When super heroes fight, why do they get knocked flying

[Pacfanweb]

Okay, since the geek effect is rolling tonight, here's something that's always bugged my as a fan of comics and superhero movies:
[geekeffecton]
Example: Superman II....when he's fighting Zodd and his cronies, who have identical powers to Superman, why do they get knocked across the city when they get hit? Other than the obvious answer that it makes a good movie?

If Superman hits ME, then yes, I'll break and fly across the room/street/city...whatever.

But if I hit Superman, he doesn't flinch. If I shoot him, he doesn't flinch.

If I hit another human, the worst that might happen is he gets knocked down.

So if Superman hits basically another Superman, shouldn't it be just like two humans fighting...in that they just stand there and pound each other? He should be able to take a punch from himself, I'd think.
[/geekeffectoff]

 

[Zee]

when i punch someone, they get knocked across the room... dunno whatyou are talkin about

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: Zee
when i punch someone, they get knocked across the room... dunno whatyou are talkin about

Sure they do. I bet if you hit me, YOU would go flying across the room.

Anyway, across the room isn't across the whole city or to the top of a skyscraper.

 

[pyonir]

Threads like this make me wish the internet was never created.

 

[dighn]

their strength is disproportionally greater than their mass when compared ot humans. but of course in that case, both the pucher and the one being punched should fly away

 

[MartyMcFly3]

If you hit a normal person in the right spot, they WILL "fly" back a little bit. That effect is enhanced with superheroes since there is more force behind those hits, even though they weigh about the same as humans.

This is all just guessing/speculation so don't hold me as some authority on the subject.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: pyonir
Threads like this make me wish the internet was never created.

Yet you post in most of them anyway.

 

[pyonir]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: pyonir
Threads like this make me wish the internet was never created.

Yet you post in most of them anyway.

Hell yeah!

Postcount ++

 

[suicidalpigeon]

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: pyonir
Threads like this make me wish the internet was never created.

Yet you post in most of them anyway.

Hell yeah!

Postcount ++

omg :Q

 

[KLin]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
Okay, since the geek effect is rolling tonight, here's something that's always bugged my as a fan of comics and superhero movies:
[geekeffecton]
Example: Superman II....when he's fighting Zodd and his cronies, who have identical powers to Superman, why do they get knocked across the city when they get hit? Other than the obvious answer that it makes a good movie?

If Superman hits ME, then yes, I'll break and fly across the room/street/city...whatever.

But if I hit Superman, he doesn't flinch. If I shoot him, he doesn't flinch.

If I hit another human, the worst that might happen is he gets knocked down.

So if Superman hits basically another Superman, shouldn't it be just like two humans fighting...in that they just stand there and pound each other? He should be able to take a punch from himself, I'd think.
[/geekeffectoff]

Gravity.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: MartyMcFly3
If you hit a normal person in the right spot, they WILL "fly" back a little bit. That effect is enhanced with superheroes since there is more force behind those hits, even though they weigh about the same as humans.

This is all just guessing/speculation so don't hold me as some authority on the subject.

But my point is, the superhero's ability to absorb a punch is also much higher than a human.

Superman accidently walks out in front of a car as Clark Kent, isn't even prepared to take a hit, and the car is totalled....Clark never even budged.

So if he's fighting another super dude (or dudette), and is prepared to take a hit, I think everything should be proportional, and he should simply react to the hit just like a boxer might react to being hit by another boxer: head gets snapped around, get knocked down, or just stand there and hit back.

 

[Zee]

exactly, the superdude is punching harder than a speeding car

 

[dighn]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: MartyMcFly3
If you hit a normal person in the right spot, they WILL "fly" back a little bit. That effect is enhanced with superheroes since there is more force behind those hits, even though they weigh about the same as humans.

This is all just guessing/speculation so don't hold me as some authority on the subject.

But my point is, the superhero's ability to absorb a punch is also much higher than a human.

Superman accidently walks out in front of a car as Clark Kent, isn't even prepared to take a hit, and the car is totalled....Clark never even budged.

