Comics Superman and his many powers

[The Question]

It's not random at all, if you think about it. His lung muscles are powerful enough that he can blow air over objects at such fast speeds to create super cold and strong winds. Depending on how he focuses the air when he exhales that strongly, he can either freeze something on the spot, blow it away, or both.

I suppose. It just seems, I don't know, weird. At least the fact that he creates huge blocks of ice when he does it. I guess I'd just feel more comfortable if things simply frosted over, maybe? I don't know. It's just one of those things that irks me a bit.

Although, I did hear a theory that seemed rather logical. It suggests that his flight is derived from a form of superconductivity. Since superconductivity generally only happens at extremely low temperatures, his body must produce some natural cooling agent that helps with the process. Ice breath might be cuased, in part, by a venting of excess cooling agent.

At least it's more logical than fire shooting from his eyes, of all places.

Actually, I heard a theory that his heat vision is an extension of his telescopic vision. He's able to focus his eyes in a way that they focus the light bouncing off of them into beams of heat.

 

[Spike_x1]

Unless the comics prove those theories, that's all they are.

I'm perfectly fine with the most obvious and simple explanation for his superbreath, plus the idea that his heat vision is simply a result of solar radiation building up and creating energy, which he can release through his eyes. It's simple enough and perfectly logical by comic book standards, without going into needlessly overcomplicated theories about how his powers work.

People who theorize about flying by superconductivity and such are reading way too much into it, and trying to find answers to questions that have already been satisfied long ago (Byrne implied way back in MOS that Superman's flight was simply self-telekinesis, ala Jean Grey). It was a simple solution and it does the job of explaining Superman's flight just fine. Why would people bother reading so much more into it?

 

[The Question]

Hey, it's just a theory. Some people tend to think up things like that simply because they're curious.

 

[Spike_x1]

Yeah, I know that.

 

[Thespiralgoeson]

I'm sorry, but no amount of pseudo-science will convince me that Superman's arctic breath isn't his campiest, corniest, silliest power. I don't even care how far-fetched it is. I just think it looks stupid. I mean, he's blowing... Maybe if he wasn't blowing, but... he's blowing... really hard. Everytime I see Superman using his freeze breath, or blowing gale-force winds, the word "windbag" pops in my head for some reason.

Besides, it just seems completely unnessessary. I mean, he already has super strength, super speed, super senses, flight, X-ray and heat vision. I mean, honestly, why give him freeze-breath. You know what it reminds me of? The 60's Batman series. Batman had so many "Bat" gadgets, it became a running gag. In all honestly, Superman having freeze-breath to me seems the equivalent of Batman having Bat-shark-repellant-spray,

 

[The Question]

Yeah. I guess that's kind of why it bothers me. It just seems slapped on for no reason. Still, I rather like the super conductive coolant theory, since it makes it an extension of an already existing power, and thus somewhat less random.

 

[MiracloFiend]

You know what the best power ever was? Back in the silver age when one of Supergirls powers was "super-woman's intuition"

ha! "super ventriloquism" ranks a distant second now.

 

[blksuperman2]

Whenever someone mentions the silliness of arctic breath, I'm always reminded of this scene:

That's /\ what I meant before when I said it was a nice counter to his heat vision. I just think it's neat that Superman has both hot and cold powers at his command.

Who is this that Supes is fighting? Why did she call him Smallville?

 

[Arach Knight]

It's Lois Lane...who else would call him Smallville? Anyways...

In order to read comic books and be pleased, one must entertain a certain level of disbelif (suspension of disbelif). Some things are just totally illogical (like lifting objects that should collapse under their own weight, or being hit by a wrecking ball, and not even flinching) because they directly challenge the known laws of physics. Something simple like ice breath however, is fun. And we do know that things can be frozen. So other than wondering how he can produce the cold, he isn't really doing anything too irksome. If you don't like it, go pick up "The Physics of Super Heroes." It's a real book that explains some of the super hero powers that are generally feasible. Besides, Supes puts arctic breath to use on a fairly consistent basis. Just look at Our World's At War. He used it to stop some of Manchester Black's, gang. Superboy Prime used it to kill green lanterns. So the power is not without it's merit.

 

[blksuperman2]

It's Lois Lane...who else would call him Smallville?

I thought so, but why on earth does she have super powers and fighting Supes.

I'm glad I never had the misfortune of reading this.

