The Superman Returns spoiler thread.

[WayneLigon]

Hi all,

I saw the movie but do not know much about Supermans powers. The actor looked like an air brushed male model out of a magazine - but then i started thinking. he grew up from a child - so his bones, muscles, hair etc all grow.

I hope someone can answer!

Those answers depend on what parts of the various Superman mythos you refer to. What parts the movie uses and doesn't use are up in the air. I'll give answers as I know them from the comics.

Would he ever get wrinkles?
Will he die of old age?

Yes, he does age but it seems slower and slower as he gets older. Depending on the comic, he'll probably start to go grey in a couple generations. The yellow sun radiation seems to strengthen him as time goes on. In the DC One Million series, the original Superman is still around, I think, in the year 8000+ but he's almost confined to living in the sun itself.

Does he grow facial hair?
Does the hair on his head ever need cutting?
Could you cut his hair and nails?

Yes, he grows facial hair and such just like a person. He shaves and cuts his hair with his heat vision and a mirror.

Does he feel things? like did he feel that needle even though it couldnt penetrate his skin?

Yes, he feels things. He feels pain, heat and all the rest but it just doesn't become incapacitating to him unless it's really dialed up high.

How did his suit not burn up during re-entry?

Two answers, depending on the comics.
Old Answer: The suit is made from the blankets he was wrapped in on Krypton, and it's just as invulnerable as he is.
New Answer: Superman's invulnerability extends a fraction of an inch away from his body. That's one reason he wears a skin-tight uniform but his cape gets torn.

How does he hide the suit and cape under his clothes?

That's one of those things you just have to accept. The old answer was that the suit, in addition to being infinitely stretchable was also infinitely compressable. The new answer is, as far as I know, 'no one worries about it'.

 

[Starman]

Lois and Clark introduced the idea of Superman shaving with his own heat-vision coupled with a mirror, which I believe the comic later adopted.

I thought John Byrne introduced that in his post-Crisis revamp.

 

[Cthulhudrew]

Fair enough, we can agree to disagree. I've never met the coworker who could come to work one day wearing (or not wearing) glasses, and convince me they were somebody else. Even when I was doing theatre work in college, I can't think of a one of them that was so good an actor that a pair of specs would be all they'd need to fool me.

From personal experience, I have learned that a pair of glasses and a change of clothing really can fool a lot of people pretty well- not close friends or coworkers generally (at least not in close proximity and if they have anything resembling a sense of people around them), but certainly casual acquaintances. It's not quite as unbelievable as it once seemed to me that Clark could manage to pull something like this off, but yeah- to constantly pull the wool over close friends (especially investigative reporters) is hard to swallow.

If Clark were just a regular guy living in the city and not really making much of an effort to attempt to fit in (no high profile job, as little contact with the general public as possible), I could almost buy that he could pull it off.

I think the reason the simplicity of the disguise can be as effective as it is has more to do with people's self-centeredness and less to do with it actually being able to hide ones' features. I know I've been surprised that some people don't immediately recognize me in my glasses at times- people I've worked with or known for a while. Strange.

 

[Mouseferatu]

It also didn't help that Routh was way too young for the role.

Brandon Routh was the same age during filming as Christopher Reeve was when he filmed the first Superman.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

I thought John Byrne introduced that in his post-Crisis revamp.

Yep. Man of Steel #4 I believe.

 

[DonTadow]

From personal experience, I have learned that a pair of glasses and a change of clothing really can fool a lot of people pretty well- not close friends or coworkers generally (at least not in close proximity and if they have anything resembling a sense of people around them), but certainly casual acquaintances. It's not quite as unbelievable as it once seemed to me that Clark could manage to pull something like this off, but yeah- to constantly pull the wool over close friends (especially investigative reporters) is hard to swallow.

If Clark were just a regular guy living in the city and not really making much of an effort to attempt to fit in (no high profile job, as little contact with the general public as possible), I could almost buy that he could pull it off.

I think the reason the simplicity of the disguise can be as effective as it is has more to do with people's self-centeredness and less to do with it actually being able to hide ones' features. I know I've been surprised that some people don't immediately recognize me in my glasses at times- people I've worked with or known for a while. Strange.

It's one of the things I've always chalked up to thinking maybe Kal el has some kind of aura that has yet to be discovered.

 

[WanderingMonster]

It's one of the things I've always chalked up to thinking maybe Kal el has some kind of aura that has yet to be discovered.

No, it's a tried and true literary conceit exploited heavily by the likes of slouches like Shakespeare. Disguises, no matter how simple, are foolproof.

Its all part of the package that comes along with believing that Supes gets his power from the yellow sun.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Yep. Man of Steel #4 I believe.

Hrm, some google searching reveals that Man of Steel #4 predates Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman by seven years.

Couldn't find anything on the content of Man of Steel #4, but if there's a reference in there, then it looks like it was Hollywood borrowing from the comic at this point, rather than the other way around.

In either case, two solid reference of Supes shaving with his heat vision.

 

[Archetype]

It's one of the things I've always chalked up to thinking maybe Kal el has some kind of aura that has yet to be discovered.

Actually, this was explored in an interesting way in the comics. Unfortunately, I can't quote exactly, since I no longer have my DC Comics collection...

It stated something like Kryptonians have a powerful semi-psionic aura which affects those lesser mortals around them, to whatever extent the mortal could not resist it. In Kal-el's case, when he is in "Clark Kent" disquise mode, it broadcasts a powerful hypnotic effect (through his glasses, if I remember correctly) which alters everyone's perceptions of him to conform to the "weak and unremarkable" image he wishes to project. They don't see "a 6'+ 250lb bodybuilder, wearing unsytylish glasses." They actually percieve a slouching, wrinkled-faced, feebly thin nebbish that no one would look at twice. And when he is in "Superman" mode, his aura is enhanced even more towards the other end of the spectrum, making him appear more godly and impressive. So the more his investigative reporter friends close to him were exposed to this aura the less likely they were to notice any similarities, as their perceptions and mental points of reference were being influenced by being close to him each day.

There was also something else about this aura holding true to video and photographic imaging, so all the live broadcasts and pictures of "Clark Kent" presented this dumbed-down version. It's been a long time since I read that comic, so if anyone remembers this better let us know, eh? Thanks.

I really liked this idea, as it fits with the concept of a "god walking amonst mortals." When Zeus came down from Olympus to frolic with the natives he didn't just put on a different toga and pretend to be something lesser. He often had to fool his targets by using his divine power to change into someone/something else...

 

[Lord Pendragon]

There was also something else about this aura holding true to video and photographic imaging...

Sounded interesting until you got to the part about Superman's psychic powers changing the images on film.