How Strong/powerful do you feel Superman should be??

[Superlad93]

Ok, yeah I know this has been asked more times than anyone can count, but I wanna see if I can put a new spin on it:

For starters I'm not a comic book reader who gets hung up over power much less power levels (I hate that term really) but powers will always come into play and I love that. I enjoy actual Super Heroes being super, but it should only be used as a tool never a focus for the comic. This will be dealing with your "how strong" thoughts on the new 52 Superman

Ok now that the intro is out of the way, we know 2 things.

1. In the new 52u we know that Superman is seen as the most powerful being on the planet (check the DC site if you don't believe me) We have had alien and god alike come to earth and see Superman as someone they would rather have on their side then fight.

2. We know his powers are still growing (as evidence in Superman #1) and have been growing since his time on earth.

But given these factors......how strong is the strongest being on the planet? What is the upper limit? Or should there be an upper limit?

My personal opinion? I am a big believer in "he's as Strong as he needs to be". I'm not ashamed to say that I like the look of struggle for a big task. I have often seen Superman's power as being connected to his will. So say if he puts the right amount of will into it he can do anything really.

So my question to you all is how strong do you think he should be and why? Remember to keep in the guide lines of the new 52 so you know where to start.

I hope everybody enjoys the thread

[utukkuxul]

I have no problem with him being the strongest being on earth, as long as it doesn't degenerate into the Silver Age "Superman can juggle planets" level. I'm not even sure I want to see him strong enough to push a planet; that still seems ridiculous to me. But lifting planes, holding up bridges, etc seems all right.

[MorphyVSFischer]

Personally I've always felt Superman should be the physically strongest guy on Earth, His absolute limit should be planet moving, albiet with great effort.

[Superlad93]

Personally I've always felt Superman should be the physically strongest guy on Earth, His absolute limit should be planet moving, albiet with great effort.

Interesting. Can I ask you both if you are new readers to the Superman books?

[Jon Clark]

I honestly have no idea. I definitely want Superman in the upper end of powers, but sometimes the "logical" results of that make my head hurt.

The Byrne type field that lets him lift objects that are realistically too big should have some limits. Lifting a building or a battleship is fine by me. I don't want to see him supporting islands (Superman Returns), for example, but I also don't want to see other characters doing that in a story where Superman is made to therefore look a lot weaker.

[Superlad93]

I honestly have no idea. I definitely want Superman in the upper end of powers, but sometimes the "logical" results of that make my head hurt.

The Byrne type field that lets him lift objects that are realistically too big should have some limits. Lifting a building or a battleship is fine by me. I don't want to see him supporting islands (Superman Returns), for example, but I also don't want to see other characters doing that in a story where Superman is made to therefore look a lot weaker.

Yea I know what you mean. For me it's that I want Superman to be the strongest but I wanna see him have a hard fright or a hard time doing things like lifting.

So many contradictions with this character I swear lol

And yea, you have Superman who has the power to lift the island but GL who has the means.

[utukkuxul]

Interesting. Can I ask you both if you are new readers to the Superman books?

No, I've been reading comic books for almost two decades. Why?

[Superlad93]

No, I've been reading comic books for almost two decades. Why?

Oh wow, Well usually not to many people go for the whole Superman who's actually that strong and they usually say "well I liked him in the animated series" That's all I ever hear from people who don't read him on the regular.

So when you told me what level you liked him at I wanted to know if you were a new reader (also you seem to be new here)

[Deep_Sleeper]

I wouldn't say I'm a big fan of Superman, but I have enjoyed my share of Superman-related stuff. Everything from some landmark Superman stories (All-Star Superman, Superman: The Nail, What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and The American Way, etc.) to Superman: The Animated Series (It's my favourite animated series) to Superman Returns the movie.

My personal preference when it comes to Superman is:

He's not the strongest (I think someone other than Superman being stronger is ok with me), he's not the fastest (it should be NO contest between Flash and him) or the most powerful (Green Lantern, in my opinion)...but he should be the best and most impressive of all heroes. Meaning, that no one should ever think they'll just breeze through a fight with Superman. He should be someone that people would be nervous about crossing or even contemplating. He should be the most intelligent fighter.

I like that he's so good with his powers, that people are just in awe when he goes into action. He should be the one guy who uses all his powers to the optimum level, in such a way that impresses everyone. Just as an example, I thought of a great Superman sequence:

A missle hits a tower and the top half of it is crumbling. Superman uses his super speed to start calculating. He knows that he can't use his strength to grab it, as it will crumble. So he starts looking for alternative methods of holding the object together while keeping it from falling on civilians.

He quickly dives into a nearby body of water, causing a splash so large that it displaces 120 metric ton of water. He uses the splash to quickly exit the water and starts to spin around in a circle so fast, with a spin that causes the water to move up through the air and he guides his spin towards the falling tower. He envelopes the object with water and quickly flies away from the spin and uses his freeze-breath to envelope the body in a sheet of ice, as thick as 1 meter.

He quickly grabs the coated object and guides it to a safe place. All of this happens so fast that it looks as though the tower was hit and instantly turned to ice and was grabbed by Superman.

There's probably a lot of lousy physics in there, but I thought it would be cool to see something like that.

[MorphyVSFischer]

Interesting. Can I ask you both if you are new readers to the Superman books?