 

[Arach Knight]

There have been so many stories where Lois Lane has had Superman's powers. In fact, not too long ago in All Star Superman, there was a story where Lois got Superman powers for 24 hours (as a birthday present) and Hercules and Samson showed up, trying to hit on Lois. The book was basically devoted to Superman taking on Samson and Hercules, in feats of strength, in order to win a date with Lois.

 

[The Question]

It's Lois Lane...who else would call him Smallville? Anyways...

In order to read comic books and be pleased, one must entertain a certain level of disbelif (suspension of disbelif). Some things are just totally illogical (like lifting objects that should collapse under their own weight, or being hit by a wrecking ball, and not even flinching) because they directly challenge the known laws of physics. Something simple like ice breath however, is fun. And we do know that things can be frozen. So other than wondering how he can produce the cold, he isn't really doing anything too irksome. If you don't like it, go pick up "The Physics of Super Heroes." It's a real book that explains some of the super hero powers that are generally feasible. Besides, Supes puts arctic breath to use on a fairly consistent basis. Just look at Our World's At War. He used it to stop some of Manchester Black's, gang. Superboy Prime used it to kill green lanterns. So the power is not without it's merit.

True. But really, not all comics require a suspension of disbelief. Really, on an overall basis, all forms of fiction require the same amount. I think the reason people speculate is because they want an explenation that sounds feasible. In any kind of fiction, saying someone can do something simply "because he can" sounds pretty weak to the reader/veiwer.

 

[Spike_x1]

Yeah. I guess that's kind of why it bothers me. It just seems slapped on for no reason. Still, I rather like the super conductive coolant theory, since it makes it an extension of an already existing power, and thus somewhat less random.

If we go by what's been implied in the comics so far, than it already is an extention of an existing power: super strength.

Fast moving air = cold.

I can bring myself to believe that Superman can blow air with such force to create low enough temperatures to freeze something.

Who is this that Supes is fighting? Why did she call him Smallville?

It's the Parasite after he upgraded and gained the power to shapeshift. He impersonated Lois to gain the psychological advantage over Superman.

 

[blksuperman2]

It's the Parasite after he upgraded and gained the power to shapeshift. He impersonated Lois to gain the psychological advantage over Superman.

OK That sounds alot better of a story.

 

[The Question]

If we go by what's been implied in the comics so far, than it already is an extention of an existing power: super strength.

Fast moving air = cold.

I can bring myself to believe that Superman can blow air with such force to create low enough temperatures to freeze something.

True. I just kind of like the coolant thing better. Personal taste, I suppose.

 

[Arach Knight]

If it were coolant, then wouldn't he be forced to expel it on occasion, in order to keep his system from malfunctioning? Sort of like when you have to flush your antifreeze and add more? As for the amount of disbelief...I think some things require more disbelief than others. For instance, I find it much easier to accept that spider-man gained his powers through irradiated blood mixing with spider dna, than I do, accepting the universal translator in star trek, that makes it to where all aliens speak english. I think some ideas are just so fantastic, that you have to just let the world be what it is, so you can enjoy it. And some worlds are meant to feel like they could happen, even though the fantastic occurs (like most comic books).

 

[The Question]

If it were coolant, then wouldn't he be forced to expel it on occasion, in order to keep his system from malfunctioning? Sort of like when you have to flush your antifreeze and add more?

True. Maybe the excess never gets so much that it threatens his bodily functions.

As for the amount of disbelief...I think some things require more disbelief than others. For instance, I find it much easier to accept that spider-man gained his powers through irradiated blood mixing with spider dna, than I do, accepting the universal translator in star trek, that makes it to where all aliens speak english. I think some ideas are just so fantastic, that you have to just let the world be what it is, so you can enjoy it. And some worlds are meant to feel like they could happen, even though the fantastic occurs (like most comic books).

Pretty much how I see it.

 

[mano012sg]

what 's ur own theory?

 

[Arach Knight]

I like the original story behind Superman's powers personally. Krypton being gravitationally more dense, just made an awful lot of sense. Sort of like placing humans on the moon allows us to lift larger objects (not more mass/weight but more volume/size) or to jump higher and further distances. But now, with the yellow sun being the source, that does force writers and readers to reconsider the functionality of his powers. I would imagine that powerful lung muscles would have to work in conjunction with red blood cells that abnormal (relative to humans) in size. The amount of oxygen needed in the body, to blow at the force that Superman does, would have to be tremendous. So he must have slightly larger poors and much larger red blood cells (which carry oxygen in the body) in order to have the capacity to expel so much air in a single blow.