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Powers and abilities of SupermanFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The powers of DC Comics character Superman have changed since his introduction in the 1930s. The extent of hispowers peaked during the 1970s and 1980s to the point where various writers found it difficult to create suitablechallenges for the character. As a result his powers were significantly reduced when his story was rebooted by writerJohn Byrne after the Crisis on Infinite Earths series. After Byrne's departure, Superman's powers were graduallyincreased again, although he still remains weaker than his pre-Crisis incarnation.

Contents

1 Complete list

2 Golden Age Superman3 Silver/Bronze Age Superman

4 Modern Age4.1 John Byrne

4.2 After John Byrne5 Weaknesses6 Other versions7 Film and television

7.1 Fleischer Superman cartoons

7.2 Adventures of Superman7.3 Superman films7.4 Superboy7.5 Lois & Clark7.6 Smallville

7.7 DC Animated Universe8 Video games

9 Novels10 References

11 External links

Complete list

Over the course of the character's existence of 75 years, Superman has—at some point or another—had variouscombinations of the following powers and abilities. The levels of those individual powers and abilities have alsochanged in intensity, from "merely" enhanced above that of normal humans to truly god-like. Some added as thecharacter evolved, others toned down and restricted in later eras.

Living Solar Battery – Superman's powers rely on his cells' ability to absorb and metabolize solar energyfrom local stars like Earth's sun. His Kryptonian body is a living "solar battery" that absorbs solar energies and

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converts them for fuel for his powers. His cells also store yellow sun energy so he can use his powers underobjects, at night, in dark places, and in space. (Pre-Crisis, yellow stars were said to emit "ultra solar rays"which enabled Kryptonians' superpowers; penetrating the Earth itself, said rays also enabled Kryptonians to

stay super-powered at night.[1]) The more yellow sun rays Superman absorbs the stronger he gets; in someinstances he has been shown to enter the sun in order to increase his powers to their highest potentials, as seenin 1998's DC One Million storyline. Superman can also absorb solar energies of other class stars such as

when he absorbed the solar energies of a blue star that increased his abilities to a higher degree and gave him

additional abilities.

Superhuman Strength – Enhanced strength much greater than that of a human and even most superhumans,making him "more powerful than a locomotive," is one of Superman's signature powers and has often been

described as chief among his other abilities. While not infinite, depictions of the upper limit of how much weighthe can lift have ranged from being able to do the work of several laborers in half the time, crush diamonds in his

grasp, lift objects hundreds of times his own weight including any sized vehicle over his head, bend and/or

break steel with his bare hands, lifting mountains, and all the way up to in the Silver Age and Modern Agewhere he is seen moving entire planets. This makes him arguably the strongest superhero in the DC Universe.

After being saturated with yellow solar energy in All-Star Superman, his strength was tested as exceeding the

force of 200 quintillion tons (or 2x1020 tons, in scientific notation, i.e., two hundred billion billion tons) he heldthis much with one hand and he even said he feels like he can pick up more, enough to pull the Earth away fromthe sun. As of The New 52 reboot, his strength now exceeds 5.972 sextillion metric tons. Explanations include

being adapted to the heavier gravity of Krypton, and his muscles using the power of the solar energy whichfuels all his abilities. Whilst in direct yellow sunlight, his strength can be augmented to limitless and incalculablelevels. He has strength necessary to shatter entire worlds. Superman's stamina has also been shown as limitless

(whilst he remains in yellow sunlight).

Invulnerability – Immunity to almost all forms of harm and ailments, including extreme force and extremelyhigh temperatures. Effectiveness has ranged from his skin being piercable by nothing less than a "bursting shell"

to being completely unharmed by a star going supernova. Explanations for this ability have ranged fromKryptonians having a molecular structure with a density superior to that of titanium and emitting an unbreakableaura of solar energy. His invulnerability has enabled him to withstand Darkseid's omega beams, a feat originally

thought to be impossible. In the rare instances, however, Superman has required medical attention, thisresistance to injuries has complicated necessary procedures such as surgery. For instance, when a criminal shothim with a kryptonite bullet, a surgeon was forced to give Superman a controlled exposure to the mineral in

order to temporarily weaken his skin enough to make the incisions necessary to remove internal fragments of

the bullet.[2] Superman can also withstand kryptonite in certain circumstances, such as lifting an island made ofkryptonite and tossing it into space in Superman Returns. Superman has something that increases hisinvulnerability called a bio-electric aura which protects him from some attacks and can be extended to protect

others like in All Star Superman. In some versions, this power greatly retards his aging and increases as hegets older, sometimes rendering him effectively immortal. The epilogue to the Justice Society of Americastoryline "Thy Kingdom Come" (a sequel of sorts to the Kingdom Come limited series) showing Superman

surviving 1,000 years into the future, albeit as a very elderly, hunched-over man. Another version in DC OneMillion lives through the 853rd Century, some 83,200 years from now, though he was living inside the sun forthousands of years before coming out, making him godlike in his abilities.

Healing Factor – Superman is shown to possess remarkable recuperative powers that allow him to quicklyheal from wounds and makes him immune to all forms of human or Earthly diseases, illnesses, viruses and

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toxins. Superman heals faster when he is closer to the sun and he is absorbing more sun rays.

