Superman is one of the most powerful superheroes around. He can pretty much do anything, or at least he used to be able to. His power levels have fluctuated over time and he even had the power to move planets before. He could fly into any battle with a really good chance of always winning.

Having super-abilities might sound fun and exciting but they can also be a curse.

While many of his abilities are often portrayed in comics (including dancing, brains and having super-hair), it makes perfect sense that there are other abilities he would also possess. Having super strength, speed, vision, hearing, etc might be an asset to the Man of Steel but there are also several dangers he faces everyday while struggling to control his abilities.

Super strength isn't everything it's cracked up to be. Think about how strong you are compared to the strength of an infant. For the average person, an easy task such as crushing an empty beer can is no problem but for an infant, it would be more of a struggle. The average person doesn't "turn on" their strength, they just have that level of strength. The same should apply to Superman. He can bend steel as if it were a piece of taffy and he doesn't have to concentrate or tap into some power reserve inside his body in order to do it.

Superman has to constantly be cautious with what he does. The world for him is a fragile place. The slightest twitch could result in damage or even the death of an innocent bystander. How did Clark sleep next to Lois all those years before "The New 52"? (And yes, I'm only talking about sleep). What if Superman had a tendency to toss and turn during his sleep? He could punch a hole through Lois' head if his fist lashed out during a nightmare.

What about something like snoring? If everything Superman did was super, it should also include snoring. Superman's super-breath used to be able to blow the entire planet. Imagine the intensity and vibrations of a super-snore. It would be enough to level his building and the surrounding area. But because Superman has a super-brain, he probably has his dwellings fortified against this kind of damage.

What about kissing or holding someone's hand? He could kiss the face off someone if he wasn't careful. I'd imagine his skin would have to be rock-hard as well. If bullets bounce off him, his skin would have to be like granite. If someone just bumped into him, it'd be like walking into a brick wall.

Does Superman have a super-appetite? We know he gets his powers from the yellow sun but is that all the energy he really needs? With the energy he exerts zipping around the world smashing the bad guys and saving the day, he must use up a bit of energy. If it's a cloudy day or during the rainy season, does he still get enough energy from the sun? Do the rays he need still penetrate through on an overcast day? Would Superman have to take a quick trip above the clouds or can he supplement that with eating. If he does eat, he must have a super-appetite. That would clearly lead to high grocery store bills. Superman would also have to be cautious to not shop and only one grocery store. The clerks might get suspicious if Clark was constantly buying enough food for an army.

Finally, a topic I've brought up on our podcast. Does Superman have to go to the bathroom?

The idea might seem like a stretch but it is a part of our everyday activities. In fact, I'm not the only one to think about it. Grant Morrison, current writer of ACTION COMICS, brought up the very question in his a book, Supergods. According to Morrison:

The slightly disturbing answer to that one is that Superman gets all the energy and sustenance he needs from the sun. When he does eat, his body is so efficient, it processes the food completely, leaving no waste.

I totally respect Grant Morrison but I'm not sure about that one. But for the sake of the planet, sewage processing plants and plumbers of the world, let's hope this isn't a concern. Superman might be able to do a lot of super things. His powers have been decreased over the years so it's possible that just maybe everything he does isn't completely super.

Super farts blow away buildings?

I always thought the risk or being accidentally punched by a sleeping Superman would outweigh any reason for getting in a bed with him.

@moywar700 said:

Super farts blow away buildings?

idk. But if i were superman id give bill oriley a super punch to the face! I hate that guy! Lol

I know his powers can be dangerous if not controlled. I try to imagine if someone who has the powers like the Scarlet Witch or Franklin Rhicards or Dr. Manhatten being able to bend all of reality. That can be dangerous.

@saoakden:

Like captain atom, firestorm too...

This kind of character and all of the superman, sentry and captain marvel are the kind of character who don't have to be in a comic. I mean even appolo in the authority and stormwatch is not all powerfull because he must be charged.

@wowylied: Oh yeah I forgot about the Sentry. Yeah that dude had the power of a million suns. Have you read World War Hulk? & I'm talking about the main event, none of that tie-in stuff. The Sentry fought the Hulk at full power in the last main issue of World War Hulk. Their battle set the whole battlefield into flames. It was insane. Thats is my favorite Hulk story so far. Haven't read the new stuff yet. Now I think about, What about the Hulks? If you read the Planet Hulk and World War Hulk you can really see what the guy can do. Again its what I read so far.

I'd love to be raped by a girl with super strength.

By far the stupidest "Off My Mind" to date.

i bet superman's earwax and boogers have some amazing properties. lol

@BatClaw89 said:

By far the stupidest "Off My Mind" to date.

this

I like to assume all of these issues had came up for Clarke while growing up in Smallville, and with his parents help they had already came up with solutions for them.

@BatClaw89 said:

By far the stupidest "Off My Mind" to date.

I wanted to say I felt like I was reading comment a troll wrote, but I thought it would've been mean.

Toilet parts aside, this is actually a pretty interesting post. Makes me think of one of the few Superman books I had growing up when he was "dead" about this group of people that were given one of each of Supes abilities and yes, each was powerful but they had handicaps such as the man with flight had to be held in a machine while he slept so he didn't float away and the super-strength guy would never know a woman's touch because he was so strong that just a tap of his finger was bone-breaking, etc. etc. Horrible book but brings some points that this article is spot on for taking into consideration. I enjoyed.

I bet he pisses a hole in the toilet if he really has to go ;-)

shit n they tell me he cant whoop the hell outtta the hulk lol

As far as Superman's solar power. Even a solar calculator works on a cloud day. Of course, I'd think flight and heat vision would require more energy than that. I would think he'd still need a lot of protein. They sort of explain this same issue in manga. You'll often see Goku and Luffy eating a ton of meat and other food.

