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Original Superman
Pre Crisis Superman
Current Superman
Superman Prime
Composite Superman
Sun dipped Superman
Superman 1 million
Another version (s) I missed


I mean just how many versions of this character are there exactly? And why can't DC Comics ever stand to see him lose, despite the fact he should, often?

His fanboys fuel him.

Sundipped and Current are the same person but I don't know why people always ask this questions with regards to Superman. You can list off multiple versions of any character.

616 Thor
Ultimate Thor
Mangaverse Thor
Mutant X Thor
Earth X Thor
Thor 2099
Thor Herald of Galactus

Current Batman
Golden Age Batman
Silver Age Batman
Azrael Batman
Dick Grayson Batman
Dark Knight Returns Batman
Kingdom Come Batman

Spider-Man
Scarlet Spider
Spider-Man 2099
Spider-Ham
Blood Spider
Exiles Spider
Spider-Phoenix

Yeah those suck as well. Supes just does it with style...and batman too.

I agree. Superman should lose more often. He should be challenged. But truly the Fanboys would freak if he got pwned on a regular basis.

Even though it would make the character mean something.

This is why I dont read Superman comics anymore. There all too bland and boring.

I LOVE the character of Superman (Obviously) but I'm the first to say that because of the bland writing of his comics, he needs to be changed. Again.

They need to have a Post-Post Crisis Superman. Thats more like the Character of Clark Kent on Smallville. A character that has something that people might care about beside the simple fact that he is the icon of all icons.

I hope DC decides to do something about it. It needs to be done.

Superman can't seem to catch a break.
If he's too powerful, some people cry foul because he is.
He gets toned down, and people don't like it.
You don't really hear this for other characters.
No matter what happens, people will always find a reason to complain.

II think he should be to powerful but not loose to freaking losers in every so issue. He needs a set state..he can't be powerful and weak at the same time depending on who he fights. I complain about the other charachters different versions but this is a superman forums....go to the spidey one and see that thread I made that they ruined spidey with iron, and making him to powerful...go to the xmen forum and see that i say wolvie gets to musch credit and the xmen should be more into it instead of amping wolvie...as for batman..well he is batman and always get murdered no matter what. then again he always doing things that he should not like that time with killer croc and bats opening his mouth lik ethat.

Originally posted by ((The_Anomaly))
I agree. Superman should lose more often. He should be challenged. But truly the Fanboys would freak if he got pwned on a regular basis.

Even though it would make the character mean something.

This is why I dont read Superman comics anymore. There all too bland and boring.

I LOVE the character of Superman (Obviously) but I'm the first to say that because of the bland writing of his comics, he needs to be changed. Again.

They need to have a Post-Post Crisis Superman. Thats more like the Character of Clark Kent on Smallville. A character that has something that people might care about beside the simple fact that he is the icon of all icons.

I hope DC decides to do something about it. It needs to be done.
There's already a Post Post Crisis Superman. Birthright retconned Byrne's Man of Steel mini series.

Regardless of that, the answer to Superman's problems isn't to reboot the character like they've done multiple times already. The answer to his problems is to get a better writer for his books. There's not many of them who have a handle on his character and the reason for that is all of the damn reboots. Alan Moore gets Superman. Grant Morrison gets Superman. Kurt Busiek gets Superman. Pretty soon we'll see whether Geoff Johns gets Superman.

I agree.

What I'm really saying is that Superman should be depowerd a little. And if not depowerd they should put clear limits on his abilities.

No lightspeed...speed

No lifting of moons and small planetoids.

No surviving black holes etc.

And his heat Vision really shouldn't be "more hot" then the Sun. A little less or at the very least the same.

And he should be hurt by at least a few nukes. Him surviving one or two makes sense. But anymore then two and he should be at least hurt a little. Anymore then five and he should not be in such good shape.

Basically what I'm saying is he needs to seem more real. But at the same time keep his 'Amazing' iconic image. He's still gonna pWn a lot of people a lot of the time, he is Superman after all. But he needs to be challenged, not only physically but his character too, mainly Clark needs to be challenged. Clark needs to be the figurehead, not "Superman".

He needs to be more real is all. And your right. A good writer is needed in order to achieve this.

