As a lifelong enthusiast of science and superheroes, I can’t help but be captivated by Neil deGrasse Tyson‘s insightful take on the physics (or lack thereof) in our favorite films. His critique of Superman’s time-reversal antics in the 1978 movie is spot-on, as any attempt to reverse Earth’s rotation would lead to catastrophic consequences for billions of people.
In the realm of superheroes, many of their extraordinary actions and daring deeds surpass the boundaries of what’s feasible in our everyday world. This is because we’re dealing with extraterrestrial beings, sorcerers, gods on Earth, or even ordinary teens transformed by a radioactive spider into beings with incredible powers. Although all superheroes and their movies bend the rules of physics, Neil deGrasse Tyson points out that one movie stands out as the most unrealistic: 1978’s Superman. In an interview with ComicBook at the premiere of Speak No Evil, the astrophysicist highlighted a scene from the Christopher Reeve-starring film that, had it happened in reality, would have been disastrous.
Without a doubt, it’s ‘Superman I’ that features him flying backward around Earth, thereby rewinding time. To put it simply, that’s what Tyson mentioned.
The scene Tyson is referring to comes near the end of Superman when Eve Teschmacher frees Superman, who had been trapped by Lex Luthor, and the hero flies off to stop a missile that had been set for New Jersey. He manages to successfully diver the missile into space but misses a westbound missile which causes massive earthquakes in California. Superman manages to deal with the catastrophe and save others, but Lois ends up trapped in her car during an aftershock and suffocates. Distraught, Superman flies around the Earth to reverse time, allowing him to prevent Lois’s death as well as the missile. While the scene is dramatic and has a positive outcome in the film, Tyson went on to explain that in the real world, with the laws of physics, Superman would have actually killed billions and, for him, that’s the peak violation of the laws of physics in superhero film.
“He was flying backward around Earth, but time was moving backwards too. If he had slowed down or stopped the Earth, a catastrophe would have occurred – billions of people would have drowned due to the oceans flooding the continents. This was all in an attempt to save Lois. It’s as if he was breaking every known law of physics, reaching its peak. The rest can almost be compared to magical abilities like those of Doctor Strange. Personally, I prefer Rick from Rick and Morty because when he opens portals, he uses real science rather than magic, which is what we are focusing on here.
As a die-hard fan, I can’t help but ponder over Neils Tyson’s intriguing idea: a showdown between DC’s Batman and Marvel’s Iron Man. Unlike Superman, whose feats defy the very laws of physics, this hypothetical fight would be more grounded in reality. It’d be two brilliant human minds clashing, each relying on their technological prowess to emerge victorious. And while opinions may vary, Tyson confidently believes that he can predict who might come out on top.
In this scenario, it appears to be a battle of technology between two iconic characters, Iron Man and Batman. The implication is that Iron Man, being a character who personally invents and understands his technology, outsmarts Batman, whose tech relies on corporate resources and wealth. This difference in background and understanding gives Iron Man an authenticity that may not be found in the other superhero.
It’s not too shocking that Tyson believes Iron Man will win, given his stance from 2020: when asked about the scientific accuracy of Marvel and DC, he favored Marvel.
Absolutely, there’s no debate about it. Tyson expresses this confidently without hesitation. In fact, it’s quite clear. If we were to choose between Marvel and DC Comics based on a single factor, it would be the scientific origins of most superpowers in Marvel characters. Except for Thor and a few others I can barely remember, almost every character with powers in Marvel comics got their abilities from a scientific incident.
The physicist explains, “Spider-Man gets his powers from a bite he received in a biology lab where there happened to be a radioactive spider. Similarly, the Hulk was exposed to gamma rays. It’s interesting to note that most superheroes have scientific origins for their abilities, which provides a rich backstory for storytelling. Moreover, Banner, the character who becomes the Hulk, was originally a medical doctor, making this connection even more valuable.
Speak No Evil opens in theaters Friday, September 13th.
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2024-09-12 04:40