How powerful do you want Superman to be portrayed as?

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Because again I feel everyone here and beyond thinks any reasonable adaption is impossible when it comes to Superman because he's "So powerful be breaks whole planets and fights Gods" Even though in all his portrayals Superman has never always been consistantly god level powerful.

Animated Series Superman and Snyder Superman so far are no where near as ridiculously powerful as Silver Age Superman who destroys whole Solar Systems by sneezing (and since then he's been nerfed fairly decently)

But I feel there is another argument that nerfing Superman's ridiculous overpowered abilities takes away the whole point of Superman.

So I am just asking, How powerful should Superman be?

 

[Cicada 5]

Animated series and Snyder levels are fine with me.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I think this very question is the reason I?m not a Superman fan; he?s so powerful, any weakness has to be contrived. I mean between his ability to fly at insane speeds, survive the vacuum of space, laser vision, X-ray vision, ice breath, super-deific strength, bulletproof skin, and any other manner of ?deus ex machina? cure-all ability for whatever situation he finds himself in, his only real weakness is a penchant for goodness and/or willingness to restrain himself; basically, it?s his humanity. There?s a role model for ya?: a nigh-omnipotent being whose only flaw is the best thing about mankind; his name literally means ?Above/Better than/Superlative [of] Man.? Tell me again how Barbie sets an unrealistic precedent of womanhood for young girls? (<- I?m being facetious with that last part.)

Spoiler: ?What If Superman Punched You??

But OT, I think he should be as powerful as the writers need him to be for their purposes, but his weakness needs to be something more substantial than a rare element. I know he?s solar powered, so maybe he?s weaker when not in direct sunlight, nearly powerless at night? Or maybe he is so powerful that in attempts to restrain himself, he can?t help but restrain himself well within more reasonable limits, i.e.: if I had to stand on the shoulders of an infant, I would have to support 99% of my weight elsewhere to avoid crushing the baby. To avoid mass catastrophic damage, Superman needs to pull his punches enough of ensure they?re only damaging to the intended target; no more of punching villains through buildings causing billions of dollars in damages and tacit collateral deaths. And of course for action and suspense, much like Voltron never ?formed Blazing Sword? until the end of the fight, Superman has to ?pull the gloves off? from time to time and punch a hole through the fabric of reality to blow our minds and remind us just how ?super? he could be.

 

[PapaGreg096]

I think this very question is the reason I?m not a Superman fan; he?s so powerful, any weakness has to be contrived. I mean between his ability to fly at insane speeds, survive the vacuum of space, laser vision, X-ray vision, ice breath, super-deific strength, bulletproof skin, and any other manner of ?deus ex machina? cure-all ability for whatever situation he finds himself in, his only real weakness is a penchant for goodness and/or willingness to restrain himself; basically, it?s his humanity. There?s a role model for ya?: a nigh-omnipotent being whose only flaw is the best thing about mankind; his name literally means ?Above/Better than/Superlative [of] Man.? Tell me again how Barbie sets an unrealistic precedent of womanhood for young girls? (<- I?m being facetious with that last part.)

Spoiler: ?What If Superman Punched You??

But OT, I think he should be as powerful as the writers need him to be for their purposes, but his weakness needs to be something more substantial than a rare element. I know he?s solar powered, so maybe he?s weaker when not in direct sunlight, nearly powerless at night? Or maybe he is so powerful that in attempts to restrain himself, he can?t help but restrain himself well within more reasonable limits, i.e.: if I had to stand on the shoulders of an infant, I would have to support 99% of my weight elsewhere to avoid crushing the baby. To avoid mass catastrophic damage, Superman needs to pull his punches enough of ensure they?re only damaging to the intended target; no more of punching villains through buildings causing billions of dollars in damages and tacit collateral deaths. And of course for action and suspense, much like Voltron never ?formed Blazing Sword? until the end of the fight, Superman has to ?pull the gloves off? from time to time and punch a hole through the fabric of reality to blow our minds and remind us just how ?super? he could be.

Superman hasn't had a "Deus ex machina cure all ability" in decades also I don't see how having a combo platters of powers make him overpowered, for gods sake The Flash can time travel and Martian Manhunter can shapeshift but no one complains that they are overpowered.

