Superman's power level

[Lencho01]

Yeah, I was never a fan of the savior. Just a guy blessed with powers and chooses to share it with the world the best way knows. I do hope they show how much the Kents affected him. I don't know how much focus they'll put on it and how well they'll get that point across if that's what they're going for. Going back to Captain America, regardless of his powers, they made it a point to show how great of a person he was.

 

[Rocanrol]

I hate the ice breath. Thats the most ridiculous power Superman has. I figure if he can breathe ice, he can breathe fire. Though, the ability is rather pointless. He should have a more alien-like ability other than that. Camouflage would be better.

Actually, that is one of his most credible powers.

If he is superstrong, with super-lungs, super-throat:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joule-Thomson_effect

 

[Panthro]

Yeah, I was never a fan of the savior. Just a guy blessed with powers and chooses to share it with the world the best way knows. I do hope they show how much the Kents affected him. I don't know how much focus they'll put on it and how well they'll get that point across if that's what they're going for. Going back to Captain America, regardless of his powers, they made it a point to show how great of a person he was.

Yeah, they need to not go the savior route.

 

[hopefuldreamer]

Yeah, I was never a fan of the savior. Just a guy blessed with powers and chooses to share it with the world the best way knows. I do hope they show how much the Kents affected him. I don't know how much focus they'll put on it and how well they'll get that point across if that's what they're going for. Going back to Captain America, regardless of his powers, they made it a point to show how great of a person he was.

Totally agreed.

And yeah, Cap's characterisation was fantastic. I hope they can get that sense of being a hero in nature and not just because of circumstance or power.

 

[Lencho01]

I think his character and good action will allow people to be able to overlook him being "too powerful." I don't think anyone complained about Hancock's powers.

 

[Dr.]

Actually, that is one of his most credible powers.

If he is superstrong, with super-lungs, super-throat:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joule-Thomson_effect

Not really.

[nerd]

In order to get “freeze,” a fair amount of compressed air has to be released rapidly through a small aperture. A full scuba tank, for example, holds a phone booth’s volume of air (compressed) at 3000psi. When the valve is opened, the air escapes with a loud hiss and it’s noticeably (and rapidly) cooled by the Joule-Thomson effect. Nevertheless, this dramatic pressure reduction is not enough to freeze anything.

Now unless Supes has some bizarre internal anatomy, he has no means to compress air within his lungs to scuba tank pressures. So his maximum lung capacity and pressure would be the same as a normal human of the same size. Ergo, Supes would be dealing with less pressure than a scuba tank… and a scuba tank (as noted) is not an especially efficient “freezer.”

But even if Supes could produce the requisite pressure differential, the freezing air (necessarily) would have a hurricane-level force. And often, Supes’ power is depicted as a nondestructive and aim-able “freeze ray.” (In a L&C episode, I recall Clark chilling a martini glass with a gentle breath.)

In other words, the Joule-Thomson effect is real; but it doesn’t really support Supes' freeze breath power as it’s usually represented.

[/nerd]

 

[Llama_Shepherd]

Superman would necessarily have to have bizarre physiology, he would just need to have his super powered intercostal muscles and diaphragm, which is what controls and regulates breathing.

due to this, he should technically, be able to breath in huge quantities and produce high pressures, the problem would be fitting all the air into his chest. But all of this is going overboard.

 

[BigThor]

That "400%" boost was for comedic effect clearly. The whole universe per se isn't really serious and gritty at all, but at some point the power level variation doesn't make sense.

And then, the newly powered Thor hold against the Destroyer with some difficulty.

Are you serious???

The only comedic was IM "how about that" response, also I'm pretty sure IM was at those levels for the rest of the fight

 

[Dr.]

Superman would necessarily have to have bizarre physiology, he would just need to have his super powered intercostal muscles and diaphragm, which is what controls and regulates breathing.

due to this, he should technically, be able to breath in huge quantities and produce high pressures...

With a super strong diaphragm, you could maybe get an explosively powerful (and rapid) exhalation. But the actual amount of air being exhaled is determined by how much was inhaled - which, in turn, is determined by the size of the lungs. And Supes’ lungs are normal size. Mechanical compressors squeeze a large volume of air into a small space by using separate chambers, pistons and a series of one-way values to trap and accumulate the high-pressure air. So (again) unless Supes has the equivalent organs… (humans certainly don’t)…

But all of this is going overboard.

I can play the game in different ways - for instance, taking all Supes’ traditional powers at face value. But if someone wants to discuss the “science of Superman” (the plausible and the not so plausible), I’m up for it.

 

[DarthAlani]

Superman's power should be far beyond mortal men.

 

[elgaz]

Superman's power should be far beyond mortal men.

The clue's in the name

 

[Joeyjojo72]

Yeah freeze breath is by far his most plausible power, assuming you accept the fact that hes incredibly strong. A hell of a lot more logical than flight or x-ray vision.

 

[AnneFan]

The clue's in the name

Ha, indeed. In regards to his power level, I'd like to see Superman be Superman.

 

[knowsbleed]

Not really.

[nerd]

In order to get “freeze,” a fair amount of compressed air has to be released rapidly through a small aperture. A full scuba tank, for example, holds a phone booth’s volume of air (compressed) at 3000psi. When the valve is opened, the air escapes with a loud hiss and it’s noticeably (and rapidly) cooled by the Joule-Thomson effect. Nevertheless, this dramatic pressure reduction is not enough to freeze anything.

