Timeline for Has Superman ever escaped a black hole?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
25 events
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| Jun 16, 2020 at 9:31 | history | edited | CommunityBot |
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| Feb 3, 2015 at 21:14 | vote | accept | user35594 | ||
| Feb 3, 2015 at 21:14 | comment | added | user35594 | @Thaddeus - Firstly, thank you for your brilliant answer! I am well aware on how not to compare comic book physics with real-life physics as there's plenty of discrepancies. Secondly, apologies for putting you in the middle of "War of the Geeks" as your answer certainly deserves to be upvoted (I believe posts that are clearly explained, provide evidence and are close enough to answering questions should receive positive attention). | |
| Feb 2, 2015 at 22:46 | comment | added | KSmarts | @MichaelEdenfield These writers appear to think that you can "plug" a black hole, presumably stopping its gravitational effect, by adding matter to it. They need to read a lot more. I have no idea how that's supposed to work, even with comic-book physics. | |
| Feb 2, 2015 at 22:27 | comment | added | Thaddeus Howze | The later depiction (which was weird, I may include it as a contrast) showed him trapped within what appeared to be a very large black hole or holes, large event horizon (not sure if there was one or two, rumor has it they were a pair of orbiting black holes). He needed the ability of an alien to tear ruptures in space time so they could force a way back to normal space where a direction did not lead toward the middle of the singularity. It was indeed different than previous depictions. | |
| Feb 2, 2015 at 22:24 | comment | added | KutuluMike | @Thaddeus hopefully they also knew that black holes don't look like little whirlpools in space :) if Superman's feet were that close to the black hole in that one panel, as a sphere his feet would definitely be inside the event horizon. Plus, a "miniature" black hole should be no big deal -- it'll evaporate before it can do any harm. These people need to read more Hawking. | |
| Feb 2, 2015 at 22:23 | comment | added | Thaddeus Howze | One of the Post-Crisis depictions which I did not include actually cites a similar perspective and Superman was forced to accept the help of a similarly trapped alien to make the jump past the event horizon. It appeared later writers knew this fact Michael. | |
| Feb 2, 2015 at 22:22 | comment | added | KutuluMike | (None of which changes the fact that this is clearly the right answer because it has screen shots. Sadly, it lacks freehand circles, but noone's perfect.) | |
| Feb 2, 2015 at 22:21 | comment | added | KutuluMike | For those wondering why "speed doesn't matter" in escaping a black hole: physics.stackexchange.com/questions/8477/… | |
| Feb 2, 2015 at 22:12 | comment | added | Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 | @Thaddeus ... While I don't know the mathematics behind the physics, I understand what you are saying and agree. Your argument is compelling to me. And yes, that's entertainment. +1 for a well put together answer. | |
| Feb 2, 2015 at 22:08 | comment | added | Thaddeus Howze | Using the laws of physics as we understand them, NOTHING can escape the event horizon. USING COMICS PHYSICS which transcend the KNOWN LAWS OF PHYSICS, Superman IS able to cross the event horizon and escape a singularity. I DID NOT WRITE THE COMIC. I found a depiction that met the requirements and then showed the character has indeed been even FASTER than that. Millions of times faster, also depicted. Does the answer contradict itself? Yes, because it is reconciling ENTERTAINMENT PHYSICS with real physics. It almost never works. That's entertainment, folks. | |
| Feb 2, 2015 at 22:02 | comment | added | Valorum | Your answer seems to contradict itself. If he'd not crossed the event horizon, he's not actually escaping from the black hole | |
| Feb 2, 2015 at 22:00 | comment | added | Thaddeus Howze | If we use math to determine that the speed of light is the limit to how fast something can go in our universe, but an object SOMEHOW does go faster than light, then the mathematics to determine how fast that is are able to be calculated. Is the ability to escape a black hole +10% the speed of light? +20%? We don't know. But if he can go faster than whatever (n) value is, then he is traveling faster than the speed of light + (n). If-then may feel wrong but mathematically speaking it is a simplification but essentially correct. | |
| Feb 2, 2015 at 21:57 | comment | added | phantom42 | FWIW: If Superman can go faster than "the bonds of infinity", he probably can escape a black hole - my issue is solely with the "If-Then" logic of "faster than light = able to escape a black hole" | |
| Feb 2, 2015 at 21:57 | comment | added | Thaddeus Howze | I didn't write the comics. Why all the fan boy rage directed at me? I am presented the character as DC COMICS has allowed him to be depicted. What exactly is the problem? | |
| Feb 2, 2015 at 21:54 | comment | added | phantom42 | Light cannot escape a black hole. Superman can go faster than light. This does not necessarily mean that Superman can escape a black hole. | |
| Feb 2, 2015 at 21:53 | comment | added | Thaddeus Howze | I don't expect anything at all. Since I do science for a living, I understand this is all ENTERTAINMENT. I recognize the physics involved would be far more incredible if people understood what they are, I am simply trying to present the idea the character has been vastly more powerful than mere physics can contain and escaping the very fabric of the universe, includes the ability to escape singularities which would be contained within the universe the character just transcended... | |
| Feb 2, 2015 at 21:53 | comment | added | KSmarts | @Thaddeus So you expect a comic book to obey physics in the same edit that you show someone from that comic book "plugging" a black hole by throwing things into it? | |
| Feb 2, 2015 at 21:50 | comment | added | user16696 | Assuming of course, the speed barriers of time and "infinity" can escape a black hole? This answer is better answered by removing everything else except the last one. | |
| Feb 2, 2015 at 21:49 | history | edited | Thaddeus Howze | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
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| Feb 2, 2015 at 21:43 | comment | added | Thaddeus Howze | Patience IS a virtue. And the ability to travel fast enough to transcend light means he could easily escape a black hole since the physics say not even light, the fastest thing in our understanding cannot. | |
| Feb 2, 2015 at 21:42 | history | edited | Thaddeus Howze | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
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| Feb 2, 2015 at 21:40 | comment | added | Valorum | I've got to agree with @ksmarts on this one. It's clear that he can (theoretically) but your answer doesn't actually answer the question asked. Reluctantly downvoted. | |
| Feb 2, 2015 at 21:38 | comment | added | KSmarts | So, he could escape from a black hole. But has he ever? | |
| Feb 2, 2015 at 21:29 | history | answered | Thaddeus Howze | CC BY-SA 3.0 |