Sent to Earth as an infant from the dying planet Krypton, Kal-El was adopted by the loving Kent family and raised in America's heartland as Clark Kent. Using his immense solar-fueled powers, he became Superman to defend mankind against all manner of threats while championing truth, justice, and the American way!
He only has the powers he has shown, if you look at the future versions (like DC One million with superman prime one million he is omnipotent from absorbing so much yellow star radiation that he some how gains the ability to replicate others abilities or something. Either way the more sun he gets the more powerful and over time the more powers he gains
yeah think about superman doesnt even TRY!!!!!!! EVER!!!!! yeah he has had hard fights but he always wins without going to that place in where his power is fully untapped.......
think of it this way imagine goku never going super saian ? yeah thats superman he can go farther but he doesnt i think his only real limit is himself
@DEGRAAF: its from countdown Arena when Monarch gathered different versions of heroes and had them fight it out so he could add the strongest to his army
" @DEGRAAF: its from countdown Arena when Monarch gathered different versions of heroes and had them fight it out so he could add the strongest to his army "
the real reason is he has limited control over the electromagnetic spectrum. That goes for Clarks vision to. He doesn't just see the entire spectrum. He can choose to focus it through his eyes.His heat vision for example is either concentrated infored vision or some kinda microwave vision. here's the proof
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Notice how superman states that objects don't feel as heavy when he flies with them? That implies something.Superman has the potential for powers he doesn't even know he has. For example There is also a Kryptonian clone who showed multiple new powers due to being exposed to the different types of radiation from countless stars H'El's cells absorbed during his space travel, including Black Stars and raging Quasars.
The idea that Superman vision powers like heat and x-ray visions are real literal representations of what he says they are, don't totally make sense.
Heat vision would be concentrated infrared particles being released by his eyes, but the color red would be relative. Seeing that when we turn infrared radiation into a form we can see, it's usually red or green. So Superman heat vision should be red or green, but for the most part there wouldn't be any reason why Superman makes his heat vision visible to the human eye. And if it was microwaves, then again we'd have the problem of why Superman would choose to make it visible, and if it was visible then it would be white in color and not red.
X-ray vision, would constantly give cancer to everyone standing in the path of his x-rays.
And Superman would be smart to actually change the attack options, just so not to become so predictable. Like using microwave, laser, ultraviolet, and gamma vision. Instead of sticking to the same powers all the time.
Just because he can see in the entire known EM spectrum doesn't mean he can actually use the same radiations he sees.
It makes much more sense for Superman body to do whatever it does, have that immense energy inside it, and he can consciously manipulate it through willpower in some way.
Heat vision would simply be high concentrated energy particles. X-ray vision would be energy released in another form that worked similar to neutrinos instead of x-rays, that way Superman would be able to use it without risking giving cancer to people.
Seeing in the EM spectrum would just be a consequence of highly heightened visual perception. The same for his other senses... Kind of.
Either way there would have to be a psionic element to each of his powers. Because of the simple fact of how he uses them.
How he manipulates the intensity and wide of heat vision, how he can single out a single sound in an entire world of sounds, even hear in the vacuum of space.
How he flies. It all points to at least a minimal use of psionic energy, be it telepathy, telekinesis or both. Like a tactile form of both.
And it's true that he as a lot more potential in terms of power growth and development of powers than the one's he usually uses.
Even simple special yellow sunlight can be more effective than the normal one. As seen when Apollo (greek god) fired his solar light at Superman. Or when he was exposed to the yellow sunlight of the anti-sun. And of course the more powerful forms of stellar energy, like in blue stars, neutron stars and quasars.
H'El was a good example of how far Superman can go. At least he was more easy to understand than Kal Kent or even the very speculative Superman-Prime from DC One Million, that no one knows exactly what his power levels were. And even H'El kinda hinted on the psionic element of kryptonian powers. That simple yellow sunlight only allows to develop basic tactile psionic abilities, while stronger forms of stellar energy increase the sheer amount and ability to use the psionic element.
@heavenlydarkdragon: I'm in full agreement with the whole "telekinesis" theory.
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Now I'm not saying that Clark's Abilities come soley from just the electromagnetic spectrum. What I am saying though is that it goes hand in hand with the Scionic aspect theory. Isn't Telekinesis at it's basic being able to manipulate all forms of energy and matter with the mind? Now there have been multiple interpretations over the years So I guess it depends on the headcanon of the specific writer. Supergirl for example does not have red heat vision in her TV series. Classic Superboy stories used to say it was heat generated by his X ray. Lex himself once said his eyes actually emit radiation in the form of infra-ed. Though in my opinion It doesn't make much difference how he does it when it's clearly still done by mental control.
In theory telekinesis is the ability to manipulate matter and in higher more advance forms, even forms of energy.
Usually when the psionic word is used, it implies psychic energy being used. To which degree it depends on the user. In Marvel we had Charles Xavier that was mostly known for being the most powerful telepath on Earth, but in some circunstances he showed little hints of something more. Especially during the Onslaught phase. Jean Grey, was also a powerful telepath and the telekinetic abilites evolved to the point she could not only manipulate matter but also multiple forms of energy. Psylocke initially she was mainly telepathic with that ability to physically manifest her telepathy into a visible weapon. Later on she started to manifest telekinetic powers and she became even more lethal.
Take the most recent example. Monet. Her powers are all based on psionic energy. She possesses superhuman strength, speed, durability, near invulnerability, the ability to fly, she has genius level intelligence, telepathy so strong she can even determine other mutants powers and how they work exactly and her telekinesis is quite wide. And she sometimes as been shown using energy blasts that can either be pure force, hot or cold. Reminds you of someone?
Now. We know Superman powers can't be fueled by sunlight because the math doesn't add up. The same way the Hulk doesn't get his powers from gamma radiation, because again the math doesn't add up. In Superman case I believe sunlight to be a catalyst, and nothing more. Something that activates another process altogether. Call it accessing extradimensional energy, subatomic energy, anything is better than solar battery.
Another example how sometimes people over complicate things. Is this theory that Superman somehow manipulates gravity to fly. Not taking into account that gravity manipulation is actually the most ineffective way to fly. Especially if we want the liberty to fly in any direction and also how gravity manipulation would actually cause damage to people and objects that Superman would carry with him. For example everytime he saved someone at super-speed he would kill that person. Because the pressure and heat caused by his gravitational warp field would kill anyone not superhuman in resistence.
One time in the CBR Community I read a theory that was even more simple than even the bio-aura theory. That person theory was that Superman was simply using and controlling one of his natural senses. Because like he pointed out, we don't have five senses, but nine. Amongst those nine are thermoception (the ability to sense hot and cold) which operates under different receptors than touch. He actually theorized it was the control of this sense that gave the heat vision and cold breath. And we have a sense called proprioception, that allows us to feel things about our own body like pain and gives us a form spatial orientation. He believed it was the conscious application of the immense amount of energy a kryptonian body produces/processes that allowed Superman to fly. So basically all his powers, the non physical were all enhanced applications and manipulations of that same energy.
Personally I found this idea interesting besides its obvious flaws. But again it's better than to say he controls gravitons.
@heavenlydarkdragon: You kinda lost me with the weird dimensional energy stuff. I already have that explanation for people like the flash. Solar battery is fine in my opinion. Agree with everything else.