 

[Baffle]

I want him to be able to open jars, but only with one of those little gripper gizmos they give people with arthritis.

 

[Xprimentyl]

SNIP

Superman hasn't had a "Deus ex machina cure all ability" in decades also I don't see how having a combo platters of powers make him overpowered, for gods sake The Flash can time travel and Martian Manhunter can shapeshift but no one complains that they are overpowered.

Shows how interested I?ve been in Superman if they?ve since ?nerfed? him into the realm of fantastic feasibility and no one told me.

Most heroes have a combo platter of powers; that?s what makes them ?heroes,? and that?s not my issue. My issue with Superman has always been that he had the superlative of ALL the powers; he was the strongest, fastest, most impervious, chiseled jaw-est, etc.; he was the barometer by which other heroes? were ultimately measured, and that?s just not interesting.

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

Despite complaints that he should be stronger, I feel the DCAU got it about right: He is shown to be the biggest powerhouse in the entire Justice League and, more importantly, one who inspires countless others to take up the cape with his heroism and dedication to virtue.

His biggest conflict is not usually defeating the enemy, but holding back to avoid causing catastrophic damage to the city/planet as well as accidentally killing villains he doesn't want to kill (the exceptions to his usual mercy being Darkseid, Mongol and occasionally Lex Luthor after he's done something particularly vile). Having the ability to fly around the planet so fast it rewinds time so he can save everyone on the second try defuses drama unless it's a one-time thing, done in a moment of absolute need. Likewise, giving him speed to match or exceed Flash combined with everything else he has removes the tactical element for just about any fight he's in.

As the comic book hero given the most Christ themes of any of them, his struggle is not necessarily in defeating evil directly by punching it in the face. It's in saving humanity from the dark impulses that drive them to destruction (though again he's likely given up on saving Luthor's soul by now, no surprise). All the power in the world won't always allow you to do that:

Spoiler: Talking someone out of suicide

 

[CrazyGirl17]

I prefer a Superman who is sufficiently powerful, but is well-written enough it's not a game-breaker.

Also, the post above mine summed it up better than I ever could.

 

[PapaGreg096]

SNIP

Superman hasn't had a "Deus ex machina cure all ability" in decades also I don't see how having a combo platters of powers make him overpowered, for gods sake The Flash can time travel and Martian Manhunter can shapeshift but no one complains that they are overpowered.

Shows how interested I?ve been in Superman if they?ve since ?nerfed? him into the realm of fantastic feasibility and no one told me.

Most heroes have a combo platter of powers; that?s what makes them ?heroes,? and that?s not my issue. My issue with Superman has always been that he had the superlative of ALL the powers; he was the strongest, fastest, most impervious, chiseled jaw-est, etc.; he was the barometer by which other heroes? were ultimately measured, and that?s just not interesting.

He's not really the strongest since there are tons of character who rival his strength, he is far from the fastest because you know "SPEEDFORCE" and he isn't really impervious to Kryptonite or magic

 

[Baffle]

He's not really the strongest since there are tons of character who rival his strength, he is far from the fastest because you know "SPEEDFORCE" and he isn't really impervious to Kryptonite or magic

Doesn't sound super at all, sounds more like Shitman.

 

[Xprimentyl]

SNIP

Superman hasn't had a "Deus ex machina cure all ability" in decades also I don't see how having a combo platters of powers make him overpowered, for gods sake The Flash can time travel and Martian Manhunter can shapeshift but no one complains that they are overpowered.

Shows how interested I?ve been in Superman if they?ve since ?nerfed? him into the realm of fantastic feasibility and no one told me.

Most heroes have a combo platter of powers; that?s what makes them ?heroes,? and that?s not my issue. My issue with Superman has always been that he had the superlative of ALL the powers; he was the strongest, fastest, most impervious, chiseled jaw-est, etc.; he was the barometer by which other heroes? were ultimately measured, and that?s just not interesting.

He's not really the strongest since there are tons of character who rival his strength, he is far from the fastest because you know "SPEEDFORCE" and he isn't really impervious to Kryptonite or magic

Superman was created in the 1930s, basically the infancy of modern comics; many of those that [now] ?rival? his abilities were conceived in his wake for the simple fact that Superman was unrivaled, i.e.: the barometer by which other heroes were/are measured. So, in the spirit of the OP?s thread, I answered as I saw fit; I don?t? think he?s asking how powerful I think a normally-powered Superman should be; that?s like asking ?how big do you think a 2-liter bottle of soda should be;? the answer is in the question.