Flight – Because earth exhibits less gravitational pull than that of Krypton, and also due to Superman's solar-powered body, the Man of Steel can also alter his personal mono-directional gravity field to propel himself

through the air at will. Originally, he only had the power to jump great distances, as stated by the 1940sSuperman cartoons ("Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound"). Has ranged from simply being able to jumpgreat distances using his vast strength, to beginning in late 1941 being able to accelerate, float in midair, and

change direction while traveling. Later he became able to traverse interstellar distances without stopping. LexLuthor once theorized that Superman had to stem from a gigantic planet with enormous gravity, where hisspecies had developed natural anti-gravity organs to be able to function; on Earth, this would allow him to

control his own gravimetric field in order to fly.[3]

Superhuman Speed – Another one of Superman's signature abilities is his superhuman speed, allowing him tomove, react, run, and fly extraordinarily fast. Originally classified as being "faster than a speeding bullet",

allowing him to catch bullets in mid air before they hit him, or anyone else. Top speeds have ranged from nearlya hundred miles per hour when he was first created in the 1930s to speeds far greater than the speed of light.His thoughts, perceptions and reflexes are also greatly accelerated to be able to control his actions while

moving at high speeds. Superman's running speed has often been shown to be on par with that of The Flash's.In Superman: Red Son he claimed to be able to move faster than ten times the speed of thought.

X-Ray Vision – The ability to see through solid objects, usually with the exception of lead. Early stories

assumed that hiding objects in lead would prevent him from finding them, however, more modern stories haveSuperman being able to take advantage of lead's opaqueness to do a wide scan of an area with his X-Rayvision in which the lead objects become immediately visible and then narrow his search to those specific

locations.[4] Explanations for how this power works vary, but rarely include the emission and perception ofactual X-Rays, as such high-energy radiation would actually be dangerous to living things he uses it on. A morecommon theory involves being able to see and concentrate on the patterns of natural cosmic radiation as it

reverberates off objects. X-Ray vision was first used by Superman in Action Comics #11 (April 1939), whereit was called "Superman's X-ray eyesight".

Superhuman Intelligence – Superman possesses intellect that is beyond genius-level. People from Krypton

already had genius-level intellect, being a society thousands of years ahead of Earth in technology. In thepresence of a yellow sun, Superman's intelligence is further enhanced, giving him super intelligence and allowing

his brain to operate faster than a supercomputer.[5] His intelligence has enabled him to create effective

strategies and tactics when engaging enemies during situations that his powers alone can't get him out of.

Eidetic Memory – Superman is shown to have flawless, total recall of everything he has ever seen, read, or

heard. In turn, he is often depicted as being fluent in many of Earth's languages and cultures.

Heat Vision – Ability to emit solar energy from his eyes. Usually resembles bright red or orange laser-likebeams, which may be invisible at low temperatures but extremely bright at high ones. The effective range of hisbeams are hundreds of feet. It can also reach hundreds of miles wide, instantly disintegrating a person. Inaddition to varying the beam width, height, and intensity, Superman has demonstrated a high degree of skill and

accuracy in manipulating his beam, being able to use this power with surgical precision and at microscopiclevels. Superman can lobotomize or incise someone's psionic powers as shown in The Elite when he cut offManchester Black's powers. Since the power can be used invisibly, Superman often takes advantage of that to

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perform tasks subtly without needing to get into costume. In some versions, these beams can also be used toproduce great concussive force rather than heat. The beams are tremendously powerful, and can be used to

rupture steel plates and pulverize rock. Also in some stories, it can be reflected like a true laser, able to usegreat skill and accuracy in manipulating the blasts off multiple targets in rapid succession, or more commonly toremove his very durable facial hair. Sometimes shown to be one of his more physically draining powers to use,as it uses such concentrated solar energy. In the pre-Crisis stories, Clark wears glasses with lenses made ofKryptonian glass (initially cannibalized from his rocket ship's transparency dome) so he can fire his heat visionthrough them without damaging them. In the stories from the 1986 relaunch onward, Clark wears glasses withregular lenses, which force Clark to momentarily lift them out of his eyes' firing arc to use his heat vision

effectively. In revision in Superman: Secret Origin, Clark wears glasses with Kryptonian glass that areintended to contain unwanted firings. Heat vision was initially introduced as "the heat of his x-ray vision" (abyproduct of his existing x-ray vision powers) in Superman (vol. 1) #59 (July 1949); heat vision as a separatepower first appeared in Action Comics #275 (April 1961).