I've been reading comics and Superman for about 5 years now.
To expand on my earlier statement while I do prefer Superman to be powerful I do also think the other league people should give him a fight. Green Lantern certainly should, and Wally West was actaully far worst in this respect to overpowered characters. I don't think anyone really wants the uber-powerful guy from the 60's but I often felt the post crisis guy went a little to far in the other direction (needing great effort to move the moon, etc)

[Superlad93]

I've been reading comics and Superman for about 5 years now.
To expand on my earlier statement while I do prefer Superman to be powerful I do also think the other league people should give him a fight. Green Lantern certainly should, and Wally West was actaully far worst in this respect to overpowered characters. I don't think anyone really wants the uber-powerful guy from the 60's but I often felt the post crisis guy went a little to far in the other direction (needing great effort to move the moon, etc)

Yes I absolutely agree with you. I have always been in the mindset that under the right circumstances guys could beat him. GL and Flash at the top of the list. But I also think that stat (power) wise Superman should seem like the top draft pick.

His speed at a level where really the only person faster and more capable with speed is Flash by a very large amount. Ya know stuff like that.

But yes he should never be invincible to his peers. Peers meaning people who are great enough to stand by him. You diminish them the you diminish him in too. Also it makes for good story.

Also congrats on you 5 year run with comics and Superman as well. I hope you're liking the new 52 Superman and the new 52 in general.

[Superlad93]

I wouldn't say I'm a big fan of Superman, but I have enjoyed my share of Superman-related stuff. Everything from some landmark Superman stories (All-Star Superman, Superman: The Nail, What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and The American Way, etc.) to Superman: The Animated Series (It's my favourite animated series) to Superman Returns the movie.

My personal preference when it comes to Superman is:

He's not the strongest (I think someone other than Superman being stronger is ok with me), he's not the fastest (it should be NO contest between Flash and him) or the most powerful (Green Lantern, in my opinion)...but he should be the best and most impressive of all heroes. Meaning, that no one should ever think they'll just breeze through a fight with Superman. He should be someone that people would be nervous about crossing or even contemplating. He should be the most intelligent fighter.

I like that he's so good with his powers, that people are just in awe when he goes into action. He should be the one guy who uses all his powers to the optimum level, in such a way that impresses everyone. Just as an example, I thought of a great Superman sequence:

A missle hits a tower and the top half of it is crumbling. Superman uses his super speed to start calculating. He knows that he can't use his strength to grab it, as it will crumble. So he starts looking for alternative methods of holding the object together while keeping it from falling on civilians.

He quickly dives into a nearby body of water, causing a splash so large that it displaces 120 metric ton of water. He uses the splash to quickly exit the water and starts to spin around in a circle so fast, with a spin that causes the water to move up through the air and he guides his spin towards the falling tower. He envelopes the object with water and quickly flies away from the spin and uses his freeze-breath to envelope the body in a sheet of ice, as thick as 1 meter.

He quickly grabs the coated object and guides it to a safe place. All of this happens so fast that it looks as though the tower was hit and instantly turned to ice and was grabbed by Superman.

There's probably a lot of lousy physics in there, but I thought it would be cool to see something like that.

Well that's interesting and some of that I like, but I will say that it's almost in his nature to be the most powerful guy on the block. Not to pull the "oh he was made that way in 1939 so he should be that way" but that sorta is the way of thinking for not just comic book fans but people in the world.

That's where the argument "oh he's too strong" came from made by people who don't like him for that. I mean if they, the ones who don't even like or follow him, see him as so powerful he's boring then that actually tells be that Superman being the power is almost a built in human thought.

The concept of a Superman is one that humans have always had and will always have. The constant detail about that concept is that it is a being who is above us all in every why we can think of. This basic thought is also why I think he should be good a lot of things because he is a Renascence ideal (the time when culture moved into a more humanist direction) so I think of him as a Renascence man.

But with all that said I know it's a comic so I would say things like under the right conditions hero A (insert realistic challenge here) could beat Superman.

And Yes Flash is much much fast than him (his is speed) and as far as power output GL's got it. But raw strength and force output would have to go to Superman if you ask me.

Also I really liked your sequence....and your physics are fine it's a comic book lol.

[Superlad93]

I've sorta come to the thought that maybe I don't wanna know just how strong he is in particular, ya know. Maybe they should just call him the strongest and leave it at that.

Now I know this sounds dumb but maybe it should be slightly ill defined as to his full power or whatever. I mean if he's always getting stronger then you'll never really be able to define it.

Then I'm torn 'cause I like to see him tested and work at lifting things and doing feats.

Idk, what do you guys think? Also the original question is still on. This right here is just something to thing about.

[Lexrules]

Silver Age level's. The Ultimate good should have the power to stop any evil. I have always felt if you beat Superman you win the Universe.

[Superlad93]

Silver Age level's. The Ultimate good should have the power to stop any evil. I have always felt if you beat Superman you win the Universe.

So no GL's can outpower him energy wise, no Flash can out run him, no Manhunter and Marvels can stand to him? Nothing short of a god should be able to put him on his backside? He should have no real challenges?

Is this what you are saying? I honestly what to know. I just never really understood what people mean when they just ask for that level of power. Would you be able to explain in better detail? (as much as you can if it's no trouble)