Superman's power level

[Kal-El.9859]

yeah I'm not fond of that either

 

[Lencho01]

I don't know if it was due to budget or for artistic choices, but Smallville at first just made it look like heat waves. Then started adding color to it. I'd go with that only, it could depend on the intensity. So, like warming up coffee would be less intense and visible compared to him wanting to burn through a wall or something.

 

[BigThor]

either or...I prefer his entire eyes, but it would probably make more sense if it were just his pupils

I'd prefer if it were just the pupils that glowed, on another note I'm suprised that I'm pretty much the only person that wants the heat vision to be lasers.

Who knew, but I still prefer the laser eyes whether I'm the only person who does or not (shrugs).

 

[Kal-El.9859]

I'd prefer if it were just the purpils that glowed, on another note I'm suprised that I'm pretty much the only person that wants the heat vision to be lasers.

Who knew, but I still prefer the laser eyes whether I'm the only person who does or not (shrugs).

well it is called HEAT vision..not LASER vision! hahaha!

 

[Kal-El.9859]

I don't know if it was due to budget or for artistic choices, but Smallville at first just made it look like heat waves. Then started adding color to it. I'd go with that only, it could depend on the intensity. So, like warming up coffee would be less intense and visible compared to him wanting to burn through a wall or something.

of course...I would LIKE to see varying strength. Like in Superman Returns. When I was burning through New Krypton it was more focused, smaller beams, but when he was melting the falling glass it was a wide slightly less visible beam...I like that

 

[Micromind]

For low intensity, heat wave effect like in Smallville and SR, for high intensity visible beams with heat wave effect.

And the effect should come from entire eyes, not just pupils.

Some thing like this (but in Red colored eyes, ignore the hands.)

 

[BigThor]

well it is called HEAT vision..not LASER vision! hahaha!

Go tell that to the countless artist and animators who've been depicting him with laser vision for the past 74 years.

For low intensity, heat wave effect like in Smallville and SR, for high intensity visible beams with heat wave effect.

And the effect should come from entire eyes, not just pupils.

Some thing like this (but in Red colored eyes, ignore the hands.)

I think it would be better if only his pupils glowed when he used small amounts, with the fully red eyes happening whenever he ups the ante.

Btw, where did you get that clip that's being used in that gif from?

 

[BigThor]

Double post

 

[Kal-El.9859]

this has nothing to do with heat vision but I wish I could figure out how in the hell to use gif avatars

 

[Micromind]

I think it would be better if only his pupils glowed when he used small amounts, with the fully red eyes happening whenever he ups the ante.

That could work.

Btw, where did you get that clip that's being used in that gif from?

It is from Scott Pilgrim Vs World, but I just found that gif on photobucket.

 

[elgaz]

Quoting myself here from an earlier post, as I felt it was relevant to the heat vision discussion

The best explanation I've heard for Superman's heat vision actually stems from his X-ray vision. Superman has the unique ability to emit X-Rays (as well as absorb, like most humanoids) from his eyes, and thus that's how he can 'see through' things. But as X-rays are a form of radiation, when he turns the intensity up a lot and focuses them more.......................................... they become heat vision, like a laser. All of these 'vision' powers are made convenient by the massive reserves of solar radiation his body can store.

It will be interesting to see how Snyder makes it look on screen. The Donner Superman films, as we all know, had Superman's heat vision looking like red lasers - which was probably fairly acceptable bearing in mind it was the late 70s, and stuff like Star Wars was making it big. Lasers were cool

In early Smallville episodes, heat vision was shown as shimmering air. This was done in Superman Returns also, though it seemed to be toned back a bit and more subtle. Then in later episodes (presumably as Clark's powers grew and he got older) they became more like beams of fire. I guess the intensity of the heat vision should affect how it looks - a mild beam would realistically look like shimmering/heated air, full force would look like a huge red beam, almost like Cyclop's beam in X-men.

In both Smallville and SR versions, the effect was a pulsating effect, rather than a smooth, constant laser-like beam. I preferred this effect as it looks a bit more organic and less machine-like.

