Superman

Superman

Superman is probably the best-known character from DC Comics. He has superhuman attributes that result from his extra-terrestrial birth on the planet Krypton.

Attributes

Superman's abilities have varied wildly over the years of comic-book history, but his most common powers include the following:

• Strength: Superman easily lifts hundreds or thousands of tons of mass.
• Toughness/Invulnerability: Superman easily resists the impact of bullets, and he can survive small thermonuclear blasts without significant harm.
• Flight: He can propel himself through the air or space without noticeable effort.
• Senses: He can see objects at a distance as if through a high-powered telescope, and close objects as if through a microscope. He can also use "x-ray vision" to see through solid matter and "heat vision" to dramatically increase the temperature of anything he is looking at at will. His hearing is also superhuman, allowing him to hear sounds that are very low in volume or outside the normal range of human hearing.
• Speed: He can run or fly at supersonic speeds.

Superman has some specific vulnerabilities. Certain minerals from his destroyed homeworld release radiation that is extremely toxic to him, and his invulnerability provides no special resistance to psionic powers or magic.

Relatives

Other Kryptonians typically have similar attributes, usually including a female cousin and some Kryptonian criminals (supervillains).

Debates

For any force seeking to dominate DC Comics Earth, Superman is a benchmark threat.