Defining Superman's Powers In A Reboot

[SuperDaniel]

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

Clark and the Kents could get the inspiration from the Kryptonian people and the gods in greek mythology from Earth. I would like to see a mix of everything. But i think it should be normal fabrics, not Kryptonian.

 

[8wid]

I wish it would be Kryptonian and not made by Ma Kent.

 

[SuperDaniel]

^wtf?

 

[8wid]

The suit is an adaptable Kryptonian organism somewhat like Earth's coral which can expand and envelop a humanoid. Krypton's people can manipulate the design of the suit by his or her choosing. As the planet's core intensifies before its utter collapse, radiation from within its interior and large doses from the red sun's radiation allowed in by failing planetary shielding, this new attire is the only thing keeping many from deadly radiation exposure.

 

[MonBeeb]

I think Superman should be physically invincible with no explanation other than "he's an alien/he's a superhero/he's Superman." His weakness is kryptonite. Basically the things everyone already knows, so that the movie doesn't have to get bogged down with explaining the complexities of superman's origins or powers.

But if Superman is invincible, how do you create tension? It's actually pretty simple: give him sadistic choices to make. Or, even better, lead him to question himself and what he stands for.

Everyone pretty much knows Superman is going to triumph in the end. But that doesn't mean the villain won't get in a few hits by mocking what Superman stands for along the way. Those are the only types of victories the villians can score: psychological victories. The root of the movie's conflict and tension should be psychological...that's the only way I could see it working.

 

[SuperDaniel]

^Yes! I hope you mean Something psychological like Superman for all seasons, not Superman Returns. Because that failed miserably.

 

[NeoRanger]

I'm split on whether the powers should be explained or not. Frankly, the only reasoning behind attempting such an approach would be to emulate what Batman Begins (and TDK, to an extend) did with Batman's arsenal. Truth be told, both films received praise by the average movie goers for going to that sort of depth. Should they try to do the same with Superman, they'd probably have to use half-true or make-believe science, which isn't impossible.

Having said that, I think they'd be better off avoiding the matter altogether. I'm not a fan of the "it's fiction!" logic, especially for sci-fi and in the books I like any approach to real-world science and physics, but I fear that a movie would become congested by constant explanations about the load of Superman's powers. With Batman it might have been more necessary, because the guy is human. He *had* to make more sense than Superman. It's a safe bet that if the movie is enjoyable and fun, nobody will really care about what makes Superman tick- physiologically.

What they should do is not ignore the physical world around Superman and its interraction with his powers. Meaning, I would personally not like something like what Smallville does, where Clark super-speeds and all he really does from an external perspective is become invisible.

 

[afan]

I wish it would be Kryptonian and not made by Ma Kent.

You have both actually........
The raw materials used to create the suit(and also Clark's glasses) all arrived in the ship.
The material is the blankets that Kal-el was wrapped in, the design and fabrication of the suit using the blankets is done by Martha and Jonathan Kent.
The belt and buckle are from the harness that secured Kal-el, and the boots are made from apholstery in the ship.
All the materials are Kryptonian and under a yellow sun are rendered "super".

Heh, they just made s**t up.

Actually "multi-location" and "amnesia kiss" have some basis in canon.

Superman is capable of appearing to be in multiple locations using his super-speed.

While moving faster than the human eye can process he stops momentarily, creating a perceptable image, before super-speeding to another or his previous location. By repeating this process, he will appear to the human eye to be in more than one location at once. It has even been used to put Clark and Superman in the same area at once, the change of clothes occurring between stops.

Superman has also used a super-hypnosis and quite simply that could be the power that makes the amnesia kiss possible.

Physics as we know don't apply to him.

Physics as we know them should always apply IMO. Otherwise he becomes un-real.

 

[Superfreak]

You have both actually........
The raw materials used to create the suit(and also Clark's glasses) all arrived in the ship.
The material is the blankets that Kal-el was wrapped in, the design and fabrication of the suit using the blankets is done by Martha and Jonathan Kent.
The belt and buckle are from the harness that secured Kal-el, and the boots are made from apholstery in the ship.
All the materials are Kryptonian and under a yellow sun are rendered "super".





