Defining Superman's Powers In A Reboot

[DavidTyler]

The Aura thing never meant anything about his invunerability, Superfreak. It was just an explanation about the tight clothes not being ripped.

It was always the energy from Earth's yellow sun that gave him powers.

Dan, I just about always agree with you but I have to go the other way here.

The aura was Clark's invulnerability. Byrne was looking for a way to explain, not only how his costume stays intact, but why he can lose that ability under circumstances that would include going under a red sun. He figured the solar energy he absorbed from our 'yellow' sun powered just about everything. I don't mind the concept at all. In fact, it's my personal choice for his invulnerabilities - that the Kryptonians couldn't absorb enough of what they needed from their own 'red' sun but, being living solar batteries, they could get it from our own younger, 'yellow' sun.

 

[Superfreak]

The Aura thing never meant anything about his invunerability, Superfreak. It was just an explanation about the tight clothes not being ripped.

It was always the energy from Earth's yellow sun that gave him powers.

it's still a force field. An energy field that protects things, is a force field.

I prefer to think of the yellow sun providing the energy that would allow kryptonian physiology to perform to its full potential.

 

[Superfreak]

Edit: I didn't see that The Guard already answered.

"as to avoid the question of why he doesn't do other forms of telekinetic feats, such as moving objects -other than himself"

I would argue that he must touch other objects in order to make use of his power (hence the term tactile telekinesis). It's about range-- why can't he just pull the gun out of the robber's hand with his telekinesis, because of range-- he always lets them shoot him but the bullets can't penetrate his field (how he uses his powers is partly an expression of perhaps the brutishness or arrogance of Clark Kent-- Superman always muscles through any problem). This also allows him to hold an unstable object together (such as a car) when lifting it from a part that should simply tear off under the weight.


Back on the subject of him being literally, The Man of Tomorrow-- it just seems to make sense, I always just explained to myself that humans were on Krypton because of aliens visiting Earth in the past-- an astronaut from the future is way simpler. It's a great idea to begin the film with the end of Earth, the sun is dying, and like a story from Arthur C. Clarke's 3001, the star system doesn't explode from the center-- the planet blows up first triggering a supernova.

I just don't like the idea that Superman is not 'actually' strong, but that the ability of his psychic brain to lift things is strong. That he's not actually tough, but that his psychic brain defends him against attack.... ...etc etc

I just want superman to be guy, who is infinitely stronger, faster, tougher etc, not because of magical auras and psychic powers, but rather just because he is that much stronger faster and tougher. His natural body gets him most of the way there, but a kryptonians biggest problem is FUEL. And that a red sun actually produces less energy so the absorbtion on Krypton would be lower. When arrived on Earth, the higher level of 'inSOLation' would result in super charged kryptonians.



good discussion: all this being said, I don't want them to define superman's powers in the movie, not literally as in Star Trek. But to have some ground rules and pacing. (ie. You cna't have superman throw a continent into space in the first movie, it makes it too difficult to maintain his power level over subsequent sequels)

 

[DavidTyler]

Concepts I've toyed with for a long time regarding Krypton's origins borrows from Elliot Maggins' 'Last Son of Krypton' and more heavily from James Blish's 'The Seedling Stars'.

Maggin's book started from the premise that the people of Krypton all stemmed from two astronauts from similar but different worlds. Krypton's gravity nearly killed them but, as they reproduced, the offspring began to adapt.

Blish's book starts with a race of seeders spreading terrestrial life across the galaxy. They adapted each race to the environment they were left in. Hence, Terrans (us) are bipedal just as the Kryptonians are but we are much more frail. Earth isn't as forbidding a place as Krypton.

So, we are actually genetically compatible with the Kryptonians but different.

My own addition to those concepts (borrowed from the 'Apes' films) is that those two astronauts are actually from Earth's future who were, unknowingly or not, flung into the past and came to populate the planet Krypton as in Maggin's book.

Personally, I don't mind how they go as long as Donner's Ice (Crystaline) Krypton is discarded completely.

But how does this effect Superman's powers?

I think it's a blend of both Superman being a charged with some of his incredible abilities by solar radiation and other abilities either inherent in his Kryptonian metabolism or augmented by that same radiation. In other words, I think he should be incredibly strong but not the amazing superhuman strengtbh he would exhibit under our sun. The Kryptonian heavier gravity would have necessitated that their muscles adapt so they would be able to move but it wouldn't be superhuman by any definition. By the same token, his invulnerability would have grown out of the Kryptonian's having to adapt to that environment but, again, not to superhuman levels.

