Does supes have too many weaknesses?

[jadzia2000]

You know, for the most powerful hero in Comics history, Supes sure has some weaknesses. In fact, I think more than 1 is too much. Isn't a hero only supposed to have just 1 weakness?

Let's see the obvious one is kryponite, and then the red sun.

Are there any other weaknesses that he has or is that it? Oh, yes, there's also magic. That's three if you count that one.

When episodes of Superman's strength and how he's probably the most valued member of the team, I keep realizing that he's really not all that powerful if you take into account some of those fallbacks, as he's had his sharing of a few pummels here and there.

Wouldn't you agree?

[SuperChicken]

A hero can have as many weaknesses as it takes to tell a good story. Superman, without weaknesses and imperfections, is fantastically powerful. And fantastically boring, IMO.

If nothing can stop the guy, where is the tension in a story? You know how it will end. He'll win.

But if he can be beat - if somewhere in the back of your mind he might not win.

That's interesting.

Just my opinion.....

[BonyT]

A hero can have as many weaknesses as it takes to tell a good story. Superman, without weaknesses and imperfections, is fantastically powerful. And fantastically boring, IMO.

If nothing can stop the guy, where is the tension in a story? You know how it will end. He'll win.

But if he can be beat - if somewhere in the back of your mind he might not win.

That's interesting.

Just my opinion.....I couldn't agree more -- very well said. If anything, Supes might be too powerful, rather than too weak, for the good of his interest as a character.

... That might be part of the reason why, although Superman is the first comic book superhero ever, Batman, who has zero "super" abilities, is the most popular ever.

But I suspect that what you had in mind, jadzia2000, was Superman as compared to other mega-powered heroes -- is that right? For example, Captain Marvel (Shazam) has the same major powers (strength, speed, flight) but without any obvious weaknesses, which would seem to put Supes at a disadvantage, head-to-head.

That observation has been made before. Alex Ross for one, as I recall, said that, as he sees it, Marvel really should defeat Superman; and indeed, presuming he would make use of some of that "wisdom of Solomon," it's not too hard to imagine that Marvel would in fact have a good shot at figuring out a way to use some of Superman's glaring weaknesses against him, even if he couldn't out-and-out overpower Superman.

[Captain Clown]

Look at this incomplete list of Batman's weaknesses:


bullets
drowning
electrocution
bludgeoning with a club
bludgeoning with a crowbar
knives
getting dropped off a building
magic
flesh-eating bacteria
getting punched
getting hit by a car
fire

So I think Supes has it pretty good. If you think about it, even the red sun deal shouldn't necessarily count because it doesn't really make him especially weak, it just takes away the powers the yellow sun has given him and makes him a regular Kryptonian, right?

[Yarharhar]

Myself, I never quite understood how the red-sun thing worked. In the first episode it was introduced in STAS, it seemed that the red sun simply prevented his powers from regenerating. In which case he slowly 'ran out' of them as he used them. Later on it seemed simply being in red light prevented him from having any powers at all, which doesn't make any sense. Wouldn't it be just as easy to keep him in a darkened room? He wouldn't have any exposure to a yellow sun there, either.

[Dogbert]

If nothing can stop the guy, where is the tension in a story? You know how it will end. He'll win.

But if he can be beat - if somewhere in the back of your mind he might not win.In my opinion, it's less about if the hero is going to win and more about how he/she is going to win. We all know the bad guys are going to get beat, how it's done and how quickly are the things are actually vary from episode to episode. Of course, every once in awhile we get something that changes that (Legacy for example).

[Dogbert]

Myself, I never quite understood how the red-sun thing worked. In the first episode it was introduced in STAS, it seemed that the red sun simply prevented his powers from regenerating. In which case he slowly 'ran out' of them as he used them. Later on it seemed simply being in red light prevented him from having any powers at all, which doesn't make any sense. Wouldn't it be just as easy to keep him in a darkened room? He wouldn't have any exposure to a yellow sun there, either.Here's my take on that. The red sun's rays are absorbed by Superman's skin, therefore either diluting the yellow rays or replacing them. If he was in a dark room, the yellow rays he had left would slowly run out, but would last somewhat longer. Additionally, he is not used to have no super powers, so even the human level strength he'd have under the red sun seems like pain to him.

