# Superman's heat vision **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 7, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-heat-vision/249032 "2004-06-07T02:24:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-heat-vision/249032/21 "2004-06-07T19:30:29Z")
I don’t really think it’s necessary to offer a complicated explanation, as any “scientific” explanation is going to be flawed. The explanation I actually prefer would be no explanation. Superman can see through stuff because that’s one of his powers. X-ray vision is the name we give it, but it doesn’t really have anything to do with x-rays. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-heat-vision/249032/22 "2004-06-07T20:09:57Z")
As for Superman’s eyes emitting x-rays, the problem with him just seeing ambient x-rays is that there aren’t that many ambient x-rays flying around in the first place. So you need some source of illumination. So Superman’s eyes (or some organ near his eyes) emit X-rays, they go through some things and bounce off others, and some of the ones that bounce back again reach his eyes, providing his penertating vision. Just because human eyes don’t emit radiation doesn’t mean there’s any reason Kryptonian eyes can’t work that way. Well, except for the fact that it’s extremely difficult to get x-rays to reflect off of anything, but that’s a pretty small stretch, by comic book physics standards. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-heat-vision/249032/23 "2004-06-07T20:48:11Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > But not postage stamps. One story from the early '60s had Supes freaking out about a postage stamp with his picture on it being issued by Burma. It seems he was scared that the postmark of “Rangoon” would have the two O’s over his eyes, giving him glasses, and revealing his secret identity. :eek: Well, the plots back then were stupid, but fun. Well that’s OK, see, because he didn’t discover the hypno-eye effect until the 70s. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-heat-vision/249032/24 "2004-06-07T21:20:55Z")
Y’all talking about X Rays! He also had SEX rays that nobody knows about. Bunch of little Super Rug Rats running around. Watch that kid at the grocery store! ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-heat-vision/249032/25 "2004-06-07T21:29:01Z")
I always wondered why on TV when they show Superman or some other fictional creature shooting heat beams or lazers or whatever out of their eyes, they often show them missing. How do you miss? Just look at the fucker and _poof_ toast! ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-heat-vision/249032/26 "2004-06-08T00:59:49Z")
> [@pizzabrat](#): > > Why, of all places his eyes? If Cyclops from the _X-Men_ can do it, then by golly, Superman can too. ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-heat-vision/249032/27 "2004-06-08T05:17:33Z")
[Nerd hat on] Cyclops fires coherent light force blasts from his eyes. Theres no heat involved. Superman’s heat vision is heat only, with no force involved. They’re unrelated. [nerd hat off] ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-heat-vision/249032/28 "2004-06-08T05:26:25Z")
WHERE? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-heat-vision/249032/29 "2004-06-08T06:55:40Z")
> [@The Asbestos Mango](#): > > WHERE? Batman looks up, after seeing the word burned on the ground, and says to Superman: “Crime alley” -From The Dark Knight Returns. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-heat-vision/249032.md?page=1)