Current Events > Why do superhero strengths fluctuate wildly

(+) Yeah! (+)

One second they're lifting 25 tons, the next they're in a street fight with a random mug who is nowhere near their level of strength but it's enough of a challenge that they have to spend time on it.

Superman alone should be punching through half the DC universe without blinking an eye, Spider-Man should not be having trouble with like 95% of his rogues gallery, etc..
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4 thousand different writers working on a single character over decades
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Or Flash on the CW getting hurt by like...any of the threats he faces besides fellow speedsters.

Everyone in the Justice League cartoon was severely nerfed

Especially Martian Manhunter
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SSJGrimReaper posted...

Everyone in the Justice League cartoon was severely nerfed

Especially Martian Manhunter

Batman begs to differ
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SSJGrimReaper posted...

Everyone in the Justice League cartoon was severely nerfed

Especially Martian Manhunter

"let me just read his mind - AHHHHHH" then he's down for the rest of the fight

or "there's this huge slow punch coming my way i could just phase through it but -" WHAM
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Spiderman is street level so his rogue gallery makes sense for the most part. It's only when he does cross over events with more powerful super heroes when it starts making less sense.

I think he's probably one of the better handled super heroes in terms of a consistent power level though. Whenever he becomes more powerful it's due to a suit change or some temporary change in his power.
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Plot and Writers.
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Smashingpmkns posted...

Spiderman is street level so his rogue gallery makes sense for the most part. It's only when he does cross over events with more powerful super heroes when it starts making less sense.

I think he's probably one of the better handled super heroes in terms of a consistent power level though. Whenever he becomes more powerful it's due to a suit change or some temporary change in his power.

Isn't he supposed to be super strong? I mean his spider-sense doesn't even seem to work half the time(whether it's an inherit flaw or because there would be little to no drama if he just dodged everything has never been clarified)
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I'm pretty sure Martian Manhunter was hit with the stupid stick

Dude probably had the most busted move set in the cartoon and he did nothing with it but job every episode
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Akagami_Shanks posted...

Smashingpmkns posted...

Spiderman is street level so his rogue gallery makes sense for the most part. It's only when he does cross over events with more powerful super heroes when it starts making less sense.

I think he's probably one of the better handled super heroes in terms of a consistent power level though. Whenever he becomes more powerful it's due to a suit change or some temporary change in his power.

Isn't he supposed to be super strong? I mean his spider-sense doesn't even seem to work half the time(whether it's an inherit flaw or because there would be little to no drama if he just dodged everything has never been clarified)

He is stronger than a human. He's stronger than Captain America but not as strong as people like Hulk, Thing or Thor

Martian Manhunter jobbed so hard that he was put on monitor duty on the watchtower in JL Unlimited
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Akagami_Shanks posted...

Smashingpmkns posted...

Spiderman is street level so his rogue gallery makes sense for the most part. It's only when he does cross over events with more powerful super heroes when it starts making less sense.

I think he's probably one of the better handled super heroes in terms of a consistent power level though. Whenever he becomes more powerful it's due to a suit change or some temporary change in his power.

Isn't he supposed to be super strong? I mean his spider-sense doesn't even seem to work half the time(whether it's an inherit flaw or because there would be little to no drama if he just dodged everything has never been clarified)

He is super strong but not like God strong or cosmic strong. I believe he can lift up to 10 tons now (correct me if I'm wrong) making him stronger than Captain America. But brute strength isn't really his thing anyways, and it takes a toll on him whenever he maxes out.

Spidersense works but just because he knows something will happen before it does doesn't mean he'll be able to avoid it. They show this pretty well quite often.
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Smashingpmkns posted...

Akagami_Shanks posted...

Smashingpmkns posted...

Spiderman is street level so his rogue gallery makes sense for the most part. It's only when he does cross over events with more powerful super heroes when it starts making less sense.

I think he's probably one of the better handled super heroes in terms of a consistent power level though. Whenever he becomes more powerful it's due to a suit change or some temporary change in his power.

Isn't he supposed to be super strong? I mean his spider-sense doesn't even seem to work half the time(whether it's an inherit flaw or because there would be little to no drama if he just dodged everything has never been clarified)

He is super strong but not like God strong or cosmic strong. I believe he can lift up to 10 tons now (correct me if I'm wrong) making him stronger than Captain America. But brute strength isn't really his thing anyways, and it takes a toll on him whenever he maxes out.

Spidersense works but just because he knows something will happen before it does doesn't mean he'll be able to avoid it. They show this pretty well quite often.

We've seen him taken by surprise in a lot of media. Like he literally got shot in the leg by a random cop in the Amazing Spider-Man movie. How tf did that even happen?

Same guy who seconds earlier, activated spider-sense from being unconscious and took down several officers when his mask was removed
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Akagami_Shanks posted...

Smashingpmkns posted...

Akagami_Shanks posted...

Smashingpmkns posted...

Spiderman is street level so his rogue gallery makes sense for the most part. It's only when he does cross over events with more powerful super heroes when it starts making less sense.

I think he's probably one of the better handled super heroes in terms of a consistent power level though. Whenever he becomes more powerful it's due to a suit change or some temporary change in his power.

Isn't he supposed to be super strong? I mean his spider-sense doesn't even seem to work half the time(whether it's an inherit flaw or because there would be little to no drama if he just dodged everything has never been clarified)

He is super strong but not like God strong or cosmic strong. I believe he can lift up to 10 tons now (correct me if I'm wrong) making him stronger than Captain America. But brute strength isn't really his thing anyways, and it takes a toll on him whenever he maxes out.