Superhuman Breath – Ability to inhale and exhale huge volumes of air with great force, capable ofextinguishing large fires and moving heavy objects such as cars. Super-breath also allows Superman to hold his

breath for extended periods in airless environments. In one 70s-era Superman comic, he saved a town from atornado by inhaling the twister into his lungs. He then flew just above Earth's atmosphere, with his chest lookingsomewhat distended, and exhaled the tornado into space. In another 70s comic, Superman was inflicted with acondition whereby if he stepped in the ground or otherwise came in physical contact with the surface of theEarth, explosive energy orbs would begin to rise from the area immediately near him, endangering anyonenearby. When Superman realized he was causing the orbs to appear, he resolved to always fly until he could

find a solution to the problem. However, as Clark Kent, he couldn't be seen flying; instead, Clark walkedaround constantly expelling a jet of air straight down from his nostrils to keep his body just millimeters from hiswalking surface. The release (exhalation) of highly compressed air through a valve (such as pursed lips) causesit to drop radically in temperature. This is known as the Joule–Thomson effect, and when Superman does this,it is usually referred to as Freeze Breath, and can cool objects to sub-zero temperatures and freeze air

moisture solid.[6]

Superhuman Hearing – Can hear far more sounds with far more detail and at far greater distances thannormally humanly possible, including sounds on frequencies undetectable by humans such as dog whistles.Superman is able to mentally screen out most of these sounds to be able to function normally, even in a noisy

environment, and can focus in on specific things, like a person's voice or heartbeat, even if they are in anotherpart of the city. He can even hear sounds on other planets, which makes it likely that his hearing isfundamentally different than that of a human, as sound cannot travel through the vacuum of space. Like humansand most animals, he is skilled at automatically noticing his own name out of the jumble of several overheardconversations, making him adept at quickly responding to calls of distress all over the city.

Superhuman Vision – His senses grant him the ability to see farther and with greater accuracy and detail than

humanly possible. Sometimes includes the ability to see EM frequencies invisible to humans, such as radiotransmissions, infrared light, the bioelectric aura which surrounds all living things, even in pitch-black darkness.Offshoots of this power include Telescopic Vision, which allows him to "zoom in" on far away objects,sometimes hundreds of miles away, and Microscopic Vision, which allows him to zoom in on objects thatwould normally be too small to see, like those on a cellular or molecular level.

Superhuman Olfaction – A heightened and highly accurate sense of smell comparable to some animals such

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Superman's original powers

(Action Comics #1, pg. 1).

as dogs. Can be used to detect things like the chemicals in a bomb hidden somewhere in a crowded room.

Master Combatant – While most authors prefer to portray him as having mediocre combat prowess in favorof showing the magnitude of his powers in battle, there have been some exceptions. Many stories portraySuperman as a very capable fighter with or without his abilities, as he has been trained by both Wildcat inboxing and Mongul in the fighting arts. He has fought and learned from Wonder Woman and has also learned

more advanced martial arts techniques from Batman. To a lesser degree, Superman is also adept at armedcombat, as he is shown to be a decent swordsman and sword-maker, and also knows how to wield a hammer.He has also learned two different types of Kryptonian fighting styles, Torquasm-Rao and Torquasm-Vo toenhance his body and mind.

Golden Age Superman

As presented in Action Comics #1 and the 1939 Superman newspaper comicstrip, Superman's powers are inherent in all indigenous Kryptonians because of theiradvanced evolution. Thus, all Kryptonians (General Zod, Faora, etc.) were shownusing the same powers that Superman would have on Earth.

Starting in the mid-1940s, however, the notion of Krypton having a heavier

gravitational pull than Earth's is first introduced, with Superboy's debut.[7] After this,most stories in the late 1940s and 1950s would indicate that Superman (and otherKryptonians) would only gain superpowers when free of Krypton's heavy gravity

(and in some stories, also its "unique atmosphere"[8]), or when not under Krypton-like environmental conditions.

Superman's original powers mainly consisted of superstrength, superspeed,supersenses, and invulnerability. As described in Action Comics #1 (June 1938):"When maturity was reached, he discovered he could easily: Leap 1/8th of a mile[200 meters]; hurdle a twenty-story building...raise tremendous weights...run fasterthan an express train... and that nothing less than a bursting shell could penetrate his skin!".

Within the years afterwards, many of Superman's other superpowers were also introduced, including his visual

powers (such as x-ray vision[9]) and super-hearing.[10] (Siegel and Shuster, in their initial development of the

character, did equip Superman with telescopic vision and super hearing, at least in their earliest draft weeklies.[11]).

Writers of Superman experimented with new powers for the character. The abilities that proved popular became partof his regular repertoire, while others were discarded after a single use. One power introduced during this time was

soon discarded, an ability for Superman to reshape his face muscles to change his appearance.[12] Another powerthat appeared at least once was an ability to perform telepathic mind control, as seen in Superman (volume 1) #45

(March-April 1947). [13]

Superman's power levels also grew throughout the 1940s; by 1947, he is able to use his super-speed to break the

time barrier for the first time.[14] By Superman (volume 1) #38 (January–February 1946), he is able to withstand theblast of an atomic bomb; Superman (volume 1) #43 (November–December 1946) shows Superman able towithstand the heat of the Earth's core.

Powers

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Super strengthSuper speedSuper senses (including telescopic vision, x-ray vision, super-hearing, microscopic vision)

Invulnerability

Super-breath[15]

Flight (initially super-leaping)

Superhuman control of face muscles

Silver/Bronze Age Superman

Superman's powers were subject to expansion and revision during the 1940s and 1950s. Shortly after Supergirl'sintroduction, the origin of Kryptonians' super-powers was revised. With Action Comics #262 (March 1960) (andexpanded upon in Superman (volume 1) #146 in July 1961 and in subsequent comics), it is explained thatSuperman's powers are derived primarily from the "ultra solar rays" of a yellow sun (like Earth's) that penetrate Earthday and night. Under a red sun (like Krypton's, or the artificial red sun in the bottle city of Kandor), Kryptonians lacksuperpowers, regardless of the difference in gravity. The powers and limitations of Superman are instantly possessedby all Kryptonians (including animals, such as Krypto) exposed to a yellow sun.

