Comments on: Jor-El’s Super-Power Pills

By: Alberto

Alberto — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:00:43 +0000

@Sean Duggan: Just to be clear, I mentioned what I would if I were a common crook: why have the trouble robbing instead of just enjoying the powers.

If it were real me, I would probably use them to help people or something.

By: Lunar Archivist

Lunar Archivist — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:32:14 +0000

I bow to your superior wisdom, Matthew. It’s admittedly been a while since I’ve reread the Silver Age doubletalk/technobabble explanation for that stuff, so I’m a bit fuzzy on it. :)

I’ll never forget how Peter David mocked Supergirl’s Silver Age origin story towards the end of his run on that title. It was absolutely hilarious.

By: Matthew Rossi

Matthew Rossi — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:20:43 +0000

Lunar: the problem with the rocket was that its fuel was also from Krypton, and thus super explosive on Earth.

Yes, our yellow sun makes Kryptonian explosives more explodey.

By: animus

animus — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:25:09 +0000

I thought Superman’s clothes were only invulnerable because of his ‘invincible aura’?

In my day, the Superman costume itself was made of indestructible Kryptonian bedding from baby Kal-El’s spaceship. I dare say the explanations have changed over the years.

By: Lunar Archivist

Lunar Archivist — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:38:48 +0000

Actually, Ashton, that was a post-Crisis invention. In the original comics, pretty much anything that came from Krypton became invulnerable/indestructable under Earth’s yellow sun. The only exceptions were Kryptonite and the rocket ship carrying Kal-El which popped open upon impact.

In spite of that, the Silver Age comics had the Kent family cannibalize the rocket ship for parts and materials to make Superman’s outfit as indestructible as he was: his costume was made by Ma Kent from the blankets baby Kal-El was wrapped in, his belt was the spaceship’s seat belt, glass from the windows was used to make Clark Kent’s glasses (which is why he can use his heat vision while wearing his glasses without melting them), etc.

By: Ashton

Ashton — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:25:10 +0000

I thought Superman’s clothes were only invulnerable because of his ‘invincible aura’? So if his powers went away, so did the invincibility it offered his clothes?

By: Sean Duggan

Sean Duggan — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:09:29 +0000

@Alberto – That was one of the things I liked about the movie Jumper (haven’t read the book, although I’ve heard it’s even better). The main character didn’t decide to go out and do great things with his power. Rather, he spent the next year or so of his life in sybaritic pleasure.

By: Marionette

Marionette — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:32:37 +0000

I never understood the whole power-stealing deal, anyway. How is it that a person’s physical abilities could be removed from them and used by someone else?

It just seems to treat someone’s ability to run fast or do math as though it were a physical object that could be removed and used by another person. Except that it doesn’t take away the ability completely; just the part that makes them slightly better than average.

By: Alberto

Alberto — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:37:36 +0000

Then again, why care about money if you have kryptonian superpowers?

You probably don’t feel hungry, don’t get sick, you can travel wherever and whenever you want. You can travel through time, vibrate through solids (at least for the Silver Age Superman), see through walls and other flimsier barriers with x-ray…

I would wake up at home, eat breakfast in Paris, spend my morning in a greek beach, ride an Indian elephant in the afternoon, and go to a NY club in the evening…

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:46:39 +0000

Jim,

Shhhhh. You’re giving away my post for Wednesday…