How does Superman fly?

[Art_of_Crime]

You use 100% of your brain, just not all at the same time. This is one of those pesky urban legends. Like if you die in your dreams you die in real life and you can break someone's neck and kill them with a quick twist

[TheBat812]

The real question is how does he fly faster?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLZHmyrJ4j4

[dnno1]

I had heard a theory that Superman has a dormant gland that can somehow defy gravity or warp space around him when he is energized by yellow sun radiation.

[Anton Furst]

Originally Posted by Anton Furst

I have a theory - its self telekinesis.

In Superman II, General Zod lifts a man into the air simply by pointing his finger at him. Is this an act of telekinesis? Is the White beam simply a visual representation of what would otherwise be an invisible occurrence?

Is this something that all Kryptonians can do, or only Zod, who has the mental willpower to impose his thoughts on others, as opposed to Superman who doesn't...

In the In the movies, Clark's clothes often appear to disappear from his body, revealing his suit underneath - Is this some kind of mental telepathy that enables him to 'mask' his true appearance from others?

Does this perhaps also explain how he is able to conceal his secret identity with a side-parting and a pair of glasses?

Perhaps Kryptonians are not only thousands of years ahead of us techincally, but mentally as well?

Maybe they use 20% of their brains as opposed to our 10.

I was listening to the commentary for Superman IV today and noticed that Superman could move objects with his mind. There was one point in the movie where he lowered a group of people Nuclear Man had suspended in the sky...

As these films were authorized by DC Comics, does this not provide further evidence that Superman flies by thought alone?

[roach]

Superman flies because...its a frakkn comic book

[thorstone]

His intestines are super powered by Earth's sun and produce feces which have a negative mass and permit him to fly.

Or he has telekinesis; which would also explain his ability to lift large objects and deflect bullets.

[Hotwire]

Originally Posted by KalMart

For the last ^%$#ing time.....




Superman does not fly...he stays in one place and moves the Earth and space around him.

Flat Earth believer?

[Rodrigo90]

Thanks to Nolan's persistence on realism, I think they may have to change how Superman manoeuvres when he's flying.

It definitely one thing to say the sun alters and boosts his body. But if he can raise his body temperature to shoot heat from his eyes, and lower it to blow his breath to create ice, then why shouldn't he be able to control it to defy gravity?

It can be done, but it is very complicated in explanation.

Superman can control his body to create weightlessnes for himself. This causes him to float. Gravity has no effect on him if he defies 'the system' of the gravitational force.

Flying in a straight line? Tricky indeed. However, if Superman gives his body a certain amount gravity, so he's back within 'the system', the strength that he has, he can easily propel himself across distances. When you lunge your body, you simply move forward at a greater velocity. Superman's strength makes him lunge 100 times faster. If he did it in zero gravity, he certainly wouldn't go as fast or as far. So he needs to have some percentage of gravity and weight, to propel himself.

So all the poses he does when he flies, arm raised and everything, can be explained as him charging himself through the air. His body would have to actively change between gravity and zero for weight and weightlessnes in order to fly.

The change in manoeuvring? He would have to take dips in mid flight.

[dnno1]

Originally Posted by Anton Furst

I have a theory - its self telekinesis.

In Superman II, General Zod lifts a man into the air simply by pointing his finger at him. Is this an act of telekinesis? Is the White beam simply a visual representation of what would otherwise be an invisible occurrence?

Is this something that all Kryptonians can do, or only Zod, who has the mental willpower to impose his thoughts on others, as opposed to Superman who doesn't...

In the In the movies, Clark's clothes often appear to disappear from his body, revealing his suit underneath - Is this some kind of mental telepathy that enables him to 'mask' his true appearance from others?

Does this perhaps also explain how he is able to conceal his secret identity with a side-parting and a pair of glasses?

Perhaps Kryptonians are not only thousands of years ahead of us techincally, but mentally as well?

Maybe they use 20% of their brains as opposed to our 10.

I think he can just out and out defy gravity and any know law of physics through sheer force of will. There might be more things he can do than just fly as well, but he just isn't aware of that yet.

[Duke]

Originally Posted by roach

Superman flies because...its a frakkn comic book

That's my take on it as well.

[Rodrigo90]

Superman flys because Chuck Norris said so.

[Asteroid-Man]

Because he's Superman.

[Mondragon]

[Pink Ranger]

Originally Posted by MarvelKnight

He raises his fist in the air and says "up up and away!"

That actually works in real life too. Try it; it works best on a busy street corner with lots of people around.

[Rodrigo90]

Hey, you're right! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Marvin]

Originally Posted by dnno1

I had heard a theory that Superman has a dormant gland that can somehow defy gravity or warp space around him when he is energized by yellow sun radiation.

bingo.

No one yet knows what gravity actually is, Einstein told us space and time and gravity are all connected and what we experience as one really is a result of the other two(or something like that). Gravity is also the same force as acceleration...

not sure what any of that means, but Mark Waid wrote that superman has a gland that produces anti gravitons or some ilk. Around the base of his spine. Kryptonians no doubt evolved this organ into existence to better cope with their crazy planet. It probably was only used to help them stand up right or perhaps it created a field that allowed their hair and clothes to flow like ours and not behave like they would under 100x gravity. Like everything else in his body the radiation from a fertile yellow son would provide an ample amount of fuel which would all him to have the stamina to perform at the level he does on earth, somewhat like all life does. There has be no definitive answers thus far.

[hopefuldreamer]

Or maybe it's just fairy dust and happy thoughts