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Of course, even with a hero as strong as Superman, comic book writers love to make things bigger, better, and more explosive than ever. Even the Man of Steel has had his fair share of power boosts over his long career. Today, we’re going to look at seven of the best boosts Superman has received over the years. Be they extra powers, temporary enhancements, or incredible transformations, we’ll be looking at everything that gave the Man of Tomorrow an extra edge and ranking them. We’re only counting mainline continuity boosts, but beyond that, it’s all fair game. Without further ado, let’s get right into it.
7) Solar Flare
Superman is no stranger to new superpowers. In the Gold and Silver Ages, it seemed like he had a new hyper-specific power every issue. That eventually cooled down to a standard power set, which made the introduction of the solar flare such a major deal. It was Superman’s first new power in ages, and showcased just how much utter destruction he could unleash when he wanted to. The solar flare felt like a natural evolution of his pre-established powers, and even added an extra layer of complexity as it forced Superman to become as vulnerable as a normal human for a day. It was powerful and costly, which always makes for interesting situations.
6) Red/Blue
Back in the ‘90s, Superman was prime for reinvention and found himself transformed into pure energy. Not only that, but he was split into two different forms, with Superman Blue being the thoughtful strategist and Superman Red being the action-focused brawler. Both Supermen were even stronger than the original, possessing greater speed, intangibility, and energy-based abilities. Of course, the trade-off was the loss of their physical might, which can definitely be seen as a net loss, but still, this was a strange yet very fun look at an alternate powerset for Superman. It didn’t stick, but it did leave quite the lasting impression.
5) Super-Bat Fusion
Superman and Batman are the World’s Finest, and when they combined their wills to steal the ring from a mind-controlled Green Lantern, they found themselves fused into one being. This new fused form possessed all of Superman’s powers and Batman’s skills, alongside a fully-functional Power Ring. The two heroes shared control over their new body, which let them take turns driving depending on the situation. This Super-Bat form combined all of the strengths and practically eliminated their weaknesses, which is insanely useful, even if we disregard how awesome it is. This fusion makes my inner child squeal whenever it shows up, and that alone earns it tons of brownie points.