Superman's late Golden Age powers were expanded upon during the late 1950s and 1960s, where they reached their

peak. Some stories would show Superman as capable of moving a planet.[16] Said increased power levels were alsoretroactively assigned to his younger self, Superboy; one story showed the Boy of Steel towing a dozen worlds tied

together on a chain.[17]

Stories also show Superman capable of traveling across interstellar space under his own power. In one story (in anattempt to rescue an unconscious Supergirl from being hurled out of the universe at a tremendous speed), Supermantraveled faster than he'd ever moved before, managing to break through multiple dimensions and barriers before beingstopped by the Spectre, who stated Superman was passing "toward realms no mortal eye may be permitted to

behold."[18] Beginning with Superman (volume 1) #199 (August 1967), an occasional series of races betweenSuperman and the Flash also were published, with Superman's super-speed shown to be at or slightly below that of

the Flash's.[19]

Superman's vulnerability to kryptonite (introduced in comics in 1949) is also retained, along with greater emphasis onthe newer weaknesses of exposure to a red sun and to magic.

Superman also possesses super genius-level intelligence and an eidetic memory. Average people from Kryptonalready had genius-level intelligence, being a society thousands of years ahead of Earth in technology. They learned

calculus as children, and possessed the ability to read by age one.[20] These enhanced mental capabilities are a directresult of his exposure to a yellow sun. Superman also possesses the mental ability to screen out the enormous amountof information received by his enhanced senses and to focus on a single detail such as a particular voice or

location.[21] Some seldom used powers, such as super-ventriloquism (the ability of Superman to throw his voice

across great distances)[22] or super-hypnosis (an enhanced ability to hypnotize others) also were seen in Silver andBronze Age stories.

In the early 1970s, Superman's power levels (particularly his strength and invulnerability) are reduced as the result of astoryline involving an accident that renders most of Earth's kryptonite inert, as well as creating a sand creature that

drains a portion of Superman's powers.[23]

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Powers

Virtually limitless superhuman strengthStamina

Invulnerability (except to kryptonite and magic)

Extreme longevity (in some stories as long as he is under a yellow sun)Enhanced mental processes, including an eidetic memory and genius-level intellect

Super vision, consisting of:X-ray vision

Heat visionTelescopic vision

Microscopic vision

Super-hearingOther enhanced physical senses (smell, touch, taste)

Ability to perceive the entire electromagnetic spectrum and various other forms of energyFlight (including across interstellar distances)

Precise muscle control and vocal controlSuper-breath (including freeze breath)

Super-ventriloquism

Super-hypnosisSuperhuman speed

Modern Age

John Byrne

John Byrne's post-Crisis on Infinite Earths revision of Superman in 1986 reduced the character's abilities andpower levels. This was designed to make it easier for writers to come up with suitable challenges for the hero and to

eliminate or reduce those powers that were "too sensational or unbelievable for modern audiences".[24] As shown inByrne's Man of Steel miniseries and subsequent comics, the previous emphasis on yellow sun energy as a source forSuperman's powers was retained. However, instead of losing his powers instantly when exposed to red sun radiation(as is the case during the Silver/Bronze Age continuity), his powers instead wane gradually. Additionally, a lack ofexposure to a yellow sun will also cause Superman's powers to slowly diminish, as seen in the Final Night storyline.Superman's origin story (as shown in Man of Steel) was altered so that his powers develop gradually over years ashis body absorbs yellow sunlight. Conversely, Superman can expose himself to increased solar radiation totemporarily increase his power.

Superman's strength was reduced to the point where he could no longer move giant planets but can still move certainamounts. Superman's other physical powers, including his stamina, as well as his visual powers were also similarlyreduced, with Superman needing an oxygen mask for prolonged travel in space or underwater. His mental abilities arealso curtailed, with Superman no longer having an eidetic memory. The powers of super-ventriloquism and super-hypnosis are not generally used during this period, although it is never stated whether they have been eliminated ornot. However, the powers of virtually all powerful characters in the DCU who were a match for the pre-CrisisSuperman have also had their powers reduced in the same proportion, e.g. Captain Marvel.

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Superman's ability to fly under his own power is explained with the concept of "self telekinesis", an invisible telekineticfield that allows him to lift himself off the ground. Any objects that Superman touches are also enveloped by the fieldand this allows him to move them with the force of his will. In addition, the idea of a supercharged bioelectric "aura"which acts as an invisible "force field" around and within his body was introduced by Byrne to provide an explanationfor his invulnerability. Superman's skin-tight aura allows his equally tight costume to come through his fights relativelyundamaged, although his cape will tear as it is not protected by the aura. (Pre-Crisis, his costume and cape were

made of Kryptonian fabric that was invulnerable under a yellow sun.[25]) Superman's invulnerability is still greatenough to withstand one 50 megaton nuclear explosion, but he will be knocked out as result.

Unlike previous versions, Superman's hair and beard grow normally, requiring grooming using his heat vision carefullyreflected off a piece of the ship that brought him to Earth, burning off unwanted growth.