What I'm proposing is that he can lose his abilities and still be a little stronger than the averag human and a bit more resiliant.... but his superpowers can go away.

I don't think Luthor's thugs should have been able to so easily beat up the Kryptonite poisoned Superman in that SR travesty. He should have been able to put up a fight. He could still have been overpowered but it shouldn't have been so easy to just kick his 'ask'.

 

[thorstone]

Telekinesis is the simplest explanation-- if his power and speed are physiological then kryptonite would not be able to rob him of his strength.

How would he propel himself through the air without a form of telekinesis?

 

[DavidTyler]

Telekinesis is the simplest explanation-- if his power and speed are physiological then kryptonite would not be able to rob him of his strength.

How would he propel himself through the air without a form of telekinesis?

That was another concept Byrne brought to the table.

I'm telling you, Byrne is definitely not a great writer in the sense of an Alan Moore or the like - but his concepts are rock solid.

 

[afan]

I don't think Luthor's thugs should have been able to so easily beat up the Kryptonite poisoned Superman in that SR travesty. He should have been able to put up a fight. He could still have been overpowered but it shouldn't have been so easy to just kick his 'ask'.

It would not be possible for Superman to put up a fight. The weakening influence of Green K on Superman is instantaneous. However any kicking would have resulted in a painful toe stubbing as even under Green K's influence Superman is still the Man of Steel.

 

[ReTrO JuNkIe 42]

But yet he was able to lift an island filled with the green k

 

[not_a_victim]

But yet he was able to lift an island filled with the green k

Well, I hated that scene too, until I realized that it was used to show that even Superman can find strength whithin himself that he did not know he had when it comes to saving his son...
It's analogous to a regular man seeing his son trapped under a car, and lifting the car off his son. Neither of them should be able to do it, but they found it within themselves to get it done.
Same principle.

 

[not_a_victim]

I would, however, like to see a post-Crisis Supes in the movies. Not as powerful as he was portrayed in the Reeve movies. It simply sets up the character to not have much of a physical challange from anyone or anything.
And while I agree with and understand the idea that Supes gets his power from the Earf's yellow sun, I don't think the issue should be pushed too much in a movie. I don't want to think of Supes as strictly "solar powered", as it could confuse casual fans, AND set it up to where Supes is bound to the power of the sun, and becomes somewhat of a slave to it. I know I am not saying that last idea correctly. I'll sit and think about if I can put it in better terms and get back...

 

[ReTrO JuNkIe 42]

Well, I hated that scene too, until I realized that it was used to show that even Superman can find strength whithin himself that he did not know he had when it comes to saving his son...
It's analogous to a regular man seeing his son trapped under a car, and lifting the car off his son. Neither of them should be able to do it, but they found it within themselves to get it done.
Same principle.

but see my whole thing with that is as mentioned by poster above me , he had the strength to lift new k but didnt have the strenght to take on some puny humans, just another glaring point to prove what hack writers they got

 

[SuperDaniel]

I think you shouldn't explain where his powers came from. It's all science fiction and fantasy stories.

 

[dark_b]

Well, I hated that scene too, until I realized that it was used to show that even Superman can find strength whithin himself that he did not know he had when it comes to saving his son...
It's analogous to a regular man seeing his son trapped under a car, and lifting the car off his son. Neither of them should be able to do it, but they found it within themselves to get it done.
Same principle.

son? he did not know that jason was hes son when he was lifting NK

 

[Bad Superman]

Superman's powers for reboot?

Keep the basics: Superstrength, heat vision, x-ray vision, superspeed, flight, invulnerability.

Please avoid:

*Godlike (Superman I, II, IV)

*Supercellophane (Superman II)

*Multilocation (Superman II)

*Super Memory Erasing Kiss (Superman II and IV)

*Super Telekinesis (Superman IV)

*Super Reconstruction Vision (Superman IV)

 

[That-Guy]

What about his rebuild-the-Great-Wall-of-China-vision? Or is that from the sun.

LOL, took the words right out of my mouth.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

Superman's powers for reboot?

Keep the basics: Superstrength, heat vision, x-ray vision, superspeed, flight, invulnerability.

Please avoid:

*Godlike (Superman I, II, IV)

*Supercellophane (Superman II)

*Multilocation (Superman II)

*Super Memory Erasing Kiss (Superman II and IV)

*Super Telekinesis (Superman IV)

*Super Reconstruction Vision (Superman IV)

Heh, they just made s**t up.