So if he's fighting another super dude (or dudette), and is prepared to take a hit, I think everything should be proportional, and he should simply react to the hit just like a boxer might react to being hit by another boxer: head gets snapped around, get knocked down, or just stand there and hit back.

if you are being hit, the motion generated would eventually die ultimately from the opposing force generated by friction at your feet (or any other support). this friction is proportional to your weight. now if you assume that for a superman-equivalent, body strength scales higher than body mass, then the friction counter force may be insufficient to stop the motion completely so the body flies away.

edit: I forgot to take into account that superman could use his flight ability to counter the motion. Whatever

 

[MartyMcFly3]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: MartyMcFly3
If you hit a normal person in the right spot, they WILL "fly" back a little bit. That effect is enhanced with superheroes since there is more force behind those hits, even though they weigh about the same as humans.

This is all just guessing/speculation so don't hold me as some authority on the subject.

But my point is, the superhero's ability to absorb a punch is also much higher than a human.

Superman accidently walks out in front of a car as Clark Kent, isn't even prepared to take a hit, and the car is totalled....Clark never even budged.

So if he's fighting another super dude (or dudette), and is prepared to take a hit, I think everything should be proportional, and he should simply react to the hit just like a boxer might react to being hit by another boxer: head gets snapped around, get knocked down, or just stand there and hit back.

Right but if the ability to absorb a punch is higher for superman, then the force behind his/supervillains punches are much higher. Higher than a car driving into him.

With the whole proportional argument, since there is more force being used compared to humans, the amount the other person flies back is also raised proportionately. Hence, you get them being punched back the length of a city. Think of it like flicking a toothpick across the room to punting a football 50 yards.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: MartyMcFly3

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: MartyMcFly3
If you hit a normal person in the right spot, they WILL "fly" back a little bit. That effect is enhanced with superheroes since there is more force behind those hits, even though they weigh about the same as humans.

This is all just guessing/speculation so don't hold me as some authority on the subject.

But my point is, the superhero's ability to absorb a punch is also much higher than a human.

Superman accidently walks out in front of a car as Clark Kent, isn't even prepared to take a hit, and the car is totalled....Clark never even budged.

So if he's fighting another super dude (or dudette), and is prepared to take a hit, I think everything should be proportional, and he should simply react to the hit just like a boxer might react to being hit by another boxer: head gets snapped around, get knocked down, or just stand there and hit back.

Right but if the ability to absorb a punch is higher for superman, then the force behind his/supervillains punches are much higher. Higher than a car driving into him.

With the whole proportional argument, since there is more force being used compared to humans, the amount the other person flies back is also raised proportionately. Hence, you get them being punched back the length of a city. Think of it like flicking a toothpick across the room to punting a football 50 yards.

Still don't quite agree.
And yes, the other super person's hit is harder than the car's hit, which didn't even make an unprepared Clark Kent move an inch.
So if Supes is prepared to take a hit from someone who is basically as strong as he is, it seems to me that the blow vs. the strength would basically cancel each other out, as it does with regular humans.
Again, if Superman hits a regular person, then that person certainly flys across the city...actually, they probably don't, Superman's fist probably just makes a hole in them. ;

Here's another example: A large dump truck hits an identical dump truck. The wreck will pretty much be like two small cars hit each other, as far as how much they physically move, even though the power of the hit is much greater. The dump trucks don't go skidding farther because they are more powerful and the collision was a lot bigger.

But take that dump truck and hit a car, and the car just gets swatted out of the way, in addition to being much more heavily damaged.

 

[chuckywang]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
Okay, since the geek effect is rolling tonight, here's something that's always bugged my as a fan of comics and superhero movies:
[geekeffecton]
Example: Superman II....when he's fighting Zodd and his cronies, who have identical powers to Superman, why do they get knocked across the city when they get hit? Other than the obvious answer that it makes a good movie?

If Superman hits ME, then yes, I'll break and fly across the room/street/city...whatever.

But if I hit Superman, he doesn't flinch. If I shoot him, he doesn't flinch.

