As the world's most famous hero, Superman doesn't have a lot of secrets. From his alien heritage to his superpowers to his weakness to Kryptonite, pretty much everyone knows the basics. However, there are several 'facts' about Superman that even his most dedicated fans get wrong. Today, we're going to bust those myths.

There have been countless versions of the Man of Steel, from the comics to the movies to the radio serial that first introduced Kryptonite (making Superman 'sick' so his actor Bud Collyer could take a well-deserved vacation.) Here, we're looking at Superman's mainstream comic appearances, and getting to heart of six pernicious lies about Clark Kent's caped persona.

6 That Superman Is Worthy of Mjolnir

Superman Lifted Thor's Hammer, But Only Because Odin Made an Exception

This is easily the most understandable misconception about Superman, stemming from the epic JLA/Avengers crossover from Kurt Busiek and George Pérez, in which Superman wields Mjolnir and Captain America's shield. As Marvel fans know, Thor's hammer is enchanted with a strict commandment - only those who are deemed 'worthy' can lift it. Thanks mostly to Pérez's jaw-dropping cover for JLA/Avengers #4, fans Superman as meeting this strict criteria... but that's not quite true.

The JLA/AVengers crossover was so disastrous behind the scenes that Marvel and DC swore off working together for twenty years, finally relenting to create a new Marvel/DC crossover coming later in 2025.

In JLA/Avengers, DC villain Krona kicks off a war between all the heroes and villains of the combined DC and Marvel universes. When the heroes reach Krona's fortress, a barrier stands in their way, with Thor hurling his hammer through the air to break it down. Thanks to a yell from Thor, Superman grabs hold and the battle is ed. However, once the fighting is done, he tries to pick the hammer up and finds it's impossible.

Thor lets Superman know about the enchantment, and states that Odin included a clause in his magic that allows a few very special heroes to wield it in "desperate hours." Indeed, when you look at Superman's use of Mjolnir in the comic, he pretty much just grabs hold as it es, stating that he needs to "maintain the momentum." While Pérez's cover shows Superman brandishing the weapon, we don't see anything that dynamic in the story itself, which ultimately suggests that Thor loaned Superman the hammer for a few seconds thanks to a deliberate loophole in the enchantment. However, the biggest clue that Superman isn't worthy is that the hammer didn't transform him.

Mjolnir's iconic inscription reads "whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor." Being worthy doesn't just let you lift the hammer, it also imbues you with the powers of the thunder-god, including weather control and Asgardian armor. Throughout Thor history, all those worthy of lifting Mjolnir have been transformed by doing so. In fact, that's what happened to Wonder Woman in Marvel vs. DC #2 (by Peter David, Claudio Castellini and Dan Jurgens) when she lifted Thor's hammer. Given Diana's demigod heritage, it makes sense that she'd be more likely to meet the 'worthy' requirements Odin always intended to test his son.

5 That Superman Had a Mullet in the '90s

His Hair Was Long, But There Was Never Any Mullet

From the most understandable lie about Superman to the least - did Superman sport a mullet as part of a '90s redesign? After Superman was killed in the iconic 'Death of Superman,' he was gradually restored by a Kryptonian rejuvenation chamber. When he emerged, the months of recovery had left him with long hair, which he sported for a little while after. The look is unusual for the Big Blue Boy Scout, and definitely had a dated '90s feel to today's fans. However, it's not a mullet.

The mullet is a specific hairstyle with long hair at the back and short hair at the sides and front. That's simply not how Superman was drawn in the comics of the time. Fans have referred to the hair as a mullet for so long that modern-day fans tend to take it as read that it's true (especially in a world where mullets are out of fashion), but Superman just had long hair.

One person who is adamant that Supes' long hair isn't a mullet is Dan Jurgens... the artist who gave Superman the new hairstyle. Jurgens has argued that the hair isn't a mullet in various places, including on social media and in Action Comics #1057, where Superman is asked by his son if he really had a mullet, replying: "No. Just longer hair that grew during the recovery process." Case closed!

4 That Superman Is DC's Strongest Hero

He's Not, At Least According to Batman, Flash AND Superman Himself

Superhero holds a hallowed place in DC lore as both the publisher's first superhero and the defining heroic force of its universe - the man who sets the standard for every other costumed crime-fighter. DC has also made it explicit that Superman is the blueprint for superheroism that exists across every reality, acting as the multiverse's immune system. He also has a reputation as being truly unbeatable - stronger than the strongest and more moral than anyone else alive.

But while Superman is both a powerhouse and a paragon, he's still not DC's most powerful superhero. The DC Universe is a vast place full of aliens, magic and superscience, leading to some bizarre characters who even Superman knows are more powerful. Contenders for the throne include:

• Firestorm - Batman's pick as "the most powerful man on the planet," thanks to his ability to transmute matter on the atomic level. (In Dwayne McDuffie and Mike McKone's Justice League of America Wedding Special #1.)
• Zatanna - Flash's pick as "the most powerful member of the League," thanks to her incredible magical abilities. (In Geoff Johns and Howard Porter's The Flash #215.)
• Captain Atom - A government-approved superhero who Tim Drake's Robin describes as "a level four meta who could take Superman." (In Tom King and Tony S. Daniel's Batman #76.)