I do remember reading something somewhere that Clark has to be very mindful of holding back his strength all the time so he doesn't accidentally crush things when he picks them up. When he's asleep is a valid point to bring up.

I'm just happy you stayed away from the topics Brodie brought up to Stan Lee in Mallrats. When I saw the title, I was a tad worried you might go there.

@BatClaw89:

Wow, I'm not sure this sort of comment could be any more rude and unnecessary. I don't see what's stupid about it. I'd like to see the critics of this one try and think up article ideas every single day.

It's not like he's Black Bolt who meditated religiously to safeguard others from his powers.

The whole Supes and Lois sex thing is still a common topic but I honestly never thought about the simple act of Supes sleeping next to Lois. Which is a good point by G-Man. My take always has been due to simple reasons of control and actions especially when he isn't conscious Superman really would not hook up with a "mere mortal" but instead be compelled to be with a similarly super powered character.

Grant Morrison states what I always assumed, that Superman's energy processing of the sun would simply mean he wouldn't have the need to eat or other biological needs like most humans. Also he is Kryptonian so perhaps that comes into play to a small degree as well.

Some funny as comments on this one.

EDIT: Just to add, a person can still get sunburned on a cloudy day. Solar energies still peer through the clouds quite well.

Maybe he's got a red sun lamp in his bedroom.

HULK THINK SUPERMAN NO DOODOO!!! SUPERMAN ABSORB HIS DOODOO!!! SUPERMAN FULL OF DOODOO!!!

@mattiebatslayer: Me too! Here's the full cover:

It's not that easy, being Super~

So, to sum up, no poops for Supes.

Superman has as many super-abilities as the writer needs him to have. End of story.

@Lurkero said:

Superman has as many super-abilities as the writer needs him to have. End of story.

this is exactly true.

but back on the topic of super waste. Superman has the ability to control his vocal cords and muscles when he needs too. so who says he can't do the same when he has to do the number 1 and 2. sure with the radiation of the yellow sun coursing through his veins i would imagine and dead cells that come out might be a little irradiated. and he does eat it shows that many times in comics. so the waste from that would be irradiated too. Im worried about the sewer rats and alligators that might come across that little uranium rod that is floating down there.

the man is a titan but does not mean he can't control his own powers.

@luther22 said:

...Secondly you might want to go back and re-edit this paper do to poor grammar.

I really hope that was meant to be ironic. If not, it's still funny to me.

I always felt that Superman practices with his powers and is often holding back in fights unless it was necessary to go all out like in the last episode of JLU. I agree that you can't "turn off" your strength, but you can restrain yourself and Superman's good at doing that.

I love how the waitresses are just dropping the burgers onto the ground. Way to treat Earth's premiere hero, girls!

The real question is does Superman have a penis?

I also read that in Supergods. I still haven't finished the book. Very interesting stuff though.

Personally I always wondered how he maintained his powers on Darkseid's world? If the only reason he is super is because of our yellow sun, how is he so powerful in other solar systems?

@emmbro30 said:

Personally I always wondered how he maintained his powers on Darkseid's world? If the only reason he is super is because of our yellow sun, how is he so powerful in other solar systems?

Perhaps because he keeps the yellow energy permanently in his body.

@G-Man said:

@mattiebatslayer: Me too! Here's the full cover:

totally had this issue!

I don't know why writers don't deal with this more. It would legitimize the warnings Luthor has been droning on for years...

@jubilee042 said:

@moywar700 said:

Super farts blow away buildings?

Superman has a great deal of control over his abilities. It's why he can shake someone's hand without breaking it or hug someone without squeezing them to death. He's spent his entire life learning how to control his abilities so that he doesn't lose control and cause harm to anyone. I think this topic was brought up in the early issues of Supergirl, pre New 52 of course that whilst it appeared that Supergirl was more powerful than he was, Superman exercised more control over his abilities than Supergirl.

All of this is what makes Superman a stupid, boring character. Of course if he was this powerful he'd destroy everything he touched. Holding a woman would be like trying to handle a soap bubble to him. That's why you write characters that make freakin sense and you don't have to worry about him farting away Mt Everest.

Yes this is all intriguing stuff to me as well about how there are implications of danger in Supes's great powers. I think part of why he hasn't destroyed the world twice over yet is through a great deal of control over the powers yet. Otherwise he'd have broken Lois and the bed by now, sneezed away the Sol System, and created a greater gas storm than even the invention of yellow cross during World War I.

@Lurkero: It was

The sleeping should really be considered. He has a much better chance of controlling himself while he's awake, but while sleeping, dreaming, things could become a bit defficult. But maybe Lois prepares for this and has some form of invisible forcefield that is atuomatically connected to the time they go to sleep.

The first issue of Commond Grounds comic book (Top Cow) tells about the downslides of superpowers from the POV of speedster Speeding Bullet.

Overthinking....

That's all I'll say. LOL.

@Static Shock said:

Overthinking....

That's all I'll say. LOL.

Maybe. LOL

But then again I've considered some of these myself.

Superpowers are awesome in theory, but in practice could be bad much more easily than good Also while this was focused on Superman I find that a lot of this could be spread to a great many characters.

Wow, are you sure this is ComicVine and not a Cracked.com article?

Nice post gman

Most people have enough strength to break a lot of stuff, but we also have fine motor control, so we can assemble a pocket watch or paint an easter egg without ruining it.

Supes probably has super control over his abilities, meaning that he can possibly finetune his power levels to a much higher degree than humans can.

@Soulstealer: Yes, since a lot of characters are similar to Superman. There was even a book about why Superman shouldn't have sex or something. It was a little over the top.

@Static Shock said:

Overthinking....

That's all I'll say. LOL.

Second and basically all these issues have been addressed in one way or another.