Superman Debuts His Darkest Superpower of All Time, Too Gross for the DCU

Published Sep 2, 2026, 6:00 PM EDT Robert Wood is a writer and editor based out of Cheshire, England. He is the author of 'The False Elephant: and 99 Other Unreasonably Short Stories' - 100 stories, each told in exactly 100 words. Rob got into comics via Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man and the UK anthology 'The Mighty World of Marvel,' which was running Frank Miller's Daredevil, Classic Hulk and Contest of Champions II. Prior to journalism, he worked in copywriting and copyedited for Oxford University Press. He is on X as @PinchTwigs and Instagram as roobwoodjourno. DC just revealed a hidden Superman power that's easily his grossest of all time, revealing what the Man of Steel can do when he's backed into a corner by a villain he'd rather die than allow to escape. In this month's Absolute Superman, the Man of Steel goes up against the Absolute Universe's version of Toyman. While the classic villain relies on toy-themed gadgets to stay one step ahead, the game changes when Superman realizes his enemy is responsible for mass child trafficking. Forced to his knees by a sonic doll (created in the likeness of recurring Superman villain the Silver Banshee), Superman unleashes a surprise ability that devastates his enemy. Superman Can Spit His Blood as Bullets In today's Absolute Superman #23 - from Jason Aaron, Juan Ferreyra and Becca Carey - Superman spits his own blood with so much force that it breaks the arms, legs, ribs and possibly back of his enemy the Toyman. Beaten to his knees by a sonic attack, bleeding from his eyes and ears, and almost unable to move, Superman realizes he has one option left - to weaponize his own blood by unleashing it with devastating speed. Given the carnage it causes, it's not something Superman would do to just any villain, but his disgust with Toyman runs deep. Indeed, after learning that Toyman is responsible for experimenting on and trafficking children, Superman even hesitates to take him to hospital, shocked by his own hatred for a villain who - in DC's mainstream stories - is generally depicted as a lesser threat. What's interesting about Superman turning himself into a 'blood gun' is that it's not a new power, but a logical extension of his super-breath. Similar to a water jet cutter, it's absolutely possible to get liquid to travel fast enough that it would injure anyone it came into contact with. Supes isn't the first hero to use this ability with his own blood. In The Totally Awesome Hulk #16, Amadeus Cho's Hulk uses his blood in a similar way, slapping it rather than spitting it. Likewise, in Superman #666, Superman is able to spit through Lex Luthor (and his battle mech), killing his old enemy - albeit in a scene that takes place in a dream. Superman's Mouth Is Weirdly Powerful Superman weaponizing his own blood may seem unusual, but that's par for the course whenever Superman uses his secret weapon - his mouth. While a lot of Superman iconography focuses on his eyes and their powerful heat rays, Superman's mouth is a far more versatile symbol of his might. As well as his 'super-breath' which can freeze living beings on contact, Superman can also shout loud enough to injure humans and create an 'infrasound whistle' that paralyzes their muscles. In the past, he's been capable of inducing amnesia with a kiss, and throwing his voice in a power remembered as 'Super Ventriloquism.' Supes' strength and durability also make him capable of physically consuming metal and rock - he recently intimidated an alien attacker by eating their rifle in front of them (in Action Comics #1067) - and in early Golden Age stories, his absolute control of his own body allowed him to shift the set of his face, hiding his identity and even allowing him to mimic the appearance of others. In that context, it's not as surprising that Superman is able to spit his blood like a thousand bullets, but it IS the grossest superpower he has in current DC lore by a long shot. Absolute Superman #23 is available now 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.