But don't listen to any of the heroes who know Superman best - listen to the Man of Steel himself. In JLA #86 (Joe Kelly and Doug Mahnke), Superman calls his Justice League colleague Martian Manhunter "the most powerful being on the face of the Earth," itting that he is the one individual he would be most afraid to face in open combat. With all Superman's powers plus telepathy, shapeshifting, intangibility and invisibility, Superman is right to be scared, even if J'onn J'onzz does have a far more common weakness than Kryptonite, turning to jelly around fire.

3 That Superman Is More Powerful Than Every Marvel Superhero

Several of the X-Men Would Eat Him for Breakfast

This is a contentious one, since Marvel and DC fans tend to be combative about which universe has the stronger heroes - even as comic creators tend to dislike this way of looking at their stories. Superman has fought both Hulk and Thor, rating them as the toughest and strongest opponents he's ever faced. On a list that includes General Zod and Doomsday, that would suggest they're even stronger than Superman himself, however there's no need for that kind of nit-picking when the X-Men exist.

In current comics, there are several mutant heroes who are way beyond Superman's power level. Jean Grey's Phoenix can control reality itself, and is so powerful she recently ascended beyond godhood (in Stephanie Phillips and Marco Renna's Phoenix #5.) Meanwhile, Storm has become the herald of Eternity, channeling reality itself (as of Murewa Ayodele and Lucas Werneck's Storm #4.) Meanwhile, Professor X's son Legion is an Omega-level power creator, able to give himself any superhuman ability.

Outside the X-Men, Thor recently unlocked the omnipotent power of Odinforce, allowing him to alter the fabric of reality itself. Meanwhile, Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange isn't just a Zatanna-level spellcaster, but has a spell specifically to kill Superman - as fans saw in Jonathan Hickman and Valerio Schiti's New Avengers #19, when he summons an eldritch horror to siphon the sunlight from alt-reality hero Sun God, who is a bare-faced offbrand Superman. Even just in physical , Superman's might couldn't match the Sentry, who is so strong he can tear holes in reality.

2 That Superman Can Lift an Infinitely Heavy Book

Okay, He Did, But Not in the Way You Think

Superman's most impressive feat of strength takes place in Final Crisis: Superman Beyond #1, by Grant Morrison and Doug Mahnke. In the comic (and for very complicated reasons), he and Captain Marvel/Shazam briefly pick up a book with infinite pages. For years, fans have debated whether this means Superman is infinitely strong: he needed Shazam's help, but half of infinity is still infinity. The book contains all other books, which is still a finite number, but Superman says it has "an infinite number of pages." However, none of that matters because of where this feat takes place.

Superman Beyond #1 is set in Limbo - a dimension of unending stasis that exists 'above' the multiverse and outside the bounds of material reality. Limbo isn't just a place, it's a semi-mystical alternate plane of existence where symbolism is more important than physics. Superman is able to lift an infinitely heavy book in Limbo only as an act of symbolism - because he embodies the primordial concept of superheroes, and in a place defined by narrative rules, he can do anything.

However, the same doesn't hold true outside Limbo, where Superman is incredibly strong, but not infinitely. The comic makes this explicit (or as explicit as Grant Morrison tends to make things), but that hasn't been able to compete with a couple of choice s spreading across the internet without context.

1 That Superman Is Less Intelligent Than Batman

Super-Intelligence Is Literally One of Superman's Powers

Batman is the smartest man in the world - a tireless detective who has spent his entire life forging himself into the ultimate investigator. However, while Superman isn't on Batman's level as a detective, he's smarter than Bruce Wayne in other ways. Specifically, Superman is a superior inventor and scientist. While Batman is a skilled chemist and engineer, his various mechs and gadgets pale in comparison to the haul Superman keeps in his Fortress of Solitude, including:

• The Supermobile - A jet that can channel his powers while possessing none of his vulnerabilities.
• The Superman Robots - Artificially intelligent robots with lesser versions of his powers.
• The Power Charger - A chamber that can restore his powers if they're ever erased by gold Kryptonite.
• The Super-Elixir - A serum that can give humans Kryptonian powers for 24 hours.
• Earth Q - A pocket reality which Superman created to study a reality where he doesn't exist - suggested to be the 'real world' of the reader.
• The Super-Chess Bot - A game-playing AI that "plans a million moves at once" and which Superman describes as merely "tough" to beat.

Indeed, 'Super-Intelligence' is officially one of Superman's powers, and has been since at least 1942, where Superman instantly understands and translates the language spoken by a mermaid in Superman #14 (Jerry Siegel and Leo Nowak.) Other feats include carrying out calculations faster than a supercomputer, memorizing Lois Lane's entire DNA code, and being able to perform surgery after speed-reading every medical text ever written. And while he's not quite the detective Batman is, he is still one of the world's most successful investigative journalists.

Batman's inner darkness and obsession with crime make him the expert on detection in the DC Universe. But while Superman might be (slightly) bested in that area, his incredible processing speed and superhuman memory mean that no-one could fairly call him Bruce Wayne's intellectual inferior, even if he doesn't show off about it.

Those were six lies that even hardcore Superman fans believe about the Man of Steel - or used to, before this article. Let us know in the comments below which of our arguments you disagree with, and what other Superman lies too many fans accept as truth.

Source: Dan Jurgens