Early -

Later -

Superman Returns -

The strongest depiction in Smallville was when he used his heat vision to completely vaporise a huge flood which was about to hit a man and his young son who were out in the wild. In that scene, the camera angle was from directly in front of his face and the heat vision just made it look like he was engulfed in flames

No matter what effect they use, I'll just be happy to see Superman let loose with the heat vision on Zod in MOS

 

[Kal-El.9859]

Quoting myself here from an earlier post, as I felt it was relevant to the heat vision discussion

I really like the heat vision used later on in Smallville...to me, it's pretty pefect

 

[Lead Cenobite]

well it is called HEAT vision..not LASER vision! hahaha!

And for a long time now, in both the comics and several movie, tv, and video game adaptations, it's depicted as resembling laser beams. This reminds me of the whole yellow ellipse debate with Batman. It's something the character had for a long time, and everyone seems to want it gone. I can understand wanting trunks gone with how some people can't stop seeing them as underwear, but I don't really understand this. Sometimes plausible just doesn't look as cool.

 

[Kal-El.9859]

I think the second photo of Clark is the way to go

 

[Lead Cenobite]

Well that isn't heat vision, that's fire vision so hahaha.

 

[Kal-El.9859]

it looks like heat waves coming off the street, just in an elongated stream. ;-p

 

[Brian Braddock]

I'd prefer if it were just the purpils that glowed, on another note I'm suprised that I'm pretty much the only person that wants the heat vision to be lasers.

Who knew, but I still prefer the laser eyes whether I'm the only person who does or not (shrugs).

Nah, you're not the only one; rest assured.

I've always prefered the clarifty, the definition, of the laser vision. There's a certain acuteness to it that provides a sense of satisfaction as you know it's hit it's intended target. It's just so straight and true; Tbh, I've never got that sense from the blurry heat depiction.

I'd have the above any day over the Smallville/SR approach, although I did like the 'blanket' laser/heat vision used by Supes in SR to stop the debris/glass from falling on the pedestrians below.

 

[Geralt of Rivia]

I don't like the tiny red laser look of the old Superman movies because it looks cartoon-ish and fake (looks great in the comics but movies aren't comics) but I also don't like the fire-like effect that Smallville brought. So Im kinda screwed, yes? t: Weren't there some set photos of Smallville set, where Faora and Supes and the mo-cap man where, of the roads having burnt marks? I think that was made for heath vision purposes. Ah, im sure Snyder will make it look great, he's good at this sort of thing.

 

[Kal-El.9859]

I also think it looks fake...it just doesn't convince me. They need to come up with something in between

 

[Geralt of Rivia]

Speaking of Superman's power level, I really really hope they don't make as weak as he was in the Byrne incarnation or S:TAS. They don't have to show him having silver age power levels but please don't make him struggle with tanks or school buses or other small, ´´not that heavy`` objects. It makes him look like an X-Men member or something, not really the last son of Krypton.

I do want to see them take in account gravity though, meaning Superman can't lift a car by the bumper because the bumper will break off. Or if Superman lands full speed on the pavement, it shouldn't look like nothing, it should have a hole (but I think I saw this on one of the set pics). I also prefer to see Superman dealing with smaller-medium sized objects. Lifting a big plane for example doesn't look so impressive because Superman looks tiny in the frame and I can't really relate to it. I want him to grab a tank and smash Zod with it.

But one thing I never want to see in a Superman movie is any silliness, like playing Basketball with the moon or pulling planets with a big chain. That belongs to the old comic book pages. Also, Superman pushing a planet, I don't want to see it. How does that work anyway? It means Superman has to have some electromagnetic powers that allow him to manipulate the magnetic field to push a planet without touching it. Because there is no other way. He can't physically push it because the force required to do so would make him go straight through the core of a planet. I just can't see it with his set of powers. I know he had some electromagnetic and energy power abilities in the silver/bronze age but I don't want to see those. Too many abilities is not good imo. It turns him into a god, literally. At the same time, no space suits or breathing masks or any of that nonsense please!