Originally posted by Avalonofthewind
Superman can't seem to catch a break.
If he's too powerful, some people cry foul because he is.
He gets toned down, and people don't like it.
You don't really hear this for other characters.
No matter what happens, people will always find a reason to complain.

I've had this reaction myself.

Pre-crisis S I found boring because he was so damn powerful. On the other hand, it was kinda nice knowing that no matter what, he would pretty much defeat any other character. But again: B-O-R-I-N-G.

Post crisis S I found interesting because he couldn't do anything he needed to do, wasn't so godlike powerful. On the other hand, I didn't like seeing Superman (eg) need an oxygen mask to breathe in space. "Hey, that's not Superman!"

Having Superman, at best, survive a nuke or two is okay; but this also means he can't be fighting cosmic-level entities. On the other hand, keep him powerful enough to fight guys like Imperiex, but then, don't have him brawling with some bad guy to where "only" the city gets wrecked.

DC has to decide what level he's at and stick with it, and as has been said, that's gonna take good writing, not one-upmanship, to make it work.

superman is so over the top because he is an image of what real heros will never be, they make him that strong and that fast, simply because they can. superman is an icon, and superman is a comic book, the only way he is real, is in our hearts and mind, he will never actually exist, so why not make him larger than life.

pleez no more arguing, superman is the ultimate hero, because we like him that way, and i personaly wouldnt have it any different.

Sorry, that depowerment stuff doesn't work for me. If the best thing writers can come up with to challenge him is a patheticly weak powerset they should go write the X-Men or something.

Pre-Crisis had a ridiculous power level coupled with ridiculous writing. He was SUPERman.

Post Crisis Man of Steel had a horrible power level for a guy who calls him Superman and is suppose to be the number one guy on earth. That level of strength would never work in a world with people as powerful Green Lantern and The Flash walking around. He was very much superMAN.

If you ask me, the current power level is perfect.

Originally posted by Mindship
I've had this reaction myself.

Pre-crisis S I found boring because he was so damn powerful. On the other hand, it was kinda nice knowing that no matter what, he would pretty much defeat any other character. But again: B-O-R-I-N-G.

Post crisis S I found interesting because he couldn't do anything he needed to do, wasn't so godlike powerful. On the other hand, I didn't like seeing Superman (eg) need an oxygen mask to breathe in space. "Hey, that's not Superman!"

Having Superman, at best, survive a nuke or two is okay; but this also means he can't be fighting cosmic-level entities. On the other hand, keep him powerful enough to fight guys like Imperiex, but then, don't have him brawling with some bad guy to where "only" the city gets wrecked.

DC has to decide what level he's at and stick with it, and as has been said, that's gonna take good writing, not one-upmanship, to make it work.

Agreed with 100%
Right now, I'm loving the All Star Superman books. Grant Morrison has made quite an interesting story, he's still extremely powerful, the book isn't even chock full of fights or anything, and yet, it still captures the essence of Supes perfectly.

Personally, I prefer a "normally" world-class power level (eg, can fairly handle a nuke or so, but not much more). The nice thing about the sun-dipping is that it provides a logical, short-term amping of Superman to cosmic levels. This could be the way to have the cake and eat it too, provided it is done intelligently.
Just please, spare me the breathing mask. That just aint Superman.

Originally posted by The Ion
There's already a Post Post Crisis Superman. Birthright retconned Byrne's Man of Steel mini series.

Regardless of that, the answer to Superman's problems isn't to reboot the character like they've done multiple times already. The answer to his problems is to get a better writer for his books. There's not many of them who have a handle on his character and the reason for that is all of the damn reboots. Alan Moore gets Superman. Grant Morrison gets Superman. Kurt Busiek gets Superman. Pretty soon we'll see whether Geoff Johns gets Superman.

I though Bruisek was writing him at the moment ?

When has Moore written him .... Id love to see what the Mark Millar approach would be like, i.e. 'Cosmic realism' .... The guy should, be should beaten more regularly, but by Cosmic bad guys .... Morisson has shown that you don't have to have any fighting to make a Superman story interesting , just a good plot and Spectacular events !!!!!!!!