[adoptedBatpuppy]

Look at this incomplete list of Batman's weaknesses:


bullets
drowning
electrocution
bludgeoning with a club
bludgeoning with a crowbar
knives
getting dropped off a building
magic
flesh-eating bacteria
getting punched
getting hit by a car
fire
So I think Supes has it pretty good. If you think about it, even the red sun deal shouldn't necessarily count because it doesn't really make him especially weak, it just takes away the powers the yellow sun has given him and makes him a regular Kryptonian, right?
I thaght Batman knows how to Swim? :ack:

[dtemplar]

You know, for the most powerful hero in Comics history, Supes sure has some weaknesses. In fact, I think more than 1 is too much. Isn't a hero only supposed to have just 1 weakness?

Let's see the obvious one is kryponite, and then the red sun.

Are there any other weaknesses that he has or is that it? Oh, yes, there's also magic. That's three if you count that one.

When episodes of Superman's strength and how he's probably the most valued member of the team, I keep realizing that he's really not all that powerful if you take into account some of those fallbacks, as he's had his sharing of a few pummels here and there.

Wouldn't you agree?
Which type of Kryptonite are you talking about. I know 3 kinds:

1. Green: That can kill him.
2. Red: That would make him look funny, he can be a thief, an infant, twins, or even a giant ant.
3. Gold: Its been a long time since I heard about it. When Superman is exposed to Gold Kryptonite, he loses his powers.

You can also have magic or even the red sun.

[jadzia2000]

True enough.


But look at WW, and Martian Manhunter.

These are 2 examples of heroes who's weakenesses can't be pointed out.

with WW, it would seem in the classic comics her belt gave her power in man's world, however, now, I'm not sure. I heard about her bracelets being fused together to diminish them, but even that's up for debate, but for MM. does he even have a weakness?

With Supes. I wouldn't call him the most invincible of the gang because he can be easily beaten with the right defences.

The reason I bring this up, is because I was watching the movie "Unbreakable" with Bruce Willis. Sam Jackson's character emphasized that a hero has only 1 real weakness that makes him vulnerable. that being afraid of water. Otherwise he's invincible. With Supes. The writers really made him into a wuss. Except for a couple of eppys, he's been manhandled and injured, even though he's not supposed to.

[Carrieattheprom]

A hero can have as many weaknesses as it takes to tell a good story. Superman, without weaknesses and imperfections, is fantastically powerful. And fantastically boring, IMO.

If nothing can stop the guy, where is the tension in a story? You know how it will end. He'll win.

But if he can be beat - if somewhere in the back of your mind he might not win.

That's interesting.

Just my opinion.....

Exactly! That's why my favorite hero is Batman, because he's mortal so he really could lose.(In fact he REALLY lost in Knightfall) That creates tension, and makes for a great read in comics, and a great show on t.v.

[Dens Maris]

Superman's boring because he's too powerful? Far from it. I think it's that reasoning, taken to the extreme, that shows why Superman has been turned into the Big Blue Jobber.

Think about it. Superman gets his ass kicked twice as much as Batman ever does, yet Batman doesn't really take a lot of hits. Of course not- he's human, too many hits would be unbelievable. Meanwhile we're treated to Superman, who gets busted up and kicked around all the time...and of course we still don't have any tension. We know he can take it. We know he's basically just there to get his butt kicked and make the other guy look powerful. That's why episodes like Legacy Pt. 2 really stand out, because Superman isn't just letting the guy whale on him; that he fights back. I would go so far as to say that when Superman fights back, the fight is more believable. And I don't bold that to be pretentious, I bold it to be perfectly honest. When Superman fights back with all the power in him, I actually go to the edge of my seat. It shows he's serious and using his powers as powers, not as crutches. I groaned when he said "I'm the invulnerable one!" in Secret Society, but cheered when he fought Grundy in The Terror Beyond because he took the fight seriously. He planted his feet, he used tactics, he slugged it out. He didn't just stand there talking like a moron and let the other guy hit on him WITHOUT getting a single punch in.

