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How much can Superman bench press? Is there even a ballpark figure?

Theres no official figure. He has never had a cap on his strength, never had a limit. If a situation calls for it you can bet your sweet ass he will step up and if it cant be done, sun dip time.

But to give you a rough idea he has moved a planet, split one of Saturns moons in half and helped move the moon and earth more than once, tossed a planet sized spacecraft and lifts ocean liners and submarines with one hand like its nothing.

I would like to know what the largest object he has lifted, while standing on the ground only. This planet puhsing stuff happens when he flies, and that's more like his inner TK doing the work.
Anyone has scans of such standing feats, let's see them.

Originally posted by roughrider
I would like to know what the largest object he has lifted, while standing on the ground only. This planet puhsing stuff happens when he flies, and that's more like his inner TK doing the work.
Anyone has scans of such standing feats, let's see them. This is not the most impressive strength feat, but it's cool nonetheless...

Superman easily lifts this submarine with one arm:

http://i80.imagethrust.com/t/1119003/s1.jpg



FYI, the average weight of a nuclear submarine , is between 30,000-40,000 tons.


The one Supes lifted in that scan looks WAY bigger then normal imo.

Didn't All-Star Superman resist a machine pressing with a force of about 200 quintotons? And with one-arm, yet? And he wasn't even straining? (I'm still trying to figure out what the floor was made of).

For us humans, a benchpress is typically about 50% more than a standing military press. This would mean about 3x more than a 1-arm press.

So, ballpark figure (according to this scenario): All-Star Superman can benchpress at least 600 quintotons. However, since (afaik) AS Superman is about 3x stronger than "regular" Superman, the latter can benchpress...figure at least 200 quintotons.

Originally posted by Mindship
Didn't All-Star Superman resist a machine pressing with a force of about 200 quintotons? And with one-arm, yet? And he wasn't even straining? (I'm still trying to figure out what the floor was made of).

For us humans, a benchpress is typically about 50% more than a standing military press. This would mean about 3x more than a 1-arm press.

So, ballpark figure (according to this scenario): All-Star Superman can benchpress at least 600 quintotons. However, since (afaik) AS Superman is about 3x stronger than "regular" Superman, the latter can benchpress...figure at least 200 quintotons.

WOW, I was going to say alot, and your methodical logic has proved me right....alot. Thanks mr science

Is Silver Surfer about on Supermans level of strength?

Originally posted by ragesRemorse
WOW, I was going to say alot, and your methodical logic has proved me right....alot. Thanks mr science

It's always been said that SS can amp his strength with power cosmic, but basically he doesn't because he relies more on applied energy.

Offhand, however, I'd have to give Superman his due. When it comes to pure strength, few are his equal or superior (an enraged Hulk comes first to mind).

Originally posted by Mindship

Offhand, however, I'd have to give Superman his due. When it comes to pure strength, few are his equal or superior (an enraged Hulk comes first to mind). Hulk has never lifted anything remotely close to 200 Quintillion tons.

Originally posted by Galan007
Hulk has never lifted anything remotely close to 200 Quintillion tons. Well, here's my 2-cents worth on that.

First of all, every bio I've ever read on the Hulk states that his strength has shown no limit. So theoretically the potential is there.

Secondly, I believe there are feats in the Hulk Respect thread which suggest comparable power. What first comes to mind is when he punched that 2xEarth-sized asteroid into pieces. Now before someone says "Punching power does not necessarily equate to lifting strength," may I remind everyone that power = strength x speed. Since the Hulk is hardly the fastest character, he has to make up the bulk of his punching power in strength.

Third (and this is entirely personal opinion): the Hulk is supposed to be Strength Incarnate, kind of like Flash being Speed Incarnate. If you have a whole mess of characters faster than the Flash, than what's the point of the Flash? Same with Hulk: if you're gonna have tons of characters stronger, then Hulk is pointless. Granted, there are plenty of characters who are more powerful overall (especially given the fact that the Hulk requires time and, um, "motivation" to amp up), but if one is to stay true to what the Hulk is supposed to be, then truly he should be the "strongest one there is."

Unfortunately, it seems that over the last few years, the Hulk (along with his Marvelmate, Galactus) has become a Master Jobber, as if the writers were using the Hulk to show how tough some other character is by beating him. I wonder if, and certainly would like to see this situation rectified in World War Hulk.

Originally posted by Mindship
Well, here's my 2-cents worth on that.

