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I'm not very familiar with Superman, but I've read a few stories, and I was wondering what the various levels of Superman's power have been over the years. It helps to compare him to other characters.

Now, I know it goes from Golden Age Superman through Silver Age to Post-Crisis, but within the Post-Crisis era it can be further split down, because in 1986, Superman could be KO'd by a nuke and couldn't breathe in space. When did the weaker Superman who was killed by Doomsday change? Even coming back from death, he wasn't any stronger straight away.
Currently, Superman can survive supernovas and so on. Also, in the Golden Age he couldn't fly at first, but later on, he could because of the radio shows.

Can anyone give me a list of what and when of the various leaps in power (obviously some happened gradually), such as going from being able to be hurt by artillery shells to surviving in stars?

towards the end of the 90s, Superman started to really grow in power. it was gradual, but the benchmark for a lot of people is the "Our Worlds At War" storyline. Superman shows some insane feats of strength and power during that arc. That, imo, would be the best bridge between what happened durin Death of Superman, and the one we have today...

Why did Superman grow in power? Was it just training through battle or was there something extra (like magic, or a certain event that had an effect on his body) making him stronger?


Also, is early Golden Age Superman the weakest, or is it John Byrnes Superman? Golden Age can be hurt by artillery, right? Early Post Crisis can be hurt by a nuke, so must be stronger.

Originally posted by Broken Warrior
Why did Superman grow in power? Was it just training through battle or was there something extra (like magic, or a certain event that had an effect on his body) making him stronger?


Also, is early Golden Age Superman the weakest, or is it John Byrnes Superman? Golden Age can be hurt by artillery, right? Early Post Crisis can be hurt by a nuke, so must be stronger.

it wasn't like he was just upgraded or anything. writers just tend to write him as getting more and more powerful as years go by... he has the odd small upgrade, like after infinite crisis, but in general its a pretty gradual thiing.

early post crisis would be stronger than the original superman yeah...

Originally posted by Broken Warrior
Why did Superman grow in power? Was it just training through battle or was there something extra (like magic, or a certain event that had an effect on his body) making him stronger?


Also, is early Golden Age Superman the weakest, or is it John Byrnes Superman? Golden Age can be hurt by artillery, right? Early Post Crisis can be hurt by a nuke, so must be stronger.
He's getting older, as he lives under a yellow sun he gradually gets more powerful. So it makes since for him to keep getting stronger as he ages.


This brings up another question. Would Superman not die of old age until the sun became red?

Originally posted by jalek moye
He's getting older, as he lives under a yellow sun he gradually gets more powerful. So it makes since for him to keep getting stronger as he ages.


This brings up another question. Would Superman not die of old age until the sun became red?

Impossible question to answer "canonically," seeing as how anything that could answer it would be set in the future, and thus, not canon.

But Morrison clearly agrees with you- check out "DC One Million." Current superman survives thousands of years into the future.

Originally posted by tjcoady
Impossible question to answer "canonically," seeing as how anything that could answer it would be set in the future, and thus, not canon.

But Morrison clearly agrees with you- check out "DC One Million." Current superman survives thousands of years into the future.
yea i saw that. Also KC supes lives thousands of years aswell. although when he gets to the thousands of years hes an old.

Originally posted by tjcoady
Impossible question to answer "canonically," seeing as how anything that could answer it would be set in the future, and thus, not canon.

But Morrison clearly agrees with you- check out "DC One Million." Current superman survives thousands of years into the future.

bah. he's already over a thousand years old...

Originally posted by Raoul
bah. he's already over a thousand years old...
o yea. but i thought that had to do with being in asgard

Originally posted by jalek moye
o yea. but i thought that had to do with being in asgard

it does. he was there for a thousand years, even if it didn't pass that quickly on earth...

Originally posted by Raoul
it does. he was there for a thousand years, even if it didn't pass that quickly on earth...
i mean as asgard would effect him differently then being on earth for a thousand years