Kryptonian physiology

Here's a light-hearted topic for the middle of the week: What do Kryptonian bodies feel like?

I mean, we talk of bullets bouncing off them, about muscles of steel, the ability to immerse themselves in lava, not to mention to float comfortably in space... but what does that mean in terms of how their flesh feels to a human?

Some possibilities (which don't include magic or externally-projected forcefields):

1) Like a very fit, young human. Except for harder muscles when flexed, and maybe a little better defined than human. Bullets rebound slowly to fall at their feet after dimpling skin deeply (enough to rebound from underlying muscle or bone) yet leaving no mark. And, uh, some things might bounce around a bit at time.

2) Firmer than humanly possible, but not rigid. Relaxed muscle tension would be firmer than human normal, making their bodies feel more substantial. Things don't bounce or jiggle with normal movement. Off-the-charts toned and a bit pumped up like after a workout. Bullets only slightly dimple the skin before rebounding fairly energetically.

3) Hard but extremely flexible, like warm steel. Bullets ping from skin to rebound at full velocity, or even fragment. A human could not make an impression in their skin.

4) ???

Shadar

Ah Shadar, you spend time thinking of things that I spend time thinking about.

I have no idea what the right answer is. I tend to go with 1-2, else it'd be REALLY hard to have a secret identity, and if someone bumped into them it'd be REALLY noticeable.

Though, sometimes it seems like this is under some kind of control, like a Kryptonian can do something and suddenly a human can't even dent their skin/bullets fragment. It's not flexing, as it's not muscle tissue. Maybe it's tightening up some kind of TK force field?

And, let's be honest. Who here has NOT thought about Kryptonian boob physics? How much do they jiggle from getting shot by a gun? Not at all (3-4), flop around a lot (it's a fair amount of kinetic energy)? Jiggle a bit?

And if I'm getting nabbed by Supergirl or Power Girl, I'm going to take a couple of shots at the target to see what happens.

Or is it just me?

I have a story I probably will never ever release, it centers around sex (and has a sex scene) and I find the entire thing more than bit odd to write/embarrassing (I wrote it on a plane on my iPhone to think on the topic and pass the time, and have not looked at it since. There is a good chance it's utter shite.).

It did run over this topic a bit (including some Boob Physics), as it came from me asking the questions: Kryptonians are NOT humans. What if they have different sexual triggers -- is something missing from a human (pheromone, etc)? Honestly, has Superman/Supergirl/Power Girl ever REALLY showed SEXUAL interest in a human being? Superman loves Lois Lane, but it seems to be in an asexual way. Seriously. I mean point me to an issue! I need to re-read the Conner/Palmonietti Power Girl run, I seem to recall her being a *bit* hot-blooded there. But it's also not normal characterization, and it's also pretty recent. I mean has PG even had a boy/girl friend? OTH, people wanting to have sex with/be attracted with HER, that's normal, it's the interest/reciprocation I'm interested in). (And the new DC52 PG is quite interested in sex, again, recent.) Contrast with Black Canary (shown lusting after men frequently, and couldn't keep her hands of Green Arrow), Babs Gordon (she's hot for a few men, including Dick Grayson), etc. All those are LONG STANDING characterizations...not so much for the Kryptonians...

Yeah, I think about these things.

Maybe that's a story.

A guy hires a bunch of people to do some petty crime/attract Supergirl or Power Girl. Then pull a gun and shot them in the boobs. And make sure someone films the event. (Repeat)

And post to youtube.

Not sure if i could make it work, but I damn well bet in the DCU there is *someone* would pay to make that happen.

A Short Story that i have reaad 20 years ago Called "My Hero" by (forget author though i have looked it up before) i have thought is fascinating here, and would recomend it(this is a physical short story in a collection i forget). Fascinating stuff and a clever take on this-its about an Superman like figure, when his secret identity is peirced and she begins to discover how (and what) her hero really is....

On the point of sexual triggers, when I invented Velorians, I defined their strongest sexual trigger (at least regarding humans) was when someone risked their life to save another. Human physical attributes, and all the usual forms of attraction, meant little to them, given that the range of human strength from weakest to strongest was fairly insignificant, and the best-looking humans do not approach even the ugliest of Velorians.

Instead, their fascination with human bravery comes from the Vels having Kryptonian-grade invulnerability. They find it incomprehensibly brave for a human to risk their life, given they can so easily be killed in a thousand different ways.