After John Byrne

After Byrne's departure from the series, Superman's powers and abilities once again increased. He regained the abilityto travel interstellar distances and to hold his breath for the amount of time required to make such journeys, and movedwarf planets such as Pluto. During the "Up, Up and Away!" storyline he regained his eidetic memory. He still retainshis weakness to kryptonite, but instead of stripping him of his abilities, it causes extreme nausea, confusion, and pain.He is also still vulnerable to magic and can be harmed by magical creatures, which makes allies like Zatanna, apowerful magician and sorceress, and Captain Marvel, whose similar powers are based on magic and the gods,valuable assets (see Superman/Shazam: First Thunder).

Exposure to the light of a younger blue sun provides Superman with increased physical abilities, and the power of

"Superman Vision", which allows him to bestow his abilities on other beings for a limited time.[26]

Though still largely invulnerable, Superman has been shown to be susceptible to damage from other yellow-sunpowered Kryptonians such as Power Girl, Supergirl, General Zod, Non, and Ursa (as well as the Daxamite heroesMon-El and Sodam Yat); and characters with powers comparable to those of Kryptonians—including the heroesCaptain Marvel, Icon, Martian Manhunter, Orion, and Ultra Boy; and the villains Atlas, Bizarro, Black Adam,Cyborg Superman, Darkseid, Despero, Doomsday, Lobo, Monarch, Mongul, Ultraman, Validus, and the currentversion of Brainiac (when connected to his ship). Most notably, he has consistently been portrayed as weaker than

Superboy-Prime, a character who possesses powers closer to those of the Silver Age version of Superboy.[27]

Powers

Flight

Invulnerability

Superhuman StrengthSuperhuman Speed

Super vision, consisting of:X-Ray Vision

Telescopic/Microscopic VisionHeat Vision

Infrared Vision

Super-hearingSuper Breath (including Freeze Breath)

Eidetic memory

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Longevity

Super OlfactionEnhanced Lung Capacity

Telekinesis

Weaknesses

Despite his incredible abilities, Superman's powers come with several weaknesses:

Kryptonite: Superman's most famous weakness, kryptonite originated as radioactive fragments of the planetKrypton, created by fusion during the explosion that destroyed it. Superman's cells store electromagnetic

radiation from the rays of a yellow sun, and converts it into energy, manifesting as his super-powers. WhenSuperman is exposed to the most common variety, green kryptonite (within roughly ten feet or less of any size

or amount), its high-band radiation rapidly interferes with this process, causing severe physical pain and the loss

of his powers. Long enough exposure to green kryptonite may eventually lead to death.[28] Kryptonite radiation

can be blocked by the use of lead.[28]

Red Sun Radiation: Natural in Krypton's planetary system, red solar radiation replaces the higher-yield yellow

solar energy in Superman's cells, robbing him of the fuel for his powers. (Pre-Crisis, red solar radiation was

said to lack the superpower-enabling "ultra solar rays" that yellow solar radiation contains.[29]) This processdoes not have the painful, crippling and fever-like symptoms of Kryptonite, and essentially leaves him with the

normal health and abilities of a human in his size and shape, as it did for the entire population of Krypton duringits existence. Exposure to yellow solar radiation causes his powers to return. Other than red solar radiation,

using up his stored yellow solar energy (without continued exposure to yellow solar radiation) also causes

Superman to lose his powers.[30]

Magic: Within the context of the stories, Superman's powers, as great as they might be, are the result of a

natural phenomenon, not supernatural. As a result, they offer no protection against magical forces, and he isaffected by most forms of sorcery in the same way as any mortal. In several stories, it's shown that

magical/mythical creatures, such as demons, vampires, werewolves and many others, are actually capable of

hurting him.

Other versions

Over the years, many alternate versions of Superman have appeared, in Elseworlds books or other timelines. Many ofthese were limited series and one shot stories, so the extent of Superman’s abilities is not always explored in greatdetail.

Frank Miller's Dark Knight continuity, which includes The Dark Knight Returns, The Dark Knight Strikes Again,and All-Star Batman and Robin, has depicted Superman's powers in a variety of ways. All-Star Batman andRobin, for instance, depicts a younger Superman traveling from the U.S. to Paris by means of running fast enough tocross the ocean surface. The Dark Knight Returns depicts him as having the usual super speed, heat vision, flight,and strength. It also gave him a new ability: when he was severely weakened after being caught in a nuclear explosion,he was able to restore himself by absorbing the photosynthetic energy available in plant life.

The Grant Morrison penned Elseworlds book All-Star Superman features a massively powerful Superman, akin tohis Silver Age version. Superman: Red Son features a Superman somewhat more powerful than his currentincarnation, as does the limited series Kingdom Come, due to prolonged exposure to solar radiation (to the degree

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that he is practically invulnerable to the effects of kryptonite). Other series such as War of the Worlds portray aSuperman with the comparatively limited powers of his original Golden Age appearances.

Film and television

Fleischer Superman cartoons

Superman's powers depicted in the classic Fleischer cartoons were very much like they were at the time he firstappeared in 1938 – strong enough to lift heavy objects, leap an eighth of a mile, and run faster than an express train –with the addition of two new powers that were introduced around the time the cartoons were made: flight and x-rayvision. X-Ray vision was first used by Superman in Action Comics #11, April 1939, where it was called "Superman'sX-ray eyesight." Some of the limitations that were shown in the cartoons were that an increase in the energy of anenergy cannon would push Superman back to the ground, ramming into a meteor or comet would knock him out for abit, and tear gas would do to him what it does to normal humans, but only for a little while.