Spidersense works but just because he knows something will happen before it does doesn't mean he'll be able to avoid it. They show this pretty well quite often.

We've seen him taken by surprise in a lot of media. Like he literally got shot in the leg by a random cop in the Amazing Spider-Man movie. How tf did that even happen?

Same guy who seconds earlier, activated spider-sense from being unconscious and took down several officers when his mask was removed

Didn't watch that movie so I wouldn't know. But writing is another factor and it from what it sounds like those Amazing movies weren't well written lol

It also depends on how seasoned of a Spiderman we're talking about here. Comic Spiderman has caught bullets with his hands before. The movie Spidermans are all pretty amateur, even Toby McGuire's.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pD2vZ28a3E" data-time="

This is the scene in question, he literally gets tazed and captured
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Akagami_Shanks posted...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pD2vZ28a3E" data-time="

This is the scene in question, he literally gets tazed and captured

Its the first movie in that series. He was probably learning how to swing not 40 minutes before (movie time wise) this happened. He's not going to have perfected his powers within however long the movie took place, especially if it's an origin story.
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In Spider-Man 3, Peter gets sneak attacked by Harry

theres no "spider-sense considered Harry a friend" nonsense because they were already enemies at that point

Peter has been spider-man for a while at that point
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These super hero movies are bullshit a lot of the timea. Im a sci-fi fan so I normally like things to be explained and stay consistent within the lore.

But these super hero movies, you gotta turn off your brain to enjoy them. Like flash for example, he runs faster than light in the comics, he is pretty much invincible with that speed and no enemies should be a threat to him.
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Most superhero movies have very nerfed characters because the typical moviegoer just won't buy it.
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I think Spider sense is just a hard power to work around, but it doesnt help that it gets used in absolute bullshit ways a lot of the time.

Into the Spiderverse had a particularly bad example recently when Gwen's spider sense told her to enroll in a school for no reason.
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Smashingpmkns posted...

Akagami_Shanks posted...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pD2vZ28a3E" data-time="

This is the scene in question, he literally gets tazed and captured

Its the first movie in that series. He was probably learning how to swing not 40 minutes before (movie time wise) this happened. He's not going to have perfected his powers within however long the movie took place, especially if it's an origin story.

In the same movie he dodges bullets at close range

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_23t4NzAMk" data-time="&start=121

thats exactly what i'm talking about when i say it's inconsistent
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Spidey has the issue of he's actively trying to not cripple his rogue gallery. He treats it like he's wrestling with children. He handicaps himself.

When doc oc took over his body in Superior Spiderman he was kicking the shit out of the villains like it was nothing. Then he realized that Peter was purposefully pulling his punches so as not to punch their heads off.
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Jiek_Fafn posted...

Spidey has the issue of he's actively trying to not cripple his rogue gallery. He treats it like he's wrestling with children. He handicaps himself.

When doc oc took over his body in Superior Spiderman he was kicking the shit out of the villains like it was nothing. Then he realized that Peter was purposefully pulling his punches so as not to punch their heads off.

You can pull punches and not kill people. Just look at Batman, dude is peak human and manages to not kill random thugs
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Yeah sometimes Spider-Sense means "Hey I'm in danger!" and sometimes it means "I can dodge shit like Neo in the Matrix!"

Just depends on the story and the writer.
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The Pumaman also had Spidey Sense and it didn't help him much, either
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Akagami_Shanks posted...

Just look at Batman, dude is peak human and manages to not kill random thugs

yea but he often ruins them. there was a story arc once during the "New 52" era. I think it was in "Batman and Robin" where a bunch of criminals who had been maimed by Batman teamed up to get revenge. it showed how he really fucks them up. many of them were permanently disabled due to their injuries. he might not kill them. but he can REALLY wreck them. I think I remember one guy had a permanent scar on his face in the shape of the bottom of Batman's boot

Akagami_Shanks posted...

Jiek_Fafn posted...

Spidey has the issue of he's actively trying to not cripple his rogue gallery. He treats it like he's wrestling with children. He handicaps himself.

When doc oc took over his body in Superior Spiderman he was kicking the shit out of the villains like it was nothing. Then he realized that Peter was purposefully pulling his punches so as not to punch their heads off.

You can pull punches and not kill people. Just look at Batman, dude is peak human and manages to not kill random thugs

Spidey can literally rip off their arms without any ussue. Batman cannot. Batman would need to muster all of his strength to maybe kill someone with a punch. Spidey has to treat people like they're made of glass or he would kill them.
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Fluctuations in the electromagnetic fields.
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Jiek_Fafn posted...

Akagami_Shanks posted...

Jiek_Fafn posted...

Spidey has the issue of he's actively trying to not cripple his rogue gallery. He treats it like he's wrestling with children. He handicaps himself.

When doc oc took over his body in Superior Spiderman he was kicking the shit out of the villains like it was nothing. Then he realized that Peter was purposefully pulling his punches so as not to punch their heads off.

You can pull punches and not kill people. Just look at Batman, dude is peak human and manages to not kill random thugs

Spidey can literally rip off their arms without any ussue. Batman cannot. Batman would need to muster all of his strength to maybe kill someone with a punch. Spidey has to treat people like they're made of glass or he would kill them.

He can punch people slightly harder than he does and knock them out instantly. A dude as smart as he is should have no issues gauging how much power he can use
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Maybe Spider-man should slap people really hard. Less chance of accidentally killing them.
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