Personally, I'd like Superman better if he just dumped a few of his powers. Two, even. And they don't have to be the good ones, they could be the crappy ones, like super-breath.

So, thoughts, opinions, general commentary? Is he overdoing it powerwise?

Yeah. Go read Supreme.

Nah, his powers are cool. I mean, he's supposed to be one of the most powerful superheros. I liked the old Superman animated series though because they weakened his powers a bit. Makes him a bit more vulnerable.

Yeah, I saw SUperman in this stupid newer animated "Justice League" series and he basically just had almost exactly the same powers as Wonder woman, except she was better with less weaknesses... And he wasn't really much stronger than any of the rest of them.

Man, JLU Superman is my favorite Superman. He's grounded. It establishes that he can take out pretty much everyone else in the league should he feel so inclined, but he's still a lot weaker than he is in the comics. Though I believe a recent episode establishes that he's been "holding back" this whole time, so I guess that's ruined...

Ah well, I'm biased because he was one of the first superheros I came to when growing up... It's so anoying seeing shows like that where they change everything about your old faves so drastically.

One of the big problems is that none of those characters were ever really meant to exist in the same universe together anyway (as comic creations that is). At least that's how it would seem from the early days, they'd also make more sense that way.

The thing for me, though, is that I didn't start reading comics until the 90's, and as any comic historian will tell you, mainstream comics were quite honestly Fucked for most of that period, so for me JLU feels less like "changing" the characters than it is "fixing" them.

Besides, if you really want to get into changes, then I always like to bring up the fact that Superman could originally only leap (no flying) 1/8th of a mile, and could only be damaged by bursting rounds (not truly impervious). Additional powers and the level they reached were added over time, usually so Supes could logically face more fantastic opponents.

Superman has to keep facing more and more powerful opponents, and he's very rarely allowed to lose, because he's Superman.. So rather than finding a way to weaken the opponents (Since that itself would lessen the deed) they found ways to make Superman stronger.

Hell, his original powers were:
Faster than a speeding bullet,
More Powerful than a locomotive,
Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound

And this used to be enough. But the world changed, the universe was suddenly noticed, people managed to move the goalposts which told us what was possible and what was fantastic. Superman's writers suddenly found that there were other heros who were able to surpass Superman. So they give him more powers, which they then have to use because they're there.

He's only the "Man of Steel" because it's traditional..

To get to the real point of this thread, Superman could stand to be without 90% of his powers.. Super Ventriloquism is listed as an ACTUAL power.. That should tell you enough

They sort've shorned his superpowers in the post-Crisis continuity. He couldn't survive in space, he wasn't so strong that he could move whole planets. and I think they actually got rid of the super-cold breath thing.

The original movies turned it up a little too much though. The finger laser, his ability to materialize things with his heat vision like brick walls, the saran wrap S-symbol, teleportation, and his "amnesia kiss".

Another DC character who's powers need a little shaving off is Martian Manhunter. He can do everything Superman can, plus turn invisible, read minds, phase through solid objects, and change into practically any living thing he can think of. They should take away most of his Superman-like abilities, since there's enough guys like that in DC anyway.

Too many powers? Two words: super ventriloquism.

Besides, if you really want to get into changes, then I always like to bring up the fact that Superman could originally only leap (no flying) 1/8th of a mile, and could only be damaged by bursting rounds (not truly impervious).

The original Superman was basically Captain Carrot, but with shorter ears? Nice.

My favorite part of "Action Comics #1" is the bit where Superman's powers are "scientifically" explained. "Ants are really strong. Therefore, Superman is strong..." ???

(Martian Manhunter) can do everything Superman can, plus turn invisible, read minds, phase through solid objects, and change into practically any living thing he can think of. They should take away most of his Superman-like abilities, since there's enough guys like that in DC anyway.

Even though I kept feeling like J'onn didn't quite pull his weight on the original Justice League series, I do like that they powered him down a bit. He was strong and tough, but nowhere near Supe's and Wonder Woman's level.

Plus, MM's superstrength and laser vision almost never come into play. He's usually using his morphing or phasing powers, or the Martian mindmeld.

Too many powers? Fucking bullcrap!
He's Superman! The most powerful of all Superheros, the king, the granddaddy!
He could stand to be about 200000000000% MORE powerful. You guys just want to de-power him to make more room for all your other shitty upstart heroes. Well Superman needs to exist in his OWN reality like he used to, without all these other wannabes, near-do-wells, and could-a-beens.

Eradicate the dross. Supes is the king!

The one, the only. Superman. A god in an ugly blue and red tight suit.

He only started with those weaker powers because he was the one and only back then. To retain his awesome, original position as the best he needed to power up in the face of all the upstart babies that've popped up over the years. If they pissoff again, then he'll go back to what he was, but until then his powers should increase.
To de-power him in the face of the current situation is stupid. That's ruining Superman. :x

But then I don't really like superheroes anyway... But I do like my opinions! :x

Looks like someone needs a good retcon!

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Check it out, everything that has been done prior to that point in history gone the way of a parallel wizard did it universe. Its like how the ultimate fantastic four were told to wait for the ultimates, when the ultimates were formed to be a super hero team like the fantastic four. Its america, and god dammit, they don't care. Its all about the money. They'd make Batman gay if they thought america would like it.

I can't believe you forgot bb code.
Fuck you Gary! :x

...I'm with you all the way there. It's money.