Adventures of Superman

On the TV series The Adventures of Superman, in addition to his conventional powers, Superman alsodemonstrated some one-time-only powers; in the sixth season's "The Mysterious Cube", Superman learns how towalk through solid matter. The source of Superman's powers was stated to be his dense molecular structure, a traitthat was occasionally mentioned in the comics.

The episode "Through the Time Barrier" showed that, unlike the contemporary Silver Age comic book version,Superman was unable to travel through time under his own power.

Superman films

In Superman and Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, Superman's speed was shown as fast enough to reversethe timestream. In Superman II and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, he possessed the ability to erase LoisLane's memory of the knowledge that he is Clark Kent by passionately kissing her. The kiss put her in a trance-likestate and when she awoke, she remembered nothing but felt disoriented. Nevertheless, she remained undaunted andwas in a sexually invigorated state. Because the three Kryptonian villains of the movie had the ability to shoot beamsfrom their hands, Superman presumably would have the same power. In Superman III, he was able to create adiamond from coal using super strength and raising his heat temperature with a glowing yellow flash from his hand. InSuperman IV: The Quest for Peace, he demonstrates the ability to repair damaged structures with a telekineticbeam from his eyes, and to levitate several falling people; he also shows a greater extension of his superhumanstrength to draw the moon out of orbit and then return it back to normal. In Superman Returns, Superman is shownto possess enough invulnerability to stare unblinkingly as a gun is fired point blank at his eye and receive no damage atall. Kryptonite does rob him of his strength and makes him vulnerable, but due to flying above the clouds and into therays of the sun, he gained enough amplified strength to lift Lex Luthor's kryptonite-based sub-continent beyond theEarth's atmosphere and into space, despite the kryptonite shard in his body and the kryptonite pillars coming from thecontinent, though this severely weakens him and he falls back down to Earth in a coma.

In Man of Steel, Superman's powers remain the same, but are said to also derive from his prolonged exposure andadaptation to certain elements of Earth's atmosphere as well as Earth's sun; Earth's environment is not explicitly toxicto Kryptonians, but they require artificial breathers to tolerate it at first until their bodies build up enough solar energyexposure to cope on their own, and Superman is rendered powerless when taken on board a ship with a Kryptonian

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atmosphere. Other Kryptonians also experience some difficulty adapting to their enhanced senses after arriving onEarth, although unintended advice from Superman and Zod's own military training allow him to adapt to this. The onlypowers that weren't featured in this film were super-breath, freeze breath, and microscopic vision. As he is beginninghis career as a superhero, he lacks sharpened fighting skills and relies on his superior adeptness to his powers todefeat the other Kryptonians.

Superboy

In the television series Superboy (later re-titled The Adventures of Superboy) young Clark Kent (alias Superboy) isshown to have similar power levels to his film-counterpart (on which the series was inspired, in spite of the inherentcontinuity problems). However, Superboy never displays any of the 'extra powers' Superman had in the films.Throughout the series, it never seemed evident that Superboy was aware of the yellow sun affecting him. In the seasontwo episode "Lex Luthor...Sentenced to Death", Superboy has been crippled by Luthor (thanks to a powerfulweapon) and has to go through an extensive rehabilitation program to regain his powers (no attempt is made at simplyexposing Superboy to the sun's rays, however). Notably, Superboy's costume is presumably invulnerable in the series(although its origins are never properly explored). Superboy regularly uses his cape to protect people from gunfire andother peril.

Lois & Clark

In the television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Superman's powers are consistent withthe comics at the time (the immediate post-Crisis era). Due to the nature of the series (emphasizing the Clark Kentaspect of the character), Superman had the traditional powers associated with the character at the start of the seriesand the writers would often find ways to nullify those powers rather than adding new ones. Kryptonite and certain"superweapons" also took a more drastic toll on him than in other series, sometimes leaving Clark powerless forseveral hours after contact (in case of Kryptonite it was true about the first encounter in "The Green, Green Glow ofHome," but later he usually retained some of the abilities). He also had a healing factor, shown by a wound from aKryptonite bullet closing within seconds of its removal in "Madame Ex", and an ability to distinguish patterns, such asreading several different letters just from looking on the wooden table that they were writtin on. With the introductionof other Kryptonians it was revealed that they could all communicate through telepathy thus Superman would alsohave access to this power.

Smallville

In the television series Smallville, most of Clark Kent's powers develop over his teenage years. In the first episode ofthe series, he is aware of his superhuman strength and speed, and first experiences his invulnerability when Lex Luthorhits him with a Porsche at 60 miles an hour. Clark's body is bruised (but not pierced) by bullets and does notimmediately heal in early episodes. Clark's super-strength also increased over the course of the series to the pointwhere in the sixth season episode 'Combat', Clark exhibited the ability to set off powerful shockwaves with hispunches in which he successfully dispatched a formidable intergalactic foe. Similarly, his speed has also increased ashe ages. Clark has also run from Kansas to Central America and Kansas to the Fortress of Solitude at the ArcticCircle, which are thousands of miles apart, in a matter of seconds. His healing rate is greater than normal; for instance,a head wound gained while his powers had been lost closed immediately upon his powers' return. Kryptoniteexposure can inhibit this healing.