Actually "multi-location" and "amnesia kiss" have some basis in canon.

Superman is capable of appearing to be in multiple locations using his super-speed.

While moving faster than the human eye can process he stops momentarily, creating a perceptable image, before super-speeding to another or his previous location. By repeating this process, he will appear to the human eye to be in more than one location at once. It has even been used to put Clark and Superman in the same area at once, the change of clothes occurring between stops.

Superman has also used a super-hypnosis and quite simply that could be the power that makes the amnesia kiss possible.

the amnesia kiss doesn't exist... watch your movies

 

[afan]

the amnesia kiss doesn't exist... watch your movies

Are you referring solely to SR's vague history, as it most certainly is present in S II?

 

[ReTrO JuNkIe 42]

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?

True indeed, but there was also kryptonite sticking out all over the island as he was picking it up, but he was still able to function

 

[Superfreak]

Are you referring solely to SR's vague history, as it most certainly is present in S II?

is it, or is lois just doing what she said she was doing in SIV, keeping the secret, even from Superman. It's made clear in SIV, that she remembers everything... so the amnesia kiss cannot exist. It's very simple.

 

[afan]

is it, or is lois just doing what she said she was doing in SIV, keeping the secret, even from Superman. It's made clear in SIV, that she remembers everything... so the amnesia kiss cannot exist. It's very simple.

So just to clarify .......
You're saying that the "amnesia kiss" does occurr in S II, but didn't take, and Lois pretends that it did?

Which would mean that Lois recognizes the attempt (the purpose of the kiss) by Superman to ease her pain by erasing the memory of their time together, and after the attempt, in order to convince Superman it worked as he intended, she was immediately able to resurrect herself from a depressive emotional state that bordered on a nervous breakdown, repalcing it with a radically opposing cheery outlook; IMO not a very simple scenario at all.

 

[Superfreak]

So just to clarify .......
You're saying that the "amnesia kiss" does occurr in S II, but didn't take, and Lois pretends that it did?

Which would mean that Lois recognizes the attempt (the purpose of the kiss) by Superman to ease her pain by erasing the memory of their time together, and after the attempt, in order to convince Superman it worked as he intended, she was immediately able to resurrect herself from a depressive emotional state that bordered on a nervous breakdown, repalcing it with a radically opposing cheery outlook; IMO not a very simple scenario at all.

I believe I summed this up before, if monica bellucci walked up to me, and layed one on me real good, I'd be left not knowing what I was doing in the first place.

that being said... it did not wipe her memory, otherwise she would not have remembered anything from SII, including his true name... but she did, so there was no amnesia kiss.

 

[SuperDaniel]

Not again with this conversation about amnesia kiss...

Anyway, i hate that the costume is from Krypton. I mean, how convenient is that? Maybe he could get the colors and patterns from Krypton but not the fabrics. The aura explanation in man of steel makes muuuuuuuuuuch more sense.

 

[thorstone]

"Physics as we know don't apply to him."

Incorrect, Superman has to function under the same laws of physics anywhere in this universe as he does here on Earth (though air pressure, gravity, chemicals, radiation, temperatures, etc may change)-- Einstein's laws of relativity are universal in our universe-- beyond this microverse, it may be true that a greater set of laws is in place, but contemplating such is like atoms having a debate over whether they compose an animate or inanimate object.

Superman's powers, if they are going to be explained, must be explained with the science of our world-- this is science fiction after all.


And keep the suit discussion in the suit thread.

 

[SuperDaniel]

LOL! This is fantasy. How Eistein, Newton Laws can explain him flying. They can't.

Like the great Alan Moore says, this is an imaginary story.

Any attempt to explain Superman's powers except that he is alien and that his powers come from the sun would be ridiculous.

It doesnt mean that physics don't apply to him here, on Earth. What i meant is that Superman is the living proof in the comic book world that things can't be explained by Earthly laws and that's how it should be.

 

[thorstone]

Science allows for him to be the "Man of Tomorrow," he is not alien; he is posthuman.

