The man of steel just turned 80 on April 18th and he still looks like a spring chicken. I don’t know what his secret is but clearly, he is doing something right. The man looks like he’s still in his 30’s! With 80 years under his belt, he’s had some pretty amazing adventures and story arcs. I know everyone likes to focus on the awesome moments. But with 80 years also comes some questionable moments and powers. Oh, the strange powers that have come up over the years… My point is that Superman is super weird. Here are some weird facts about everyone’s favorite last son of Krypton.

Superman panel in a DC Comics comic book

Even Superman needs a vacation

When Superman was first introduced, there was no such thing as Kryptonite. The Man of Steel had little-to-no weaknesses, actually. As the ideal version of a superhero, he simply didn’t need any, and people accepted that. As the years progressed and the character was adapted to other forms of media like radio, things changed. Superman was suddenly capable of being taken out by a little green rock.

The reason Kryptonite was even introduced is because of Clayton “Bud” Collyer. He is the man who provided the voice for Clark Kent and Superman for the radio show. Bud wanted to take a week off, so they had to find a creative way to keep the show going and give him a break. So Supes was put into a Kryptonite trap and a stand-in supplied his painful groans until Collyer returned. Since then, different colors and effects have been created for a wide variety of reasons, but it is primarily a plot device.

 The different forms of the dangerous vacation stone:

  • Red Kryptonite: also weakens Superman, but much more effectively than Green Kryptonite. Later on, it would also induce mood swings.
  • Black Kryptonite: splits any Kryptonian into two separate entities, one good, and one evil.
  • Blue Kryptonite: does the exact same thing as Green Kryptonite but to Bizarro.
  • Gold Kryptonite: normal kryptonite affected by atomic radiation, this nullifies all superhuman abilities granted by yellow sunlight.
  • White Kryptonite: kills all the plant life of any world it touches.
  • Red-gold Kryptonite: temporarily erases Kryptonians’ memories.
  • Periwinkle Kryptonite: causes Kryptonians to lose all their inhibitions, which has almost definitely been used as a part of some weird space orgies.
  • Orange Kryptonite: gives any animal that touches it superpowers for 24 hours.
  • Pink Kryptonite: which appeared as a satire of ridiculous Silver Age stories, turns Kryptonians gay. Yes, you read that right.

Superman’s Sex Tape

While Superman is portrayed as a pure-hearted paragon of truth and justice, he is also a huge celebrity. Like many celebrities of today, he also has a sex tape. Well, kinda. Superman’s adult video is the result of John Byrne being a damn freak and a villain named Sleez who Darkseid banished from Apokolips to the sewers of Earth. In 1987’s Action Comics #593, Sleez used his mind control powers to hypnotize Superman and Big Barda into doing the nasty. Or maybe they just kissed. It’s unclear what actually went down because we mostly just see a porn director berating Superman for not being passionate enough. Thankfully, Barda’s husband, Mister Miracle, broke in before they could do another take. It’s a weird story that ends with Sleez seemingly blowing himself up, and Superman, Barda, and Mister Miracle all agreeing never to speak of this ever again.

Tiny Superman that shoots out of regular Superman’s hand?

By 1958, Superman had been around for around 20 years. That of course meant that all the good stories were already told! Only, that’s not true, not even by a long shot. But the writers thought that they needed to keep Superman fresh and exciting. What better way than a cool new power! They were willing to throw even the craziest ideas at the wall to see what stuck.

In Superman #125, the Man of Steel discovers a small spaceship while trying to save Metropolis from an earthquake. The ship explodes and gives him the strange power to project a tiny version of himself from his hands. One that performs all the things that Superman no longer can, because the little guy appears to leech all of his other powers. He eventually sacrifices himself to save Superman, bringing to an end the weirdest superpower the Man of Steel has ever had.

Shapeshifting?

We all know that Superman is strong, but did you know he’s so strong he can reshape his whole body!? His feats of strength are almost unmatched by anybody across Pre-Crisis, as well as Post. Superman is one strong superhero that few could ever go toe-to-toe with. His muscles have other abilities most wouldn’t even imagine. Granted, this particular ability has only been seen in one story. But Superman has so much control over his own muscles, he can reshape his body and shapeshift into whomever he desires. This power needs a comeback, I know I’m not the only one who thinks so.

Back in Superman #45, written by Bill Finger and penciled by Ira Yarbrough, Superman had to pass as an inter-dimensional warrior. Naturally (as one does), he uses his muscle control ability and transformed his entire body inside and out into the warrior. But that doesn’t explain how he was able to change his clothing.

Superman has a rich history that spans decades. The release of the 1000th issue is further proof that this iconic figure has stood the test of time. There is always time to catch up to the 1000th issue, and Bookmans can help! Stop by your local Bookmans today and explore Superman in comic after comic!