Uploaded February 2014 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago

---

Subscribe for more Sup Sci: tinyurl.com/bddb4atj

"Everyone in Metropolis looks up in the sky. Sometimes we see him, sometimes we don't. But we always know he's around." --Metropolis Citizen

It's not a bird... It's not a plane...
Sure, we all know Superman can fly, but does anyone know how? In most interpretations, Kel-El seems to just reach his arms upward and start propelling through the air without any real explanation. People tend to just shrug their shoulders and say, "He's an alien" or "It's a comic book," but there may be more science to this fiction than everyone realizes. What are the chances that someone could REALLY fly through the stars without a jet or a wing? Do you need to be from another planet or have a different biology to shrug off the laws of gravity? Reality is always throwing us curve balls, and we at Sup Sci are ready for the pitch. Has Superman just been flying for so long that no one questions it anymore?

Have a question fit for a superhero scientist? Ask in the comments, or e-mail us at asktheimaginaryaxis@gmail.com

To see what other people think about how Superman flies, click here:
youtube.com/watch?v=reuJxXev4Cg

Inspiration, courtesy of:
youtube.com/watch?v=Bea8p4txAeY
Thanks, Stan! ;)

Opening song composed by:
youtube.com/user/teknoaxe

The Winchester .223 Super Short Magnum:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.223_Winchester_Super_Short_Magnum
youtube.com/watch?v=MsxXfGHlgUA

The Allegheny:
steamlocomotive.com/allegheny

Superman could not always fly! It's true!
reading-room.net/Action1/Action1Cover.html
youtube.com/watch?v=t7zGcpg9ETE
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman

Jumping on the moon:
exrx.net/Calculators/VerticalJump.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_weight
universetoday.com/19710/gravity-on-the-moon

Javier Sotomayor and the high jump:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javier_Sotomayor
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_high_jump_world_record_progression

John Byrne's Superman run:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Byrne_%28comics%29#Superman

Albert Einstein's Theory of General Relativity:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_relativity
space.com/17661-theory-general-relativity.html

Gravitons:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graviton
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_gravity#The_graviton

Clips From:
Superman: The Animated Series
Superman (1940s)
Superman: The Movie
1993 Olympics
All-Star Superman
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
Superman Returns
Man of Steel
Smallville

™ & © "SUPERMAN" and all related elements are properties of DC Comics. A Time Warner Company.
SUPERMAN™ created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

No copyright infringement intended.