 

[Superfreak]

I think you shouldn't explain where his powers came from. It's all science fiction and fantasy stories.

agreed, there is no need to actually explain this in a movie, other than sunlight makes him who he is.

what I'm getting at with the thread, is more for the writers and producers of a franchise. Where there will obviously be different directors and different interpretations. As a fan, I don't want every super sequel to be different, and change the rules of the universe, because that is what they(as in them) want. I want some stability, and definition by those in charge, so we don't end up with ridiculous (previously mentioned) powers, or ridiculous applications of powers.

this is especially important, if they are trying to combine what I would call the 'realistic universe' built in BB and TDK, and use it as foundation for all the other DC heroes that are yet to be introduced, eventually leading to JLA (like a decade from now). The realities of our DC heroes need to be aligned to fit into this given universe. Obviously dependent on the concept of whether or not WB execs want to have one interactive DC movie universe, or seperate ones that are more difficult to integrate, given that crossovers are apparently the end goal of this whole endeavor.



I still don't like the idea that superman has psychic powers. I'd much rather him be strong, because he is strong, tough because he is tough, fast because he is fast etc. He's just a guy, who's body can do this stuff, no questions asked.

 

[Superfreak]

Superman's powers for reboot?

Keep the basics: Superstrength, heat vision, x-ray vision, superspeed, flight, invulnerability.

Please avoid:



*Super Memory Erasing Kiss (Superman II and IV)

never happened friend, watch SIV again. She was just blown off her feet by the kiss. Just as I'd forget everything I was thinking about if Monica Belluci walked into my office right now wearing nothing but a spandex suit and layed one on me.

 

[not_a_victim]

son? he did not know that jason was hes son when he was lifting NK

No one had told him at that point, but he knew.
Even if he had no idea whatsoever, he still needed to save Lois and her child, which he would love as his own, simply because of how much he loved Lois.
But he still knew.

 

[not_a_victim]

but see my whole thing with that is as mentioned by poster above me , he had the strength to lift new k but didnt have the strenght to take on some puny humans, just another glaring point to prove what hack writers they got

Didn't he actually have a piece of kryptonite in his body when he was getting his rear handed to him? Then Lois removed when they were in the plane, then he flew down to pick up NK...
Right?

 

[Asr]

Another one: origin of the costume. Kryptonian or home-made by Ma Kent?

 

[DavidTyler]

Another one: origin of the costume. Kryptonian or home-made by Ma Kent?

Home made by Martha Kent.

I've always liked that Clark had to go back to Martha for new capes.


BTW, this was a carry over from the 1950's tv series with George Reeves.

He had a closet with several Superman costumes in it.

And I liked in Lois & Clark how Martha kept tweaking the suit.

 

[ironman29758]

i thought superman red son, Frank Miller Dark universe superman, superman secret identity, smallville, and superman birthright power level combined will be the movie superman power level

 

[ironman29758]

Another one: origin of the costume. Kryptonian or home-made by Ma Kent?

kryptonian blanket and martha turned superman's costume.

what about the reason he wear glasses. I thought it should be worn to prevent from being recognized from a distance and refract light so no one will notice his startling blue eyes.

 

[SuperDaniel]

agreed, there is no need to actually explain this in a movie, other than sunlight makes him who he is.

what I'm getting at with the thread, is more for the writers and producers of a franchise. Where there will obviously be different directors and different interpretations. As a fan, I don't want every super sequel to be different, and change the rules of the universe, because that is what they(as in them) want. I want some stability, and definition by those in charge, so we don't end up with ridiculous (previously mentioned) powers, or ridiculous applications of powers.

this is especially important, if they are trying to combine what I would call the 'realistic universe' built in BB and TDK, and use it as foundation for all the other DC heroes that are yet to be introduced, eventually leading to JLA (like a decade from now). The realities of our DC heroes need to be aligned to fit into this given universe. Obviously dependent on the concept of whether or not WB execs want to have one interactive DC movie universe, or seperate ones that are more difficult to integrate, given that crossovers are apparently the end goal of this whole endeavor.



I still don't like the idea that superman has psychic powers. I'd much rather him be strong, because he is strong, tough because he is tough, fast because he is fast etc. He's just a guy, who's body can do this stuff, no questions asked.

I agree. He's body can do it and no questions asked. The best explanation for it all is THAT HE IS AN ALIEN. Physics as we know don't apply to him. Simple as that.

Maybe a thousand of years in our future we will find out some way to fly or be invulnerable.

It is all fantasy and science fiction. No need to explain every single detail. It takes away the imagination and fun of the whole thing for me.

Instead of focusing on scientific explanations, show how can it be fun to have all those Super powers. Make people want to be Superman like i did when i read Superman for the first time.