Superman is a real-life superhero who has been actively operating around the world since 2013. His initial appearance was in Metropolis, New York, and he continues to be primarily based there. Renowned for his extraordinary abilities, Superman's feats, although seemingly remarkable, do not challenge the laws of physics. According to his own revelations, despite his human-like appearance, he is an extraterrestrial originating from an extrasolar planet named Krypton.
Origin[]
Superman has provided information about his home planet of Krypton in interviews. Krypton orbited the red dwarf star LHS 2520 (known as "Rao" to the people of Krypton) in the constellation Corvus, located 27.1 light-years from Earth. The planetary mass closest to Rao, Krypton was a modest-sized planet with the same mass and volume as Earth.
Superman on the cover of TIME magazine
Superman has revealed to Earth's scientific community that a planet's geophysical conditions are a greater component of biological evolution on that planet than its environmental conditions. The combined synergistic effect of a planet's particular magnetic field and particular gravity field has a molecular scale influence on organisms that induces specific mutations and genetic variations. Because of that, specific geophysical conditions invariably direct evolution and speciation along and towards a specific pattern of physical development when added with a specific natural selection path caused by specific environmental influences such as a particular atmospheric composition and climate system.
As a consequence, physically identical life forms can evolve on different planets because those planets happen to have both very similar environmental conditions and the same precise gravitational and geomagnetic conditions. It is under those circumstances that on Kryp'Ton, a planet environmentally similar and geophysically identical to Earth, evolved a sentient mammalian bipedal species outwardly indistinguishable from anatomically modern humans right down to the exact same morphological traits and range of phenotypical variations. It is only at the cellular level that the real differences between the people of Earth and these "Kryptonian" humanoids could be determined.
Although the details remain unknown, at some point Kryp'Ton was destroyed and apparently Superman is its sole survivor.
Several sources have claimed that Superman first arrived on Earth during his childhood, possibly when he was an infant. However this remains unconfirmed. The fact that Superman speaks with a General American accent does however lead credence to this claim, however it is possible that his use of the accent is out of imitation.
Superman's first appearance[]
Superman first appeared in Metropolis in June of 2013. A reporter from the Daily Planeg was assignment to interview the President of the United States. The reporter, Lois Lane, was aboard a helicopter on the roof of the News Corp. Building in midtown Metropolis. While aboard, a freak accident occurred that sent the helicopter in a tailspin, finally crashing on the edge of the News Corp. Building and about to fall. It is at this point that Superman first appeared, rescuing Ms Lane and saving the helicopter from certain doom. Superman had a busy first night where he stopped crime all over the city and performed spectacular rescues, most notably preventing Air Force One from crashing after it was struck by lightning.
Response[]
Within Metropolis, the effect of Superman's actions against the criminal element has caused a major down turn in crime. Threatened by Superman, the Metropolis crime syndicates have formed a single cartel named Intergang. The Metropolis Police Department has responded to this by forming the Special Crimes Unit.
Lois Lane, the closest person to Superman
The amazing abilities[]
What is astonishing about Superman is his "superhuman" and even some claim paranormal abilities. Superman has demonstrated feats of superhuman strength, speed and sensory abilities. He has shown that he has the ability to project heat from his eyes, to freeze object with his breathe and most notably the ability to defy gravity and fly. He is also apparently invulnerable to physical harm.
Very recently Nobel Prize winning biophysicist Dr. Emil Hamilton, who is a close associate of Superman has revealed extensive scientific details about Superman's powers.
According to Dr. Hamilton, the basic cellular anatomy of Kryptonians is similar to that of humans. However, having evolved under the radiation of a red dwarf star, Kryptonians developed a unique subcellular structure and composition that absorbed radiation from their sun to produce a cellular-level bio-electric aura composed of a unique type of energy that further nourished the Kryptonian body. Although they derived most of their nourishment from the consumption of animal and vegetable matter, the solar energy of the bio-electric aura supplemented their diets. They were, in effect, organic solar batteries.
Being exposed to the powerful radiation of the yellow G2V dwarf star that is the Sun, Superman's solar radiation absorption functions are augmented enough to enhance the strength and properties of his bio-electric aura to a degree that he is endowed with incredible physical abilities.
