DC Just Permanently Removed an Awesome Superman Power

DC Comics Published Aug 21, 2026, 8:01 AM EDT Adam has been writing in the entertainment news space for over a decade. Beginning his career of covering film and TV at CinemaBlend, he has also appeared on The Flash Podcast and done several radio spots. Sign in to your ScreenRant account One of Superman’s most awesome powers has been stripped away by DC Comics. Super strength, flight, heat vision, and invulnerability are all among Superman’s trademark powers that he’s had in the comics for decades. Additionally, there are also a few abilities that have been added to his arsenal in recent years. Superman Unlimited introduced a golden form the main version the Man of Steel can take that renders him invulnerable to Kryptonte for a short period, and Superman 2026 Annual: Year One Thousand touched on the terrifying implications of Clark’s new immortality. However, DC has now removed a particularly unique Superman power thanks to the common superhero story practice of retconning. This happened in the latest issue of Batman/Superman: World's Finest, which takes place in the main DC universe’s not-too-distant past. Warning: SPOILERS for Batman/Superman: World's Finest #54 are ahead! Superman Can Now Be Tricked Into Thinking He’s In Hell Batman/Superman: World's Finest #54, Written By Mark Waid, Art By Bruno Frenda DC Comics Way back in Batman/Superman: World's Finest #3, Superman avoided being overwhelmed by sorcerer Felix Faust’s illusion of being trapped in Hell because he doesn’t believe in that fiery afterlife of torture and punishment. This is sharply undercut in Batman/Superman: World's Finest #54, which sees the title two protagonists, Robin, and other Justice League members being sent to Hell and forced to compete for the souls of humanity in a baseball game of all things. During the game, Robin recalled when Superman previously said he doesn’t believe in Hell, to which the Kryptonian protagonist responded, “What I said was, I don’t believe anyone is eternally beyond redemption.” While that’s a nice sentiment, it doesn’t hold the same weight as his previously-expressed conviction. By walking back that disbelief in Hell in favor of believing that there’s always the possibility for a soul to be redeemed, it means that Superman can now be tricked into another Hell illusion, just like Batman, Robin, and Billy Batson were towards the beginning of Batman/Superman: World’s Finest's run. Superman is traditionally seen as an inspirational figure, both within these stories and in real life, because of his steadfast principles, strong moral code, and ability to imbue hope. While this retcon from Batman/Superman: World’s Finest doesn’t take away from any of this, it does remove an extraordinary aspect of the superhero and puts him in the same category as a lot of non-powered people. Superman’s firm disbelief in Hell was an unusual, yet still valuable asset, and now it’s gone. Metropolis · Daily Planet Edition SupermanTrivia Challenge 🌏OriginsLast son ☠VillainsKneel! ⚡PowersInvincible 🎥FilmsBelieve 💫LegacyHope UP, UP AND AWAY! → 01 Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet? AThanagar BKrypton CApokolips DOa ✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story. NEXT → 02 Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she? ADiana Prince BLana Lang CLois Lane DCat Grant ✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner. NEXT → 03 Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called? AKryptonite BVibranium CNth Metal DRed Sun Ore ✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness. NEXT → 04 In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor? AHenry Cavill BBrandon Routh CTom Welling DChristopher Reeve ✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman. NEXT → 05 Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he? ABrainiac BLex Luthor CDarkseid DDoomsday ✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror. NEXT → 06 After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up? AGotham City BMetropolis CSmallville, Kansas DCoast City ✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm. NEXT → 07 As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper? ADaily Planet BDaily Bugle CMetropolis Star DGotham Gazette ✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home. NEXT → 08 This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain? ABizarro BParasite CMetallo DGeneral Zod ✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013). ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories. REVEAL MY SCORE → Mission Complete Your Kryptonian Record / 8 Are you the Man of Steel — or still stuck in a phone booth? ↻ FLY AGAIN Superman’s Faith And Connection To Religion Has Previously Been Explored Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who were both Jewish. Their faith is reflected in the character through his Kryponian name, Kal-El, meaning “Voice of God” in Hebrew, as well as his origin story reflecting the story of Moses, among other elements. Within the DC universe, though, Clark Kent is traditionally depicted as being raised in a Christian household by Jonathan and Martha Kent. Yet, he’s also familiar with Kryptonian culture, including how his people worshiped the deity Rao. It’s never been explicitly clarified what religion Clark follows, though he did tell Jon Kent in 2018’s Superman #41 that “he’s seen too much not to believe in ‘something,’” though “‘something’ isn’t everything.” One of those things was the afterlife itself when he perished fighting Doomsday in The Death of Superman story arc, though that was short-lived since he was resurrected when The Eradicator placed his body in a Healing Matrix in the Fortress of Solitude. There are some instances of religion presenting problems for Superman in the comics. For example, in 2018’s Superman #40, both his and Jon’s powers were weakened by the prayers of an alien species that didn’t want Superman to save them from their doomed planet. Conversely, in 2007’s Superman #659, when the Man of Steel was mistaken for an angel sent by God during his early days in Metropolis, he realized that he could not only protect the innocent, but also inspire people to take action for themselves. Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #54 is now available from DC Comics. Created By Joe Shuster, Jerry Siegel First Appearance Action Comics Alias Kal-El, Clark Kent, Jonathan Kent Alliance Justice League, Superman Family Race Kryptonian Franchise D.C.