It's commonly accepted that Superman is one of the most powerful heroes in the DC Universe, but is he really? One instance shows Clark Kent as noticeably weaker than he's usually portrayed, putting into question what his power level is actually supposed to be.
When Superman first burst onto the comic book scene in the Golden Age, he delighted readers with his amazing feats of strength and spectacular stunts. Leaping tall buildings, running faster than trains, and stopping bullets were all audiences needed to be convinced of the power he possessed. But as time went on, Superman developed other powers as the stakes he faced grew in size. Flying, heat vision, and frost breath were added to his skill set, and his strength became much more mighty. Before long, the Man of Steel was able to hold a black hole in the palm of his hands. But despite the ballooning strength of Superman, one moment portrayed the hero as remarkably weaker than he usually is.
In Superman: World of New Krypton #8 by Greg Rucka, James Robinson, Pete Woods, and Ron Randall, the citizens of the resurrected planet Krypton are facing a dire emergency. A moon is hurtling towards New Krypton and Superman is currently in charge of the planet's armed forces. After a brief engagement with the Thanagarians, Superman and his unit attempt to stop the moon in its tracks and save their home. Dozens of Kryptonians, each one of them possessing a similar level of strength as Clark, try to physically slow the moon down and move it out of the way. However, even with Superman assisting, the army finds themselves unable to stop the moon. Thankfully, the Thanagarians arrive with Nth metal weaponry to relocate the natural satellite.
Sure, it makes sense that Hawkman and Hawkgirl’s vibranium-esque Nth metal and its gravity-defying properties could help move a moon. But it’s a bit harder to believe that a group of Kryptonians, much less one that includes Superman, can’t seem to accomplish the same goal. Various versions of Clark Kent have had him drag planets all across the solar system, lift weights of infinite mass and even punch through the barriers of reality. The idea that one moon would give him trouble is a bit of a hard sell.
Superman has been around for nearly a century and the demand to see him pull off cool things has rarely waned. While the limits of Superman’s strength seem to be in flux, moments like these reveal an unfortunate drawback. If the hero can punch planets so hard they explode or bench press several quintillion tons, why would a moon give him much trouble? Granted, these limits often differ depending on the continuity and universes they're in. Essentially, Superman's power level depends on what the writer needs Clark's limit to be in order to tell a compelling story. And yes, in this instance, it makes for a nail biter to see Superman struggle. But when this scene is compared to other moments that show how powerful Superman can be, it can be confusing for fans wondering what the hero’s power level actually is.