I realize people want to make Superman's fights exciting. I realize they want to do this for all of the Justice League. But when you show him getting bulldozed by Grundy, Mongul, and Livewire- and yet Hawkgirl's magic mace and Batman's genius-level intellect mean they don't even have to bleed- that just makes it less exciting than watching a fight we know he's going to win. When he takes his opponents seriously enough to give them the best he's got, that's when we pay attention.

As for weaknesses?

1.) Magic
2.) Kryptonite
3.) Electricity (Livewire and "A Better World" proved this)
4.) Trauma (it says something that bullets bounce off Superman and he can survive laser blasts, yet he still gets owned in a fistfight)
5.) Bombs (The official bio in the STAS series said a megaton bomb or even a ballistic missile could kill him or render him comatose)

[SuperChicken]

Superman's boring because he's too powerful? Far from it. I think it's that reasoning, taken to the extreme, that shows why Superman has been turned into the Big Blue Jobber.



See, but the question that was asked is: Does he have too many weakness?
Not whether the weaknesses or powers he has are being used well.

I merely pointed out that a nigh invincible person could be very borinBut having said that I should have pointed out that he COULD be very interesting and lively. In the end, it depends on the writing. Ultimately any story or character does.

I will say that a friend of mine who just started watching JLU with 'Wake the Dead' and is not a huge comic fan was pretty annoyed at how often Supes gets his rear handed to him in JLU.

[Singularity]

Which type of Kryptonite are you talking about. I know 3 kinds:

1. Green: That can kill him.
2. Red: That would make him look funny, he can be a thief, an infant, twins, or even a giant ant.
3. Gold: Its been a long time since I heard about it. When Superman is exposed to Gold Kryptonite, he loses his powers. X: Gives cats Superman's powers. Hi, Streaky.
Anti: Affects non-superpowered Kryptonians as green affects superpowered Kryptonians.
Blue: Affects Bizarro as green affects Superman.
White: Kills plant life.
Jewel: Increases mental abilities.

[Dens Maris]

See, but the question that was asked is: Does he have too many weakness?
Enough to make him pretty boring in a fight these days.

[BigFatHairyDeal]

Hey guys,

Originally, Superman's power simply failed to replenish under red sunlight (compared to yellow sunlight). This was true pre- and post-Crisis. Just like a battery, he retained power, but it would eventually be depleted. Lately, though, some writers have portrayed red and yellow sunlight as off and on switches, respectively.

Magic as a weakness is okay, but only when writers acknowledge that everyone is vulnerable to magic. It's not as though Superman wilts while standing next to a magician. He can fight magic users as well as anyone, but unfortunately, writers forget that and caught up in the idea that magic can hurt him.

Post-Crisis originally only had green K, but there are hints that new colors will emerge.

Overall, I think Superman has enough weaknesses, not too many nor too few. The only problem the show has is that they underestimate Superman's invulnerability at times. For instance, in "A Better World," the electric charge necessary to knock out Superman should've fried Batman into a crisp. Also, in "Wild Cards," King blasted both Flash and Superman with his power. If one blast can lay out Superman, it should've pulverized Flash.

[90'sCartoonMan]

but for MM. does he even have a weakness?
Martian Manhunter is vulnerable to fire in the comics, although that may have been removed during Joe Kelly's run on JLA (not even sure if it was addresses afterwards).

I think Superman has too many weaknesses in comparrison to the other Leaguers on the show. Wonder Woman (Pre-Crisis), Martian Manhunter, and Green Lantern all have weaknesses in the comics that don't appear on JL/U. Superman has all of his, and they've been clearly shown (although that just may be because he had his own show and the others didn't).

Unless Superman is fighting a magician with green kryptonite whose power automatically emits red sun radiation, I don't see it as too much of a problem.