But, a question to your points as I honestly don?t know, do those that rival Superman?s strength also rival his speed? Can they also shoot lasers from their eyes? Are they also innately bulletproof? Can they also fly? Does The Flash?s ?speedforce? allow him to lift a building over his head?

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Animated series and Snyder levels are fine with me.

Animated series Superman makes it clear he's not using his full power. He way more powerful, he's just choosing to not use that power.
That's a hard gimmick to get across in a game. Imagine playing WOW, and you're struggling through lvl5 quests, but you're a lvl100 Fighter but you're just choosing to use lvl5 equipment and abilities, with 95 points unspent.

Its just silly. A Superman game would just be silly.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

There are routinely new villains, new demons, and new universes that come out and fight superman on even ground or dwarf his power. Mongul is a Problem. Darkseid is a problem. Doomsday is a Problem. Amazo is a Problem.

There are different tiers of threats to the DC universe. The problem with Media is that they continue to ground Superman to Earth level threats when alone, and Cosmic level threats when he's bound with the Justice League.

Let Superman be All-Powerful. Because as the adage says, there's always someone more powerful.

 

[PapaGreg096]

SNIP

Superman hasn't had a "Deus ex machina cure all ability" in decades also I don't see how having a combo platters of powers make him overpowered, for gods sake The Flash can time travel and Martian Manhunter can shapeshift but no one complains that they are overpowered.

Shows how interested I?ve been in Superman if they?ve since ?nerfed? him into the realm of fantastic feasibility and no one told me.

Most heroes have a combo platter of powers; that?s what makes them ?heroes,? and that?s not my issue. My issue with Superman has always been that he had the superlative of ALL the powers; he was the strongest, fastest, most impervious, chiseled jaw-est, etc.; he was the barometer by which other heroes? were ultimately measured, and that?s just not interesting.

He's not really the strongest since there are tons of character who rival his strength, he is far from the fastest because you know "SPEEDFORCE" and he isn't really impervious to Kryptonite or magic

Superman was created in the 1930s, basically the infancy of modern comics; many of those that [now] ?rival? his abilities were conceived in his wake for the simple fact that Superman was unrivaled, i.e.: the barometer by which other heroes were/are measured. So, in the spirit of the OP?s thread, I answered as I saw fit; I don?t? think he?s asking how powerful I think a normally-powered Superman should be; that?s like asking ?how big do you think a 2-liter bottle of soda should be;? the answer is in the question.

I mean if you are talking about Golden Age Superman wasn't that powerful in fact he could've been hurt by tank shells and couldn't even fly. Also Shazam was made before Superman got really popular too.

But, a question to your points as I honestly don?t know, do those that rival Superman?s strength also rival his speed? Can they also shoot lasers from their eyes? Are they also innately bulletproof? Can they also fly? Does The Flash?s ?speedforce? allow him to lift a building over his head?

Well seeing how a good chunk of those rivals have "Superpower Lottery" then yes most of the time they are at least as fast him, heck Martian Manhunter even has telepathy and shape shifting powers. And as for the Flash, the Speedforce allows him to punch with force similar to the diameter of the moon, think in nanoseconds, vibrate his molecules, travel time, have low level wind powers, and do this.

Spoiler

Animated series and Snyder levels are fine with me.

Animated series Superman makes it clear he's not using his full power. He way more powerful, he's just choosing to not use that power.
That's a hard gimmick to get across in a game. Imagine playing WOW, and you're struggling through lvl5 quests, but you're a lvl100 Fighter but you're just choosing to use lvl5 equipment and abilities, with 95 points unspent.

You do know almost every hero holds back right, heck if Spiderman was in full power the game would be an M rating

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

As OP as possible, to cause the writers problems.

 

[SupahEwok]

I want Superman to have to hold in his farts, lest an inadvertant cutting of the cheese blew away the fabric of reality.