First of all, every bio I've ever read on the Hulk states that his strength has shown no limit. So theoretically the potential is there. Hulk has never lifted anything remotely close to that weight.


So, while the potential might be there...... He has never actually lifted anything near that weight.

Originally posted by Mindship
Secondly, I believe there are feats in the Hulk Respect thread which suggest comparable power. What first comes to mind is when he punched that 2xEarth-sized asteroid into pieces. Now before someone says "Punching power does not necessarily equate to lifting strength," may I remind everyone that power = strength x speed. Since the Hulk is hardly the fastest character, he has to make up the bulk of his punching power in strength. If I fire a bullet at a watermelon, what happens to that watermelon?

Exactly.



And if you recall, Hulk was using tech , to propel himself into space in that instance, so he would have had to be moving MUCH faster then normal.


The asteroid instance, isn't a lifting feat at all.

Originally posted by Galan007
If I fire a bullet at a watermelon, what happens to that watermelon?
Are you implying it should explode from the speed?

http://www.chicagoist.com/attachments/chicagoist_kevin/bullet-apple-s.gif (Sorry, I couldn't find a bullet-through-melon pic)

I imagine that a watermelon -- being much bigger than an apple in relation to the bullet -- would be even less likely to break up into pieces. Hulk's fist, in relation to that asteroid, would be even smaller.

Anyway, Hulk not going through the asteroid suggests speed was not the deciding factor.

Originally posted by Mindship
Are you implying it should explode from the speed?

http://www.chicagoist.com/attachments/chicagoist_kevin/bullet-apple-s.gif (Sorry, I couldn't find a bullet-through-melon pic)

I imagine that a watermelon -- being much bigger than an apple in relation to the bullet -- would be even less likely to break up into pieces.Fire a 44 magnum at a watermelon, and see what happens.

Originally posted by Mindship
Anyway, Hulk not going through the asteroid suggests speed was not the deciding factor. Ahh, but it was.

Hulk was moving forward at what looked to be a very fast rate.

Had Hulk of accomplished the same feat while standing in one location not moving at all, it would have been MUCH different.



Again,

Hulk has never lifted anything close to 200 quintillion tons.

Originally posted by Galan007
Fire a 44 magnum at a watermelon, and see what happens. Supposition...which is fair, since I'm doing my share of it. But a picture would strengthen your point.


Hulk was moving forward at what looked to be a very fast rate.

Had Hulk accomplished the same feat while standing in one location not moving at all, it would have been MUCH different. But not necessarily what you imagine (and in all fairness, not necessarily what I imagine, either. Again, supposition).

Originally posted by Mindship
Supposition...which is fair, since I'm doing my share of it. But a picture would strengthen your point. Next time I go out shooting, I'll take a before and after picture for ya. lol

Originally posted by Galan007
This is not the most impressive strength feat, but it's cool nonetheless...

Superman easily lifts this submarine with one arm:

http://i80.imagethrust.com/t/1119003/s1.jpg



FYI, the average weight of a nuclear submarine , is between 30,000-40,000 tons.


The one Supes lifted in that scan looks WAY bigger then normal imo.

I said standing on the ground. He's flying with it.
Also, isn't that All-Star Superman? His strength levels are not part of continuity.

Something Superman just picks up and throws, without his feet leaving the ground.
We've seen this stuff in the movies; comics, I can't think of an example right now.

Originally posted by roughrider
I said standing on the ground. He's flying with it.
Also, isn't that All-Star Superman? His strength levels are not part of continuity. How do you think that submarine got out of the water in the first place?

Superman lifted it.



And no, that is not All-Star Superman.

I think it's safe to say that even Byrnes' Superman could've lifted that sub with 1 arm, while standing. Even if that sub weighed 200,000 tons (more than two Nimitz-class carriers), that's still far, far less than the weight of a mountain.

Originally posted by Mindship
I think it's safe to say that even Byrnes' Superman could've lifted that sub with 1 arm, while standing. Even if that sub weighed 200,000 tons (more than two Nimitz-class carriers), that's still far, far less than the weight of a mountain.

I just think that's a cool scan, that's all. 313

I can't believe I came across this while google-imaging 'benchpress'. This is far more impressive than a mere 44 magnum.
http://www.worth1000.com/emailthis.asp?entry=139012
(scroll down a bit when you get to the page and look closely)

Originally posted by Galan007
How do you think that submarine got out of the water in the first place?

