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Superman
The Man of Steel

As an influential archetype films, which would have otherwise derived from his Kryptonian heri-
of the superhero genre, Superman had to waste precious running time tage, which made him eons more
possesses extraordinary powers, moving earthbound Clark Kent from evolved than humans. This was soon
with the character traditionally de- place to place. Writers gradually in- amended, with the source for the
scribed as “Faster than a speeding creased his powers to larger extents powers now based upon the estab-
bullet. More powerful than a loco- during the Silver Age, in which Su- lishment of Krypton’s gravity as hav-
motive. Able to leap tall buildings perman could fly to other worlds and ing been stronger than that of the
in a single bound ... It’s Superman!”, galaxies and even across universes Earth. This situation mirrors that of
a phrase coined by Jay Morton and with relative ease. He would often fly Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter.
first used in the Superman radio across the solar system to stop mete- As Superman’s powers increased,
serials and Max Fleischer animated ors from hitting the Earth or some- the implication that all Kryptonians
shorts of the 1940s as well as the times just to clear his head. had possessed the same abilities
TV series of the 1950s. For most of became problematic for writers,
his existence, Superman’s famous Writers found it increasingly making it doubtful that a race of
arsenal of powers has included difficult to write S u p e r m a n such beings could have been wiped
flight, super-strength, invulnera- stories in which the charac-
bility to non-magical attacks, ter was believably c h a l l e n g e d , out by something as trifling
super-speed, vision powers (includ- so DC made a series of attempts to as an exploding planet. In part to
ing x-ray, heat-emitting, telescopic, rein the character in. The most sig- counter this, the Superman writers
infra-red, and microscopic vision), nificant attempt, John Byrne’s 1986
super-hearing, super-intelligence, rewrite, established several hard established that Kryptonians,
and super-breath, which enables limits on his abilities: He barely sur- whose native star Rao had been
him to blow out air at freezing tem- vives a nuclear blast, and his space red, possessed superpowers only
peratures, as well as exert the pro- flights are limited by how long he
pulsive force of high-speed winds. can hold his breath. Superman’s under the light of a yellow sun.
As originally conceived and power levels have again increased Superman is most vulner-
presented in his early stories, Super- since then, with Superman eventu- able to green Kryptonite, mineral
man’s powers were relatively limited, ally possessing enough strength to debris from Krypton transformed
consisting of superhuman strength hurl mountains, withstand nucle- into radioactive material by the forc-
that allowed him to lift a car over ar blasts with ease, fly into the sun es that destroyed the planet. Expo-
his head, run at amazing speeds and unharmed, and survive in the vacu- sure to green Kryptonite radiation
leap one-eighth of a mile, as well um of outer space without oxygen. nullifies Superman’s powers and
as an incredibly dense body struc- immobilizes him with pain and nau-
ture that could be pierced by noth- The source of Superman’s sea; prolonged exposure will even-
ing less than an exploding artillery powers has changed subtly over the tually kill him. The only substance
shell. He could be knocked uncon- course of his history. It was original- on Earth that can protect him from
scious and nearly killed by power- ly stated that Superman’s abilities Kryptonite is lead, which blocks
ful electric fields or bombs. Siegel the radiation. Lead is also the only
and Shuster compared his strength known substance that Superman
and leaping abilities to an ant and a cannot see through with his x-ray
grasshopper. When making the Su- vision. Kryptonite was introduced
perman cartoons in the early 1940s, in 1943 as a plot device to allow the
the Fleischer Brothers found it diffi- radio-serial voice actor, Bud Colly-
cult to keep animating him leaping er, to take some time off. Although
and requested to DC to change his green Kryptonite is the most com-
ability to flying; this was an espe- monly seen form, writers have in-
cially convenient concept for short troduced other forms over the
years: such as red, gold, blue, white,
and black, each with its own effect.



