithlord]

During Our Worlds at War he trained with Mongul Jr. Mongul Jr taught him fighting skills and how to use his abilities to the fullest. He also trained him in breathing exercises for prolonged space battles. He can usually hold his breath for around 30 minutes or so.

I also heard that his ability to absorb solar energy powers his muscles and brain functions when he enters an environment with no O2

[King Krypton]

During Our Worlds at War he trained with Mongul Jr. Mongul Jr taught him fighting skills and how to use his abilities to the fullest. He also trained him in breathing exercises for prolonged space battles. He can usually hold his breath for around 30 minutes or so.

In The Earth Stealers, it was stated he could last for several hours on one deep breath. Then Roger Stern whittled it down to two or three hours, and finally to one hour.

Now it's 30 minutes?

Eek. Superman's lung capacity's gotten worse as he gets older.

[dupersuper]

In The Earth Stealers, it was stated he could last for several hours on one deep breath. Then Roger Stern whittled it down to two or three hours, and finally to one hour.

Now it's 30 minutes?

Eek. Superman's lung capacity's gotten worse as he gets older.

Maybe he smokes...?

[PatrickG]

In the cartoons, he's almost always needed a space suit. In the movies, he never has. In the comics, it's off and on, but most of the time he doesn't. He doesn't need a suit, he doesn't need to hold his breath, nothin'. But then, for some reason, in the latest Supergirl comics, she needed to hold her breath to survive in space for a couple hours or something while Superman's flying to Pluto and back no sweat.

There's some debate over whether she's holding her breath or time traveling when she says "Two hours". Consensus now appears to be that the whole thing is an exercise in relativity and so, traveling faster than light in both directions, she's time traveling. At least, that would seem to match the solar collector bit in the follow-up issue.

[PatrickG]

During Our Worlds at War he trained with Mongul Jr. Mongul Jr taught him fighting skills and how to use his abilities to the fullest. He also trained him in breathing exercises for prolonged space battles. He can usually hold his breath for around 30 minutes or so.

I also heard that his ability to absorb solar energy powers his muscles and brain functions when he enters an environment with no O2

My understanding was that Mongul taught him he didn't need to breathe as long as he gets solar energy.

Which makes sense that he would assume that he needed to breathe and have to be taught otherwise. Not exactly the kind of thing I'd assume or want to test on my own.

[Conner_Kent]

it depends on where he's going, if lets say its a short distance from a planet with breathable air then he dosen't need a suit, but if its a really far far far distance and will take awhile to get there then yes he needs atleast an air container of some kind. From what I remember Supes can hold his breath for up to 7 hours straight, that may have changed to a longer time I donno but those Super-lung plus his Super-speed, yea he dosen't need a space suit

[666MasterOfPuppets]

I had the impression that after OWaW he "learned" that he didn't need to breath or something while in space...

[Alan2099]

He can breath in space, except in thos instacnes where he can't or he forgets that he's able to.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

He can breath in space, except in thos instacnes where he can't or he forgets that he's able to.

In which case....a wizard did it.

[Solaris01]

What Conner Kent said is what makes the most sense to me, but it is a tricky situation I guess.

Hi, I am new in town. Hoping to have a good time in these boards. :)

[David Atkins]

Then , after his death and return , there was a storyline where superman is absorbing too much sunlight or something and caused him to have a power surge and making him bloated and huge that they had to bring in parasite to absorb his excess powers. I think from that point on , he had no problem in space anymore.

http://image.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/large/83756635410.89.gif

The storyline 'the Trial of Superman' occurred after that, in which he was regularly shown using a small breathing apparatus similar to the one in the first picture you posted. It was sometime between that story and OWAW that they stopped bothering with it entirely, I think.

What Conner Kent said is what makes the most sense to me, but it is a tricky situation I guess.

Hi, I am new in town. Hoping to have a good time in these boards. :)

Welcome!

[666MasterOfPuppets]

The storyline 'the Trial of Superman' occurred after that, in which he was regularly shown using a small breathing apparatus similar to the one in the first picture you posted. It was sometime between that story and OWAW that they stopped bothering with it entirely, I think.

I didn't read the whole story, but I have an issue in which they leave this planet, and then suddenly Superman realizes that his friend Mope stayed/was left behind. After Superman being hit by the Cyborg-Superman and put unconscious in this sort of rocket that will send him to the remains of Krypton, Mope saves him and takes his place. When Superman woke up, he tried to reach him, but it was too late.

During all of those in-space scenes, Superman didn't wear the oxygen mask.

[nuclearman]

During Our Worlds at War he trained with Mongul Jr. Mongul Jr taught him fighting skills and how to use his abilities to the fullest. He also trained him in breathing exercises for prolonged space battles. He can usually hold his breath for around 30 minutes or so.

I also heard that his ability to absorb solar energy powers his muscles and brain functions when he enters an environment with no O2

...that's what I thought .. he can hold his breath for a long time ... I grew up thinking he could breathe in space, and under water, due to watching too many episodes of the super friends and early superman cartoons!

http://www.supermantv.net/cartoons/cartoonwallpaper/superman80s.jpg

[David Atkins]

I didn't read the whole story, but I have an issue in which they leave this planet, and then suddenly Superman realizes that his friend Mope stayed/was left behind. After Superman being hit by the Cyborg-Superman and put unconscious in this sort of rocket that will send him to the remains of Krypton, Mope saves him and takes his place. When Superman woke up, he tried to reach him, but it was too late.