So their sexual trigger is a man's (or a woman's) bravery and willingness to sacrifice themselves for others, or even for an idea or cause.

Kryptonians could operate the same way, although the comic history is pretty vague on this. But I always thought Kal El was interested in Lois for her guts and drive and devotion to getting the story. She frequently risks her life to investigate a story that will expose some crook or criminal. In the Silver Age comics, Lois was always trying to expose corruption or crimes. Fearless and brave... she would have been dead dozens of times over if not for Superman. She was a borderline superhero in her own right, albeit an obnoxiously pushy one.

Shadar

shadar wrote: On the point of sexual triggers, when I invented Velorians, I defined their strongest sexual trigger (at least regarding humans) was when someone risked their life to save another. Human physical attributes, and all the usual forms of attraction, meant little to them, given that the range of human strength from weakest to strongest was fairly insignificant, and the best-looking humans do not approach even the ugliest of Velorians.

Instead, their fascination with human bravery comes from the Vels having Kryptonian-grade invulnerability. They find it incomprehensibly brave for a human to risk their life, given they can so easily be killed in a thousand different ways.

So their sexual trigger is a man's (or a woman's) bravery and willingness to sacrifice themselves for others, or even for an idea or cause.

Kryptonians could operate the same way, although the comic history is pretty vague on this. But I always thought Kal El was interested in Lois for her guts and drive and devotion to getting the story. She frequently risks her life to investigate a story that will expose some crook or criminal. In the Silver Age comics, Lois was always trying to expose corruption or crimes. Fearless and brave... she would have been dead dozens of times over if not for Superman. She was a borderline superhero in her own right, albeit an obnoxiously pushy one.

Shadar

I loved the Velorian stories because well they're great stories -- but I also loved the well though out backstory (like things in this comment). But it includes things like not every Velorian being of equal power level, great explanations for how/why gold affects them, social/psychological differences from human/american norms, investigation on how the powers came about, intergalactic war, (etc). That is a bunch of things that I'd always found troubling with DC's Kryptonian story of the day. Superman/Supergirl are much to powerful to just be "ordinary kryptonians".

TwiceOnThursdays wrote: Superman/Supergirl are much to powerful to just be "ordinary kryptonians".

I certainly agree. The power escalation at DC that began in the 1940's and ran through the 70's, with ripple effects today. Superman could lift a car in the beginning, then a train until eventually even a planet wasn't too heavy for him. At the beginning, he had to huff it to outrun a train. By the 1970's, he could fly across the galaxy before breakfast. He could blow a sun out or ignite a new one with nothing but his eyes.

That was one good thing about the Marvel universe -- they didn't go as completely nuts with the powers like DC.

My personal objective when I began writing about Velorians was that I wanted to fix everything that was wrong with 1970's, 80's Kryptonians. Basically, make the powers more science fiction oriented, create conflicts that couldn't easily be resolved, and give my characters a sex life that matched their powers. Of course, in doing that, I created and fell into new holes of my own making. Hazards of trying to make a universe.

I would guess that Supergirl TV equips her with New 52 kinds of powers. Also hopefully with a believable sex life, at least within the boundaries of general audience TV standards. Smallville TV did OK with that, so there is a path of sorts for them to follow.

Shadar

TwiceOnThursdays wrote: I loved the Velorian stories because well they're great stories -- but I also loved the well though out backstory (like things in this comment). But it includes things like not every Velorian being of equal power level, great explanations for how/why gold affects them, social/psychological differences from human/american norms, investigation on how the powers came about, intergalactic war, (etc). That is a bunch of things that I'd always found troubling with DC's Kryptonian story of the day. Superman/Supergirl are much to powerful to just be "ordinary kryptonians" .

Oh some Women sit at home waiting for there men'
come home from there office well behaved and prim,
These men push forms all day perhaps dreaming
of some far of star with ships that sail the sky,
But on these worlds too my friends its just the same,
with robots, machines and like to do then every whim,

But some they leave thy confty hearth, the travel
the milky way,
Some seak to change, to better or just to see,
to reach potential likes unneseen

For no matter how strong you are, a book is just a book
and if all thy do is lift that up it weighs as much as any known,
Are they strong are they weak-it matters little in the end.

But those who travel those who seek,
those who marvel, those with cheek,
those unbehaved and proper maids
thse people who make history,
They who try and those who fail,
there power is always when
These few my fellows i proclaim,
are truely Supermen