superheroes vs. the laws of physics

[LibrarianThorne]

When Thor and Captain America fought, Thor hit Cap's shield and it barely moved Cap. Ok, lets say Cap's shield was strong enough to not break, but there is no way it can withstand enough to not send Cap flying.

That's attributed to the Vibranium alloy that Cap's shield is made of. Vibranium is a metal that can absorb any and all force (AKA Metal o' Plot Device like Adamantium and Nth Metal). So, theoretically, if Cap can block the punch or force with his shield, you'd need an infinite amount of force to actually move him.

 

[Purple Man]

That's attributed to the Vibranium alloy that Cap's shield is made of. Vibranium is a metal that can absorb any and all force (AKA Metal o' Plot Device like Adamantium and Nth Metal). So, theoretically, if Cap can block the punch or force with his shield, you'd need an infinite amount of force to actually move him.

Or be the Juggernaut. No shield no matter how special would hold him back.

 

[The Question]

So he's like a big solar battery? No!

Yes, actually. He is.

There was a superman comic where he was sent to the future in where the sun changed to a red star. And the instant he was there he was powerless. If he had stored up power he would of had some power for a short time, wouldn't he?

And normally, he would retain some energy for a while. Obviously, that story is no longer in continuity.

Also again in the dark night returns. Superman is near a nuculear expolsion and the expolsion causes a giant cloud to block him from the sun. The explosion than hurts him. He almost dies until he get's away from the cload cover and back into the sunlight.

DKR is out of continuity. And Superman was very badly injured. Surviving the blast took alot out of him. He wasn't absorbing the sunlight neccessairy to heal from such an i jury.

So there are 2 examples he does nto "Store" up the energy. So again how does his power work on in other non yellow suned solar systems?

As I said. He'd have them for a while, but the more he used his powers the faster they'd fade.

Also you have to assume that he has to be with in a certian aproximation to the yellow son to get his powers. So as he get's to the edge of the solar system and further away from the sun he would begin to lose his powers. How close is the next yellow star to us? And how close does he have to be for his powers to work?

I'd assume that by the time he got to Pluto he'd be too far away to absorbn energy. But, like I said, his body stores it up like a battery. It would take a while of him exerting himself for the charge to run out.

As to why Superman doesn't shatter the Eath (or at least Metropolis) with a single punch is because he holds back more than nearly any other being on Earth. When he punches a villain, he's not going all out unless he's positive that the villain is big enough to take it (like Doomsday or Darkseid). Even then, he typically won't go all out (he wasn't going at full power against Doomsday until an issue before his death, and at that point he'd been massivley weakened due to the prolonged fight).

Ah, but that wasn't my point. Since he was shown to be able to be hit by a force equal to one million unclear explosions and only be in a great deal of pain, then that means his villains such as Metallo, Bizarro, Parasite, Zod, and so on, must be able to hit him with somewhere around that force level. Which begs the question: how the **** is there any life left on Earth?

 

[Purple Man]

One million nuclear explosions? Now you're just talking crazy.

When did this happen? And where did it happen?

I would think one nuke would be enough to ruin the man of steels day. Maybe not kill him, but I'm sure he would be sore in the morning.

As for red suns. I think they actually take the solar energy out of his body. He would retain his powers for a little while, but would eventually be brought to the state of a regular human.

And about DKR. He was badly injured from the nuke naturally. The debris cloud blocking the sun prevented him from getting the juice he needed to heal and be brought back up to strength. It's much like draining Supes powers using kryptonite, then taking off with the kryptonite and leaving him to die in a dark room. Once his battery is drained, he is as weak as you or me until he can get some solar energy to recharge.

 

[The Question]

One million nuclear explosions? Now you're just talking crazy.

When did this happen? And where did it happen?

I think it happened in Zero Hour.

As for red suns. I think they actually take the solar energy out of his body. He would retain his powers for a little while, but would eventually be brought to the state of a regular human.

They don't take the yellow energy out of his body. They just don't provide the juice neccessairy to be super.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

That's attributed to the Vibranium alloy that Cap's shield is made of. Vibranium is a metal that can absorb any and all force (AKA Metal o' Plot Device like Adamantium and Nth Metal). So, theoretically, if Cap can block the punch or force with his shield, you'd need an infinite amount of force to actually move him.

Technically not true. Cap's shield does have an upper limit to how much force it can withstand. It just happens to be really, really, really, really, really high.

 

[The Question]

As does Vibranium, in fact. If it absorbs too much, it explodes. I'm guessing the steel and whatever other chemicals in Cap's sheild increases how much impact it can absorb.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Yeah, I meant vibranium in general, too. I don't think Cap's shield would explode if it took on too much energy, though. I think it just shatters.

 

[ElectroFlare]

So he's like a big solar battery? No!

There was a superman comic where he was sent to the future in where the sun changed to a red star. And the instant he was there he was powerless. If he had stored up power he would of had some power for a short time, wouldn't he? Also again in the dark night returns. Superman is near a nuculear expolsion and the expolsion causes a giant cloud to block him from the sun. The explosion than hurts him. He almost dies until he get's away from the cload cover and back into the sunlight. So there are 2 examples he does nto "Store" up the energy. So again how does his power work on in other non yellow suned solar systems?

