nester-san
June 25, 2006, 01:54 AM
http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/superman-vs.htm
Ever wonder how the Blue Boy Scout would fare against some other threats from other universes...?
Wonder no more!!
pt1.
Superman vs. a Jedi
By the Power of Sol, I Have the Power
Superman’s powers come largely from his exposure to Earth’s yellow sun, and the sun has been charging his solar batteries for nearly all of his life. While it’s unlikely at this point that Superman’s batteries could run down, we’ll assume that all of these battles mentioned in this article take place on Earth or in the presence of a similar star.
We'll begin with the question that started it all -- would Superman win in a fight against a Jedi Knight? Booth's e-mail raised several specific questions. Would a Jedi be fast enough to sense Superman's approach? Could the Jedi manipulate Superman in mid-air? Could a lightsaber be made from kryptonite?
Jedi are fast, and part of their training involves fighting without using their sight or other senses. But they don't quite reach Superman's speeding-bullet status. Physically, Superman has the upper hand.
Because of Superman's strength and speed, using the Force to manipulate him mid-flight would be a lot like manipulating a starship. If the Force could manipulate starships in flight, Darth Vader could have crashed all the X-wings during the Battle of Yavin. Or, Luke Skywalker could have destroyed all of the Star Destroyers during the Battle of Hoth. The logical conclusion is that Jedi are not capable of stopping something as strong and fast as a speeding starship. Some portrayals, like the "Clone Wars" series, do show Jedi performing extreme feats with the Force, but those feats come with a price. To even attempt to stop Superman in mid-flight could seriously injure or kill a Jedi.
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/superman-vs.jedi.jpg
Finally, there are two reasons why a Jedi wouldn't have a lightsaber made from kryptonite:
A lightsaber uses crystals to focus the blade, and gathering these crystals from the planet Ilum is a rite of passage for a Jedi. Under certain conditions, the crystals emit light and energy. Kryptonite is not typically crystalline; it's usually a metal or a rock. The crystalline versions of Kryptonite that have existed have emitted radiation, just like Green Kryptonite, rather than light or energy.
However, a lightsaber may be useful against Superman even without the presence of kryptonite, since magical weapons can harm him. If the Ilum crystals are by nature magical, then the blade might slice through Superman just like it can slice through Vader's arm. You can read more about lightsabers in How Lightsabers Work.
With these points in mind, it seems unlikely that a Jedi could defeat Superman, regardless of who has the high ground unless lightsabers are magical.
A Sith Lord, on the other hand, could be a formidable opponent for Superman. Unlike Jedi, Sith Lords don't hold themselves to a code of balance or fair play. They give in to powerful emotions like passion and rage, and they use the Force with a vengeance. Sith Lords also use synthetic crystals and make other adjustments to their lightsabers. They may be more likely to entertain the idea of making a kryptonite or magical lightsaber. Failing that, a Sith Lord may tune his lightsaber in such a way that it bypasses Superman's protective field.
Could Darth Sidious's Force lightning wipe out Superman?
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/sith-9.jpg
A Sith Lord's no-holds-barred approach to wielding the Force also provides a potential advantage. So while he might not be able to stop Superman in midair, a Sith Lord could act first, unleashing the Force while Superman was on the ground. The ensuing fight between a Sith Lord and Superman has the potential to be long and brutal, especially as the Force weakens Superman. A Sith Lord could win, depending on:
How effectively and repeatedly he can strike Superman with a lightsaber or Force lightning
Whether these weapons have an effect on Superman If the Force and lightsabers can affect Superman, they could allow a Sith Lord to overcome the natural advantage Superman seems to gain when fighting evil.
Superman vs. the Death Star
Superman has x-ray and heat vision, freezing breath and an impenetrable field that surrounds his body and his clothing. He can move at tremendous speeds, and he can fly. The Death Star has 10,000 turbolaser batteries, 2,500 laser cannons, 2,500 ion cannons and 768 tractor beam projectors. It also has a Superlaser, which focuses the energy from the station's hypermatter reactor into a beam capable of destroying planets.
When fighting Superman, the Death Star's Superlaser might be a liability instead of an asset. The reactor's power output is comparable to that of a small star. Depending on how similar this energy is to that of a yellow sun, the laser might actually make Superman stronger. But even without a power boost from the Superlaser, Superman would still be invulnerable to the Death Star's other weaponry. Even if the Death Star managed to trap Superman in its tractor beams, it might not be able to penetrate his skin with its weapons.
In addition, Superman wouldn't need to find a two-meter-wide thermal exhaust port in order to destroy the Death Star. His strength and dexterity would allow him to punch his way through the hull to access to the space station's reactor. He could then use his heat vision to start a chain-reaction and fly out again to escape from the resulting explosion.
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/superman-vs.deathstar.jpg
To defend itself against Superman, the Death Star could leave the vicinity of any yellow sun and stay so far away that Superman couldn't reach it before losing his powers. But this might only delay the inevitable -- Superman's body has stored so much energy from the Earth's sun that his batteries may never run out. Then, the Empire could retrofit its weaponry to use kryptonite ordnance. Otherwise, the Death Star would fall quickly.
