# Superheroes' useless tics **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 12, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superheroes-useless-tics/578117 "2011-04-12T17:22:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superheroes-useless-tics/578117/1 "2011-04-12T17:22:14Z")
The most famous of these useless tics is Superman’s need to duck a gun thrown at him right after sticking his chest out to catch all the bullets. Another that bothered me as a child was the need for the Bionic woman to tuck her hair out of the way before she could hear something two miles away. Hair being the most effective sound absorber ever. Any other unnecessary Super mannerisms bother you? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superheroes-useless-tics/578117/2 "2011-04-12T17:54:28Z")
Superman ducked once, [during the first season](http://www.jimnolt.com/Supermanguntoss.htm). They realized this was a mistake and never repeated it. Once can’t be a “tic.” The true useless ones are the slogans and mottos and oaths. Saying “up, up, and away” made sense for the Superman radio show, because the listener needed a cue. It shouldn’t be used in any other medium. Green Lantern’s oath seemed silly to me even when I was kid. Ben Grimm saying “it’s clobberin’ time” was only funny the first hundred repetitions. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superheroes-useless-tics/578117/3 "2011-04-12T19:58:38Z")
Still, “Avengers Assemble” sounds a lot cooler than “Staff meeting in conference room B.” ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superheroes-useless-tics/578117/4 "2011-04-12T20:13:02Z")
**Elongated Man** ’s “nose twitch” – in both a literal sand figurative sense, the most useless Superhero “tic”. Whenever Ralph Dibny got suspicious, his nose would twitch more than Samantha Stevens’ – something I found ridiculous and annoying. They’ve tried to explain it away in recent years as a put-on, but in the old 1960s comics, it’s clearly an involuntary reaction. It’s a good thing Ralph didn’t have a Secret Identity, because this one would give it away every time. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superheroes-useless-tics/578117/5 "2011-04-12T20:13:20Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Still, “Avengers Assemble” sounds a lot cooler than “Staff meeting in conference room B.” Awesome. I thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superheroes-useless-tics/578117/6 "2011-04-12T20:16:11Z")
The Tick yells “Spoon”, which I guess is the superheroes’ useless tic of a useless superhero Tick. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superheroes-useless-tics/578117/7 "2011-04-12T20:28:54Z")
“Shape of - a bucket of water!” ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superheroes-useless-tics/578117/8 "2011-04-12T20:48:17Z")
The Tick is not useless. You take that back! ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superheroes-useless-tics/578117/9 "2011-04-13T01:28:09Z")
Why exactly did (movie) Wolverine crack his neck before a confrontation? He’d get that steely glare and turn his head, crk-crk-crk. To look badass, I guess. But I’ve seen other toughguy protagonists do it, too. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superheroes-useless-tics/578117/10 "2011-04-13T01:39:30Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > The true useless ones are the slogans and mottos and oaths. Saying “up, up, and away” made sense for the Superman radio show, because the listener needed a cue. It shouldn’t be used in any other medium. Green Lantern’s oath seemed silly to me even when I was kid. Ben Grimm saying “it’s clobberin’ time” was only funny the first hundred repetitions. “Flame on!” is the one I always thought was the worst. Johnny Storm is already using his powers to engulf his entire body in flames and fly around; I don’t think he needed a catchphrase to make the situation _more_ dramatic.. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superheroes-useless-tics/578117/11 "2011-04-13T01:49:55Z")
One thing that always bothered me about the Dean Cain version of Superman, every time he used his see-through vision, he had to lower his glasses and look over the top of them. Why? he can see through a solid wall, but not through something that’s already transparent? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superheroes-useless-tics/578117/12 "2011-04-13T01:51:09Z")
They tried “It’s flamerin’ time!” before realizing that didn’t really work. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superheroes-useless-tics/578117/13 "2011-04-13T02:39:51Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > One thing that always bothered me about the Dean Cain version of Superman, every time he used his see-through vision, he had to lower his glasses and look over the top of them. Why? he can see through a solid wall, but not through something that’s already transparent? Myabe the idea was it would melt them being so close. But no real idea. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superheroes-useless-tics/578117/14 "2011-04-13T03:17:22Z")
> [@shy\_guy](#): > > “Flame on!” is the one I always thought was the worst. Johnny Storm is already using his powers to engulf his entire body in flames and fly around; I don’t think he needed a catchphrase to make the situation _more_ dramatic.. Insofar as I managed to tolerate the FF at all, I found it helpful to think of this as a warning he yells before powering up. “I’m about to burst into flames, here, friendlies back off.” Yeah, I _know_ that wasn’t how it was intended. Let me have my coping mechanisms, okay? ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superheroes-useless-tics/578117/15 "2011-04-13T06:32:16Z")
I keep reading the thread title as “useless tits”. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superheroes-useless-tics/578117/16 "2011-04-13T06:37:13Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > I keep reading the thread title as “useless tits”. Because Liefeld scarred you for life? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superheroes-useless-tics/578117/17 "2011-04-13T06:58:13Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > I keep reading the thread title as “useless tits”. I’m going with Jocasta on that one. ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superheroes-useless-tics/578117/18 "2011-04-13T07:06:17Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’m going with Jocasta on that one. Hmm, adamantium boobs…That’s definitely bangs for your bucks. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superheroes-useless-tics/578117/19 "2011-04-13T14:01:04Z")
> [@shy\_guy](#): > > “Flame on!” is the one I always thought was the worst. Johnny Storm is already using his powers to engulf his entire body in flames and fly around; I don’t think he needed a catchphrase to make the situation _more_ dramatic.. “Flame on / I’m gone / I’m so sweet like a nice bon bon” – Beastie Boys ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superheroes-useless-tics/578117/20 "2011-04-13T16:05:22Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > The Tick yells “Spoon”, which I guess is the superheroes’ useless tic of a useless superhero Tick. Well played, good sir. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superheroes-useless-tics/578117.md?page=2)