Initially he too was considered a solar battery. Until Marvel came to the easy realization that in no way in heaven or hell, does enough energy in the form of sunlight arrives at Earth in a entire year to explain those levels of power. So what did Marvel did!? They used sunlight as a catalyst. Sunlight enables Cyclops cells to access a form of extradimensional energy that fuels his optic blasts.
I was simply applying the same line of thought to kryptonians. Their bodies take in sunlight, that sunlight activates another process altogether and it's from that process that they gets their powers.
Just for Superman to be able to move the Earth he'd need around 1,4 yottajoules of energy (that's 1.4x10^24). Seeing that the Earth only receives around 300 watts for square metter (in the summer, in optimal conditions) of solar energy in the form of sunlight. Superman would have nowhere to get the energy he needs. Not from sunlight at least.
Just take into account that the Earth receives in a single year around 50 exajoules (50x10^18) of solar radiation (sunlight included of course). And that Superman for five days straight, without being exposed to any sunlight was able to move the total mass of the Earth, in a machine built to simulate that amount of mass.
In Superman Unchained, Bruce tells Clark that he pulls in roughly about 140 gigawatts of solar energy at any given moment. Or in other words, that amount of energy every second. So let me ask you this... Where does he pulls that energy from? It sure isn't from sunlight.
Simple conclusion: Kryptonian solar battery theory debunked.
@heavenlydarkdragon: Ah but you still agree he is a solar battery of a sort? Even if it's not the main source it's still a part of it that makes the rest work. Absorbing from the rest of the electromagnetic energy around him as explained in unchained feels like what your basically saying.
Yes of course. That's why I used the word 'catalyst'.
Meaning kryptonian physiology takes in sunlight and then activates another process altogether.
And that process can be whatever you prefer. Be it channeling the entire EM spectrum, tapping into subatomic energy, extradimensional energy...Whatever you prefer. This I always leave to each reader to pick what to them would make more sense.
@heavenlydarkdragon: So the more yellow sunlight they get the more EM energy they get in general? As well as Red sunlight cutting off that catalyst and suppressing those abilities.
I would like from this point on DC use this explanation for all kryptonian and hybrids.
I highly doubt DC will ever think in terms of "Let's at least make it so kryptonian powers can't be logically explained they can't work as we say they work".
Also I doubt they read forums for ideas. If they did, then a lot of weird explanations that can be almost immediately debunked, would not be used.
I only expose my ideas for other fans that also try to figure out kryptonian powers and come to the same conclusion people like me and you did, a long time ago. They can't work as they are explained, because we can with facts debunk what DC claims.
Superman and kryptonians in general are not like The Flash for example. They don't get their powers from a extradimensional power source that we have no way of debunking it. We can put into question some of the speedsters feats. Like running to the extreme of the universe. Or running through solid objects. But we can't simply say the Speed Force doesn't exist, or at least a real life equivalent.
@heavenlydarkdragon: So the more yellow sunlight they get the more EM energy they get in general? As well as Red sunlight cutting off that catalyst and suppressing those abilities.
Inside my theory, no. Let me explain why.
Sunlight being the catalyst and not the actual source would explain why we many times see, that Superman only needs like a few seconds of sunlight even if it's not at it's strongest, and almost immediately he recharges even if not fully.
So sunlight would be necessary only to keep the process working and allow Superman cells to access whatever type of energy you prefer. Let's say that the other process, is tapping into the entire known EM field. That would mean Superman and any other kryptonian, can tap into not only the Earth magnetosphere, that puts out annually around 2000 Zettajoules of energy.
Seeing the global energy consumption is around 0.5 ZJ for year, we can say that if our species could tap into our planet EM energy we'd have all the energy we'd need.
Kryptonians would also have available cosmic radiation, and solar radiation. If we account for all that. And the amount that reaches Earth daily, then Superman is actually weak in comparison. Because the sheer amount of energy that reaches Earth daily is mind blowing. Scientists simply don't talk about it that much, because we can't tap into all that energy with our current technology or any foreseeable technology in the near future, and so it would be pointless to keep mentioning that up.
But to answer your question about Superman proximity to the Sun. Inside my theory, beeing closer to the sun would have only one effect. Instantaneous recharge! Basically Superman would never go bellow 100% of what a G class star can grant him in terms of power.
But let's say he built a suit that turned a G type class star sunlight into a O type class star sunlight. Mind you, O type stars are amongst the biggest and more brightest stars in the universe. Just a small amount would be enough to override the G type sunlight, more known as Yellow-White star. OUR star. And increase Superman powers to a much higher level and even grant him new powers. (This has in a way been shown in comics before, Blue sunlight actually increases the powers of a kryptonian)
But! The red sunlight weakness (inside my theory) could not work the same way as seen in the comics. Superman when exposed to red sunlight only, would simply lose his ability to recharge his powers. If he went from Earth fully charged to Krypton. Then he would have the same powers on Krypton that he had on Earth, as long as there was still energy stored in his body. The moment he drained that energy, then no more powers. Unless of course he had a portable Yellow sunlight emitter, to activate the process and recharge.
In the case of hybrids like Kon-El. To me what happens is that the human part of his genome, actually grants him the ability to have that process always activated, at any given moment. Making hybrids not dependent of sunlight of any kind to activate that process. This would of course in theory also make hybrids much less powerful than a pure blood kryptonian, in terms of potential. Because they would have no way to increase their powers. Unless of course somehow they developed a way to mentally access those higher degrees of power or if with age their powers would slowly but steadily increase on their own.
I only even suggest the mental possibility, because we've seen time and time again, that a kryptonian state of mind also affects how effectively their powers work.
@heavenlydarkdragon: All very interesting. Kinda glad that Superman Unchained opened up the possibility for this theory. So would you say his powers are similar to magneto? Seeing as his power involves controlling the entire EM spectrum. And would exposure to Hulk emitting Gamma Rays only make him stronger? I assume so if the sun generates any gamma radiation as well. So what if a writer did include this theory but still wanted to keep the red sun weakness. Could it simply be explained away as not "draining" but simply turning the power off or supressing it until exposed to yellow sunlight again to be able to again tap into the energy he already had when it might have previously went "dormant"? I only say this because I noticed that in his "Earth One" interpretation Lex Exposed him to a red sun beam and it took away his powers. But it was showed as wearing off over time and Clark was slowly getting his powers back (and this was happening at night where Clark wasn't even getting any sunlight) Kinda like with Blue Kryptonite from the Smallville TV series. Anyway out of all the energy sources I think I'll pick the full EM spectrum as my personal headcanon. However I would like you to elaborate on what you said earlier when you said Superman is "weak" compared to what he really is. IS there really THAT much energy? Is this energy everywhere even in space? Is it truly a limitless supply of energy as long as he is within contact with yellow sunlight first? Could it be possible that he's less of a solar battery and more like a solar reactor? Could he be recycling through renewable energy over and over again so as to be self sustaining? They say Energy can't be created or destroyed, only converted. But the universe is constantly expanding and giving birth to new stars all the time isn't it? Does that mean that he could simply be a solar amplifier? Taking what little energy he gets and doing more with it then we ever could? Like how does Spider-man have the strength to lift cars but doesn't need to eat 10 times a day to hold that strength level? Also if you don't mind me asking this only slightly off topic question
Sorry if I have been asking to many questions at once. We might be taking this to seriously for a comic book. But I still think it's an interesting theory you bring up and would love to continue this discussion.