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Clark developed X-ray vision in the first season episode X-Ray, heat vision in the second season episode Heat andsuper hearing in the third season episode Whisper (This last apparently developing in response to him beingtemporarily blinded when his heat vision was reflected back at him after it struck kryptonite). He discovers superbreath in the sixth season episode Sneeze while suffering from a cold after he temporarily lost his powers. Clark'sbreath can create powerful winds, and as of season 9 episode 3 "Rabid" he is also able to cool things with his breath,this is shown when he cools Lois' coffee to distract her and use his super speed.

Flight is developed very gradually over time. The first mention is in the first season episode Metamorphosis, whereClark first "defies gravity"; however, this is not really controlled, as he is merely shown hovering over his bed whilesleeping, only to fall and destroy his bed once he wakes up. The first real controlled flight is in the second seasonepisode Vortex, although this is with the help of a tornado. In the third season finale Covenant, his "floating" in the airis assisted by Kara, a deceased human who has been empowered and programmed by Jor-El. In the fourth seasonepisode Crusade, he flies properly, but only in his Kal-El persona which was programmed by Jor-El into being aKryptonian warrior (Martha Kent's use of Black Kryptonite removed the Kal-El persona). The real world reason forthis limitation on this power is due to the "No Tights, No Flights" rule made by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar toavoid the full manifestation of Clark's Superman persona. The present producers have continued this policy. Withinthe continuity of the show, it is stated that he will not be able to fly because deep down he still thinks of himself ashuman, until he embraces his Kryptonian destiny and bypasses certain mental blocks.

Clark also exhibits a healing factor seen rarely in the comics. His healing factor seems to be heightened by directsunlight, as seen in the season 7 Premiere Bizarro when recently-sustained cuts close when he is in sunlight. Hishealing factor seems to be able to heal virtually any wound. In the season 5 episode Void, Clark's death- having beeninjected with a kryptonite-based drug that allowed the user to apparently experience the afterlife- allowed his healingfactor to neutralize the kryptonite in his system and then heal him. His ability to heal comes from his Kryptonian bloodplatelets. When injected into humans, they can resurrect the dead for a short period of time, healing whatever killedthem. This is shown in the Season 3 episode Resurrection, but required regular doses and was only viable if thesubject had died of a particular liver-based disease. Thus far, the only wound he was unable to heal from was theStarblade, a mystical weapon. However the Starblade was destroyed, and in the Season 4 episode Sacred Clark isable to heal from the wounds inflicted by Lana's enchanted weapons. In addition to Superman's rare powers he alsoages more slowly than human beings.

Added to these, Smallville also features a number of abilities not seen in other incarnations, not all of which find their

source in Clark's Kryptonian origin.[citation needed] In the first season episode "Hourglass", he was able to see thesame visions seen by a precognitive named Cassandra Carver while she held his hand, who stated that this had neverhappened with anyone else whose future she had foretold. The third season episode "Hereafter", explores Clark'simmortality and his ability to alter the destiny of others when working with a metahuman who had the power to seehow others would die; when he shook Clark's hand, he only saw Superman's cape flying through the universe, andClark's actions resulted in the visions he saw of the deaths of others being changed. Later in Season 3, in the episode"Resurrection", it is said Clark's blood has the power, when treated by an unknown process, to revive the dead.However, it is explained that this can only work on someone who has died of a certain liver disease, due to theblood's healing properties, and the fact that the liver has the most resilient cells in the human body. In addition, hisspirit itself is accredited with special healing properties in season four's "Transference", in which he temporarilyinhabits the body of Lionel Luthor. Even after the transfer is reversed, Lionel says that he feels different, his liverhaving been healed of its disease, and his previously amoral behavior changes for an extended period in laterepisodes. Clark has also been shown to have limited defenses against psionic powers; the first season episode "Stray"had a character unsuccessfully try to read Clark's mind, but some alien telepaths have had more success. On several

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occasions, Clark has broken the laws of gravity and terminal velocity, usually by jumping after someone who has beenthrown from a great height and reaching the ground before them. This could be related to the character's currentlyuntapped but apparently present ability to fly.

As with most versions of Superman, he is vulnerable to Kryptonite in several forms, with green kryptonite weakeninghim, while the show's version of red kryptonite introduced in the season two episode "Red" causes him to regressmorally, resulting in Clark doing and saying things that he would not normally say while under its influence, such asstealing money and seducing women, although he notably never resorted to murder. Blue Kryptonite is introduced inthe season seven episode "Blue" and it has the effect of stripping a Kryptonian of his or her powers as long as heremains in contact with it. Gold kryptonite is mentioned but its effects are never seen, although they are generallyimplied to be the same as previously-shown samples in that contact would deprive Clark of his powers permanently.He is also vulnerable to magic, as first revealed in the fourth season episode "Spell" and later again in the season eightepisode "Hex". The sonic cry of Black Canary also causes him intense pain due to the sensitivity of his super-hearing;in the episode "Siren", the sound actually causes Clark's ears to bleed.

