Typically, when it comes to an adjustment, addition, or clarification involving Superman, DC Comics leads the charge. However, the Marvel-led Spider-Man / Superman crossover has just dropped a subtle yet exceptionally interesting detail about the Man of Steel’s iconic X-ray vision. It is exactly the sort of power expansion that deserves the spotlight in DC’s main narratives.
DC and Marvel Comics are currently in the midst of a legendary Superman and Spider-Man crossover, with each publisher producing their own special centered on the iconic team-up. In the Marvel-led special, released April 22, 2026, readers see the web-slinger and the Man of Steel join forces against Lex Luthor and Norman Osborn in Brad Meltzer and Pepe Larraz’s “Our Kryptonite,” one of the stories featured in Marvel / DC: Spider-Man / Superman #1.
It is during a particularly high-stakes scene that a revelation about the full extent of Superman’s X-ray vision emerges. This extent of power has long been used by the Man of Steel, but hasn’t been explicitly stated so plainly until now.
Marvel Just Expanded Superman’s X-Ray Vision in the Coolest Way
Have you ever wondered how Superman always seems to know the perfect amount of strength to use against a baddie, and how he never accidentally turns someone into a bug on a windshield (cough, cough, looking at you, Ryan Butcher)? Marvel suggests that this uncanny ability to gauge exactly how much strength he can use against a specific opponent stems from his X-ray vision.
In Spider-Man / Superman #1, Clark uses his X-ray vision to inspect Spider-Man’s bone density and gauge how strong he should be. This happens during a moment when the Man of Steel is incapacitated, and their lives depend on Spider-Man’s own strength and durability. The scene ultimately helps explain how Superman judges the level of strength he can safely use against unfamiliar foes.
In other words, the story reveals Superman’s ability to discern the physical limitations of both opponents and allies by examining their bone density through X-ray vision. This ultimately explains how Superman avoids casualties in combat, because he knows exactly how hard he can strike an opponent without causing permanent damage.
Spider-Man Superman #1 main cover
This moment also highlights Superman’s intelligence. While his x-ray vision allows him to see bone density, he determines how much force to use only through mental calculations. Hence, this unique use of X-ray vision implies that Clark has studied human physiology to such a degree that he can interpret and apply what he sees through his power.
While x-ray vision itself is nothing new for the character, this is a fresh way of using it and ultimately answers a long-standing question: how does the Man of Steel avoid accidents when dealing with less durable beings? With this revelation, fans finally have a satisfying explanation.
Some of the best moments from DC & Marvel’s brand-new Superman/Spider-Man crossover surprisingly come from epic Batman and X-Men cameos.
It is also a particularly cool piece of character lore for Marvel to spotlight. DC could certainly benefit from occasionally combing over its characters and filling in potential power-related plot holes in the same way Marvel does here with just a few lines of dialogue. Not only does it strengthen the characters, but these kinds of small insights often lead to fun “ah-ha!” moments for readers.
Superman has possessed X-ray vision for almost his entire 85-plus-year history. The fact that writers nearly eight decades later are still expanding the capabilities of this classic power and fleshing it out further is beyond exciting, and it proves that even with a character as long-established as Superman, there is always more to explore.
Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet?
✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story.
02
Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she?
✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner.
03
Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called?
✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness.
04
In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor?
✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman.
05
Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror.
06
After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up?
✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm.
07
As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper?
✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home.
08
This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain?
✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013).
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories.
Mission Complete Your Kryptonian Record
/ 8
Are you the Man of Steel — or still stuck in a phone booth?
Marvel / DC: Spider-Man / Superman #1 from Marvel Comics is now available to read!