Telekinesis is a scientific explanation for his powers.

 

[SuperDaniel]

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.

The Aura was a result of the bio-energy of his solar-powered cells and it only was an explanation for his clothes not ripping. I don't remember reading that it was an explanation for his invulnerability. It was just about the clothes.
I might be wrong. I have to read it all again. The flight as i recall was pure force of will.

 

[Superfreak]

Science allows for him to be the "Man of Tomorrow," he is not alien; he is posthuman.

Telekinesis is a scientific explanation for his powers.

there is no scientific explanation, nor proof of telekinesis... and you can't be post human, if you are from another planet. You are alien, plain and simple. And there is no such thing as post human, unless we start messing around with Timetravel, which is not superman. Post humans can only come from earth of the future. Krypton is not earth of the future, because it exists/existed in our present.

remember that back at the core of the mythos, is the idea that Superman is an immigrant to a new place, trying to bring the gifts of his old home, to help the people of his new home. Making superman 'from earth of the future' totally throws one of the most central original concepts of superman into the wind.

 

[SuperDaniel]

^Yes. He is simply an alien. That the most logical explanation for his powers.

 

[Superfreak]

The Aura was a result of the bio-energy of his solar-powered cells and it only was an explanation for his clothes not ripping. I don't remember reading that it was an explanation for his invulnerability. It was just about the clothes.
I might be wrong. I have to read it all again. The flight as i recall was pure force of will.

ah, I actually think it would be a good take on the character, if he was constantly having to fix the costume. One, it could be a good ongoing joke. And two, unless everybody on Krypton wears red capes and blue spandos, it makes no sense for his peops to send him that uber cool outfit.

the aura was part of his invulnerability. If nothing could get through to his clothes, then that same 'aura' would also keep things from making it to his skin. (comics over 20 years old, should be out on the internet for free, that would make this place much more interesting)

 

[Superfreak]

^Yes. He is simply an alien. That the most logical explanation for his powers.

yes, and he simply has powers, without explanation in actual movie, other than the yellow sun makes him badass.

hey dan, on a side note, totally off topic. I've been watching a lot of 2001 and 2010 lately. What would you (everybody) think of a Superman origin, but wrapped up deeply in the human search for life beyond our little planet. It's something that I rarely see played upon in Superman media. I mean his arrival on the public scene is not only a revelation of Superman, but that there are aliens out there in the cosmos zooming around. Both would be profound revelations, the second being more so, given other potential DC superheroes that may enter the 'DC movie universe'. I think that might be an interesting take on a Superman origin. Superman Origin crossed over with that silly Jodie Foster movie, Contact. Whacha think?

 

[SuperDaniel]

ah, I actually think it would be a good take on the character, if he was constantly having to fix the costume. One, it could be a good ongoing joke. And two, unless everybody on Krypton wears red capes and blue spandos, it makes no sense for his peops to send him that uber cool outfit.

the aura was part of his invulnerability. If nothing could get through to his clothes, then that same 'aura' would also keep things from making it to his skin. (comics over 20 years old, should be out on the internet for free, that would make this place much more interesting)

Oh yeah,it was part but it wasn't telekinesis. The scientists from Cadmus translated this aura into a telekinetic field to make Superboy's powers but i had notinhg to do with Superman's.

I think the strenght and invunerability came from Krypton's gravity. I'm pretty sure of that. The aura was about the clothes and explained why the cape is the only thing that was constantly being ripped. I really love this explanation instead of the costume being from Krypton.

There is a story called Superman: the last son of Earth that shows this. In other to be able to live in Krypton, Kal-el, who was born on Earh, had to use some exo-eskeleton. Then later, he got used to the gravity and came back to Earth and developed some sort of strenght and was partialy invunerable.

 

[ironman29758]

I think John Bryne,Superman Secret Identity, and Smallville cover his powers in a scientific and realistic way plushttp://www.firstscience.com/site/articles/superman.asp, http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=science+of+superman+powers&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=

(exp.he should have a genetic mutation that boosts muscle growth to explain superstregnth.)