Ever wonder how the Blue Boy Scout would fare against some other threats from other universes...?
Wonder no more!!
pt1.
Superman vs. a Jedi
By the Power of Sol, I Have the Power
Superman’s powers come largely from his exposure to Earth’s yellow sun, and the sun has been charging his solar batteries for nearly all of his life. While it’s unlikely at this point that Superman’s batteries could run down, we’ll assume that all of these battles mentioned in this article take place on Earth or in the presence of a similar star.
We'll begin with the question that started it all -- would Superman win in a fight against a Jedi Knight? Booth's e-mail raised several specific questions. Would a Jedi be fast enough to sense Superman's approach? Could the Jedi manipulate Superman in mid-air? Could a lightsaber be made from kryptonite?
Jedi are fast, and part of their training involves fighting without using their sight or other senses. But they don't quite reach Superman's speeding-bullet status. Physically, Superman has the upper hand.
Because of Superman's strength and speed, using the Force to manipulate him mid-flight would be a lot like manipulating a starship. If the Force could manipulate starships in flight, Darth Vader could have crashed all the X-wings during the Battle of Yavin. Or, Luke Skywalker could have destroyed all of the Star Destroyers during the Battle of Hoth. The logical conclusion is that Jedi are not capable of stopping something as strong and fast as a speeding starship. Some portrayals, like the "Clone Wars" series, do show Jedi performing extreme feats with the Force, but those feats come with a price. To even attempt to stop Superman in mid-flight could seriously injure or kill a Jedi.
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/superman-vs.jedi.jpg
Finally, there are two reasons why a Jedi wouldn't have a lightsaber made from kryptonite:
A lightsaber uses crystals to focus the blade, and gathering these crystals from the planet Ilum is a rite of passage for a Jedi. Under certain conditions, the crystals emit light and energy. Kryptonite is not typically crystalline; it's usually a metal or a rock. The crystalline versions of Kryptonite that have existed have emitted radiation, just like Green Kryptonite, rather than light or energy.
However, a lightsaber may be useful against Superman even without the presence of kryptonite, since magical weapons can harm him. If the Ilum crystals are by nature magical, then the blade might slice through Superman just like it can slice through Vader's arm. You can read more about lightsabers in How Lightsabers Work.
With these points in mind, it seems unlikely that a Jedi could defeat Superman, regardless of who has the high ground unless lightsabers are magical.
A Sith Lord, on the other hand, could be a formidable opponent for Superman. Unlike Jedi, Sith Lords don't hold themselves to a code of balance or fair play. They give in to powerful emotions like passion and rage, and they use the Force with a vengeance. Sith Lords also use synthetic crystals and make other adjustments to their lightsabers. They may be more likely to entertain the idea of making a kryptonite or magical lightsaber. Failing that, a Sith Lord may tune his lightsaber in such a way that it bypasses Superman's protective field.
Could Darth Sidious's Force lightning wipe out Superman?
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/sith-9.jpg
A Sith Lord's no-holds-barred approach to wielding the Force also provides a potential advantage. So while he might not be able to stop Superman in midair, a Sith Lord could act first, unleashing the Force while Superman was on the ground. The ensuing fight between a Sith Lord and Superman has the potential to be long and brutal, especially as the Force weakens Superman. A Sith Lord could win, depending on:
How effectively and repeatedly he can strike Superman with a lightsaber or Force lightning
Whether these weapons have an effect on Superman If the Force and lightsabers can affect Superman, they could allow a Sith Lord to overcome the natural advantage Superman seems to gain when fighting evil.
Superman vs. the Death Star
Superman has x-ray and heat vision, freezing breath and an impenetrable field that surrounds his body and his clothing. He can move at tremendous speeds, and he can fly. The Death Star has 10,000 turbolaser batteries, 2,500 laser cannons, 2,500 ion cannons and 768 tractor beam projectors. It also has a Superlaser, which focuses the energy from the station's hypermatter reactor into a beam capable of destroying planets.
When fighting Superman, the Death Star's Superlaser might be a liability instead of an asset. The reactor's power output is comparable to that of a small star. Depending on how similar this energy is to that of a yellow sun, the laser might actually make Superman stronger. But even without a power boost from the Superlaser, Superman would still be invulnerable to the Death Star's other weaponry. Even if the Death Star managed to trap Superman in its tractor beams, it might not be able to penetrate his skin with its weapons.
In addition, Superman wouldn't need to find a two-meter-wide thermal exhaust port in order to destroy the Death Star. His strength and dexterity would allow him to punch his way through the hull to access to the space station's reactor. He could then use his heat vision to start a chain-reaction and fly out again to escape from the resulting explosion.
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/superman-vs.deathstar.jpg
To defend itself against Superman, the Death Star could leave the vicinity of any yellow sun and stay so far away that Superman couldn't reach it before losing his powers. But this might only delay the inevitable -- Superman's body has stored so much energy from the Earth's sun that his batteries may never run out. Then, the Empire could retrofit its weaponry to use kryptonite ordnance. Otherwise, the Death Star would fall quickly.