Sure. No problem. And I always find this more interesting than trying to figure out who's the real Superman. -52 version or +52.
Okay, let's get into this.
Magneto. Well. In many ways Magneto is more skillful with his powers than Superman. Just think about it. Magneto control of magnetic fields actually works like a extra sense plus limb. The precision... If Superman was that precise, he could use his, let's say ability to tap into the EM field and he would have no weaknesses... except for magic. Maybe!
And I say this because if Supes was able to tap into and control the known EM spectrum, to it's totality, he would possess no weaknesses:
Red Sunlight=Superman could simply take any form of light, and turn it into yellow or better yet blue sunlight. So red sunlight weakness would be erased.
Kryptonite=Seeing this radioactive mineral operates within a certain frequency, all Superman would need to do would be to block that frequency and at least raw Kryptonite would've no effect on him.
Psychics=Even a telepath has to possess a certain frequency it works with, so once that frequency was determined he could also block it out.
Magic=Now this one would be tricky, seeing most complex spells work with a combination of several types of supernatural energy. So blocking it would be difficult. But Superman could always at least practice to generate a extra field of protection to maybe at least minimize the damage.
But clearly Superman doesn't possess that level of control, no kryptonian had or has that type of control. Not the Eradicator or H'El.
The way Superman powers work, are mainly passive. He doesn't choose what energies he taps into, if he could then the red sunlight, Kryptonite, and psychic problems would not exist. Also if we choose the tapping into the entire EM spectrum source, then it would make sense that the Hulk own power would only serve to feed Superman power. Because gamma radiation is also part of EM spectrum. So the more gamma radiation the Hulk had in him the better it would be for Superman, because he would have a power source right next to him. In fact if a kryptonian could control their powers like Magneto does, the Hulk would be defeated without lifting a finger. All a kryptonian would have to do would be to drain all the energy out of the Hulk. And not just the Hulk, basically anyone with energy based powers, could be drained of their powers. Even simple humans could be knocked unconscious or killed by simply draining their natural bio-energy. No energy to fuel the muscles in our bodies and we'd die. A kryptonian would be so OP that basically almost nothing would be able to stop them.
Remember that the EM spectrum doesn't just go from microwaves to gamma radiation. It goes way lower than microwaves and way higher than gamma. It's true that gamma radiation can go up to exahertz in frequency, but it's believed to exist much higher forms of energy.
A writer that wanted to use this theory and still include the instant power loss of a kryptonian because of red sunlight. A writer could simply have to introduce at least a notion of how that process actually works. Sunlight, the catalyst for kryptonian powers. Operates as a catalyst because of the stars diffraction lines. The diffraction lines are what truly differentiates star types from one another. It's the lines in sunlight caused by the atomic composition of each type of stars. Like bar code.
Red stars for example, have much less amounts of hydrogen than the other types, but they are the ones that possess the highest amount of heavy atoms, or heavier elements. Blue stars possess huge amounts of hydrogen and very little amounts of heavy elements. And Yellow stars like our own are somewhere in the middle. Think of the diffraction lines as the on and off switch/code. Red stars possess a unusable code, while everything above, are all usable codes. Also one good way to explain the instant (or gradual) gain and loss of power, could be explained through superconductivity. One could say that the kryptonian genetic makeup, makes their genetic material gain superconductive properties while exposed to the sunlight of stars that aren't red, and as such it activates the process by which they tap into their true power source, while red stars would disable the superconductivity and thus the process that enables a kryptonian to tap into the energy that makes them godly. But there's one key factor that would have to introduced or better yep removed... The solar battery thing. Kryptonians would store sunlight much like we do, and thus to keep their powers a kryptonian would need two things... a) To expose himself daily to sunlight b) He couldn't let himself be exposed to red sunlight or his powers would immediately or slowly start to switch off.
When I said Superman is weak in comparison, I meant that seeing the sheer amount of energy Earth gets hit every second, would be enough to desintegrate the entire planet millions of times in just one minute. And Superman is powerful, but he's clearly not that powerful. The universe is filled with energy. You might look at the universe and see mainly black, but if you saw the EM spectrum from, let's say microwaves to gamma radiation, the universe would be one hell of a bright place. In fact it is a bright place, but we are limited by eyes that can only see in the optic spectrum. Our eyes can't even see infrared and that's our bodies most natural form of radiation. That alone should show you how limited we are. We got species on our planet that see infrared, optic and ultraviolet... In different degrees, but all at the same time. We see in optic spectrum and even a house cat has more capacity in that department than us.
But now you're wondering "How is our planet still in one piece then?" and the answer is simple. Not all forms of radiation (that is nothing more than EM energy in different frequencies) interact with matter on the same level. For example, neutrinos. With each second that passes, be it day or night, billions of neutrinos pass through our bodies. They contain energy but what they don't have is mass. Or at least enough of it to interact with matter, so all that energy just passes us by, like it isn't even there, but it is. And that's just one example. Think about it. We live in a galaxy that has hundred of billions of stars, all putting out into space, energy. That energy doesn't vanish, it travels, it transforms itself when it comes into contact with other forms of energy or matter. But space is only a vaccum if we look at it from the prespective of apparentely not having enough physical matter to occupy it, to fill it up. When in truth what it's really filled with, is energy.
There was a study released a few years ago, that showed that if we had a metamaterial that could harness energy from microwave frequency to gamma radiation frequency, then the world would have no need, for coal, oil, natural gas, hydrolic, wind, or nuclear energy. For example New York city, would only need something the size of a small house made of that metamaterial and the city power needs would be met for the next thousand years or more. And it would work 24/7. Energy for intended purposes would be free. Your car would only need an electric engine, and a power battery the size of the ones we use currently in our cellphones. And you could drive your car at speeds that would make the fastest Bugatti look like a bicycle in comparison, 24/7. Obviously all engines would need to be speed limited, but at least you could travel through the entire world without having to worry about fuel. The energy would be, as it is right now. All around you. The parts of the engine would break down before you ran out of power. You'd never ran out of power, the battery might break down or possess a expiration date. But the energy, would never ran out, because it's already there, even now, all around us. Which is kinda of a bad joke. We make wars for fuel so we can have energy, while at the same time all the energy we'll ever need is all around us.
So yes. Superman and most kryptonians are weak in comparison to the energy available. If a kryptonian was truly able to tap into the known and unknown frequencies of the EM spectrum they'd process more energy in one minute than our sun will put out in it's entire life. So yeah. It's a lot. In fact the calculations presented a low number, because it's believe there's still many frequencies we simply have no means to detect. And if that is so, then there's even more energy than we can accurately calculate.
Now although it's a value so huge that it seems limitless, the matter of fact is, that it isn't limitless. Not by a long shot. In fact that energy would only account for less than 1% of the total energy in our universe. How much lower than 1% no one can accurately calculate seeing things like Dark Matter and Dark Energy are still unknown to us.
That's the idea. That energy can't be created or destroyed. Only transformed. For a time it was believed that black holes contradicted that, but now we know that even black holes emit radiation. In fact there's some theories that say that black holes are what transform regular matter and energy, into dark matter and dark energy. And if that is so, then the total amount of energy that the universe had in it's beginning is still the same.