Powers in detail[]
Because of the presence of the enhanced bio-electric aura, Superman's body has more than simple adhesion and cohesion holding his tissues together as the potency of the bio-electric aura is enhanced to a degree that it has enveloped his entire molecular structure and in turn augments his cellular and molecular binding forces while simultaneously functioning as a protective energetic force field on both a cellular and molecular level to microscopically deflect and repulse any form of matter or energy that could come close to perforating or disrupting any part of his cellular mass. Both of these effects make him completely invulnerable to any form of physical harm or damage.
Superman's cellular bio-electric aura has a set tolerance for how much stress occurs before it reacts energetically in opposition to the external force. The tolerance for how much stress occurs before his tissues counteract it varies according to tissue type. Superman's bones allow virtually no compressional or tensional strain and his fleshy tissues remain supple under soft pressure, but under stress react to restrict any further deformation in shape. Since the strength of his cellular bio-electric aura greatly exceeds the cohesive force of any substance, no ordinary object can puncture his skin.
Superman can withstand a 1-megaton nuclear explosion without ill effect, and has been able to tolerate the molten conditions in the Earth's core with only discomfort. A 40-Megaton nuclear explosion knocked him unconscious for over an hour. He could not, however, survive the conditions inside a star, but can safely approach to within several miles of Earth's Sun, probably due to a feedback loop of solar energy powering his bio-electric aura. Superman can easily survive conditions in deep space, although Dr. Hamilton has said that he does need to breathe, eat, sleep, and excrete.
His cells provoke one another into releasing their respective energy when one begins to threaten the integrity of the other. Because of a certain degree of constant pressure, there is a continuously emitted radiance of the bio-electric aura reaching slightly beyond his body, protecting items near his skin (e.g. his costume).
The total structural invulnerability of both his soft tissue and his skeletal system together with the continual absorption of solar energy providing a constant source of tremendous power that courses through Superman's cells in place of a limited source of ordinary biochemical energies allows his musculature to apply force far beyond normal organic capability, enabling him to lift and hold enormous weights in excess of thousands of tons. He can lift 100,000 tons with serious effort. The conjectured upper limit of Superman's physical strength has been determined by Dr. Hamilton to be approximately 250,000 tons with great effort, and causing strain damage to himself equivalent to a normal man lifting 500 pounds. Continual exertion will deplete his solar energy, and greatly exceeding his normal lift will drain him more rapidly. At the level of complete solar depletion, Superman can lift/exert no more than 100 tons of weight or force.
With his cells being permeated by the enhanced bio-electric aura and their binding forces being augmented, they are reinforced in such a way that they are not only protected from external harm, but internal forces as well and therefore operate at levels of metabolic capacity that would destroy the cells of any ordinary organism, which consequently enhances all of his bodily systems to a functional capacity that would be impossible for any ordinary organism. As a result, the enhanced structure of Superman's sensory organs combined with the increased capacity of his nervous system provides for greatly enhanced senses. The enhanced cellular processes of his sensory organs combined with the increased cellular capacity of his nervous system even extends his hearing range from the subsonic through to the point where he can sense signal modulation in broadcast communications and demodulate it into "sounds" if he concentrates. Superman can distinctly hear soft sounds anywhere on Earth if he is listening for them. He has revealed to several people, that he has on occasion, sat and perceived every sound on Earth as a symphony of a living planet.
Superman's enhanced reflexes, muscular speed, and nervous system grant him incredible mobility and rapid perceptions; allowing him to see individual bullets fired from high-speed automatic weaponry in flight and outrace them easily. Dr. Hamilton claims that Superman can read a complete encyclopedia set in seconds, wash a sink full of dishes in the blink of an eye, or run from New York City to Paris in a matter of minutes. He can move faster than the human eye can perceive if necessary, but this requires extra effort. Superman's reflexes are quick enough to allow him to dodge incoming automatic laser fire. Moving at extreme speeds for extended periods of time rapidly drains his solar reserves and consequently diminish the power of his bio-electric aura. According to Dr. Hamilton, in a full drained state, Superman's reflexes are only sufficient enough to dodge semi-automatic projectile weapons and read the encyclopedia set in under 10 minutes.
Due to the highly charged nature of Superman's metabolism, his immune system deals with most normal poisons and diseases quickly and with no ill effect. With the exception of kryptonite emissions, radiation and similar harmful energies are similarly neutralized.
