Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with superheros

A can of whoopass on the superhero question

Gordion Knott — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 14:05:25 -0800

Comics question. Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the most powerful superhero of them all? Full disclosure. I'm a neophyte when it comes to the spandex crowd. But the rash of superhero-based flicks has got me to thinkin'. Is there a sophisticated, literate, and/or canonical answer to the question, "Of the pantheon of Marvel and DC superheros and supervillains, who rules the coop as most powerful?"

Green Lantern seemed like the best frontrunner at first. Think about it: Dude can summon up anything, an artificial Superman, hell, how 'bout a freaking entire Justice League, at will. But it's the ring, not the wearer, who's powerful here. We're taking about heroes, not objects. Nix.

Second-round candidates: 1) Magneto. Unlike Superman, who's limited to kicking, smashing, and heat-raying his immediate surroundings, he can control and manipulate matter from afar. 2) Storm. Commands the most powerful of physical events on our planet -- meteorology. Billions of volts in electrical storms, nuke-level power in hurricanes. 3) Silver Surfer. Glancing at his bio on Wikipedia, this cat is the biz. Indestructability. Time travel. Hyperspace travel. Energy beams. Wowed yet?

Any heroes gallery would be incomplete without a rogue (erm, wuss) gallery, in which I'd put Cyclops, whose laser-beam could be duplicated without great difficulty as a military weapon; Green Lantern, who, in his various incarnations, gains his weapon through luck or benevolence; and the besotted Tony Stark of Iron Man. Each of the three is skilled, okay, outrageously skilled, in intelligence, leadership, finance, engineering, athleticism, whatever -- but nothing more.

That's it from my end. I've paraded my ignorance in spades. Weigh in, preferably with (repeating myself here) sophisticate, literate, and or canonical takes. (Snarky takes welcome in moderation).

Exploring Comic Book Culture

rinkjustice — Sun, 19 Mar 2006 04:42:10 -0800

I've derived alot of enjoyment from reading Quarter Bin and The Museum of Black Superheroes comic book websites, and I'd like to find more of the same. More specifically, I'm looking for "online resources" that explore the fringes of comic book culture (sans gore or explicit sexuality please), and any suggestions on more conventional superhero fare that has good writing and cool artwork will also be greatly appreciated.

Which superpowers rock?

crapples — Fri, 07 Oct 2005 11:08:33 -0800

Which are the coolest superpowers of all, and why? I have an ongoing argument with my 10 year old about which superpowers are awesome and which ones suck. I won't tell you any of my opinions or his because that might bias the responses to this question. So, help us settle it once and for all: Which superpowers are the coolest? Why? Which ones are totally lame? Why?

Does Whatever a Spider Can

kenaman — Sat, 26 Jun 2004 18:49:22 -0800

Should not Spiderman's web not shoot out his arse?

Where is this movie quote about Superman from?

Capn — Mon, 03 May 2004 07:50:08 -0800

Scene rattling around in my head I can't place... I saw/read/heard a movie/tv show/rock video/sand painting/book/story/radio show/erotic poem wherein someone, a bad guy I think, is talking about super heros, and he says Superman is his favourite... [something inside, could it be "more", yes, it could very well be] ...because while other super heros really are they're mundane selves (eg, Peter Parker), and put on a disguise to become super (Spider-Man), Superman really is Superman, and his disguise is Clark Kent. And Clark Kent is how Superman, an alien, sees us.

Where's it from? Please help!