Superman's power levels & his Super-mind.

[llozymandias]

Even pre-crisis Kal's power level seemed to go up & down from story to story.  It's been established that if he believed something strongly enough that his super-mind could sometimes make it true.  I think this also aplies to Kal-L.  Could help explain the expanding limits of his power.  Kal knew that x-rays are stopped by lead, & his x-ray vision seemed to work like real x-rays.  Thus due to his (unknown to him) power of super-belief (for want of a better name) his x-ray vision is stopped by lead.  When he discovers his heat vision he is using it in tandem with his x-ray vision.  At first he believes that his heat vision is simply an aspect of his x-ray vision.  Thus his "super-belief" makes his heat vision ineffective against lead.  Kal-L & Kal-El both believed that you can't physically coexist with yourself, when you time travel.  Their "super-belief" turns them into phantoms if they time travel to a point in time where they are already physically present.  Kal-L seemed to age like a normal human, & have declining power levels just prior to the Crisis.  He believed he was sopposed to age, & that his power levels were supposed to decline as he approached "old age".  Hence "super-belief" makes it happen.  Both Kals believed that good will always triumph over evil.  Thus when Kal-L fought the Anti-Monitor, his "super-belief" enabled him access to his true full power.

[JulianPerez]

Even pre-crisis Kal's power level seemed to go up & down from story to story.  It's been established that if he believed something strongly enough that his super-mind could sometimes make it true.  I think this also aplies to Kal-L.  Could help explain the expanding limits of his power.  Kal knew that x-rays are stopped by lead, & his x-ray vision seemed to work like real x-rays.  Thus due to his (unknown to him) power of super-belief (for want of a better name) his x-ray vision is stopped by lead.  When he discovers his heat vision he is using it in tandem with his x-ray vision.  At first he believes that his heat vision is simply an aspect of his x-ray vision.  Thus his "super-belief" makes his heat vision ineffective against lead.  Kal-L & Kal-El both believed that you can't physically coexist with yourself, when you time travel.  Their "super-belief" turns them into phantoms if they time travel to a point in time where they are already physically present.  Kal-L seemed to age like a normal human, & have declining power levels just prior to the Crisis.  He believed he was sopposed to age, & that his power levels were supposed to decline as he approached "old age".  Hence "super-belief" makes it happen.  Both Kals believed that good will always triumph over evil.  Thus when Kal-L fought the Anti-Monitor, his "super-belief" enabled him access to his true full power.

Interesting theory, llozy. Actually, a friend of mine and I were just talking about this very phenomenon in a discussion about KINGDOM COME. My friend wondered why it is Superman in the mini appears to have aged.

The explanation for this phenomenon MAY be that Superman's appearance varies depending on his self-image. Superman has been shown as being able to control functions that human beings cannot control; for example, he is able to cause himself to fall asleep instantly, and can fake his own death by stopping his heart and slowing his breathing to the point of nothingness.

It may follow that Superman's appearance may depend on his self-image. Superman LOOKS poised, powerful, energetic and muscular because of his self-confidence and his sense of certainty. Likewise, the reason KINGDOM COME Superman appears to have aged is not because of natural processes (if anything, Superman of KINGDOM COME was NOT slowed by age at all; he was stronger and quicker than ever) but because of the experiences that the KINGDOM COME Superman endured in his lifetime.

[llozymandias]

One of my sources was the story where Lex Luthor used Kal's "super-belief" power against him (Kal).  He convinced Kal that he (Lex) had turned Batman & Flash into preteens.  Then Lex used it (whatever it was that he made Kal believe caused the change) on Kal, Kal's belief was so strong he turned into a preteen himself.  The fact that Kal-El was still a child when he discovered all of his powers, might help explain why he seemed to be more powerfull than any other kryptonian or daxamite.  Most of them "got" their powers when they were adults.  When Kal first did many of his super-high-end feats it never occured to him that what he was doing was supposed to be impossible.

[Captain Kal]

Right you are, LLozymandias (see? I got it right this time ).  It was in Action Comics #466 "You Can Take the Man Out of the Super, But You Can't Take the Super Out of the Boy!" by Cary Bates.

"Hypnotists use the power of suggestion to make subjects believe what they want them to -- But with my super-power of suggestion -- my mind can make whatever I believe has happened really happen!"
-- Superboy's/Superman's thoughts, AC #466, page 16, panel 5.

Also, Julian, notice in DC One Million #2 that the Linear Men were concerned about the paradox of Superman being killed by Gog in the 21st century (reference to the later The Kingdom miniseries) but being still alive in the 853rd century.  They had no concerns at all about Superman-Prime being young-looking while his 21st century counterpart had evidently aged with at least greying hair. (Possibly, that was the only evidence of true aging since Ross draws/paints a young Superman with the same face minus the grey hair.)  It does lead credence to your idea that his self-image is what's behind that older appearance in KC but he 'decides' to look younger in the distant future.

"I need hard data.  Superman is alive in the 853rd century.  So why do our records tell us someone named Gog killed Superman in the 21st?"
-- Waverider to Liri Lee, DC One Million #2, page 15, panel 1.

[RedSunOfKrypton]

Kal knew that x-rays are stopped by lead, & his x-ray vision seemed to work like real x-rays.

I agree as I've thought this for years.

"Hypnotists use the power of suggestion to make subjects believe what they want them to -- But with my super-power of suggestion -- my mind can make whatever I believe has happened really happen!"
-- Superboy's/Superman's thoughts, AC #466, page 16, panel 5.

I hate this, I don't like an omnipotent Superman.

[Captain Kal]

How about his super-ventriloquism which can really throw his voice to a remote location?  That seems to be evidence of his super-mind at work since real ventriloquism is an illusion.  He can't be amplfiying an existing ability here since it's nonexistent.  It seems he saw the illusion then decided to try it for himself.  His powers made it a reality: The true ability to throw his voice elsewhere.

Vartox is supposed to be a much more experienced hero and that is partly why he's so much more skilled and apparently has more powers than Superman.  It wouldn't be such a stretch if Vartox's remote control punches could be done by Superman too if he learned how he used his voice remotely then applied the same principle to his other powers.  He already seems to do that when he heat visions things without affecting the outer container or wall inbetween.  The Flash can fake a remote control punch using super-compressed air in front of his fist from its motion.

Let's remember that he's used his super-voice without throwing it to transmute an entire planet to another element than Sigellian with a super-shout.  This implies a degree of control or intention to achieve this as a normal use of sonic energy with the required levels would more likely blow up the planet to a nebula of expanding vapour.

He's also used it to counter a 20 megaton nuke explosion, though this is probably just a straightforward application of his loud super-voice.

[llozymandias]

Kal's super-power of suggestion does not make him omnipotent.  Kal has no conscious control of this "power".