7 Powers You Didn’t Know Superman Had

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Superman is one of the most iconic and powerful heroes in modern storytelling, with abilities that seem limitless within the DC Universe. While he’s now known for incredible feats of strength and speed, his powers weren’t always this impressive. When he first appeared in 1938, Superman couldn’t fly and didn’t have abilities like heat vision or X-ray vision. These powers were added gradually, becoming central to his character over time. However, not all of the powers DC Comics writers gave him were successful. In attempts to make him even stronger, some strange and unusual abilities were introduced, many of which have since been removed from his history.

Everyone knows Superman is incredibly fast, strong, and can jump amazing heights. But over the years, he’s also demonstrated some lesser-known, surprising powers that most fans aren’t familiar with.

7) Soul Vision

Everyone knows Superman can see through things with his X-ray and microscopic vision, letting him see inside walls and even tiny objects. However, he also has a lesser-known power: the ability to see into a person’s soul. He used this ability once, in the 2005 comic Superman #220, to reassure his clone, Superboy, who was worried he might become evil like Lex Luthor. Superman looked into Superboy’s soul and confirmed that his core nature was good. This unique power hasn’t appeared in any stories since.

6) Telepathy

Superman is known for his incredible physical strength, so giving him telepathy felt like adding too much power. Briefly, during the older ‘Silver Age’ comics, Superman could read and control minds – he even used it to identify phone callers and manipulate an alien to aid his escape. Considering how powerful he already was, it’s not surprising DC removed this ability. However, the current version of Superman still has some mental protection against telepathic attacks and mind-reading attempts.

5) Super-Ventriloquism

The power called “super-ventriloquism” sounds almost comical, and it was a strange ability Superman possessed during the early days of DC Comics. He could perfectly imitate any sound, including voices, and even throw his voice to make it seem like it was coming from a different location – allowing him to communicate over long distances. Surprisingly, his dog, Krypto, shared this same unusual talent and could also speak like a human. Ultimately, because it was such a bizarre and rarely useful skill, DC Comics decided to discontinue it and it faded into obscurity.

4) Memory-Erasing Kiss

The popular 1980 movie Superman II features a surprising scene where Lois Lane learns Clark Kent is actually Superman. To protect his secret, Superman kisses her, causing her to forget everything she discovered. This memory-altering kiss wasn’t part of the original Superman comics; it was created specifically for the film. Essentially, Superman could selectively erase memories with a kiss. However, this power raises ethical concerns, as he removed Lois’s memories without her permission. Ironically, while featured in the movie, DC Comics never allowed Superman to use this ability in the comics, and it largely faded from fans’ memories over time.

3) Shapeshifting

Though Plastic Man is famous for shapeshifting, Superman briefly had that ability too during the early days of DC Comics. Because he had total control of his muscles, he could alter his appearance – even changing his face and body – to look like other people. He used this to disguise himself, sneak around, and surprise criminals. This raises a question: if he could perfectly mimic anyone’s appearance, why did he bother with glasses as a disguise? This inconsistency is likely why DC later removed this power from his abilities.

2) Great Wall of China-Fixing Vision

Many consider Superman IV: The Quest for Peace to be one of the worst superhero films ever made, and for good reason. It suffers from a confusing plot, uninspired performances, and poor special effects. One particularly ridiculous scene involves Superman battling his clone, Nuclear Man, who demolishes the Great Wall of China. Instead of rebuilding it with his super strength, Superman simply stares at the wall, magically causing it to repair itself. This bizarre ability, never seen in any comics or other Superman films, was so strange it was never used again.

1) Shooting Tiny Clone Supermen

In an old Superman story from the Silver Age, he met aliens who stripped him of most of his abilities, but also gave him a bizarre new power: he could create a tiny, fully-powered duplicate of himself! Superman would send this miniature “Mini-Me” to fight crime in his place. It’s funny because Superman actually started to feel envious of how much people loved the little guy. Sadly, the tiny Superman eventually gave his life to save the original from Kryptonite. After Superman got his powers back, he completely forgot about his little hero – which seems pretty rude, considering the sacrifice!

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2025-11-20 19:13