Pyrian on 24/7/2012 at 15:28
I think all Superman really needs is a good whack with the nerf-bat. He can still fly around and be really fast, really strong, and virtually invulnerable without being absurd.
Thirith on 24/7/2012 at 16:30
Dunno - I can imagine interesting stories that can be told around the character. Being invulnerable isn't the same as automatically always winning or doing the right thing. E.g. stories about survivor's guilt, in more than one way; Supes as the only (?) survivor of the destruction of Krypton, and him, in spite of all his powers, not managing to save XYZ.
The Alchemist on 24/7/2012 at 17:06
All I took from that cartoon clip was that Superman suddenly decided not to give a fuck and killed a ton of people in the crossfire/collateral damage.
Muzman on 24/7/2012 at 18:16
Quote Posted by DDL
(Also, I saw the trailer at TDKR, and all I could think was "he's got contrails coming out of his feet! WHY DOES HE HAVE CONTRAILS COMING OUT OF HIS FEEET")
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wingtip_vortices) Probably not contrails yasee. Probably still BS, but slightly less so for it.
SubJeff on 24/7/2012 at 18:32
Quote Posted by DDL
(Also, I saw the trailer at TDKR, and all I could think was "he's got contrails coming out of his feet! WHY DOES HE HAVE CONTRAILS COMING OUT OF HIS FEEET")
As I read this all I could think was "who the hell notices AND THEN cares about this?"
june gloom on 24/7/2012 at 19:29
DDL is completely wrong as usual but I don't have time to explain it to him (rushing to get some errands done) and anyway he's not capable of learning anyway so why doesn't he just read my other posts in this thread and shut up?
DDL on 24/7/2012 at 19:52
:(
"Disagreeing with everything dethtoll holds dear" is apparently my new role in life.
More seriously, you need to learn the difference between "disagrees with me" and "is wrong", because it will be a
hugely useful lifeskill. Especially given how often you find people to be "wrong".
But anyway: answer me this: at what point, ever, does superman appear to be in actual peril?
If he's 'depowered', then he's not super anyway.
If the threat is so powerful even
superman is in real danger, then the threat is so disproportionate to general human levels of comprehension that you lose the audience.
If the threat is anything else, then: lol superman.
If the best you can come up with is "he's just trying to deal with everyday life without accidentally murdering everyone via superstrength", then that is not a terribly gripping narrative. You could just have a film about an ordinary person living an ordinary life and then at the end go AND HE WAS SUPERMAN THE WHOLE TIEM!
"Dear diary: today I totally passed for a normal human!"
Riveting stuff.
Actually (
http://www.cracked.com/blog/7-ways-batman-objectively-better-than-superman/) cracked summed it up slightly more elegantly, but you get the idea.
The Alchemist on 24/7/2012 at 20:47
Quote Posted by DDL
:(
"Disagreeing with everything dethtoll holds dear" is apparently my new role in life.
More seriously, you need to learn the difference between "disagrees with me" and "is wrong", because it will be a
hugely useful lifeskill. Especially given how often you find people to be "wrong".
But anyway: answer me this: at what point, ever, does superman appear to be in actual peril?
If he's 'depowered', then he's not super anyway.
If the threat is so powerful even
superman is in real danger, then the threat is so disproportionate to general human levels of comprehension that you lose the audience.
If the threat is anything else, then: lol superman.
If the best you can come up with is "he's just trying to deal with everyday life without accidentally murdering everyone via superstrength", then that is not a terribly gripping narrative. You could just have a film about an ordinary person living an ordinary life and then at the end go AND HE WAS SUPERMAN THE WHOLE TIEM!
"Dear diary: today I totally passed for a normal human!"
Riveting stuff.
Actually (
http://www.cracked.com/blog/7-ways-batman-objectively-better-than-superman/) cracked summed it up slightly more elegantly, but you get the idea.
I'm really really sorry dethy, but I agree. I dislike Superman for this reason. He's fuckin Superman. He seems immortal. What beats him? Oh right, kryptonite. Dont have any? Well fuck. BLOT OUT THE SUN. What else. I dont know, I never liked the premise so I did not read the comics much. I was always into Xmen etc. But the silly suit, with the underwear on the outside, cause thats how we roll in Krypton, and that HAHAHAH IM SUPERMAN OH SHIT KRYPTONITE HAAHHA I HAVE FIGURED OUT HOW TO DISARM YOU OF YOUR KRYPTONITE I AM IMMORTAL AGAIN sort of thing turns me off. So yeah, you have to throw in some ridiculous powers to make any real threat, and there goes his whole "trying to be a human, while maintaining myself as a God and saving the world from GALACTUS" thing. Sorry bro, I just don't enjoy it. Omnipotent superhero? Doc Manhattan. All that power, alienation from humanity, the fleetingness of life. That was compelling.
(
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3ey3xAiUf1rs5qwyo1_1280.jpg) Jigga please.
june gloom on 24/7/2012 at 21:22
I expect nothing less from Marvel fans.
Al_B on 24/7/2012 at 23:12
I actually like the fact that Superman is so extreme in certain characteristics. Once you accept you have a superhero that is practically invulnerable and almost omnipotent physically it highlights just where he's weakest. It's just a shame that he appears to be often written in a way that concentrates on his strengths - but ensures he (
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ForgotAboutHisPowers) forgets about them until needed.
One thing he can't do (although I'm sure I can be proved wrong) is deliberately impose his thoughts on someone's mind. He is also not omniscient and cannot know the entire facts of a situation in advance. These two weaknesses by themselves prevent him from being an unstoppable force and make him a more interesting character when used correctly.
