In case having your own special day is not good news enough, here's some more for the Man of Steel: he's the best superhero, according to research carried out by students from the University of Leicester.
In a series of studies published in the university's Journal of Interdisciplinary Science Topics and Journal of Physics Special Topics from 2009 to 2016, simple calculations were used to explain just how feasible superhero powers are, pitting the best of the best that Marvel and DC comic book superheroes can offer.
Results of the research show that while Black Bolt, the ruler of the Inhumans, may hold the most destructive level of power (he is strong enough to annihilate planets), having the widest range of superpowers available to him and being only limited by the sun's effects puts Superman as the likeliest to come out on top if all the superheroes studied by the researchers were to clash against each other.
For instance, according to calculations, if Superman obeyed the Law of Energy Conservation, he could channel a stored energy output equivalent to 7.07 x 105 joules for every second using his Super Flare attack. Additionally, the Man of Steel is theorized to have muscle tissues with a higher density compared to the average human, helping support a number of his superhuman abilities.
Honorable mentions were given to Mystique and Wolverine of the X-Men for the range of mutant abilities they have, including gene manipulation for Mystique and high regenerative capacity for Wolverine.
Not far behind is Thor for his explosive power and high energy efficiency.
As a consequence, looking for the best superhero also shed light on the worst, which in this case turned out to be Batman. According to the researchers, the Caped Crusader can actually blame his cape for his ranking. Why? They explained that while it looks good in comics and other depictions, the cape gives a gliding Batman a velocity of 80 kilometers per hour (around 50 miles per hour), which could kill him upon landing.
And as he can't even perform the simplest of feats that most other superheroes can, Batman is ill-equipped to get off the ground, let alone protect Gotham from villains like Bane and The Joker.
Sorry, Bats.
University of Leicester students are encouraged to explore unusual ways to apply what they are learning. Earlier in March, students turned to fluid dynamics to calculate how fast a vampire can drain the blood of an average human. FYI, it's 42.7 minutes, but you'll already be dead at around 17.3 minutes as blood loss becomes fatal when you've lost more than 40 percent of your blood.