Could a kryptonian be a solar amplifier...? I heard this one before. In fact I've been reading this idea for almost two decades now. But sold in the form of hypermetabolism. A kryptonian body takes in sunlight, that ranges from a meager 100 watts to 300 watts a day, and somehow ampes it up not millions of times, or billions, or trillions, but trillion upon trillion upon trillion upon trillion upon trillion of times. I may have forgotten a trillion or two but the main point was for you to get an idea of the sheer scale of creation of energy, from one very small amount to another so big, we can hardly wrap our heads around it. Now, Newton's law of conservation of energy says the chances of that happening are zero. Even Einstein would've said it's zero. But quantum mechanics paints a different picture.
In quantum mechanics the chances aren't zero, but they are so low they might as well be. Just so you can have an idea. If you counted all the starts in the universe and transformed that number into the amount of zeros you'd need following the dot next to the zero... It would still not be nearly enough to explain the probability of that happening.
With this in mind I can safely say, that solar amplification is not the way. Believe me, I've consired that hypothesis, especially when quantum mechanics came into play. But even there, the chances are so low, they might very well be zero.
Ah, yes. Spider-Man. Spidey. Love that character also. Initially his feats matched the whole proportional ability of a spider, but then he went off the proportional rails more than a decade ago. Maybe that's why Marvel added a mystical element to spidey powers. Like the Grand Weaver and The Web Of Life. It's more than clear that even if Peter had an exceptional above human metabolism, he'd still not be able to pull half the things we see him do, not from anything spider related. Like holding a building that's about to collapse. Or taking blows that would bring down a skyscraper. Although the radioactive nature of the spider that bit him, might have somehow granted him a metabolism that's more nuclear in level. Like if his own body turns a very small (almost insignificant) amount of mass into pure energy. Seeing his power levels.. it would be totally feasable.
Only in Superman case that would be totally impossible. Even if Superman could turn his body entire mass into energy, that would still not be nearly enough to explain his power levels.
@heavenlydarkdragon: Thank you for that interesting and quite frankly educational experience. I believe that answered most of my questions. One more thing though. Ever wonder if the multiverse itself is limitless? If that's true does that mean that Supes if he were a dimension hopping traveler would he have all the time in eternity to keep absorbing energy? Also was it just me or was Superman Prime One Million keeping his fortress (an actual star) functioning longer then it should artificially? So we know from the Phsyco Pirate that Clark is BURSTING with psionic energy and doesn't even know it. Is this energy just part of a spectrum we don't know of? Or is Clark's supercharged brain mearly converting it into that energy? psionic energy in general is just so vague to me since it gets it's own fictional category. I know it comes from the mind but other then that it's a mystery. Like how a telekinetic is a glass canon. They don't have to lift a finger to pick up the remote and yet can throw their own body weight around into the sky much easier then that. Now I know that the brain is simply a different muscle being used for a different purpose but still. Is the psionic energy able to do more with less effort then muscles with the same amount physical energy equivalent? H'El was said to be through raging quasars. How much more powerful are those compared to our sun? Also I know I already asked this before but I don't think you noticed it and didn't have an answer for it. So I'll repeat it. Is Supes Recycling through the same energy he outputs over and over again? So your saying it's ok for this theory to still allow the red sun weakness. Good to know. If he had complete control of energy would that also allow him to turn dark matter and energy back into light energy? I find it confusing about the whole "energy can't be created" thing but (and this part is pertains to comics more then real life) the fact that they have a multiverse doesn't that mean that energy is constantly being created? I know it's kinda a paradox of a question but I hope you understand what I really mean by it. I mean it's like if energy can't be created....then where did the energy that already exists come from?
Slightly off topic but do you think they should upgrade Clark's villains a bit? Like for example Livewire. She controls electrical energy right? Well what if she learned how to power herself with electromagnetic energy in general? She would probably be a much bigger threat if she could drain him. Also I'll post this again one more time since there is no reply. http://comicvine.gamespot.com/magneto/4005-1441/forums/does-magnetos-powers-work-on-non-magnetic-metals-412022/
In theory energy can't be created or destroyed because there's no actual way of destroying energy and no actual way of creating it.
Take for example the alternator on a bike, it doesn't create energy, it takes your physical energy and turns it into electric energy. For you to create energy then you'd have to for example create a true vaccum and from that void of nothingness, create something. Which much smarter people than me say it's impossible. And although I'm not a guy that likes that word very much, I do understand the math behind that claim, but I'd only go as far as to say, creating or destroying energy, is something extremely unlikely but not impossible.
Has for Superman and what Psycho Pirate said about his mind being filled with psionic energy, he himself didn't knew how to use. That to me was Lobdell brilliant way of saying, that kryptonian powers like heat vision, arctic breathe, x-ray vision, the ability to fly, and even his senses are in some way psionic in nature. And it does make sense. For example how many times we've seen Superman being far out into space he looks at the Earth and he sees and hears what's happening on Earth in that exact moment. That would imply something more than just control over the EM spectrum. It's almost like having a form of tactile telepathy connected to the senses. And telescopic or zoom vision are just a form of clairvoyance. The same goes for all other senses. Like for example Superman sometimes he's in another place across the globe and he hears someone calling for him, be it Lois or Jimmy or someone else, and he can actually from all the sounds in the world pinpoint the exact sound he wants to hear. And that's incredibly strange. Because sound naturally degrades and becomes lost in the background noise, but Superman doesn't possess that problem.
There's also for example his X-ray vision. There was this one time when Superman powers were growing after his return from death and having defeated Cyborg Superman. He was returning from space he was going to Metropolis but then he saw nothing. No city. He was starting to panic and he approached the empty space only for us to see him smash into a building. He immediately noticed that the city hadn't disappeared, his X-ray vision simply saw through everything. Now this may sound cool and all, but it actually isn't. If in high atmosphere Superman X-Ray vision was actually X-rays being emitted throughout the entire city, he would've killed every person in the city. The sheer dose of X-Rays would put people dying left and right.
I know there are ways to explain this through the control of EM spectrum without adding anything psychic about it. Remember when I said that to Magneto, the magnetic fields he generates are almost like a extra sense and extention of himself. Well, that's the only way Superman could use x-rays without killing everyone. That he actually emits very low wide band x-rays, but somehow the x-rays work as a extra sense, they become an extension of himself, something his brain processes. It would also explain the not seeing through led thing. It wouldn't be that Superman can't see through led, but that he chooses not to, because he'd have to amp up the x-rays to such a degree that any mistep could prove fatal to anyone around him.
The same goes for his arctic breathe. It's easier to think of it as a form of psionic manipulation than actually freazing air to near absolute zero, while it's still inside his lungs. It's true that it can also be explained by EM manipulation but psionic would demand much less conscious control than EM manipulation.
Has I see it. Kryptonian powers work, this way. First sunlight to create a change on kryptonian genetic makeup on a subatomic level. That change allows Superman to access a much more abundant source of power that can explain his power levels, that energy that his processed then gets stored to a certain amount inside his cells. That immense amount of energy produces physical and mental enhancements. Physically Superman gets invulnerable and all that stuff, but his brain capacity is also amped up. So a kryptonian powers are actually the result of immense energy plus psionic manipulation to a certain degree.
