Support NeoGAF

[The Incarnation]

Well if he was wise, he'd kill everyone but the finest women and then breed with them ultimately creating a hybrid super race.

 

[Screaming Meat]

Or like flipping the switch on a hadron collider.

Time will tell on that one.

Introducing a foreign species into a closed ecology has to have long term effects. It just has to! Think of those poor red squirrels...

 

[Mudcrab]

Time will tell on that one.

Introducing a foreign species into a closed ecology has to have long term effects. It just has to! Think of those poor red squirrels...

Sure but what happens when that foreign species is cognizant of that fact?

 

[Penguin]

It strikes me as odd that with the resurgence of super hero movies that literally no one, tv or otherwise, has explored the real world ramifications of an all powerful being.

Seriously, how would the world really react if a person that looks just like a human started saving people the way that Superman does?

Well I wouldn't say no one, it does seem to be the basis of Batman v Superman and MoS kind of touched on it.

and honestly from what I've seen, I think that's how the world would react.

Fear, anger. Hope, worship. Paranoia

The bigger issue, and this gets touched on from time to time, is his reactions on world politics because he is seen as a symbol of America... and even in broader strokes, the alien would need some place to call home. I can't imagine anyone would go for a floating city/ship

 

[Seventy_X_Seven]

That would completely change religion. It would mess with the Abrahamic God's mythology of creating humans in god's image when clearly this other being from outer space looks human.

If an alien from another world was discovered that looks exactly like a human, wouldn't that strengthen religions? What are the odds that evolution created two shockingly similar species in separate isolated environments?

 

[kittoo]

I personally look at it from a Science point of view. Imagine what all he could do for science too!
He could bring samples from Europa or Titan or wherever. He could take equipment there. He could take humans to space in a much easier way. He could uncover the secrets of deep seas. Basically we could unlock the secrets of whole solar system and beyond.
Not to mention all the other ways in which he could help science and progress.

 

[Sibersk Esto]

I personally look at it from a Science point of view. Imagine what all he could do for science too!
He could bring samples from Europa or Titan or wherever. He could take equipment there. He could take humans to space in a much easier way. He could uncover the secrets of deep seas. Basically we could unlock the secrets of whole solar system and beyond.
Not to mention all the other ways in which he could help science and progress.

I've always wanted a moment in a superman run where he and STAR labs are doing cool space explorer stuff.

 

[Ahasverus]

That's the whole premise of BvS dude. And a bunch of great comics too.

Well if he was wise, he'd kill everyone but the finest women and then breed with them ultimately creating a hybrid super race.

Inbreeding yo

 

[Screaming Meat]

Sure but what happens when that foreign species is cognizant of that fact?

You get Straczynski-era Squadron Supreme.

I've always wanted a moment in a superman run where he and STAR labs are doing cool space explorer stuff.

Kind of nodded at during All Star Superman.

 

[Soapbox Killer]

Then I would also have super powers. No way the super natural occurs in the real world and I don't get a taste .

 

[Avixph]

What if the Hulk existed in real life?

 

[Grizzlyjin]

What if the Hulk existed in real life?

We would Planet Hulk his ass, best case scenario. And with good reason.

 

[darkwing-buck]

You should check this movie out OP.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

That's basically the premise of Superman: Secret Identity:

also known as the best Superman graphic novel ever made.

 

[family_guy]

Didn't turn out that well for Jesus.

 

[Crash Station]

It strikes me as odd that with the resurgence of super hero movies that literally no one, tv or otherwise, has explored the real world ramifications of an all powerful being.

Uh, there's been plenty super hero deconstructions like that. There's a ton of comics and manga that have tackled that exact scenario.

 

[shoreu]

I would hope and pray everyday we don't get this situation:

Is this the guy who murdered the hell out of someone in front of their Daughter and then said "I'm a hero"


EDIT: Yup lol

 

[FluxWaveZ]

This thread has tempted me to get Irredeemable on Comixology.

 

[thetrin]

This thread has tempted me to get Irredeemable on Comixology.

Irredeemable is fucking awesome.

 

[oti]

America would try to kill him.

 

[Major Gripex]

He even lost his hair already, just wearing a dog on his head to cover it.

And don't forget hating illegal aliens.

 

[Trojan X]

America would try to kill him.

I agree with this. Expect FBI and the military to track him down to the fullest degree using satellites and everything else they can muster. First, they will try to subdue him to conduct experiments until he dies, and if that fails, they will announce war upon him. When that fails, they will destroy everything just to kill him without even asking what does he want. They will fear him because he has power that they don't have. All of his families and friends will be captured by the FBI too for questioning. There will be no peace, only chaos strictly caused by humanity that strikes first and continues to strike. Things will go insane until something of near equal of power of Superman comes into the midst and put humanity into an incredible corner that make them have no choice but to call out for Superman for help. Then Superman would come, win, peace will be restored, then the madness will happen again, slowly but surely. Madness... The only way this can be avoided is for Superman to never slip up, not even once, or truly act like a God. However, if Superman will does announce himself as God status then expect a new religion will be formed, which will be insane. Of course there is a lot more to this but that's the gist of it.

 

[Finaika]

I would prefer if Supergirl exists.

 

[Trojan X]

I would prefer if Supergirl exists.

