5 Things About Superman That Make No Sense

The beautiful thing about fictional stories is that they don’t need to follow the same rules as real life. Stories are artistic expressions where it never matters if something is accurate. Stories can still hold weight and express fundamental emotional truths about reality, yet they don’t have to be pulled down by pesky things like physics or scientific possibilities. Superman is, by definition, a man who shouldn’t exist, making him a “super man.” It’s physically impossible for someone of relatively small stature to lift as much weight as he does, and he is literally defying gravity every time he’s flying.

What makes Superman a beautiful creation is that he can do anything we imagine him doing. He is literally the impossible man, highlighting humanity’s boundless creativity and endless possibilities. Even though we understand the difference between fiction and reality, we will still highlight certain things about Superman that make no sense. This list isn’t a criticism of the character himself, and it is more like a loving analysis of the aspects of Superman that defy everything we know about science.

1) No One Can Fly Like That

There are multiple avenues for something to fly, including wings and jet propulsion. However, the way Superman flies makes no sense. He essentially wills himself to float in the air without added appendages to help him stay in the air. He can pretty much break the rules of gravity and float above Metropolis City without a care in the world. There is pseudo-science that explains Superman’s defying gravity. Some continuity explains Superman’s flying as telekinesis or some sort of mild anti-gravity powers he emanates from within himself. One of the most widely accepted pseudo-sciences for Superman’s power is that he surrounds himself with an invisible aura, or particles, that give him the capabilities to do anything he sets his mind to.

2) Superman Has an Impossible Grip on Heavy Objects

Superman’s super strength is improbable as it is, but his grip and balance defy science. Many strong, normal people can lift heavy things, yet you always need a good grip to hold onto things. You can’t just lift a car with the palm of your hand, the vehicle will tip over without a strong grip or good balance. Superman holding up collapsing buildings wouldn’t work because, even if he has the strength to hold it, the building would fall apart around him unless he’s pushing forward its fortified spot. The pseudo-scientific invisible aura also explains how Superman can accomplish these feats. Superman subconsciously expands his aura to surround whatever he’s carrying or holding so that the things he’s in contact with have his durability. The object he touches becomes an extension of himself, allowing Superman to hold everything intact.

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3) Aliens Wouldn’t Look Like Us (At Least Theoretically)

We and the other living things on Earth look the way we do because we evolved into something suitable for this specific planet. Our limbs, organs, and facial features are the results of what was needed to live specifically in the World. Even though we haven’t met other life on other planets, the odds of aliens looking exactly like us should, theoretically, be nearly impossible. The odds of another planet that is exactly like Earth are low, and the odds of aliens evolving the same way as us are even lower. We are the result of cosmetic coincidences that have led to us becoming cognitive beings with complex thoughts. The possibility of aliens like Superman and Kryptonians almost feels like an impossibility.

4) Kryptonians Should’ve Just All Lived Under a Yellow Sun

Superman was sent to Earth because he looked human, and the radiation of the yellow sun would imbue him with superpowers. Most of the Superman canon establishes that the citizens of Krypton are normal people without superpowers. Nonetheless, if the effects of the yellow sun on Kryptonians were common knowledge, why wouldn’t Krypton find a planet with a yellow sun they could all live on?

Certain continuity attempts to explain this situation, with the most likely assumption being that there was no hospital planet close enough to Krypton that had a yellow sun. Another theory is that the wider Krypton population didn’t know the effects of the yellow sun, yet somehow Jor-El knew about it in most situations. If someone like Jor-El knew about yellow suns, looking for a planet with one would certainly have been top priority for Krypton.

5) His Random Powers are Nonsense

As mentioned before, whatever powers a writer can think of, Superman has them. This motto was especially true during the Golden and Silver Age of comics, when creators would come up with random abilities to give Superman for the sake of the plot. While his superstrength, flight, durability, super speed, enhanced senses, and heat vision are core principles of the character, creators would often add in a random ability like hypnosis or memory-wiping kisses to his arsenal. The only limitations were the writer’s imagination, so as long as they could think of it, Superman would will himself to have these powers.

The most ridiculous random power Superman displayed in classic comics was being able to shoot out miniature clones of himself from his palms. These mini Supermen would have the same powers as he. The power is not only nonsensical, but the comic also doesn’t explain how it works. The Superman cloning powers have rarely, if ever, been brought up again, and for good reason; it’s silly. Nevertheless, these superpowers exemplify Superman’s endless possibilities and how the character works as a symbol for creativity.