Yes. H'El got himself exposed to all forms os stellar energy. And that includes quasars. Now a quasar is nothing more than an ative black hole, feeding on matter and expelling the excess it can't absorb into outerspace in the form of the most powerful form of energy we know... Gamma radiation. It's not 100% gamma radiation, but most of it is. Also there's quasars that are know to produce in a minute, what our sun puts out in over a year. So it makes sense that when H'El got himself exposed to that form of energy his powers evolved to the point they did. He had all the regular kryptonian powers plus advanced telepathy, telekinesis, matter manipulation, teleportation. He had no vulnerability to red sunlight so much so that when he travels back in time 20 years before Krypton exploded he never lost any of his powers meaning that whatever energies he was exposed to, made his body able to keep the process going even through the use of red sunlight. He was near invulnerable to kryptonite also. He never felt the radiation of the piece Kara was holding until she stabbed him in the chest, with a highly radioactive piece of raw kryptonite, and still that didn't kill him.
Is the multiverse limitless...? In DC comics, it isn't. Not after they showed the map of the Multiversity. The 52 Earths exist within the bleed/multiverse, above the multiverse and separaring it from the dimension of the gods stands the Speed Force, then we got the godly dimension that's made up of the twin realms (Dream/Nightmare, Apokolips/New Genesis, Olympus/Underworld, Heaven/Hell) above that we got the dimension of the Monitors and above all else we got the Overvoid. The Overvoid is the only thing depicted as seemingly being limitless or possibly infinite.
No. I don't believe Superman reuses the energy he spends. Like I said before he doesn't possess that level of control over what his body chooses to absorb to fuel his powers.
You're looking at the idea of the Multiverse outside of comics and into the real world. In he comics we know the Multiverse isn't infinite. In real life we don't even know if there is a Multiverse. Maybe there is, maybe there isn't. Maybe it's infinite maybe it's not. All I can tell you is that in DC Comics, as it was explained during Superman trip through the Multiverse in the -52 timeline. He got hold of a book with a infinite number of pages and through the book we got the story of creation. Like the ultimate story.
They explained that in the beginning, there was just the Overvoid. Infinite, shapeless. There was no real time, there was just the Overvoid. But then something happened. Something grew inside the Overvoid, something that was finite but still it possessed something that could not be done by the Overvoid. That something held all of there was and would ever be. All the dimensions. Everything people call creation. This anomaly feeds off the Overvoid, but seeing the Overvoid is limitless then it does not mind. In fact that anomaly allowed the Overvoid to escape it's loneliness, to see multiple timelines unfold all at the same time, like an endless birth of stories, some new, some retold, others that never really were. The Elseworld stories, that exist in something DC called hypertime. Hypertime is where all timelines that were, are, will be, and never will be, exist.
Some villains could be upgraded, like Livewire and Black Rock, but others would mostly need to be depowered, per se. Like Lex Luthor. Everytime a writer tries to sell me the idea that both Bruce and Lex are smarter than Superman, I just feel like slapping the sh*t out of them. For Superman to fly at FTL speeds then his brain has to process information also at FTL speeds. That means that by all logic Superman should be much smarter than Brainiac. If Brainiac has a 12th level intellect, then Superman should possess an omni-level intellect, capable of in less than a nanosecond create Trillions upon trillions of scenarious with extreme ease. And his body would possess the energy to do so. But no human brain, altered or otherwise would even come close to that. Our brains also need power to operate. The more the intelligence the greater the energy needs and strain on the body.
Speaking of Batman. In a real reboot, I'd write him right. Batman can't be a human and do what he does, or take the punishment his body takes. He'd either need to be passed on some serum or formula that he takes regularly or he'd need to yes, be a genius, but his suit couldn't be like it's presented now. It would need to a higly advance exoskeleton in the form of a suit, that amped up all his physical abilities, even things like regeneration capability.
Has for Superman going to higher dimensions and using those energies to amp up his powers even further. I wouldn't recomend it. Not until Superman used something like H'El used. A Star Chamber that would harness a good amount of all that energy floating around in space, or that it worked like the green lanterns central power battery. Only instead of tapping into the emotional spectrum, it would tap into the energy of for example, all the stars in our galaxy and then condense it and filter it, in a form Superman body could take it without burning himself up from the inside. Only after he had reached a much higher degree of power, like H'El or even superior to H'El would I even advise he'd try something like trying to tap into the bleed and stuff.
In a matter of fact I wouldn't even do it. Not like something he could simply do anytime he wanted. Superman definitely needs an upgrade. Both in how his powers are explained, how they work, the things he should be able to do but doesn't. All that would need to be addressed. And I'd definitely give Superman psionic-energy-manipulation. So he could do what he does and much more, but not making him unstoppable or unbeatable. Because that would be lame and boring. Place him in a scenario more fitted for him to mature, grow, strive and evolve.
@heavenlydarkdragon: Again thank you for all this useful info. But who's to say he's not always shooting X-rays out of his eyes? Can't it be passive (as in simply having eyes that are sensitive to radiation that is all around us) and active (the ability to actually shoot it out). New 52 Superboy has tactile Telekinesis that lets him read his environment. Is that the ability you mean't to describe with his hearing? Do you think his body is distributing all that energy evenly for all his powers? Like say would he be faster if the energy that was being used to make him fly was then taken away but instead then focused into his raw speed such as running. I'm not saying I wanna op Superman. But knowing he just has all this potential is simply an exciting thought when you think about it. It makes you think just how grounded he really is by comparison. I actually remember Superboy Prime getting amped from Green lantern energy. So basically what your saying is that every character with super speed or telekinesis should automatically be smarter then us? And the fact that Clark has a super charged brain and has heat vision are things that should INSURE that he should have some pscionic abilities?
Does it feel like we are complicating things by not simply accepting a rather simple power source for superman? (I'm not saying that I mind your theory but that just means that I have to think about it more often every time he's getting charged up in sunlight while not getting charged at night time) or maybe it's not so wrong to label him a "solar battery" in a fictional universe because technically does the sun not emit radiation in nearly every spectrum? If that's true then who's to say he's still not technically being powered by the sun if the sun's radiation comes in all different flavors rather then just summarizing it as "solar energy". I'm sorry if I sound like I'm disagreeing with you. I'm not. I like your theory but at the same time don't want to give up the "solar battery" label. It's simply what I grew up with in a simpler time. It's iconic. It's been a part of the character for so long that it simply feels wrong at this point to change it (I'm all for good changes...just not to drastic ones. That "solar battery" nonesense as you called it just is how I always read it as a kid and accepted it) Again I'm all for this theory as long as most of the EM energy he's getting is still technically coming from the sun that's constantly bombarding our earth. It just feels right. Hope you understand where I'm coming from and why I'm trying to find some middle ground for this. Like when it's said that he's solar powered it feels more simple then saying "he's everything powered" when in a way solar energy is just a fancy way of summarizing the same thing right? I mean I get that earth itself has it's own EM energy but again the thought of Clark getting most of that energy from the sun instead of saying "he's earth powered!" just doesn't have the same ring to it. That's wonder womans thing. Being called a "EM battery" doesn't roll off the tongue as well as solar battery even though they are technically the same thing.