Then everyone more death to occur. Much more. Supergirl is chaos and sloppy in comparison to Superman.

 

[BashNasty]

I mean... that's pretty much what Man of Steel was about for much of it's running time.

 

[theSlacker]

I recommend Moore's run of Miracleman. Since it has finally been reprinted there is no reason not to read it and it answered this kind of question 30 or so years ago.

 

[Black-Wind]

READ THE BOYS!!!

 

[Renekton]

You should check this movie out OP.

Dude wasn't very strong... and had Monkey D Luffy's weakness to boot D:

 

[Screaming Meat]

READ THE BOYS!!!

Don't do that. It's awful.

 

[hammertomb]

READ THE BOYS!!!

DO NOT READ THE BOYS

 

[The Enchanter]

I imagine with that sort of power it would take a considerable amount of self control not to obliterate everything on your morning coffee run. I just think of situations where I accidentally bump into someone and hurt them.

Imagine having that much power and having a sneezing fit for example. There would surely be devastation everywhere!

 

[Tcab96]

He'd eventually get bored, and it'll be like the first 1/4 of that movie Hancock.

I fucking love the first bits of Hancock. It's what I imagine all super heroes would go through after having failed to save a city, having all their loved ones killed by their super villains and just getting fed up with all the bullshit.

It's the first look we got if Superman just said fuck it.

 

[Bold One]

I thought Hancock covered some of it, not a great deal of nuance but still pretty underrated

 

[joedan]

100% fact: The US military will immeditately get to work on a weapon that can kill him.

95% fact: US military will kill him.

 

[vio]

If Superman existed in our world...

-He`d would have given up on humanity long time ago, maybe go insane. Too much of a burden / shit to deal with, even for him.

-Something like this?

Most probably first one though.

 

[STILLethal]

Depends, I mean you have to ask yourself that question: what would it be like if you had superpowers?

Theres a lot of different outcomes but one thing's for sure: the world we know right now would change completely, as it is already but slowly, i mean we have created fuken nukes ffs, humanity is fuked

 

[DeathyBoy]

If Superman was real, Richard Branson would stand up against him. He'd fly a Virgin plane into Superman's house.

 

[Screaming Meat]

Given celebrity worship today, he might end up like Zenith and just use his powers to promote his music career:

If Superman was real, Richard Branson would stand up against him. He'd fly a Virgin plane into Superman's house.

Funnily enough, he's in Zenith.

 

[nephilimdj]

Much like mutants, think comes down to the country.
Can you imagine if there was a chance of someone being born like superman, India and China would have super armies

 

[Trojan X]

I believe Superman's insanity would only come into question only if his identify is revealed. Remember that Superman is about a god-like being trying his best to blend in therefore it would be due to exposure that would cause him to lose that sense of harmony.

 

[revolverjgw]

He'd end up like Hulk Hogan, shamed and disgraced after uttering a racial slur on video

 

[Slayven]

Don't do that. It's awful.

DO NOT READ THE BOYS

Garth Ennis obviously hates superheroes. And has a low opinion of humanity.

He still has his moments thjough

 

[Setsuna]

Then this would be even funnier than before

Honestly it was a good lesson that he cant and shouldn't save everyone

 

[Screaming Meat]

Garth Ennis obviously hates superheroes. And has a low opinion of humanity.

He still has his moments thjough

Garth Ennis' work on Hellblazer and The Preacher are some of my favourite writing in comics. They're vitriolic, sure, but they have a real heart at the core. Hell, Hitman is a lot of damn fun and his Dredd/2000AD stuff veers from charmingly cheeky to downright badass (I don't care what anyone says, Judgement Day was awesome).

The Boys though is simply mean for the sake of it. Kind of like Mark Millar's mid-to-late stuff.

 

[Rad-]

Superman exists but is too beta to use his powers for anything.

 

[Black-Wind]

Don't do that. It's awful.

DO NOT READ THE BOYS

Garth Ennis obviously hates superheroes. And has a low opinion of humanity.

He still has his moments thjough

Guess I have a low opinion of humanity.
Give people power and shit's going down in a bad way.

 

[zeemumu]

Trump would kill Flash and usher forth the age of the Justice Lords.

 

[TheRealTalker]

It would mess with the Abrahamic God's mythology of creating humans in god's image when clearly this other being from outer space looks human.

isn't Christianity the only one that says that though

I mean I know Islam rejects that notion completely

on Another note maybe us as humans would have a even larger tech boom and space travel would now be discussed

 

[shaowebb]

It strikes me as odd that with the resurgence of super hero movies that literally no one, tv or otherwise, has explored the real world ramifications of an all powerful being...

You need to read Irredeemable.

 

[sarcastor]

You need to read Irredeemable.

Irredeemable is the opposite of Superman. Clark Kent had loving parents to show him the goodness of human kind and all that jazz. So if Superman was really real, we're fine.

Now if the question was, what would happen if a baby suddenly developed Superman-like powers, then either he hid it from everyone to fit in and grew up crazy or he's gonna get captured by the military and probably brainwashed to do his bidding.

However If I suddenly just developed superman powers I will definitely stop all wars, feed the world, launch an initiative for us to colonize other planets. And then get a 2nd season of Firefly made.