# Superhero Super-Speed **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 13, 2001, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-super-speed/76074 "2001-08-13T18:10:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-super-speed/76074/21 "2001-08-14T02:20:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Evno \* > **Normal life, which you are forced to be around, would bore you to death.** Being a X-Men fanboy for a while, I can give some insight into Quicksilver. Basically, Marvel’s version of Flash. In a government-mandated therapy session, Quickie revealed that this is exactly why he is so cranky. That temporary annoyance you feel with the Burger King employee who needs to be told “no pickles” several times is how every waking moment of Quickie’s life is. Thus, he’s a real grump. Well, that and his dad is an egomaniacal refrigerator magnet who has tried to conquer the world several times. After drinking he stays drunk for several minutes, is hungover for another minute or so and returns to normal. So it’s a whole metabolism thing, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-super-speed/76074/22 "2001-08-14T02:51:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cmkeller \* > \*\*Correct about the costume, not about the cape. As you correctly understood, the “invulnerability field” that protects him extends a few inches out from his skin to protect his skin-tight clothes, but this does _not_ protect most of the cape…only the parts of it that are closest to his neck. > > Chaim Mattis Keller \*\* Isn’t the cape and suit made of Kryptonian fabric, and therefore superstrong? I had thought so, but I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Stewart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Dave\_Stewart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Stewart)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-super-speed/76074/23 "2001-08-14T06:30:53Z")
Nah, they re-vamped the character in 1987. No more indestructible undies. But his “aura” prevents his duds from burning up as a result of air friction. The aura doesn’t extend down the cape. So, lots of fight scenes now have Supes with ripped or burnt-off capes. Perhaps he does his own needlework. The Flash has his Speed Force in order to get around one of the laws of thermodynamics (I forget which one) and so to explain where does the Flash get his energy from to run so fast. Turns out its an interdimensional gas station. ---
**Author:** ![AtomicDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AtomicDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AtomicDog)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-super-speed/76074/24 "2001-08-14T10:25:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dave Stewart \* > \*\*Nah, they re-vamped the character in 1987. No more indestructible undies. But his “aura” prevents his duds from burning up as a result of air friction. The aura doesn’t extend down the cape. So, lots of fight scenes now have Supes with ripped or burnt-off capes. Perhaps he does his own needlework. > > \*\* Naw, Ma Kent sews up a bunch of capes for him and he picks them up every time he visits his folks in Smallville. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-super-speed/76074/25 "2001-08-14T12:22:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cmkeller \* > \*\*jsiegle: > > First of all, let me comment that you have an extremely ironic user name for someone criticizing the impossibility of Superman’s powers. > > > [@](#): > > > > OK, take this example. How is it physically possible for Superman to fly? There’s no propellant, no opposite and equal action causing this flying reaction, no wing flapping. > > The latest version of DC continuity has his flight powers as some sort of telekinesis. > \*\* Byrne’s whole idiot idea that “Superman’s powers don’t make sense. I’ll make 'em all psionic, so it’ll be real scientifical” :rolleyes: seems to be completely ignored since Byrne left (thankfully). They don’t have an alternate explanation, though, it’s just not been dealt with. > [@](#): > > And Flash–when he runs so fast as to be imperceptible to those around him, why doesn’t he cause sonic booms, etc? When he breaks the sound barrier, he does. I’d venture to say that when he’s around other people he tries his best to keep his speed subsonic. \*\* [/QUOTE] Actually, this was addressed two different ways in the Silver Age: First explaination: Barry’s friction-proof aura somehow prevents sonic-booms. Second explaination: Barry (and presumably Wally) vibrate at super-speed when they run, so the air just passes through them, thus avoiding a sonic boom. Fenris ---
**Author:** ![Cap\_n\_Crude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Cap\_n\_Crude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cap_n_Crude)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-super-speed/76074/26 "2001-08-14T13:04:41Z")
Alphagene wrote: > [@](#): > > Being a X-Men fanboy for a while, I can give some insight into Quicksilver. Basically, Marvel’s > version of Flash. > > In a government-mandated therapy session, Quickie revealed that this is exactly why he is so cranky. That temporary annoyance you feel with the Burger King employee who needs to be told “no pickles” several times is how every waking moment of Quickie’s life is. Thus, he’s a real grump. I hate to nitpick, especially when it shows off my own geekhood. But I’m pretty sure the Marvel anecdote you’re referencing was actually Northstar, from Alpha Flight. And the specific comparison was to being stuck in line behind somebody who can’t figure out how to use an ATM. I wouldn’t mind seeing a character who had superspeed, but without the necessary perception to control it. Sort of a comic-book drunk driver. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-super-speed/76074/27 "2001-08-14T13:09:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cap’n Crude \* > \*\* > > I hate to nitpick, especially when it shows off my own geekhood. But I’m pretty sure the Marvel anecdote you’re referencing was actually Northstar, from Alpha Flight. And the specific comparison was to being stuck in line behind somebody who can’t figure out how to use an ATM.\*\* Nope. **Alphagene’s** right. X-Factor #87, give or take an issue. One of Peter David’s best issues. Fanboy Fenris ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-super-speed/76074/28 "2001-08-14T16:11:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cmkeller \* > \*\*jsiegle: > > First of all, let me comment that you have an extremely ironic user name for someone criticizing the impossibility of Superman’s powers.\*\* 😕 Huh? I’m sorry to say that you’ve completely lost me here. Aside from the fact that you misspelled my user name in your quote, why do you find it ironic? And BTW, I am not criticizing the impossibility of Superman’s powers. I have no qualms with enjoying stories about things that don’t or can’t really happen. I just think at some point you just need to suspend disbelief instead of contriving belief. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-super-speed/76074/29 "2001-08-14T16:29:14Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by jseigle \* \*\* > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by cmkeller \* > \*\* > 😕 Huh? I’m sorry to say that you’ve completely lost me here. Aside from the fact that you misspelled my user name in your quote, why do you find it ironic?_\* Superman was created by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-super-speed/76074/30 "2001-08-14T18:51:40Z")
jseigle: > [@](#): > > Huh? I’m sorry to say that you’ve completely lost me here. Aside from the fact that you misspelled my user name in your quote, Sorry. Got it right this time. > [@](#): > > why do you find it ironic? Because one J. (Jerry) Siegel (this is the corrcet spelling of _his_ name, but I’d wager it’s pronounced like yours) was one of the creators of Superman. Chaim Mattis Keller ---
**Author:** ![FEotU](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@FEotU](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FEotU)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2001, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-super-speed/76074/31 "2001-08-19T08:01:02Z")
> [@](#): > > In a recent Superman comic, Superman uses his heat vision to perform brain surgery on an Authority-type villian, removing the part of his brain that makes him unstable (or whatever). Now, I know Superman has his heat vision, but where the fuck did Clark “Can You Help Me Program My VCR?” Kent learn to perform brain surgery? I can’t remove your appendix (safely) just because I have a knife and white coat. Any light to be shed on this? \*\* Back in the late 60’s-early 70’s Superman used his super speed and super intellect to “learn” everything he needed to know about performing surgery by reading every book in a medical school and using his photographic memory. This was so he could restore the sight of a blind girl that had a miniscule splinter of something pinching her optic nerve (how it pinched both optic nerves I can’t recall). The splinter was too small to appear using the available medical techniques, but he was able to find it using his microscopic vision, then he had to perform the surgery because no one else could see the splinter. How reading something in a book can translate into doing it without practice is a whole other question. Maybe he practiced on medical school cadavers, but the comic code prevented that from being displayed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superhero-super-speed/76074.md?page=1)