And is Clark a Solar reactor? Taking in the EM energy and simply converting it to a specific type? Now when I say I prefer him being called a "solar battery" that doesn't mean I accept him getting power just from the visible light rays of the sun but the full spectrum that the sun bombards us with every minute. Isn't Starfire another superhero who is powered by radiation? Ultraviolet radiation last time I checked. I get that characters like Wonder woman or Shazam/Captain Marvel get a free pass because magic but other guys like Martain manhunter is not only on superman's level but has even more powers then him and yet he doesn't even have a power source that I know of. Should Superman lose his powers if it's night time for a LONG time? Or would he still get a trickle of charge from the light that's reflecting off the moon? I mean either way the sun is bombarding us whether it's light out or not. but again you did say the light itself was just an initial charge. See as a kid I read a comic where Batman temporally got Supes powers but was gradually getting weaker since he stayed doing his batman thing at night. And yet in the cartoons when the Parasite captured him and locked him up to drain him he seemed to get his powers back gradually whether he was in direct sunlight or not. I know it's two different sources giving a conflicted interpretation. Could he have been absorbing small amounts of energy but only manages to absorb it all at a much faster rate when he's in direct sunlight?
I was kinda hoping you would ask that, seeing most don't even look at that gap. About the sun and how it's energy/radiation really reaches Earth.
So here's the thing. Our planet magnetosphere blocks most of the sun radiation, even during day time. Or at least a great percentage of it. And we should be glad, because otherwise, there would be no life on Earth, or at least not this complex as we see. At best there would be micro-organisms like bacteria but nothing more complex than that. Our planet magnetosphere is our lifeline/shield. If it ever were to fail, 99.9% of all life on Earth would be extinguished in less than a minute. You and I, we'd die before we even knew we were dead.
Yes. Some radiation goes through, it has to, or there would be no heat, and other forms of radiation like ultraviolet, that is necessary in some evolutionary processes. For example, our bodies produce vitamin D thanks to ultraviolet radiation.
But here's the problems with the solar battery thing. The Earth receives daily. Not in a minute or in a second... Daily, in winter around 100 watts, and in summer around 300 watts for square metter. So just here, Superman solar battery gets blown out of the water. Now let's go to night time. If his powers work like a solar battery, then how comes he recharges at night. Or when he's exposed to green K at night or inside a structure, and then gets away from it, he too starts immediately to recharge. Where is the solar energy to recharge him. I'm not even speaking of just sunlight but solar energy. At night that one side of the Earth is turned facing opposite to the sun, so there's the magnetosphere blocking most of the radiation plus the fact that most of the radiation that gets through gets absorbed by the crust of the planet. The only thing that gets no opposition whatsoever it's neutrinos. Neutrinos aren't stopped by either the magnetosphere nor anything else on the planet.
But here's the thing. Neutrinos are the same on each type of star. We don't have neutrinos for red stars, another kind to yellow, and so on. If Superman powers were fueled by neutrinos or they were the catalyst, to active his powers, then even on Krypton all kryptonians would possess godly powers. In fact changing stars would not do anything to a kryptonian. Their powers would not increase or decrease, because neutrinos are basically the same in every star. The only difference is the amount of neutrinos each type of star puts out.
So as you can see, the solar battery thing, be it just sunlight or solar energy, doesn't work, because math and facts say it doesn't work.
One time when I was explaining this, a guy said "But that makes no sense. At night that side of the planet doesn't freeze over, so there has to be solar energy there, even if we can't see it." which I explain, that sure there was some solar energy in the the order of maybe 5-10 watts tops. The fact the night side doesn't freeze over is because the Earth crust absorbs some of the radiation, but most of all, the Gulf stream distributes the heat from the solar energy that arrives on the day side, to the night side. But solar energy wise, we get almost none, with of course the expection of neutrinos and cosmic radiation. But take into account that even cosmic radiation is also filtered and blocked by the magnetosphere till a certain degree. So if we go by the solar battery thing then at night Superman would be screwed.
My theory makes it so Superman body uses sunlight diffraction lines to active that unknown process... Be it tap into the entire known and unknown EM spectrum, tapping into subatomic energy or extradimensional energy... Whatever people prefer the most. Makes more sense, for his powers to work 24/7 and be able to recharge even at night, because in each case he would have a constant power source feeding his powers. Sunlight might be stored separately to keep the process going but it wouldn't be his source of power.
Has for X-rays. No it can't be passive, because it would present two problems. First and foremost, you'd constantly be giving everyone around you a dose of X-rays, and over time, that would kill them. And secondly, that would mess up your sight. If your eyes focused on perceiving the X-rays around you, then both during the day and more so during night, you'd see mostly black. And if your emitted X-rays, then things would be extremely hard for you. Because you wouldn't be able to see a lot of things. Unless of course you could actively control the output, and even then you'd see through peoples clothes, you might for example not see a bottle or a glass of water right in front of you. And worst of all, you'd be giving constant X-ray doses to everyone. And given enough time, you'd kill more people than Genghis Khan. So X-Rays can't be passive.
But they can work, if those energy powers work in some ways like Magneto powers. When anything comes into the range of Magneto mangnetic fields, he can use that objected like that object was a part of himself. He can even control certain materials down to the atomic level.
For Superman X-Ray vision to work based on EM control, then Superman would need to consciously choose to emit X-Rays, but his brain would keep connected to that energy, like it was a extra sense, and it would explain why he can see through walls and most objects, without killing anyone. It isn't that the X-rays are being bounced back from the wall (because they aren't) but more like Superman is combining two different types of radiation, using them together, while his brain processes the sensory input into a clear image. The X-Rays would allow for him to break away layer by layer of a certain type of matter, while at the same time emitting optic radiation, mixed with X-rays so he can see even in the dark. Or like shown in Smallville, when he saw everything in X-Rays, that would require his brain to keep connected to the energy he's emitting, because X-Rays don't bounce back when they hit most types of matter, creating a mental image of what his X-Rays touch. Think of it like a sonar, only instead of sound you have X-Rays and instead of the sound bouncing back, the brain is actually processing what the X-Rays touch creating a mental image.
For example. There are spy technologies that use laser beams to listen in on conversations inside a sound proof room with windows. How? The laser is regulated to a specific frequency that interacts with sound waves, and because the laser is being constantly emitted, that interaction of sound waves with the laser beam travels back the laser and is translated into sound.
Actually his energy would come from everywhere basically. The Earth magnetosphere, cosmic radiaton and of course mostly the sun. Because our star is the thing in our solar system that has the greatest impact on everything. For example, did you know our planet magnetosphere absorbs the sun radiation? That's right. In the real North Pole, some of the solar energy is actually absorbed into the magnetosphere and when it comes out the South Pole, it's already part of the magnetosphere. So the sun has a huge impact on everything. From keeping the planets in their places, to filling space with solar radiation. And what is that radiation if not EM energy. When I look at Superman powers source being the EM spectrum, then it comes to mind two things. A form of bio-superconductivity or quantum entanglement. Both could in theory explain why he could tap not only into our planet entire magnetosphere but also go beyond it, without draining the energy of either one of them. For this you might want to go on wikipedia and have a look at "superconductivity" and "quantum entanglement". If you do, then you'll understand why I brought these two up.