During all of those in-space scenes, Superman didn't wear the oxygen mask.

At the beginning of the same storyline, I seem to recall him exchanging banter with Mope's 'brother' (Brute? Something like that.) near the sun. There are always inconsistancies. However, throughout that storyline, in which he went on the run with Mope and a green woman with only one arm, Superman was regularly depicted as needing a breathing apparatus like the one I mentioned above in order to continuously function in space.

Also, even when portrayed as needing such an apparatus to survive in space, Superman has always been portrayed as being able to hold his breath for ridiculous lengths of time. I seem to recall him doing this after returning to Earth from the 'Trial of Superman' storyline, as he flew to the Martian Atmosphere to repair the ship being used for the 'first manned trip to Mars' so that it could land safely (he wanted to ensure that it remained 'their accomplishment,' hence him not simply setting it down). This happened during the time period in which Lois had left him, and, granted, Mars isn't all that far away for Superman (not even at that point in time).

[pringlesman]

http://www.shortpacked.com/d/20050131.html

Apparently both superman and batman don't need to breath

[shadow knight]

Post criss he needed to but as he's absorbed more sunlight he gotten tougher to the point has long as he's absorbing yellow sunlight he doesn't need to breath.

[kevdude]

The poll is sorta screwy, nobody can breath in space and Superman can go out to space but will need to come back to Earth for breath or he'll die. It's just now he's learned so much more about fighting and flying in space he can do it longer without breathing.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

...that's what I thought .. he can hold his breath for a long time ... I grew up thinking he could breathe in space, and under water, due to watching too many episodes of the super friends and early superman cartoons!

http://www.supermantv.net/cartoons/cartoonwallpaper/superman80s.jpg

I loved that cartoon... Too bad it didn't last.

At the beginning of the same storyline, I seem to recall him exchanging banter with Mope's 'brother' (Brute? Something like that.) near the sun. There are always inconsistancies. However, throughout that storyline, in which he went on the run with Mope and a green woman with only one arm, Superman was regularly depicted as needing a breathing apparatus like the one I mentioned above in order to continuously function in space.

Also, even when portrayed as needing such an apparatus to survive in space, Superman has always been portrayed as being able to hold his breath for ridiculous lengths of time. I seem to recall him doing this after returning to Earth from the 'Trial of Superman' storyline, as he flew to the Martian Atmosphere to repair the ship being used for the 'first manned trip to Mars' so that it could land safely (he wanted to ensure that it remained 'their accomplishment,' hence him not simply setting it down). This happened during the time period in which Lois had left him, and, granted, Mars isn't all that far away for Superman (not even at that point in time).

Agreed. I wonder when will be the day in which inconsistencies stop.

Silly me, right?

http://www.shortpacked.com/d/20050131.html

Apparently both superman and batman don't need to breath

*ROTFL* "I'm Batman".

[PatrickG]

The poll is sorta screwy, nobody can breath in space and Superman can go out to space but will need to come back to Earth for breath or he'll die. It's just now he's learned so much more about fighting and flying in space he can do it longer without breathing.

His body can survive entirely without oxygen.

He's 100% star powered.

Heck, his cells don't require nutrition in the conventional sense. I don't think anyone has ever suggested that he requires food since the 40s with the overwhelming bulk of stories suggesting that food is entirely unnecessary for him but a luxury he enjoys.

[4thHorseman]

There was one time he got lost in space after a fight with Lobo (early '94 or '95 I think), and he was in space for several issues. Met Auron who died from Massacre, fought Champion (also a brief cameo of Doomsday still attached to his rock, etc) He only had a couple places in space he got air from, but I believe he was off earth for several days at least if I recall what Lois said when he returned.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

His body can survive entirely without oxygen.

He's 100% star powered.

Heck, his cells don't require nutrition in the conventional sense. I don't think anyone has ever suggested that he requires food since the 40s with the overwhelming bulk of stories suggesting that food is entirely unnecessary for him but a luxury he enjoys.

He doesn't even need to sleep, as stated by Superman himself circa OWaW.

There was one time he got lost in space after a fight with Lobo (early '94 or '95 I think), and he was in space for several issues. Met Auron who died from Massacre, fought Champion (also a brief cameo of Doomsday still attached to his rock, etc) He only had a couple places in space he got air from, but I believe he was off earth for several days at least if I recall what Lois said when he returned.

He should go to space more often, dammit.

[Nate Grey]

My understanding was that Mongul taught him he didn't need to breathe as long as he gets solar energy.


I had the impression that after OWaW he "learned" that he didn't need to breath or something while in space...

Same. Because of how he gets his energy, I had always assumed him "breathing" was more a psychosematic(sp?) reflex as opposed to his body needing to fill his lungs with oxygen. It was always a pet theory till I read that. I got it in boxes around her somewhere I think...

[BYC]

It's probably best not to think about it too hard. Cause if he didn't need to breath, that means his lungs don't even need to work, so he does it just to keep up appearances as Clark Kent.

Just say it's Superman, and he doesn't need to breath, and everybody is happier.