Superman lifted it.



And no, that is not All-Star Superman.

So, he goes into the water and gets underneath? He didn't lift it then; he flew it out. Try again. It's like in the last movie, when he flies the bow end of the yacht out of the water.

What about him picking up part of a skyscraper or something, and tossing it? Surely he's done that.

Originally posted by Magee
Theres no official figure. He has never had a cap on his strength, never had a limit. If a situation calls for it you can bet your sweet ass he will step up and if it cant be done, sun dip time.

But to give you a rough idea he has moved a planet, split one of Saturns moons in half and helped move the moon and earth more than once, tossed a planet sized spacecraft and lifts ocean liners and submarines with one hand like its nothing.

It seemed to me that early post crisis had several limits with speed strength and a few others which made him much much more entertaining.

Originally posted by roughrider
So, he goes into the water and gets underneath? He didn't lift it then; he flew it out. Try again. It's like in the last movie, when he flies the bow end of the yacht out of the water.

After some type of storm, the submarine had been beached.


So again,

Superman lifted it with one arm, and preceded to fly around with it.

Post-crisis Superman (aka Byrnes' Superman) had very definite limits on his abilities (eg, barely being able to lift a mountain or barely surviving a nuclear blast). Still, lifting 100,000 tons overhead with one arm is, by comparison, child's play, even if done on dry land without a warm-up and wearing comfy outer-underwear.

lol superman was originally concieved to be the last man standing at the end of the fight, its never gona change.

Superman can conceivably absorb the entire output of the Sun, which is the equivalent of over a billion megaton nukes every second. Considering that suns can exist for Billions of years, thats a heck of a LOT of energy. With that kind of power Im sure he could potentially move a neutron Star, or something else with a equivalently huge mass.

Originally posted by Rainbow Kiss
Superman can conceivably absorb the entire output of the Sun,


During JLA 1M, Supes was in the Sun for over 15,000 years, and he didn't come close to absorbing it's entire output.

What I don't get, if he gets his powers from the Sun, that would make his immune stystem superhuman, and give him accelerated healing, all that good stuff because he thrives off the earths atmosphere, how does he age normally? I mean obviously he is going to age slowly (if at all) because he's fictional, but thereotically, he should be aging alot slower than Bruce Wayne.

Originally posted by Galan007



During JLA 1M, Supes was in the Sun for over 15,000 years, and he didn't come close to absorbing it's entire output.

Thats because he didn't try to, absorbing the entire suns out put would have Killed everyone in the solar system. Its pretty obvious though that he does have some means of manipulating the suns radiation, otherwise he wouldn't be able to absorb the energies needed to complete his feats.

Originally posted by wuTa
What I don't get, if he gets his powers from the Sun, that would make his immune stystem superhuman, and give him accelerated healing, all that good stuff because he thrives off the earths atmosphere, how does he age normally? I mean obviously he is going to age slowly (if at all) because he's fictional, but thereotically, he should be aging alot slower than Bruce Wayne.

I thinks thats what is proposed by JLA 1 million where he is still alive in the 853rd century.

Originally posted by Rainbow Kiss
Thats because he didn't try to, absorbing the entire suns out put would have Killed everyone in the solar system. Its pretty obvious though that he does have some means of manipulating the suns radiation, otherwise he wouldn't be able to absorb the energies needed to complete his feats.


can he consciously do that though. In the imperlex saga he had to plung into the sun inorder to absorb more. I always seen his solar absorbtion like a plant and photosynithsis where he just absorbes the rays that are directed toward him and that he can't just suck up more when ever he wants.

Originally posted by jasofisc
can he consciously do that though. In the imperlex saga he had to plung into the sun inorder to absorb more. I always seen his solar absorbtion like a plant and photosynithsis where he just absorbes the rays that are directed toward him and that he can't just suck up more when ever he wants. Thats because he can't.

Originally posted by Galan007
Thats because he can't. As he stresses or angers, he begins to suck in more sunlight as a rapid pace, and they've even eluded to him doing it to other energy sources as well. Dr Emil Hamilton and Mongul have both noted this, as well as others.

Originally posted by Juntai
As he stresses or angers, he begins to suck in more sunlight as a rapid pace, and they've even eluded to him doing it to other energy sources as well. Dr Emil Hamilton and Mongul have both noted this, as well as others. But I don't think he can absorb the Sun's energy in the same way someone like Surfer can, .