Does Superman know how to fight?

[Devil_LeonX]

I know this sounds like a stupid question, but Does Superman know any fighting arts or is he just a brawler?? or is he like spiderman in the sense that Spdiy doesnt know any OFFICIAL fighting arts, but has developed his own style which is completly unique to spidy alone?Thanks anyone in advance.

[CapFan]

I know this sounds like a stupid question, but Does Superman know any fighting arts or is he just a brawler?? or is he like spiderman in the sense that Spdiy doesnt know any OFFICIAL fighting arts, but has developed his own style which is completly unique to spidy alone?Thanks anyone in advance.

From one writer's perspective (I forgot which), when he traveled the world as Clark Kent, he learned different martial arts, along with boxing, wrestling, etc.

[DonC]

Superman trained with Mongul II for some stupid storyline that I've already forgotten most of. I think it was that Millennium Giants story that appeared 2 years before the actual millennium.

[md62]

Superman trained with Mongul II for some stupid storyline that I've already forgotten most of. I think it was that Millennium Giants story that appeared 2 years before the actual millennium.

It was Loeb's first arc on Superman around #151. McKone did the art.

[Kid Kyoto]

Nah he's a bit fruity @##% who wears his underwear outside his tights. You hear me you caped wimp! I can take you apart!

Anyway my guess would be since he has to hold back so much any training is wasted since his instinct is to ALWAYS fight well below his potential.

[Gernot]

Superman trained with Mongul II for some stupid storyline that I've already forgotten most of. I think it was that Millennium Giants story that appeared 2 years before the actual millennium.

It was Loeb's first arc on Superman around #151. McKone did the art.

And it was actually part of OW@W, not Millennium Giants.

[filthysize]

I would think that he's just a brawler. He usually gets his hands full when he's facing those kung fu types. Probably why he always loses to Batman.

Reminds me of the Cassidy/Custer fight from the ending of Preacher.

"You have the strenght. You have the speed. But you don't know how to put two and two together."

[megladon8]

He's pretty much a brawler.

He doesn't really NEED to know how to fight.

[90'sCartoonMan]

He doesn't really NEED to know how to fight.

Sure he does. I mean, how many times does Superman lose his power? Better safe than sorry.

Wonder Woman's got loads of power, but she still knows how to fight and trains. I wonder if Diana and Bruce have ever brought that to his attention.

[Sean Whitmore]

The "Superman doesn't need to know how to fight" theory doesn't really wash, when you consider:

1. How often he loses his powers (it's not like the movies; powerless Supes can kick some ass).

2. How often he runs into beings as strong or stronger than himself (the number of such beings is dwindling these days, but throughout the 80s and 90s there were many of them).


SEAN

[phantom1592]

I don't WANT Superman to know how to fight. He's SUPERMAN for heavens sake. Its pretty tough to give him a challenge in the first place. I always love the idea that he doesnt' NEED to know to fight. He's faster and Stronger and that's all he needs.

IF he loses his powers or better yet comes across someone in his league THEN he actually has a challenge on his hands. Its called Drama ;)


Personally I don't think his powers or enemies function well within martial arts. He's already faster and stronger and opposed to a triple nerve punch, its easier to wrap a lightpole around them.

Kind of like Wolverine. Why did they bother making him a martial artists?!?! He's a BERSERKER! They DON'T GO TOGETHER!

[trickster]

He doesn't know how to fight. He got it from Lex Luthor in Up, Up and Away. Not to mention the movies. "I've been... working out". No you haven't, ya big sissy, you just got lucky by getting your power back. With such a "protector", that trucker in the movie could have raped Lois, no problem.

[GreenHornet]

I also remember a story were young Kal-el was taught the Krypton-type arts in self defense with in the FOS.

[Lorendiac]

I know this sounds like a stupid question, but Does Superman know any fighting arts or is he just a brawler?? or is he like spiderman in the sense that Spdiy doesnt know any OFFICIAL fighting arts, but has developed his own style which is completly unique to spidy alone?Thanks anyone in advance.

Remember the old Superboy live-action TV series, starring John Haymes Newton as the title character? I remember, back around 1990 or thereabouts, reading an interview with him in which he said that in real life he has studied martial arts, and at one point an episode called for him to fight an alien with superstrength similar to his own, so he suggested he use a few throws and things to show that Superboy knew how to handle a physical equal; an opponent who wouldn't just collapse the first time he was punched on the jaw.

The idea was shot down. Apparently it was made very clear to him that the Superboy/Superman character concept only involved good old-fashioned fisticuffs in the same tradition as the way John Wayne used to fight in barroom brawl scenes in his westerns. (I believe those were almost his exact words in the interview -- he was supposed to continue in the John Wayne tradition of brawling!)

[phantom1592]

The idea was shot down. Apparently it was made very clear to him that the Superboy/Superman character concept only involved good old-fashioned fisticuffs in the same tradition as the way John Wayne used to fight in barroom brawl scenes in his westerns. (I believe those were almost his exact words in the interview -- he was supposed to continue in the John Wayne tradition of brawling!)

Which is COOL! Personally I love the storylines with Zod or the Smallville Episode where Pa Kent gets superpowers. Kal decides to teach dad a lesson, but when on equal footing, Pa takes the boy behind the woodshed :D

Having a character this powerful is a hard thing to write. If he gets schooled then he's simply not superman. If he's all powerful then the stories are boring. If you focus too much on the humanity/emotional parts of the characters then people get annoyed because Supermans powers aren't coming into play.

Martial arts or any kind of structured fighting style is quite simply overkill and redundant.

Personally I would never want to write Superman. Or Flash. How do you write a story for a character who can save the world before the bad guy can blink?