If I hit another human, the worst that might happen is he gets knocked down.

So if Superman hits basically another Superman, shouldn't it be just like two humans fighting...in that they just stand there and pound each other? He should be able to take a punch from himself, I'd think.
[/geekeffectoff]

Short answer: no. Zodd weighs just as much as a regular person.

 

[MartyMcFly3]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: MartyMcFly3

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb

Originally posted by: MartyMcFly3
If you hit a normal person in the right spot, they WILL "fly" back a little bit. That effect is enhanced with superheroes since there is more force behind those hits, even though they weigh about the same as humans.

This is all just guessing/speculation so don't hold me as some authority on the subject.

But my point is, the superhero's ability to absorb a punch is also much higher than a human.

Superman accidently walks out in front of a car as Clark Kent, isn't even prepared to take a hit, and the car is totalled....Clark never even budged.

So if he's fighting another super dude (or dudette), and is prepared to take a hit, I think everything should be proportional, and he should simply react to the hit just like a boxer might react to being hit by another boxer: head gets snapped around, get knocked down, or just stand there and hit back.

Right but if the ability to absorb a punch is higher for superman, then the force behind his/supervillains punches are much higher. Higher than a car driving into him.

With the whole proportional argument, since there is more force being used compared to humans, the amount the other person flies back is also raised proportionately. Hence, you get them being punched back the length of a city. Think of it like flicking a toothpick across the room to punting a football 50 yards.

Still don't quite agree.
And yes, the other super person's hit is harder than the car's hit, which didn't even make an unprepared Clark Kent move an inch.
So if Supes is prepared to take a hit from someone who is basically as strong as he is, it seems to me that the blow vs. the strength would basically cancel each other out, as it does with regular humans.
Again, if Superman hits a regular person, then that person certainly flys across the city...actually, they probably don't, Superman's fist probably just makes a hole in them. ;

Here's another example: A large dump truck hits an identical dump truck. The wreck will pretty much be like two small cars hit each other, as far as how much they physically move, even though the power of the hit is much greater. The dump trucks don't go skidding farther because they are more powerful and the collision was a lot bigger.

But take that dump truck and hit a car, and the car just gets swatted out of the way, in addition to being much more heavily damaged.

My point is when a human hits a human, the person hit is moved back a bit, even if ready to take the hit. That movement of moving back is enhanced when it comes to superhumans, hence you get the flying back effect. It's essentially the same movement, only at a proportionate level based on the force of the hit.

Edit: With that I say goodnight.

 

[chuckywang]

Look at it this way.

Zodd weighs as much as a 200lb sack of potatoes. If Superman punches Zodd unaware (like from behind or something) so that Zodd can't react, it'll be as if Superman is punching a 200lb sack of potatoes. If Superman does indeed punch a 200lb sack of potatoes, it'll go flying a long way. So should Zodd.

 

[KLin]

Here's another great question; If superman has sex, can his orgasm eviscerate a woman?

 

[FallenHero]

Originally posted by: KLin
Here's another great question; If superman has sex, can his orgasm eviscerate a woman?

DANG!

 

[GMI]

Originally posted by: KLin
Here's another great question; If superman has sex, can his orgasm eviscerate a woman?

he can if he choses, but it's like his sneezing, you don't see him blowing holes in building, so he must have insane muscle control. but i'm sure when push comes to shove, little supes can be used a projectile weapon

 

[Dumac]

Go watch Dragonball Z, and then come back with an answer.

 

[ShotgunSteven]

Originally posted by: KLin
Here's another great question; If superman has sex, can his orgasm eviscerate a woman?

Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex

By Larry Niven.

 

[Kelvrick]

Originally posted by: ShotgunSteven

Originally posted by: KLin
Here's another great question; If superman has sex, can his orgasm eviscerate a woman?

Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex

By Larry Niven.

Hmm, its 3, and I just read that. After having said dirty thoughts about LL, I will now go to sleep and hopefully find a solution to our superman breeding problems in my dreams.

 

[Whitecloak]

conservation of momentum.