The combination of the augmented metabolic functions of Superman's nervous system with the excess solar energy streams that course along his entire cellular structure enables him to consciously manipulate certain aspects of his body's electromagnetic forces. For instance, he is able to project raw energy from his body. Specifically, Superman can project focused beams of high-temperature electromagnetic energy from the surface of his eyes. He emits light along various frequencies in high energy bursts that flash-melts materials in seconds, weaken structural integrity over a smaller area, such as melting the barrel of a gun but leaving the handle untouched. Superman can control his "heat vision" and direct it wherever he wants to. He directs it with his eyes. Superman can emit the radiation visibly or invisibly at lower settings. This energy has a high visibility profile if emitted at higher levels. Superman can also 'breathe' out from his lungs a type of energy that will slow down the molecular motion of an object and the moisture immediately around it at such an incredible rate to create ice blocks, as well as freeze objects and opponents.
Because gravitational forces and electromagnetic forces are simply different manifestations of a single universal fundamental force of interaction, his manipulation of his body's electromagnetic forces gives him the capability to manipulate his body's gravitational forces, which in turn gives him the ability to levitate and fly by negating any outside gravitational influences and controlling his personal gravity field to essentially fall forward in a direction and speed of his own choosing. Through sheer force of will, Superman is capable of Mach speeds in excess of Mach 10 in atmosphere. He can fly to the Moon in minutes, but faster than that outside of atmospheric interference. Superman's control of his flight is perfect and he can perform aerobatic feats such as hovering, flying backwards and even lifting great weights while flying.
He can also use his personal gravity field manipulation ability to generate a gravitational lens on the surfaces of his eyes, allowing him to magnify an image a virtually countless number of times to the point of being able to see through a solid object by seeing through the atomic structure of the object and focus past it, as a camera focuses beyond the dust on a lens. Certain dense materials, notably lead, obstruct this ability.
Dr. Hamilton has revealed that Superman can hold his breath for a maximum of twelve hours, and requires only two hours of sleep a night to function at peak mental efficiency, as well needing to dream at least half an hour a night, or experience the psychological effects of sleep deprivation as would any other person who missed a night of sleep. When his solar energy is depleted, his resistance to physical punishment drops to approximately one-quarter the normal amount. Withstanding large amounts of damage continuously over time will rapidly deplete Superman's solar reserves.
The source of his powers[]
Dr. Hamilton's research has made great discoveries about the source of Superman's amazing powers. Superman requires solar energy to function at peak capacity, or his powers fade to greatly reduced levels, some disappearing entirely if his solar reserves are empty. He cannot absorb energy from the lower frequency orange O-type main-sequence stars and cannot process the higher-frequency White K-type main-sequence stars or blue F-type main-sequence stars. Blue B and yellow G type stars are ideal.
Superman's body stores and processes solar energy at a rapid rate and for a variety of effects, which are explained in his other powers. His storage capacity is sufficient to let him function at full capacity for up to 14 days depending on his physical condition and state of rest. While under a star of the right class (G-type dwarfs in the blue-white through yellow spectrum are ideal) and within a planetary atmosphere, he replenishes energy at a constant rate.
His weaknesses[]
The radiation signature of the red sun of the LHS 2520 star system (and similar red dwarf stars) instantly causes Superman's intracellular structures to lose their stored energy, reducing him to normal Kryptonian levels.
Further, there exists a substance from Superman's home planet called kryptonite that has the capability to harm and even kill Superman with the unique radiation that it gives off. The science behind how kryptonite effects Superman has been released to the public by various anonymous sources.
In the most minute amounts, the radiation waveforms and high energy particles emitted by kryptonite can react catastrophically with the very cellular functions that grant him his powers. The briefest contact can inhibit the effects of the bio-electric aura, stripping Superman of his incredible powers, and further begin a fatal poisoning that totally shuts down cellular activity in the affected areas.
As kryptonite radiation makes its way through the bloodstream, Superman becomes instantly weak and ill in its unshielded presence, and prolonged exposure will render him unconscious (after 30 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the sample, and the current state of his solar reserves), and would eventually (after two to four hours) reach all parts of his body and bring death as his body's immune system would attempt to expel the deadly toxin. However, the rate of recovery once removed from the emissions is as rapid as the rate of damage, and Superman will be back to normal in under an hour after exposure in optimal conditions. Kryptonite emissions can be blocked by lead and other super-dense materials.