Batman Batman has no inherent superhuman powers; he relies on “his
own scientific knowledge, detective skills, and athletic prowess”.
Batman’s inexhaustible wealth gives him access to advanced
technologies, and as a proficient scientist, he is able to use and
modify these technologies to his advantage. In the stories, Bat-
man is regarded as one of the world’s greatest detectives, if not
the world’s greatest crime solver. Batman has been repeatedly
described as having a genius-level intellect, being one of the
greatest martial artists in the DC Universe, and having peak hu-
man physical conditioning. As a polymath, his knowledge and
expertise in countless disciplines is nearly unparalleled by any
other character in the DC Universe. He has traveled the world
acquiring the skills needed to aid him in his endeavors as Bat-
man. In the Superman: Doomed story arc, Superman consid-
ers Batman to be one of the most brilliant minds on the planet.

Batman has trained extensively in various martial arts, mas-
tering many different types, making him one of the best hand-to-
hand fighters in the DC Universe. Superman describes Batman as
“the most dangerous man on Earth”, able to defeat an entire team
of superpowered extraterrestrials by himself in order to rescue his
imprisoned teammates in Grant Morrison’s first storyline in JLA.
Batman has the ability to function under great physical pain and
to resist telepathy and mind control. He is a master of disguise,
multilingual, and an expert in espionage, often gathering infor-
mation under the identity of a notorious gangster named Match-
es Malone. Batman is highly skilled in stealth movement and es-
capology, which allows him to appear and disappear at will and to
break free of nearly inescapable deathtraps with little to no harm.

Batman is an expert in interrogation techniques and
his intimidating and frightening appearance alone is often all
that is needed in getting information from suspects. Despite
having the potential to harm his enemies, Batman’s most de-
fining characteristic is his strong commitment to justice and
his reluctance to take a life. This unyielding moral rectitude
has earned him the respect of several heroes in the DC Uni-
verse, most notably that of Superman and Wonder Woman.
Among physical and other crime fighting related training,
he is also proficient at other types of skills. Some of these in-
clude being a licensed pilot (in order to operate the Batplane),
as well as being able to operate other types of machinery. In
some publications, he underwent some magician training.

Diana is depicted as a masterful athlete, acrobat, fighter and strategist, trained and expe-
rienced in many ancient and modern forms of armed and unarmed combat, including exclusive
Amazonian martial arts. In some versions, her mother trained her, as Wonder Girl, for a future ca-
reer as Wonder Woman. From the beginning, she is portrayed as highly skilled in using her Amazon
bracelets to stop bullets and in wielding her golden lasso.[81] Batman once called her the “best
melee fighter in the world”. The modern version of the character is known to use lethal force when
she deems it necessary. In the New 52 continuity, her superior combat skills are the result of her
Amazon training, as well as receiving further training from Ares, the God of War, himself, since as
early as her childhood. The Golden Age Wonder Woman also had knowledge in psychology, as did
her Amazon sisters.

Pre-Crisis

The Golden Age Wonder Woman had strength that was comparable to the Golden Age
Superman. Wonder Woman was capable of bench pressing 15,000 pounds even before she had
received her bracelets, and later hoisted a 50,000 pound boulder above her head to inspire Ama-
zons facing the test. Even when her super strength was temporarily nullified, she still had enough
mortal strength of an Amazon to break down a prison door to save Steve Trevor. In one of her earli-
est appearances, she is shown running easily at 60 mph (97 km/h), and later jumps from a building
and lands on the balls of her feet.

She was able to heal faster than a normal human being due to her birthright consumption
of water from Paradise Island’s Fountain of Eternal Youth. Her strength would be removed in accor-
dance with “Aphrodite’s Law” if she allowed her bracelets to be bound or chained by a male.