 

[Asita]

Animated Series Superman and Snyder Superman so far are no where near as ridiculously powerful as Silver Age Superman who destroys whole Solar Systems by sneezing (and since then he's been nerfed fairly decently)

True, but even the DCAU repeatedly made the point that Superman was ridiculously overpowered compared to everyone else on Earth. See for instance TAS's Legacy (wherein a brainwashed Superman steamrolls the planet), and Justice League's Hereafter (wherein even J'onn asks "how many battles did we win just because he was there?"). See also the Tabula Rasa episodes, where Amazo copying Superman's powers was practically considered game over[footnote]"Hera help us!" "She better! No one else can now!"[/footnote] and of course the "World of Cardboard" speech, wherein Superman notes that he has always made a point of holding back. Let me reemphasize that: This is a character who even the other monstrously powerful league members like the Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman viewed as hopelessly outmatching them and he cultivated that reputation while sandbagging.

Now mind you, I liked TAS and Justice League, and I thought they handled Superman well. But the times he was actually challenged were few and far between and ultimately justified in part as him giving himself a sizable handicap for everyone else's safety. I'd go so far as to say that even within those series, his best uses were less about his physical presence than it was about his reputation and the dynamic between him and the world around him; His golden boy reputation being stained by Darkseid brainwashing him, his fear and doubt after learning about his Justice Lord counterpart, the idea that he was the glue binding the Justice League together, or the fact that he'd love nothing more than to be living an unexceptional life among people like him (For the Man Who Has Everything).

The problem ultimately isn't that you can't make a good story with him, but that it doesn't translate especially well to a game format, because playing as Superman puts the spotlight on the weakest part of Superman as a character: his overwhelming abilities that should by rights trivialize most encounters.

 

[Elvis Starburst]

Whatever level of power for Superman to actually feel relatable in any conceivable way and be threatened with anything other than just kryptonite and galaxy-threatening-tier villains. If that currently exists, yay for that, that version is now my head canon

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I think this:

Despite complaints that he should be stronger, I feel the DCAU got it about right: He is shown to be the biggest powerhouse in the entire Justice League and, more importantly, one who inspires countless others to take up the cape with his heroism and dedication to virtue.

His biggest conflict is not usually defeating the enemy, but holding back to avoid causing catastrophic damage to the city/planet as well as accidentally killing villains he doesn't want to kill (the exceptions to his usual mercy being Darkseid, Mongol and occasionally Lex Luthor after he's done something particularly vile). Having the ability to fly around the planet so fast it rewinds time so he can save everyone on the second try defuses drama unless it's a one-time thing, done in a moment of absolute need. Likewise, giving him speed to match or exceed Flash combined with everything else he has removes the tactical element for just about any fight he's in.

As the comic book hero given the most Christ themes of any of them, his struggle is not necessarily in defeating evil directly by punching it in the face. It's in saving humanity from the dark impulses that drive them to destruction (though again he's likely given up on saving Luthor's soul by now, no surprise). All the power in the world won't always allow you to do that:

Spoiler: Talking someone out of suicide

sums it up for better than I could.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

I think this:

Despite complaints that he should be stronger, I feel the DCAU got it about right: He is shown to be the biggest powerhouse in the entire Justice League and, more importantly, one who inspires countless others to take up the cape with his heroism and dedication to virtue.

His biggest conflict is not usually defeating the enemy, but holding back to avoid causing catastrophic damage to the city/planet as well as accidentally killing villains he doesn't want to kill (the exceptions to his usual mercy being Darkseid, Mongol and occasionally Lex Luthor after he's done something particularly vile). Having the ability to fly around the planet so fast it rewinds time so he can save everyone on the second try defuses drama unless it's a one-time thing, done in a moment of absolute need. Likewise, giving him speed to match or exceed Flash combined with everything else he has removes the tactical element for just about any fight he's in.

As the comic book hero given the most Christ themes of any of them, his struggle is not necessarily in defeating evil directly by punching it in the face. It's in saving humanity from the dark impulses that drive them to destruction (though again he's likely given up on saving Luthor's soul by now, no surprise). All the power in the world won't always allow you to do that:

Spoiler: Talking someone out of suicide

sums it up for better than I could.

Can you guys for once STOP using that one scene from All-Star Superman? There are more examples of Superman being heroic and virtuous than that!

Ever heard of Superman: Peace on Earth?!