How fast is he traverse speed wise, and how fast is he combat speed wise? This question always confused me. In fights involving him, people always bring up traverse speed, and then someone brings up combat speed, and then an argument happens, but it really confuses me. I know he has nanosecond reaction time, but does that have to do anything with his combat speed?

1. How fast is he, traverse speed wise?

2. How fast is he, combat speed wise?

Well, considering he can do all three of the following in this fallacy list:

http://outskirtsbattledome.wikispaces.com/Combat+Speed+Fallacy

I'd say his combat speed, when he wants it to be, is pretty high.

According to the article that Perezite posted, There is no difference between Traverse Speed and Combat Speed.

Questions like this are sort of moot in the matter that they (the publisher) will never ever state an exact limit or definitive measure to any of Superman's abilities. He will be as fast or as strong as he needs to be to overcome the odds against him.

And the same can be said for pretty much any superhero ever/

@perezite: Well characters like Captain America are supposed to have some limitations, like he's got the strength of 10 men , or Daredevil or Batman. These are characters that have definitive limits to their abilities and will likely never be seen fending off a meteor shower with their fists or withstanding a death ray that can annihilate a city.

A character like Wolverine should have these limits applied to him but never seems to and that creates an abundance of inconsistencies for the character.

Yeah, but Cap, Daredevil, and Batman have done things outside of their weight range quite a bit like Wolverine too.

@perezite: That is true. :)

@perezite: No. That doesn't work for Superman. Superman, unlike other speedsters, has an increasing acceleration over time. So let's say his max speed he has gotten to is 10x FTL. He can't do that speed instantly, because he has a constant increasing acceleration as he flies.

Where'd you get that bull from?

@perezite: It's common fact. Unlike Flash, who can reach his max speed at any time, Superman can only reach his maximum speed as he flies, overtime. If he was, for arguments sake, 10x FTL and that was his top speed which he ONLY reached by accelerating in space, that wouldn't be how fast he can move in an instant. So, as it shows in this scan, for example, he can go mach 50 in an instant.

@limpoyzloan said:

@perezite: It's common fact. Unlike Flash, who can reach his max speed at any time, Superman can only reach his maximum speed as he flies, overtime. If he was, for arguments sake, 10x FTL and that was his top speed which he ONLY reached by accelerating in space, that wouldn't be how fast he can move in an instant. So, as it shows in this scan, for example, he can go mach 50 in an instant.

Wasn't he in a black hole at the time and wouldn't that black hole be sapping even the FLASH of his acceleration?

@perezite: I doubt that the Flash would have trouble with that. If he can go FTL in an instant, then he could escape the black hole instantly.

With the amount of gravitational force trying to pull him into the event horizon?

@perezite: Nothing suggests that black holes can capture beings that are MFTL. And in Flash's case, that's like 13 trillion times the speed of light.

I hope they dont make him FTL in the New 52. That would be a bad move.

Haven't they already?

I havent heard them mentioning anything about it in Action Comics.If they did then it was most likely in the Superman book. And i dont read that book.

@limpoyzloan: this not real black hole,though

@limpoyzloan: 13 trillion times the speed of light?what?where?

@powerwoman: Some guy did calculations on the matter. Remember when he carried all those people to safety in under a picosecond? Well some guy did some calculations on it. Here's the scan:

I don't see anything to suggest that it's different. It never defines itself differently. Now for black holes like the one seen in Treasure Planet, that's different. If that was real life, it would suck the entire ship in in a matter of milliseconds.

@limpoyzloan: who know,this is comics book,and this is not real black hole,so,i dont know why should be think they are is same thing

and this not really,just fans of the calculation,i'm remember superman fans says superman 19 trillion times the speed of light

@powerwoman: ...What?

Yes yes yes, Post-Crises 616 Supes beats Goku. Now quit being butt hurt and make a thread that isn't a thinly veiled attempt at trying to hurt your wounded pride at seeing one of your personal sacred cows get beaten and contribute something sir.

@perezite: I seriously love your comments. I really do. Yes, I think Goku wins. Is that my own personal opinion? Yes. Do I still love Superman? Yes. Was there any point in putting this comment in, as it has NOTHING to do with the topic in the first place?

@limpoyzloan said:

@perezite: I seriously love your comments. I really do. Yes, I think Goku wins. Is that my own personal opinion? Yes. Do I still love Superman? Yes. Was there any point in putting this comment in, as it has NOTHING to do with the topic in the first place?

And why DO you think Goku wins? Besides him being your own personal messiah?

@perezite: I'm not gonna discuss it here. It's an inappropriate place to discuss it, as it has nothing to do with the topic itself.

@limpoyzloan said:

Some guy did calculations on the matter. Remember when he carried all those people to safety in under a picosecond? Well some guy did some calculations on it. Here's the scan:

Are those calculations meant to be a parody? They omit the 13.57 and the "and" part and focus on the .00001 part.

@sc: I'm not sure whether they are reliable or not, but people use them all the time in Flash vs Superman races.

@limpoyzloan said:

The comic states that the time period was 13.57 and .00001. The guy doing the calculations claiming the comic was wrong because the numbers don't add up, didn't read the comic properly. Hopefully its not the people at CV using those calculations as valid evidence for anything.

@sc: Yeah, that was probably a bad example lol.

Super.