During the ninth season of the show, Clark learned how to use the arctic version of super-breath. During the tenth andfinal season, Clark also demonstrated Microvision when he used it to see faded ink from a club stamp, and it is on thisvery season that he gradually starts to learn his power of flight; he progresses from stopping the Daily Planet globe'sfall in the season's premiere- momentarily halting in mid-air when he jumps to catch the globe before returning theglobe to its original place-, to psychologically inducing himself to defy gravity for a brief instant in the third episode andhovering (albeit without realizing it) while dancing with Lois Lane in "Homecoming", to actually flying within theboundaries of a cybernetic world in "Collateral". In the second half of the series finale "Finale part 2" in which Clarkbecomes Superman, he finally reconciles his Kryptonian heritage with his Terran upbringing and sheds thepsychological baggage which had prevented him from achieving flight. His physical strength was also greatly increasedto the level that he could move the planet Apokolips, Darkseid's homeworld, from the collision course with EarthDarkseid sent it on with his bare hands (Although he may have been aided in this feat by various factors such asDarkseid's recent defeat and the moral upheaval involved as he inspired humanity to hope again, considering thatApokolips was drawn to Earth by Darkseid's corruption of humanity). This version seems to follow at least the postByrne Modern era Superman, while at least some of his Silver and Bronze Age god like strength is restored. Whetherhe is more powerful than that to the point of Silver Age levels possibly will never be known since the series has endedand Smallville was about Clark's journey to becoming Superman and not Superman himself. However, in the season10 episode "Homecoming", Superman was depicted in the year 2017 containing the explosion of a nuclear reactor byflying at superspeed around the shockwave and suppressing it.

DC Animated Universe

Main article: DC Animated Universe

In the animated series Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League and its sequel Justice League Unlimited,Superman is depicted with power levels similar to those he possessed immediately following his 1986 reboot in the

comics, though the writers had admitted[citation needed] to what extent does vary depending on plot requirements.Superman possesses the powers of superhuman strength and speed, flight, x-ray vision, heat vision, wind and freezebreath, super hearing and sight, and incredible resistance to harm, though he seldom uses his heat vision, freeze breathor hearing. While Superman is immensely strong both in terms of muscle power and ability to take physicalpunishment, he is not all-powerful.

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Superman derives his power from the yellow sun of Earth. Forced under a red sun akin to the red sun of hishomeworld, Krypton, or exposed to red sun radiation, Superman rapidly loses his powers, reverting to the stature of

a normal human.[31] This version of Superman also needs to breathe, taking a deep breath in "Apokalips Now... Part2" before plunging into the ocean, and having a special suit for when he needs to operate in outer space. In theepisode Knight Time, he is shown to have microscopic vision as well as the ability of voice mimicry as he successfullymimics Batman and Robin's voices while posing as the dark knight.

As such he is fearful of utilizing the full extent of his strength and powers, because of the risk that he mightinadvertently kill someone. Darkseid, as a formidable and lethal villain, (a literal alien god) forces Superman to "cutloose", fighting Darkseid at full strength, without pulling his punches or limiting himself. At full power, Superman was

shown to be either on even terms with Darkseid, or better.[32]

The episode "The Late Mr. Kent" reveals that Superman doesn't need to eat, though he does out of habit.

In the Batman Beyond episode "The Call" set fifty years in the future of the DCAU, Superman is shown to have agedfar slower than the average human. He looks at most in his mid forties, showing only few wrinkles and grey hairs, asopposed to the younger Bruce Wayne's early-to-mid ninties. This prompts Bruce to mention that he "could use someof that Kryptonian DNA." Superman retains all of his previously shown powers at the same level despite his age. Heis said to be still active fifteen years later in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Epilogue".

Video games

Superman has been portrayed in many video games.[33]

As seen in the game Justice League Heroes, Superman had super strength, freezing breath, invulnerability, heatvision, and flight. Also, in the 7th episode of the game, he (and Wonder Woman) are able to fly in outer space(breathlessly).

In the Superman Returns video game, based on the film, his powers consist of super strength, super speed,invulnerability, flight, x-ray vision (used on large objects that Superman lifts so they won't obstruct the player's vision),super hearing (displayed as danger icons throughout the city), heat vision, super breath, and freeze breath. In thegame, health is measured in property damage, not damage to Superman.

In the Nintendo 64 version of Superman, Superman is given the abilities of super strength, invulnerability and flight.The additional powers of heat vision, super breath and super speed could be unlocked for brief periods by collecting

power icons.[34] It is also ranked as one of the Worst video games ever created.

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe features Superman displaying the powers of super strength, freezing breath, super

breath, heat vision, flight, and super speed, though none of these are used to the fullest extent.[35] Superman'sinvulnerability is not on display, explained as a combination of his weakness to magic and the effects of the "combatrage" reducing his powers.

Superman is not a playable character, and does not appear often in person in DC Universe Online; however, thegame's "iconic powers" system allows players to purchase powers of certain iconic heroes or villains, so this versionof Superman is assumed to have at least super strength, freeze breath, heat vision, X-ray vision, and likely more. Inthe game trailer, he is shown to easily take punches from then overpower Black Adam, before blasting him with heatvision at point-blank range.