Earth-2 Superman question

[NotSuper]

Thanks for the explanation, Captain Kal.

[Uncle Mxy]

Don't forget the Big Red Cheese influence.  Not too long after Superman was introduced, DC/National found itself lagging behind Fawcett's Captain Marvel, and other competitors trying to nip at the heels.  Captain Marvel's stories and abilities were more "out there" and Superman's stories and abilities became more "out there" as a reaction.  And of course, by WWII, a lot of kids wanted more escapism in their comics, not less.  By the end of WWII, the power of science was affirmed.

[Captain Kal]

Uncle Mxy, power creep is a given for nearly every character regardless of the circumstances.

NotSuper's question was if this was explained within the context of the fictional universe itself.

The legendary Julius Schwartz did just that.  As per anything involving Schwartz, it had both appeal and fit the logic of the actual books.

I believe in the later Mr. & Mrs. Superman stories of Earth-2, the E-2 Metalo (a villain with a super-strength serum and a near-indestructible suit of armour) used a red ray to reduce Superman's powers to his original levels of Action Comics #1.  Lois had to help Superman train himself back into peak form to recover his later power-levels.  That story stated his increased powers were due to his working out and building up his body.  It had nothing to say about new powers like super-vision.  Somehow, increased strength let him fly when he trained.  IMHO, it was a flawed story on so many levels.

I prefer Schwartz's original explanation above.

[NotSuper]

Where can one find the Mr. and Mrs. Superman stories? I'd be interested in reading them.

[Captain Kal]

They're not online on the internet to my knowledge.

They were published in the old Superman Family books.

Superman Family #186-187
Superman Family #195-199 - 1940-50's
Superman Family #201-222 - 1940-50's

I believe that's the complete run if you can find them.  I don't think they were reprinted in any collector editions.

[NotSuper]

They're not online on the internet to my knowledge.

They were published in the old Superman Family books.

Superman Family #186-187
Superman Family #195-199 - 1940-50's
Superman Family #201-222 - 1940-50's

I believe that's the complete run if you can find them.  I don't think they were reprinted in any collector editions.

Someone should really scan them.

[TELLE]

At least one, the wedding of Mr and Mrs Superman, is online here at the fortress.

Capt. Kal --thanks for referenceing that Metallo story --I will have to look it up!

[Captain Kal]

You're quite welcome, guys.

My problems with that Metalo story re: E-2 Kal-L power increase ...

1) Training to go from strong enough to wrestle tanks to shoving planets around is like one of us working out enough to be able to lift nearly the Moon.  It just doesn't track.  It makes more sense that he just didn't know the full extent of his strength before.

2) No amount of super-strength increase is going to result in true flight power which E-2 Superman had.  Heck, he even flew/levitated a car in the Mr. and Mrs. Superman series itself while he was ostensibly 'driving' it.  It makes more sense that he always could fly but just didn't realize it before.

3) One cannot train to develop whole new powers like X-Ray vision.  It makes more sense that he always had these other powers only he didn't know about it.

4) No amount of training would increase one's ability to take a mere punch up to the level to take a bomb blast.  And that's the kind of transition this story expects us to accept with Superman going from bursting shell levels to nuke level invulnerability and beyond.   The only thing that makes sense here is he was that invulnerable all along only he never knew it.

Schwartz's explanation still is the best and covers all the above bases nicely.  I'd stick to that one.

IMHO