“The Lasso Compels You”

She also had an array of mental and psychic abilities, as corresponding to Marston’s interest
in parapsychology and metaphysics. Such an array included ESP, astral projection, telepathy (with
or without the Mental Radio), mental control over the electricity in her body, the Amazonian abil-
ity to turn brain energy into muscle power, etc.Wonder Woman first became immune to electric
shocks after having her spirit stripped from her atoms by Dr. Psycho’s Electro Atomizer; it was also
discovered that she was unable to send a mental radio message without her body.
Wonder Woman (vol. 1) #105 revealed that Diana was formed from clay by the Queen of the Am-
azons, given life and power by four of the Greek and Roman gods (otherwise known as the Olym-
pian deities) as gifts, corresponding to her renowned epithet: “Beautiful as Aphrodite, wise as Ath-
ena, swifter than Hermes, and stronger than Hercules”, making her the strongest of the Amazons.
Wonder Woman’s Amazon training gave her limited telepathy, profound scientific knowledge, and
the ability to speak every language – even caveman and Martian languages.

Between 1966 and 1967, new powers were added, such as super breath.
In the Silver and Bronze Ages of comics, Wonder Woman was able to further increase her strength.
In times of great need, removing her bracelets would temporarily augment her power tenfold, but
cause her to go berserk in the process.These powers received changes after the events of Crisis on
Infinite Earths.



All incarnations of the Flash can move, think, and react at light speeds as well as having superhuman
endurance that allows them to run incredible distances. Some, notably later versions, can vibrate so fast that they
can pass through walls in a process called quantum tunneling, travel through time and can also lend and borrow
speed. Speedsters can also heal more rapidly than an average human. In addition, most incarnations have an invis-
ible aura around their respective bodies that protects them from air friction and the kinetic effects of their powers.
On several occasions, the Flash has raced against Superman, either to determine who is faster or as
part of a mutual effort to thwart some type of threat; these races, however, often resulted in ties because
of outside circumstances. Writer Jim Shooter and artist Curt Swan crafted the story “Superman’s Race With
the Flash!” in Superman #199 (Aug. 1967) which featured the first race between the Flash and Superman.
Writer E. Nelson Bridwell and artist Ross Andru produced “The Race to the End of the Universe”, a follow-up
story four months later in The Flash #175 (Dec. 1967). However, after the DC Universe revision after Crisis
on Infinite Earths, the Flash does successfully beat Superman in a race in Adventures of Superman #463
with the explanation that Superman is not accustomed to running at high speed for extended periods of
time since flying is more versatile and less strenuous, which means the far more practiced Flash has the
advantage. After Final Crisis in Flash: Rebirth #3 the Flash is shown as being significantly faster than Su-
perman, able to outrun him as Superman struggles to keep up with him. He reveals that all the close rac-
es between them before had been “for charity”. In the Smallville episode “Run”, Flash is not only able
to run faster than a pre-Superman Clark Kent but can match Clark’s top speed while running backwards.
While various incarnations of the Flash have proven their ability to run at light speed, the ability to
steal speed from other objects allows respective Flashes to even significantly surpass this velocity. In Flash:
The Human Race[17] Wally is shown absorbing kinetic energy to an extent enabling him to move faster than
teleportation and run from the end of the universe back to earth in less than a Planck instant (Planck time).
Speedsters may at times use the ability to speed-read at incredible rates and in doing so, pro-
cess vast amounts of information. Whatever knowledge they acquire in this manner is usually temporary.
Their ability to think fast also allows them some immunity to telepathy, as their thoughts operate at a
rate too rapid for telepaths such as Martian Manhunter or Gorilla Grodd to read or influence their minds.
Flashes and other super-speedsters also have the ability to speak to one another at a high-
ly accelerated rate. This is often done to have private conversations in front of non-fast people (as
when Flash speaks to Superman about his ability to serve both the Titans and the JLA in The Titans
#2). Speed-talking is also sometimes used for comedic effect where Flash becomes so excited that
he begins talking faster and faster until his words become a jumble of noise. He also has the abili-
ty to change the vibration of his vocal cords making it so he can change how his voice sounds to others.
While not having the physical strength of many of his comrades and enemies, Flash has
shown to be able to use his speed to exert incredible momentum into physical attacks. In In-
justice: Gods Among Us, Flash uses these kinds of attacks as many of his special moves.
The Flash has also claimed that he can process thoughts in less than an attosecond. At
times he is able to throw lightning created by his super speed and make speed vortexes.
Some flashes also have the ability to create speed avatars (i.e. duplicates) and these av-
atars have sometimes been sent to different timelines to complete a particu-
lar mission. (Barry Allen exhibits this ability in the live action series “The Flash”).
He can also be seen negating the effects of the anti-life equation, when he freed
Iris-West from its control (probably due to his connection with the speed force).
It is said that Wally West has reached the velocity of 23,759,449,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,0
00,000,000 (about 24 tredecillion) × c (the speed of light) and he could only do this with the help of every human
being on earth moving so the speed force was joined through everyone.With that speed he was able to not only
run from planet to planet but different galaxies and universes at what would be considered a blink of an eye.