Also you have to assume that he has to be with in a certian aproximation to the yellow son to get his powers. So as he get's to the edge of the solar system and further away from the sun he would begin to lose his powers. How close is the next yellow star to us? And how close does he have to be for his powers to work?

Because just saying the other stars give him power than means that the other stars in the universe would of powered all the kryptonians and they would all been able to escape thier planets destruction.

If all that is true...

How does Superman use his powers at night?

 

[Bullsear]

If Cyclops' blasts carry enough momentum to shatter steel, that same momentum should be felt by his head every time he fires them.

Yes, the momentum should snap his neck, but then wouldn't the power of the rays also rip through his eyelids when he tries to close them?
The deal-breaker for the whole question is that Cyclops is immune to the power that comes from his eyes. That means that If he puts his hand in front of his visor and opens it up full blast, it won't hurt him. This doesn't make much sense, but it's what we're asked to believe. I think it's explained in one of those Marvel encyclopedias you always see near the kids section at libraries.

 

[ElectroFlare]

Yes, the momentum should snap his neck, but then wouldn't the power of the rays also rip through his eyelids when he tries to close them?
The deal-breaker for the whole question is that Cyclops is immune to the power that comes from his eyes. That means that If he puts his hand in front of his visor and opens it up full blast, it won't hurt him. This doesn't make much sense, but it's what we're asked to believe. I think it's explained in one of those Marvel encyclopedias you always see near the kids section at libraries.

Apparently he's not just immune-he absorbs the rays/beams/photons/crazy-super-energy-blast-thingy that shoots out of his eyes. This is also why Havok doesn't hurt Cyke-Cyke's body just absorbs the power, to be reused the next time he opens his eyes.

I wish I could find my Science of the X-men book...i'm pulling the above paragraph from memory...

 

[TheCorpulent1]

That doesn't make sense either, though. Havok's plasma blasts are totally different from Cyclops' optic blasts. The former absorbs solar energy and turns it into superheated plasma, the latter absorbs solar energy and turns it into concussive force.

 

[War Lord]

If all that is true...

How does Superman use his powers at night?

He's a solar battery. He, fully charged, can go for many hours without being recharged.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I thought he was up to days at this point, unless his cells are being bombarded with some other energy to push the yellow solar energy out.

 

[Purple Man]

I still think red sun energy pushes the yellow sun energy out of Superman.

A red sun has been shown to weaken Superman.

Superman doesn't get weak when he is outside the presence of our sun, or he would instantly get weak when inside a building or at night.

Think about Infinite Crisis. How did Superman lose his powers? Oh yeah, by diving through a red sun.

 

[ElectroFlare]

He's a solar battery. He, fully charged, can go for many hours without being recharged.

Yeah, I was agreeing with you on that Jonty...I guess I forgot a smilie to indicate my sarcasm...



There we go...

 

[ElectroFlare]

That doesn't make sense either, though. Havok's plasma blasts are totally different from Cyclops' optic blasts. The former absorbs solar energy and turns it into superheated plasma, the latter absorbs solar energy and turns it into concussive force.

I don't know about that Corp...Like I said, I'll have to find my book and re-read it. It's been a while and I just pulled it from memory. Although it does explain the whole brothers'-powers-not-hurting-each-other thing.

 

[The Question]

I always assumed that the reason Cyke's optic blasts didn't hurt him is because if they touched him, his cells absorbed the energy. Same reason why his plasts don't hurt Havok and Havok's don't hurt him. They're similar enough that their bodies simply absorb the energy and convert it into fuel.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I don't get that, though. Their bodies absorb solar energy. Something then happens within their bodies to transform that solar energy into concussive force in Scott's case and plasma in Alex's case. Thus, the energy's not the same as solar energy, nor is each one's specific type of energy the same as the other's. I basically just forget about any hope of scientifically explaining it and chalk it up to suspension of disbelief. Alex and Scott's powers can't hurt each other, you say? Uh... okay, good enough for me.

 

[The Question]

I suppose. Really, my idea would work if they just had their energy blasts be completely solar based. But alas.





So. How 'bout them S.H.E.I.L.D. agents?

 

[Vanguard07]

I dont care much for Shield. I think the entirety of S.H.I.E.L.D. should just be Nick Fury and Dumdum Dugan with a helicarrier and a ton of cool toys.

*^$*& director Hill.

 

[i'm Spider-Man]

lol, yeah, Hill is a b*tch and a half, ain't she?

... kinda hot though... in a leather-jumpsuit-clad-cropped-hair-woman-in-charge-kinda-way...

but then again i suppose i'm basing that on Steve McNiven's art, in which case every woman on the page looks amazing!

(whereas all the men look just a little bit tired...)

 

[KevanG]

I had a thought, Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat/Sprite/whothehellknowsanymore turns intangible so she can slip through matter, so how can she breath? I ask this because at different points shes had to hold her breath while walking through something, but during the Morlock Massacare she was put into a phased state from which she couldn't unphase. She was like that for a few hours/days (dunno the length of time) so how did that work?

 

[Trask]

How does the Human Tourch breath when he is on fire, since the fire uses up all the oxygen around him? Any air he gets should contain very little oxygen and he should die of asphiseaction.

 

[Kotagg]

..or at least asphyxiation.