Kryptonian Physiology in Man of Steel

[rc1980]

After the Kryptonian punches a hole in the pod, she wrestles for Lois’s gun. Lois manages to fire the weapon at least once - so there’s some urgency in the Kryptonian gaining possession. She does. But in pulling at the gun, she loses her balance and falls backward (assisted, it appears, by a modest kick from Lois). And with the pod doors closing, return fire was too late.

So some quick thinking - and a good amount of luck! - seems to account for Lois’s survival. She didn’t overpower anyone.

What was that description from? Is that the novelisation? Does it detail/ Explain the ideas behind the Physiology?

 

[The Slang]

The movie did specify that gravity was a factor for Superman's powers, and personally I like the gravity explanation because it's the part that has the most plausibility. The moons gravity is one third of the earths, which means I'd be roughly three times as strong if I were there. I've even heard that if you were to create an enclosed area on the moon and fill it with an atmosphere, a person would have the mechanical strength necessary to fly.

So given that Krypton has stronger gravity than the earth, that alone would mean Kryptonians would be able to jump higher and lift more without any added benefits from the sun or the atmosphere. Their bodies would also be sturdier and stronger to accommodate the increased weight, similar to how a deep sea creature needs an anatomy to withstand the atmospheric pressure at the bottom of the ocean. Speaking of atmospheric pressure, that might be a factor too. An atmosphere that was harder for light or sound to travel through would require more powerful senses.

 

[Steamteck]

It's a great theory but I don't agree with the fact of gravity affecting Kryptonians powers that much, I mean how then can it explain superspeed? I think it has nothing to do with gravity but for their anatomy. .

Generations of Science fiction writers have had extreme reflexes as adaptations to heavy gravity and rapid fall times of self and objects so that works for me.

 

[Dr.]

What was that description from? Is that the novelisation?

It’s my own description of the scene. I think it’s reasonably accurate.

The movie did specify that gravity was a factor for Superman's powers, and personally I like the gravity explanation because it's the part that has the most plausibility.

With a generous wink , Earth’s weaker gravity might explain Supes’ original Action Comics #1 abilities. However, this won’t cover true flight (hovering, hoisting massive weights in mid-air, etc.) or the various vision powers. For that you need an additional “explanation.” Hello: the mysterious, differential effects of red/yellow star radiation. But such a pretext (since it’s totally fictional) can be the catch-all rationale for every ability; so you don’t need to futz with “gravity” at all. And no doubt, this is part of the objection to the “atmosphere” component that MOS introduced - it complicates things with a third techno-babble “explanation.” Ideally, a single one would/should suffice.

 

[Micromind]

And why where the Kryptonians on the ship, in suits, weak enough that Lois could fight one off, but strong enough to punch a hole in a pod?

I unfortunatley don't think the powers where actually thought out...

Kryptonians on their ship are strong enough to punch a hole in the pod, but after AI - Jor El changes the ship's atmosphere to a setting that is more compatible to humans, the Kryptonians start to have difficulties adjusting to the new Earth like atmosphere which is why they appear weak by the time Lois is in the escape pod.

 

[The Slang]

It’s my own description of the scene. I think it’s reasonably accurate.



With a generous wink , Earth’s weaker gravity might explain Supes’ original Action Comics #1 abilities. However, this won’t cover true flight (hovering, hoisting massive weights in mid-air, etc.) or the various vision powers. For that you need an additional “explanation.” Hello: the mysterious, differential effects of red/yellow star radiation. But such a pretext (since it’s totally fictional) can be the catch-all rationale for every ability; so you don’t need to futz with “gravity” at all. And no doubt, this is part of the objection to the “atmosphere” component that MOS introduced - it complicates things with a third techno-babble “explanation.” Ideally, a single one would/should suffice.

I think that having multiple causes for his different abilities is actually a good idea. Aside from making the explanation less convenient, it creates more possibilities for the story. It allows you to have situations in which only some of his abilities are neutralized, as well as situations like we saw in the movie where his opponents only possess some of his abilities. When I saw the movie I assumed that Zod and the commanders were able to throw cars and jump hundreds of feet due to the gravity difference, the other abilities like heat vision, levitation and x ray vision were caused by the sun/"more nourishing" atmosphere. The gravity difference would also account for some of his durability, but I imagine that the sun and atmosphere must enhance that (aswell as his strength), which would mean that he was more durable than the Kryptonians while they were wearing their armor.

 

[Mainline]

Only four rules are necessary to reconcile all scenes in the film:

• Kryptonians get access to ALL powers from radiation while exposed or stored.
• Kryptonians need training / experience to USE all powers.
• Kryptonian helmets block sensory overload.
• Kryptonians lose access to energy stores while breathing Kryptonian atmosphere.

Source

 

[Mutant 77]

YOU ALL are just forgetting that - when Superman was fighting the Krypto-forming Machine - he was being exposed to some amounts of "Kryptonian atmosphere" as well, but he kept flying and fighting as Superman. His powers come from YELLOW SUN and just YELLOW SUN, I just think Kryptonian atmosphere can act as "interference" between him and his stores. That's it.