Is superman strong enough to rip off his own arm?

[infinix]

Does the answer to this question differ depending on which Superman we are talking about??

Don't know if this has ever been discussed here, but I've always wondered about that.

Similar situation is having the Hulk do it. Except with Hulk, the angrier he gets, the more powerful and more durable he is. So to Hulk, this becomes an infinite loop.

Superman, on the other hand, doesn't have the option of instantly gaining additional strength and durability for whatever reason. Superman seems to have a set upper-limit on his strength, I think. So this becomes a more interesting discussion.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

The magic 8 ball said "My sources say no".

http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~ssanty/cgi-bin/eightball.cgi

So there you have it.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Superman's invulnerable so I would have to say no unless there was some kind of Green K around to depower him. It is an interesting discussion to have though.

 

[TheSeeker]

I don't follow the logic in that question. Can you rip your own arm off?

 

[infinix]

I can't, but then again, I'm nor superman either. Basically, when comparing superman's strength to superman's durability, which one wins?

 

[Greg Cox]

Superman used to shave using his heat-vision, so maybe he can burn it off?

 

[Psion]

*I* can't, but then I'm not super-strong. I'd have to seek mechanical assistance to perform a proper limb evulsion, and to be honest, I'm not really keen on the idea.

Superman, on the other hand, is very, very strong. More powerful than a locomotive, in fact. And since a locomotive is what I'd require to yank an arm out of its socket and drag the grisly morsel down the railroad tracks, I'd say he does have the strength to do it.

Oh, but then there is that nasty invulnerability thing. In the absence of any evidence to the contrary, I'd say his invulnerability scales up with his strength and that he's no more able to rip his own arm off than you or me.

Wait.

If I chained my arm to a concrete floor and then started to twist my body around it, I could sever the connective tissues in my shoulder or elbow and then ultimately pull my torso away from it. It'd be slow, painful work, and I'd be more likely to pass out or die from shock and blood loss than succeed, but I suppose it's possible. And if I can do it, then Superman can too.

As long as you had a floor that scaled up its strength along with his.

 

[JarodRussell]

I can't, but then again, I'm nor superman either. Basically, when comparing superman's strength to superman's durability, which one wins?

You can't because it's a mechanical impossibility.


Superman can shave his face with his heat vision, though, while flying into an atomic explosion doesn't scorch a single hair. The fun thing is he used a normal mirror for that, which was strong enough to withstand the heat vision. Superman's supermirror.

 

[T'Girl]

The connecting tissues in (say) superman's left arm would be just as strong as the connecting tissues in his right arm, so he couldn't pull hard enough to override to equal strength.

Of course he could likely rip off one of yours ... so don't pull on his cape.

 

[Sephiroth]

i duno, ask the burrito loving Jesus

 

[SG-17]

This is the Ultra-Sphinx's other question.

 

[tharpdevenport]

Could Superman rip IT off while doing his manly business, though?

 

[scnj]

Superman used to shave using his heat-vision, so maybe he can burn it off?

How does he look at his chin?

 

[Saga]

This is the Ultra-Sphinx's other question.

 

[tharpdevenport]

Superman used to shave using his heat-vision, so maybe he can burn it off?

How does he look at his chin?

Mirrors. How does anybody else?

 

[coolghoul]

Superman used to shave using his heat-vision, so maybe he can burn it off?

How does he look at his chin?

He uses a reflection to bounce the heat-vision back onto his stubble - either from a mirror or from a polished Kryptonian metal or something (so the mirror/metal doesn't melt in his hand).

It never made much sense to me.

If heat vision could cut his hair, then "theoretically", extreme heat (how hot is his heat vision) beams should at least make him go bald. Which would mean that Luthor could exact some really fitting revenge on Supes.

I just prefer to think that he doesn't have hair follicles on his lip or chin (except for in those pre-Crisis stories, where he would grow a beard and stuff). Basically - too much thinking about it leads to the unraveling of the multiverse.

 

[Mr Light]

I believe he uses a shard of his birthing matrix / spaceship to shave with. He focuses an extremely tight beam. Surely his stubble is weaker than his flesh? After all, hair is dead isn't it?

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

I'm sorry but this question is meant to be one of those logical questions. You know, like this one:

Can God make a rock so heavy that not even he can lift it?

Think about that one!

 

[Snaploud]

Of course he could likely rip off one of yours ... so don't pull on his cape.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNiQE5ykrpc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx2dQqIeq1I

 

[broberfett]

This thread idea is hilarious. It reminds me of the Microsoft War.