Now unless Supes has some bizarre internal anatomy, he has no means to compress air within his lungs to scuba tank pressures. So his maximum lung capacity and pressure would be the same as a normal human of the same size. Ergo, Supes would be dealing with less pressure than a scuba tank… and a scuba tank (as noted) is not an especially efficient “freezer.”

But even if Supes could produce the requisite pressure differential, the freezing air (necessarily) would have a hurricane-level force. And often, Supes’ power is depicted as a nondestructive and aim-able “freeze ray.” (In a L&C episode, I recall Clark chilling a martini glass with a gentle breath.)

In other words, the Joule-Thomson effect is real; but it doesn’t really support Supes' freeze breath power as it’s usually represented.

[/nerd]

I'm a fan of you... man.

 

[Bruce Malone]

 

[Dr.]

According to some quick research, 200 quintillion tons is about a quarter of the Moon’s weight. Impressive. And there’s a gizmo in Technicolor dude’s lab that just happens to be able to produce this force? What’s it normally used for (when not testing Superman)?

 

[Fudgie]

According to some quick research, 200 quintillion tons is about a quarter of the Moon’s weight. Impressive. And there’s a gizmo in Technicolor dude’s lab that just happens to be able to produce this force? What’s it normally used for (when not testing Superman)?

Quarter of the moon's weight. Crazy strong.

 

[Rocanrol]

I remember an episode of Legion of Superheroes, where a young superman test his strenght against a diamond-crusher machine...

 

[Lead Cenobite]

Not really.

[nerd]

In order to get “freeze,” a fair amount of compressed air has to be released rapidly through a small aperture. A full scuba tank, for example, holds a phone booth’s volume of air (compressed) at 3000psi. When the valve is opened, the air escapes with a loud hiss and it’s noticeably (and rapidly) cooled by the Joule-Thomson effect. Nevertheless, this dramatic pressure reduction is not enough to freeze anything.

Now unless Supes has some bizarre internal anatomy, he has no means to compress air within his lungs to scuba tank pressures. So his maximum lung capacity and pressure would be the same as a normal human of the same size. Ergo, Supes would be dealing with less pressure than a scuba tank… and a scuba tank (as noted) is not an especially efficient “freezer.”

But even if Supes could produce the requisite pressure differential, the freezing air (necessarily) would have a hurricane-level force. And often, Supes’ power is depicted as a nondestructive and aim-able “freeze ray.” (In a L&C episode, I recall Clark chilling a martini glass with a gentle breath.)

In other words, the Joule-Thomson effect is real; but it doesn’t really support Supes' freeze breath power as it’s usually represented.

[/nerd]

Nobody said freeze breath was 100% plausible. All of Superman's powers could be explained in some pseudo-scientific manner but there will always be holes.

 

[Dr.]

Nobody said freeze breath was 100% plausible. All of Superman's powers could be explained in some pseudo-scientific manner but there will always be holes.

The claim was that super breath/freeze breath was one Supes’ more believable powers - with an actual physics principle as citation. But does the principle really apply or not? These sorts of discussions can be interesting. (In order to have a geeky debate on the scientific accuracy of superpowers , you first need to know a bit about real science - not a waste of time at all.)

Generally speaking… I think more scientific “explanations” invite more questions and scrutiny (a can of worms). Whereas… no explanation kinda protects you from criticism. For instance, how the heck does heat vision work? It just does - don’t even attempt an answer. Indeed, something like “freeze vision” might be more “plausible” than "freeze breath" because (like heat vision) it’s so exotic and beyond any sort of scientific analysis.

 

[Llama_Shepherd]

In terms of attempting to explain some powers, here's some of them.

With Freeze Breath temperature and thermal energy is just how much particles move, so freeze breath is actually rather impossible, in fact, it's counter-intuitive. However, super-breath, would be more plausible.

Heat vision doesn't make sense either, it would be another projection of thermal energy. So best leave that one unexplained.

Spectrum visions- everything with smaller wavelength than visible light is technically plausible, but he'd essentially need eyes within eyes within eyes. The implausible nature is that how does he turn these visions on and off, you can't turn senses off.

And those are just three powers, best say that they are bestowed by the yellow sun and hope someone doesn't point out the sun isn't yellow.

 

[KalMart]

I wonder if they'll finally realize that the higher in the sky he flies, the less exciting it is because there arean't as many clouds/mountain/obstacles to whizz by and enhance the sense of speed like they did in Iron Man.

That's why I suggested a long ways back that instead of saving an airplane, he should have to save a bullet-train out of control, and do it in stages while having to deal with a lot of high-speed obstacles and such.

Look at it as a spaceship chase through an asteroid field, instead of in wide open deep space.

 

[obin_gam]

But how can he be so strong if he cant workout? Wouldnt his muscles degrade instantly on earth because they wont have anything to keep them "challenged" in lack of a better word.

 

[BH/HHH]

Judging from the speed of flight I think he's gonna be oretty powerful

 

[Llama_Shepherd]

But how can he be so strong if he cant workout? Wouldnt his muscles degrade instantly on earth because they wont have anything to keep them "challenged" in lack of a better word.

He doesn't get his strength from his muscles. He gets it from the sun. The muscle is just a part of his physiology.