vented Aquaman’s
Aquaman’s most widely recognized power is the telepath- water suit he was able to
ic ability to communicate with marine life, which he can sum- walk on land for an indefinite
mon from great distances. Although this power is most often and amount of time and was no
most easily used on beings that live in the sea, Aquaman has at longer vulnerable to a “dehu-
times demonstrated the ability to affect any being that lives upon midifier”. This weakness was
the sea (e.g., sea eagles), or even any being evolved from marine later removed from continu-
life (e.g., humans and some aliens). Before the New 52 Aquaman ity in 2011, establishing that
had access to a morphogenic field phenomenon called The Clear, he grew up on land before
an existential effigy that connects all oceanic and sea related life learning of his Atlantean heri-
together as a whole, allowing him to empathize and share in the tage, but he still runs the risk
experiences of all aquatic based lifeforms. Per the 2011 DC conti- of dying by dehydration with-
nuity reboot, Aquaman’s telepathy has been greatly downplayed: in incredibly hostile environ-
acknowledging that most marine life doesn’t possess enough intel- ments. AC had been bestowed
ligence to carry a meaningful telepathic communication, Aquaman an ability he never showcased
is now stated to simply add compulsions and needs in the mindset before gifted unto him by an
of aquatic life, compelling them to do his bidding by a subtle alter- old Sea Monarch, so far one of
ing of their cerebellum. He has shown to have been blessed by the the said proclivities granted to
Sea God Poseidon possibly regaining a stronger but latent connec- him was the ability of unaided
tion to The Clear when he was shown to bend the poisonous bile flight under his own power.
emitting from an old world structure that had intruded from the sea
poisoning it with dark magic, developing some liquid manipulato- Before the New 52, the
ry abilities. This blessing also gave him a protective charm against Trident, granted by Posei-
the foul magics of the Thule dimension it had originated from. don to the rightful ruler and
protector of the seas, was in-
The character has a number of other superhuman powers, destructible and a very pow-
most of which derive from the fact that he is adapted to live and erful melee weapon, able to
thrive in the harshest of underwater environments. He has the abil- destroy the very powerful
ity to breathe underwater and possesses a superhuman physique Imperiex Probes for instance,
strong enough for his lungs to work unaffected by the immense which Aquaman wielded with
pressure and the cold temperature of the ocean depths, also mak- unmatched skill. Apart from
ing him tough enough to withstand attacks from superhuman op- its power as a melee weapon,
ponents and resist machine gun fire. He also possesses superhuman the Trident also had the power
strength as a result. Aquaman possesses superhuman strength, but to manipulate water, fire bolts
his strength is always underrated, considering the company that of powerful energy and act as
he keeps. Aquaman frequently displays feats of Super-Atlantean a focus to amplify the magical
(the average Atlantean can lift/press approximately 2 tons) and Su- power of others, most notably
perhuman strength. While not on par with Superman and Wonder Tempest. In the New 52, the
Woman, he has proven capable of leaps up to 6 miles. He threw an Trident is now part of a collec-
8000-ton Soviet sub from the ocean floor (2.5 miles deep) to the sur- tion of seven very powerful At-
face and completely out of the water. Aquaman and Wonder Wom- lantean magical items, forged
an both pulled a Naval Super Carrier through the ocean and onto by the first king of Atlantis
land, They weigh at the least 70,000 tons or 140,000,000 lbs. He sin-
gle-handedly fights and defeats one of DC’s most feared and tough- who calls himself ‘The
est to defeat villains The Shaggy Man whose power and abilities Dead King’. Thought
are on par with Doomsday. He has lifted a 200-ton cruise ship com-
pletely out of the water. He has broken off a tectonic plate sending it
crashing down to the ocean floor. He can swim at very high speeds,
capable of reaching speeds of 3,000 meters per second (10,800 km
[roughly 6,700 miles] per hour) and can swim up Niagara Falls. He
also has swum to the four corners of the world gathering magic
crystals needed to save the earth all within a few hours, and out-
swam a jet going hypersonic speed (6000 mph). He can see in near
total darkness and has enhanced hearing, granting limited sonar.