[Beat]

X: Gives cats Superman's powers. Hi, Streaky.
Anti: Affects non-superpowered Kryptonians as green affects superpowered Kryptonians.
Blue: Affects Bizarro as green affects Superman.
White: Kills plant life.
Jewel: Increases mental abilities.
That's all pre-crisis though.

In any case, Supes with weaknesses makes it more interesting. Granted, the guy is still the strongest hombre the JLU has, if written correctly, he's more powerful than most of the avant guarde put together.

[Yarharhar]

Supes' mental restraint is incredible, probably his strongest power. Even when he's been pushed to his breaking point by darkseid and mongul, he's still held back. I mean, imagine him pummeling someone with his full strength AND super speed. The poor fool would be "a greasy stain on his fist". Forget heat-vision lobotomization, Superman can pretty much smash anyone's head into a fine powder.

[Mynd Hed]

Think about it. Superman gets his ass kicked twice as much as Batman ever does, yet Batman doesn't really take a lot of hits. Of course not- he's human, too many hits would be unbelievable. Meanwhile we're treated to Superman, who gets busted up and kicked around all the time...and of course we still don't have any tension. We know he can take it. We know he's basically just there to get his butt kicked and make the other guy look powerful.

That's the problem with DCAU Supes in a nutshell. The writers insist on smacking him around and treating it as if it hurts and any minute he's going to be out for the count, when with a very few exceptions (Kryptonite being the main one) we know that no matter what they throw at him, he's going to get right back up. It doesn't matter how hard they try to de-power him, when an audience sees someone in that blue and red costume, they KNOW from decades of the character's history that he's invincible. Far from making the fight scenes more intense, it just makes them boring.
Teaming him up with a bunch of other characters who have not been de-powered just exacerbates the problem.

[Johnny Cakes]

but for MM. does he even have a weakness?


Oreos

[Casey Mack]

Oreos
lets face it, no body in the entire DCAU or any other universe has a rock that saps all their strength and leaves them powerless, and unable to move or anything. and since everybody nowadays has "Kryptonite", Superman has been getting wussed up for 60 years...sadly. and to think, he is the greatest hero of all time, except if someone has a kryptonite ring:sad:
________
Amateur british (http://www.****tube.com/categories/47/british/videos/1)

[SuperChicken]

lets face it, no body in the entire DCAU or any other universe has a rock that saps all their strength and leaves them powerless, and unable to move or anything. and since everybody nowadays has "Kryptonite", Superman has been getting wussed up for 60 years...sadly. and to think, he is the greatest hero of all time, except if someone has a kryptonite ring:sad:

Casey, think of it this way: (and apologies for the utter cornyness of the following)

It's not the powers who make the hero, it's the man who wields them.

Superman is a hero BECAUSE no matter what happens, even if he loses his powers, he doesn't give up. It's the same thing that makes Batman or any other non-meta hero a hero - determination.

Now, would it be nice if everybody and their grandma DIDN'T have a chunk of K-rock? Probably. But that's the writers slacking off, not a problem with the CONCEPT of kryptonite, which I think is not only fine, but neccesary for an ultra-powerful hero. IMHO.


Anyway, that's my .02, for what it's worth.

[staticblue]

Im gonna go ahead and put my 2 cents in. As far as the cartoon characters go, Its all in how the writers portray them, and in a sense, they try to get as lifelike as possible. Batman doesnt take all the hits superman does, necause they would kill him. Think about it. If you were Batman, wouldnt you be trying to get out of the way of random gunfire, laserblast, super punches, and thrown knives. I sure would. Superman feels he has to take all of those hits because he deems himself the most powerful. Id even go as far as to say He feels he has to protect the other leagures. As far as the rest of the teams weaknesses go, Even though they havent blatently said anything about them, they have eluded to them. Im sure there were a few eps when Martian Manhunter was taken out by fire. and Look at GL. We dont know if he has the yellow weakness, but In once and future thing, the DEE DEEs used those yellow whips to break through his forcefield. maybe GL doesnt know his ring is weak to yellow. as for flash, they show his weakness a lot, his personality. Ill leav the rest to you guys