Ah, yes. Koriand'r aka Starfire. Yes. She gets her powers from ultraviolet radiation. And her powers are also said to be solar battery in nature. Which again it's strange seeing how little amount of ultraviolet radiation actually penetrates our atmosphere, and how that could produce such effects. But then I remind myself she has those powers because she was basically a lab rat, of the race known as Psions, and then it all makes much more sense. If you studied the Psions, then you know how they were created and how their thing is all about how the mind can be altered through technology to produce physical changes that translate in mutations that grant some species like the Tamaraneans solar based powers. Are those powers really fueled by ultraviolet radiation or his ultraviolet radiation just a psionic trigger? Much like in the past, Fire, was the Martians off switch power button.
Has for the kryptonian energy distribution system of their bodies. Something is way, WAY, off. Take for example +52 Superman feat of moving the equivalent mass of the entire Earth non-stop for 5 days straight. By that logic, Superman heat vision should be nearly unstoppable. How can Batman create a battle armor with shields that can stand up to a ability that should kick with the equivalent force of hundreds of thousands or even millions of nuclear bombs all exploding at the same time? In fact how has it been shown scientists create materials that can actually deflect Superman heat vision, when he means business? If kryptonian powers were evenly matched in terms of power distribution, then Superman should be able to blow our entire planet with a single beam, his X-Rays vision should be able to go through everything, even his punches... One punch with enough energy and the Earth would be nothing but rubble. And that lame power, the Solar Flare or Super Flare, whatever it was called, following the logic of all the energy stored in his body being released at once, then there should be nothing left of the Earth or the Moon, bigger than a atom. So no. Kryptonian power is definitely not evenly distributed. Just look at his brain. That amount of energy, he should leave Brainiac 12th level intellect in the dust, but he doesn't.
Has for Superboy TTK yes, it would be kinda like that, but more complex. Seeing that Superman possesess many powers. So they couldn't all work based on TTK. For example his senses... It would be far more logical (inside a comic book science) to be TT=Tactile Telepathy. The flying and energy powers, those would fit better with TTK. But that's because in my own personal view, I prefer to see it as bio-energy-psionic-manipulation. And I prefer it that way, because it would more easily explain why he can do somethings but doesn't do others. Like control the trajectory of his heat beams, or have freeze vision, or why he can't touch a building and telekinetically fix it, but he can grab a building that's about to fall on its side, the building stops from falling for just enough time to give Superman the time he needs to find a way to either fix the structural damage or coming up with a plan like in Unchained when he created that water whirlwind and then frozen that entire huge mass of water in one second. To create a sort of landing spot for the building to not fall apart and fall on top of peoples heads.
Also things like arctic breath or flying at FTL speeds would be more easily explained. And because the Psycho Pirate basically said he uses that psionic energy mostly on a subconscious level then it explains why he can't use his powers in other ways, do more things with them and even why he's stuck to that power set. And doesn't for example use more often, things like gamma vision. Like he too used in Unchained. In a matter of fact he should be able to use all the EM spectrum. During Morrison run, Superman showed he could use microwave vision also. And he used it to fry the electric equipment that was being used to torture him. But again that was a one time deal. Just like Unchained. For example Wraith even hinted that Superman should know how to use sound as a weapon. To use his own vocals cords to emit sonic attacks. And that also makes sense. But we also don't see him do that.
So yes. There is a lot of stuff that DC could explain better if they bothered to explain it. They got so caught up with pulling impossible to prove power sources, that they seem to forget that beings with powers that are explained away as being solar batteries, like Superman, Starfire and Apollo (Stormwatch not the Greek god), can actually be explained with facts, that those powers cannot work as they say they do.
@heavenlydarkdragon: "Actually his energy would come from everywhere basically. The Earth magnetosphere, cosmic radiaton and of course mostly the sun. Because our star is the thing in our solar system that has the greatest impact on everything. For example, did you know our planet magnetosphere absorbs the sun radiation? That's right. In the real North Pole, some of the solar energy is actually absorbed into the magnetosphere and when it comes out the South Pole, it's already part of the magnetosphere. So the sun has a huge impact on everything. From keeping the planets in their places, to filling space with solar radiation. And what is that radiation if not EM energy. When I look at Superman powers source being the EM spectrum, then it comes to mind two things. A form of bio-superconductivity or quantum entanglement. Both could in theory explain why he could tap not only into our planet entire magnetosphere but also go beyond it, without draining the energy of either one of them. For this you might want to go on wikipedia and have a look at "superconductivity" and "quantum entanglement". If you do, then you'll understand why I brought these two up."
See this is the part where it clicked for me. I can agree with that. As long as the sun still plays a major role then that's just fine for me. So if the earth is absorbing the energy even as it blocks it then technically the suns role in this is still vital even though the earth is using that energy to sustain itself. So the sun powers the earth and the earth powers superman. Ergo he's still getting energy thanks to the good ol sun.
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Anyway this has to be said at some point. Let the scans and videos speak for themselves.
@heavenlydarkdragon: Hey. Can I ask you if these scans mean anything in terms of the theory on how Supe's powers work? Something to do with His powers working at the subatomic level and not just Cellular level? I remember an episode from Smallville where Clark's powers were switched over to a classmate because he was holding kryptonite while Clark and him got struck by lightning. Got no idea what that has to do with genetics but if it has to do with quantum level stuff instead then I'm game.
Well. That's one of the things I liked the most about Smallville (for a while), about the New 52, and even the Man Of Steel movie.
In those cases, kryptonite wasn't created when Krypton exploded, but was already present in Krypton naturally.
And seeing what kryptonite does to the human body, we can easily come to the conclusion that the same thing that is a kryptonian worst nightmare when they have powers, was also the same thing that gave kryptonians whatever physiological mechanism that grants them their powers.
In Smallville I did found it interesting that Clark's powers were transfered to a human when that same person was looking for rocks, he finds some kryptonite, but almost falls because of it. As Clark prevents him from falling to his death, he's hit by a lightning and Clark's powers simply get transfered.
Another two interesting details, was that when that other teenager starts to misuse his powers, Clark tries to use Lana's kryptonite necklace to stop the guy, but kryptonite doesn't affect him. In a manner of fact it doesn't affect either of them, not even Clark. So kryptonite was only lethal to a kryptonian when he had his powers on.
The main problem with that episode was the pace things happened. We never really got to understand if Clark had permanently been stripped of his powers of they had simply been totally drained, thus creating a kind of period of non-normal kryptonian celular activity, where Clark's powers were simply switched off. And would eventually return on their own. After all there was also much later in another season that episode where he's also hit by a lightning when he's trying to keep this structure from falling, there was some kryptonite around, and when Lana came to help Clark, that's when the lightning hits Clark and his powers are also transfered to Lana. Only Clark didn't lose his powers. Not only that, when exposed to kryptonite Lana was affected by it, just like it did a kryptonian.
Not only that, we also had other examples.
Almost everytime a human gained powers, those powers had some similarity to Clark's powers, only worked in a different way. The football teacher was in a sauna, that had kryptonite rocks and he gained the power of pyrokinesis. One student that fell into a icy river, and fell to the bottom, where there lied some kryptonite, gained the power of cryokinesis. He was able to freeze things or people with a touch, if it was people he drained them of their body heat. Clark's salvation was that he had so much energy inside him, that getting frozen only lasted a few minutes (even at night) before his powers immediately recharged.