Although, Aquaman can remain underwater indefinitely
without suffering any ill effects, he grows weak if he remains
on land for extended periods. However, when Batman in

to be the most power-
ful weapon of the set, with
the possible exception of the
recently discovered seventh
item, the Trident is complete-
ly indestructible and able to
hurt even the most power-
ful of opponents, such as the
evil god Darkseid, with Aqua-
man being the only leaguer
to puncture and make him
bleed out. He was also able to
break the mystical barrier of
Dr. Graves which was deemed
indestructible at the time. In
one instance, the Trident was
shown glowing with magi-
cal power when Black Manta
used the rest of the items to
discover the hidden seventh
one. For a time, Aquaman
withheld the Trident of said
aforementioned god of the
oceans in his battles against
the Thule and Rao’s disciples,
which gave him the power to
summon tsunamis and del-
uges, call down thunder and
lighting, project and control
ice, move the earth making it
rise and tremble at his com-
mand, as well as teleport
himself from global to inter-
planetary distances using wa-
ter as a medium. It could also
transform into a gladius and
back at will. Arthur also uses
both versions of the trident to
boost the range his telepathy.



Cyborg possesses cybernetic enhancements that provide superhuman
strength, endurance and durability. Cyborg can also interface with comput-
ers. Built into his body-armor are an infrared eye with HUD, a bionic ear that
allows him to hear sounds from long distance, computer generator, sound am-
plifier (similar to a sonic cannon), and special programming adapters that al-
low him to interface with other body extensions. This enhances his durability,
strength, speed, and endurance. He also has multiple sensors, and can fly via
rocket boosters. While he can use Boom Tubes, he usually use Jump Jets to help
him leap great distances. His body can also absorb technology at will, as well as
control technology and shift his body. He can also emit an EMP blast to disable
any electrical devices within a fifty-meter radius, codenamed the “Heart Attack”.
His body uses the Grid, a program Vic and Batman created to help him better
manage the constant flow of uploading and downloading data he receives on a
constant basis; it acts as his solipisistic engram into the Cyberverse/Digitalverse
where he can better prioritize and interface with the worldwide networking
system, focusing on high-priority items and filter out other received data. As
part of the events of the Throne of Atlantis Aquaman crossover, Cyborg’s lungs
were replaced by cybernetic lungs that allow him to breathe underwater. His
body can also regenerate from damage, and he can enhance his strength.
After he lost his original cybernetic enhancements which became Grid at
the end of the Trinity War arc, during the Forever Evil event, he has his father Silas
Stone and Dr. Morrow help create a new cybernetic body. As explained in that is-
sue, by cutting down on strength, speed, and stamina, Cyborg’s new cybernetic
body looks slimmer in appearance as Victor describes looking more human com-
pared to looking like a tank. It is unknown whether or not Cyborg had re-integrat-
ed the technology stripped from him after Grid’s defeat. After a run in with alter-
nate universe invaders calling themselves the “Techbreakers,” Cyborg’s systems
had undergone a complete systems overhaul causing a new operating system to
come online restoring him to life and healing his damaged circuitry as well as rein-
tegrating his ruined flesh into it, turning him into a full on Techno-Organic being.