Also, no making up powers on the spot please. I want to see a powerful Superman with his basic set of powers but use them in creative ways (not just picking up objects and flying with them) and in battle.

Oh, and I'd like to see Superman's intelligence a bit higher than average.

 

[Brian Braddock]

I also think it looks fake...it just doesn't convince me. They need to come up with something in between

As fake as 30 year old fx goes, I guess; I think they'd be able to jazz it up a little using modern CG.

The gold standard of heat-vision for me is the image I have in my mind whenever I close my eyes - that of the heat vision used by Superman to burn Mongul in Superman Annual #11 "For The Man Who Has Everything":-

The way they did the heat vision in the Donner movies and the Superboy/Lois & Clark tv shows are the closest live-action depiction of that heat vision. I try to imagine that blurry heat vision used in SV having the same visual impact as the 'laser' vision but, I'm sorry, it just doesnt.

I'm not so blinkered to think that there won't be some kind of new FX used; all I know is that I wont be happy if it's, as you say, just the heat vision that 'looks like heat waves coming off the street, just in an elongated stream'. hey probably will come up with something in between. Hopefully, something that gives a sense of real, concentrated power.

 

[Kal-El.9859]

As fake as 30 year old fx goes, I guess; I think they'd be able to jazz it up a little using modern CG.

The gold standard of heat-vision for me is the image I have in my mind whenever I close my eyes - that of the heat vision used by Superman to burn Mongul in Superman Annual #11 "For The Man Who Has Everything":-

The way they did the heat vision in the Donner movies and the Superboy/Lois & Clark tv shows are the closest live-action depiction of that heat vision. I try to imagine that blurry heat vision used in SV having the same visual impact as the 'laser' vision but, I'm sorry, it just doesnt.

I'm not so blinkered to think that there won't be some kind of new FX used; all I know is that I wont be happy if it's, as you say, just the heat vision that 'looks like heat waves coming off the street, just in an elongated stream'. hey probably will come up with something in between. Hopefully, something that gives a sense of real, concentrated power.

It would be nice if they could come up with something that is a mixture of the two. I don't want it to look cheesy or corny or fake. It needs to look like there is actually heat coming from his eyes. I'd like to see the entire eye turn red before he uses his heat vision as well. You can have different FX for different and varying degrees of the heat...

 

[Dr.]

The best explanation I've heard for Superman's heat vision actually stems from his X-ray vision. Superman has the unique ability to emit X-Rays (as well as absorb, like most humanoids) from his eyes, and thus that's how he can 'see through' things. But as X-rays are a form of radiation, when he turns the intensity up a lot and focuses them more.......................................... they become heat vision, like a laser. All of these 'vision' powers are made convenient by the massive reserves of solar radiation his body can store.

In terms of “explanations,” x-ray vision can’t actually be the result of x-ray emission. In the first place, they’re dangerous to bystanders. In the second place, they don’t reflect (i.e. they can’t bounce back to Supes’ eyes to supply the visual information). Bottom line: Supes can somehow see through stuff. And by quaint tradition, we call this “x-ray” vision. 'Nuff said.

By the same token, “heat vision” might actually be a laser-like energy beam rather than heat generation. I don’t think it much matters. It just needs to look impressive and impressively powerful. The old school sfx from SII isn't up to the job.

In both Smallville and SR versions, the effect was a pulsating effect, rather than a smooth, constant laser-like beam. I preferred this effect as it looks a bit more organic and less machine-like.

I agree. Maybe some sfx wiz can come up with something that's novel and spectacular. But from the current crop of examples, SV and SR are the best so far.

 

[Brian Braddock]

^^It seems that we're the polar opposites in terms of how we want the heat-vision to look; which is cool - I mean, if we all the same tastes, there'd be no individualism and everything would be boring.

 

[BH/HHH]

Smallville it started out like heat but turned more in laser vision but I actually think it only changed due to budget although you could say that Clark learned to control it better as years went on and could focus it as more of a laser.