There was also that cloned girl, of Lana's childhood, that because her father used a substance made from kryptonite to stabilize the cloning process gave her immense speed. She was even faster than Clark and could even vibrate through matter.
We also got those tugs that dissolved kryptonite stones into a gas, and then they inhaled it, using these asthma devices, by doing so, they gained super-strength. Or those guys that mixed kryptonite with the ink they used on their tattoos, and that made them able to become intangible.
Basically every power Clark had, could be replicated similar enough with exposure to kryptonite. It was never the full extent of his powers, but one power close enough to one of Clark's powers.
In the comics however that's been delegated for quite some time, for the isotopes of green kryptonite, like red. In the new 52 we saw a bunch of kids, which one of them, that had stolen some pills from S.T.A.R Labs made from red kryptonite. And they all gained powers similar to Superman. The girl that stole the pills became like the female human torch, another gained invisibility, another gained super-strength, another gained electrical powers, and another one was just incredibly fast. Kinda like if Superman powers had been broken and split upon different people. Even now in Rebirth, seeing Johns most have realized what a shitty power the super-flare was, when DC decided to continue with the Superwoman comics, now they're trying to give another explanation for why Lana has the powers she has. And they're doing it, by saying that even as a teenager a uncle of her gave a necklace msde of red kryptonite. And that every time she and Clark interacted, a part of Clark's energy passed on to her. Which eventually altered her DNA completely, giving her the energy based powers.
All of this chitchat, why?! To make a point!
And that point more than ever seems to be that kryptonite was the very thing that gave kryptonians their powers. And because there were huge amounts of it on Krypton, and of various isotopes, then we can only guess that as kryptonian lifeforms started to evolve, that that radiation, introduced an unknown element into kryptonian physiology. Maybe it operates only on a atomicor even subatomic level, but whatever it's, it seems clear kryptonite was the source.
Even in Man of Steel. That entire mess about how Earth's atmosphere was "richer" than the one on Krypton, and that that also influenced, if their powers were on or off, was extremely bad explained.
Don't you think it would've been way more easier to simply say "Earth's Sun is younger and brighter, your cells react to it, enhancing all of your physical attributes. Enhancing them to levels I could never have imagined. And the only way for you to know your limits, is to keep pushing them"... See! No mention of difference in gravity, no mention of atmospheric whatever. It was the Sun that did something to kryptonian physiology.
Now, you could say "Okay. But how and why did he lose his powers when breathing in Krypton's atmosphere? Also why was it that Faora and the others that also were using the breathing masks, were basically as physically powerful as Superman, although they had none of the other powers?" And again the answer could've been extremely simple. Much like our own planet has lots o elements in the atmospheric composition, so to Krypton had elements in its atmospheric composition. More precisely, a very low percentage of a gas form of kryptonite. This would be more than enough to explain why Superman lost his other powers while on the Black Zero ship, but it still doesn't explain why he lost them all. Why kryptonians on the ship seemed to lose all of their enhancements. We could argue that there was simply more artificial atmosphere on the ship, but that doesn't make that much sense, seeing that when a astronaut goes into orbit or outerspace, the space suit acts as miniaturized atmosphere.
Even the way Ultraman during the Pre-Flashpoint period, gained his powers. He was Clark Kent a human astronaut. On one of the missions, the shuttle is it by some meteors. More precisely green kryptonite. Or some form of green kryptonite at least. Because Clark, the only survivor, eventually found out, that being exposed to the green glowing rock, had given him incredible powers. Not only that. If he exposed himself to more green kryptonite, he became temporarily more powerful. Basically, as long as he had the green kryptonite with him, his powers would always be amped up. Then the New 52 changed it, to Ultraman having to actually ingest kryptonite to gain his powers, and that sunlight actually made him weaker. Pre-Flashpoint Ultraman, had no issue with sunlight, at least not the one's before Flashpoint. So again kryptonite giving powers.
Even when Superman died and was brought back to life, when he the Eradicator went to face off against Cyborg Superman, when Hank Henshaw saw he was not gonna win that fight, he took one of the tubing that connected to a huge piece of kryptonite, and unleashed all of its energy towards Superman. Fortunately the Eradicator placed himself between the blast and Superman, but even the Eradicator was not strong enough to stop the radiation, so the radiation went through the Eradicator and hit Superman all the same. Only Superman didn't died. No. Because at that point the Eradicator was basically a energy being wearing a genetic duplicate body of Superman, the energy in the Eradicator altered the kryptonite. So Superman got his powers immediately recharged. Not only that, some time afterwards, Superman's powers began to grow at a ever more faster rate. So much so, it came to a point Professor Hamilton theorized, his powers would continue to grow, until the body could no longer contain its energy.
Now. I guess anyone reading this, could also say "But if that is so, then why is it that green kryptonite is lethal to kryptonians? Wasn't it shown it was the most abundant type of kryptonite on Krypton? Why the vulnerability then?"
And here there are some hypothesis but to me, two stand out.
1. Although kryptonian lifeforms would most likely possess kryptonite in their atomic makeup, it would most likely be an isotope of green kryptonite that wasn't radioactive. But when exposed to a star that isn't red, that part of the kryptonian body changes, and the two different types of kryptonian radiation don't work well together.
2. The kryptonite in Krypton's atomic composition, created a special kind of energy field, a exotic type of magnetosphere, that gave kryptonian DNA its characteristics. But raw kryptonite radiation, even on Krypton, could still harm a kryptonian. As seen in some comics, even Rebirth.
3. Same as point 2, only difference was that instead of kryptonite hurting them on Krypton, what made kryptonite become lethal to kryptonians was the explosion of the planet. It somehow either changed the radioactive frequency of kryptonite, or it make the element more unstable, and thus that instability is also manifested in a kryptonian, when he or she is exposed to it.
But at this point in time after all the hints and clues, and even what we've seen kryptonite can do, it should be more than obvious, that kryptonite is the source of the powers of a kryptonian.
Even other comic book characters picked up on that. Like Supreme. Supreme was originally human that was exposed to the radiation of a meteor that contained in it, Supremium radiation. A form of extradimensional energy. That in turn allowed that human to become Supreme. Where power wise he's basically Silver Age Superman and more. Seeing his sister once had to held an entire universe, and Supreme is known for being slightly more powerful than his sister. And the only vulnerability Supreme has, is Supremium radiation itself. Let's say I imbued a blade with its radiation, then that blade can cut through Supreme, invulnerable skin.
So yeah. Kryptonite!
I know writers will never stop using different isotopes of kryptonite to give Superman a run for his money, but I'd really love to see one writer have the balls to actually create an isotope of kryptonite that actually worked in Superman's favor.
Like for example... Diamond kryptonite! Temporarily changes the basis of a kryptonian power. And different energized versions of this type could give several other sources of power.
Metallic kryptonite! Would enhance all of a kryptonian ability, making them evolve as if Superman was constantly sun dipping in more powerful stars.
Obsidian kryptonite! Would change the source of power to a magical source. Kinda like when Superman gained magical powers in that alternate future, where the Sun had to be reignited through the use of magic.
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