Who is Superman without his incredible abilities? The Man of Steel has had plenty of opportunities to find out. Although he’s known for his extraordinary powers, there have been a number of times where he’s lost them. Sometimes he gives his powers up willingly for love, or because of a dare (probably not his wisest moment). Other times it’s been due to problems with the sun, something we saw hinted at in James Gunn’s Superman (fortunately, Metamorpho was able to keep things from getting too dire).

Let’s explore eight times Superman lost his powers and what they revealed about this far-from-ordinary Last Son.
 

The Adventures of Superman, “Meteor From Krypton”

The first time Superman lost his powers was due to his actor needing a break. The Adventures of Superman radio show premiered in 1940, two years after the Man of Steel’s comic debut. The program starred Bud Collyer as the voice of Superman and Clark Kent, bringing action and adventure across the airwaves five days a week.

However, reruns didn’t exist during the Golden Age of Radio, so a plot device was needed to give Collyer a much-needed vacation. “The Meteor of Krypton” was a seven-episode storyline that was broadcast in June 1943. The storyline introduced Kryptonite, which was based on a rejected comic script from Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel.

While Kryptonite is known for slowly killing Superman, early appearances emphasized the fact that it also removed his powers. Throughout the radio episodes, Superman and his supporting cast mention how odd it is to see the Man of Steel stripped of his powers. While Superman is incapacitated due to Kryptonite, the episodes focus on other characters such as the Daily Planet staff. Collyer would return to the role once the storyline was finished, well-rested and ready once again for super-powered action.
 

Superman #61

The first time Superman lost his powers in the comics was also due to Kryptonite. However, neither Superman nor the villain he was fighting were aware of it.

 When Superman encounters a con artist named Swami Riva in 1949’s Superman #61, the villain pretends to hex the Man of Steel, hoping it would slow him down. To his surprise, the hex seems to work, with Superman finding himself powerless. (It’s worth noting that this early version of Kryptonite didn’t poison Superman like modern depictions do. Instead, it left him powerless and weak.)

After an investigation, Superman realizes that the jewel on Swami Riva’s turban came from a meteorite, and that meteorite is somehow draining his powers whenever he gets near it. The next time Riva and the Man of Steel meet, Superman uses his super-breath to blow the turban into the water before it can affect him again.

Along with representing the first time Superman would lose his powers in the comics, Superman #61 remains significant for marking the first appearance of Kryptonite in a comic book, as well as featuring the first time Superman learns of his Kryptonian heritage (it took eleven years).
 

Superman #164

This time around, Superman went powerless because of a dare. In 1963’s Superman #164 (reprinted in Lex Luthor: A Celebration of 75 Years), Lex Luthor, tired of Superman foiling his schemes, broadcasts a challenge to the Man of Steel.

 “Superman has never yet dared meet me, Luthor, man-to-man, on even terms!” he extols. “I challenge him to meet me in a fair fight, without his super-powers to help him.”

Amazingly, this works.

“If my career as Superman is to continue, I must accept his challenge!” Superman says. “If people thought that I was afraid to meet him without my super-powers, they might lose faith in me as a defender of the weak and oppressed.”

Superman and Lex journey to a planet that orbits a red sun, causing the Man of Steel to lose his powers. The two rivals battle, and Lex almost finishes Superman off once and for all, before throwing the fight. It turns out that Lex has come to care about the citizens of the planet, so he spares Superman so that the Man of Steel can help the population end their drought.

There’s actually a fair amount of logic behind Superman’s reasoning in taking Lex’s dare, even though it seems silly for him to ever voluntarily sacrifice his powers. Still, this story probably teaches us more about who Lex was at the time than it does Superman.
 

Superman vs. Muhammad Ali

Superman has a strange habit of journeying to planets orbiting a red sun so he can accept boxing challenges. In 1978’s Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, a group of aliens declare that Earth will be destroyed unless the planet’s champion can defeat their champion. Both Superman and Ali believe that they should be the champion, so the aliens set up a boxing match to settle the matter.

The match takes place on the planet Bodace, which orbits a red sun, rendering Superman powerless. Once the bell rings, Muhammad Ali proceeds to beat Superman to a pulp. What did you expect? Superman is a great fighter, but Ali is the heavyweight champion and the Man of Steel is powerless. After making a recovery, Superman and Ali team up to defeat the aliens and save the planet. All in all, a wild celebrity team-up adventure and a reminder that the Man of Steel doesn’t hold a grudge.
 

Superman II

This one really irks DC.com editor Tim Beedle. In the 1980 film Superman II, the Man of Steel gives up his powers for love after Lois Lane discovers his secret identity. Hoping to take their relationship to the next level, Superman confers with an AI of his mother Lara, who tells him that in order to be with Lois, he must give up his powers: “If you intend to live your life with a mortal, you must live as a mortal,” she says.

(Sidenote: Couldn’t he have just ignored her? What was she going to do? Ground him?)

Choosing Lois, Superman enters a chamber in the Fortress of Solitude which removes his powers. Wouldn’t you know it, the minute he does that, a trio of Kryptonian Phantom Zone fugitives begin attacking the planet. And thus, in order to save the planet and stop the villains, Superman returns to the chamber and restores his powers.

This can certainly be seen as a testament to how much Superman loves and values Lois. However, the fact that she would let him do this and that he would so quickly turn his back on what he can do for humanity as a whole feels a bit unlike Big Blue.
 

The Final Night

An alien entity called the Sun-Eater begins feeding off Earth’s sun during the 1996 crossover The Final Night. The reduced solar energy causes Superman to slowly weaken, until his powers are gone. Eventually, the Sun-Eater is defeated, ending the conflict. So, Superman’s powers are restored, right? Nope! For reasons unknown to the Man of Steel, his powers don’t fully return.

Still, powers or no, Superman is a hero to the core. At first, he tries using the Fortress of Solitude to absorb energy, but it proves to be only a temporary solution. Eventually Superman starts wearing an energy containment suit, which allows him to fight crime when it’s activated. However, he remains powerless when he removes the suit. 

After a strange period where he’s temporarily split into two separate beings, Clark’s original powers return in 1998’s Superman Forever. By that point, his abilities had been gone for nearly two years, making this the longest period Superman has gone without his powers.
 

Up, Up, and Away!

During 2006’s Infinite Crisis #7, Superman flies through a red sun in order to depower an evil Superboy from another Earth. Unfortunately, this robs Superman of his abilities as well, which don’t come back even after he returns to Earth and its yellow sun.

The 2006 storyline Up, Up, and Away! picks up one year later, with Clark enjoying a life without powers. His career as a reporter has improved, his marriage with Lois is stronger than ever and he’s enjoying little touches of human life, like eating hot dogs and getting tired. 

Clark’s powers eventually return after he’s almost hit by a train. He realizes that their long absence must have been caused by a mental block, because deep down, part of him was enjoying his life as Clark and didn’t want them to return.
 

Truth

Superman was going through some stuff in 2015.

In 2015’s Superman #40, the Man of Steel uses his solar flare ability, depleting his body of many of its superpowers. Superman’s still able to leap tall buildings, but his signature strength is a fraction of what it once was, he can no longer fly and most of his other abilities are gone.

All of this leads to the storyline Truth, where Superman undergoes a radical makeover. His secret identity is exposed, he trades in his costume for jeans and a t-shirt, he cuts his hair and begins traveling the country on a motorcycle. It’s a vibe, for sure. The best we can gather is this was something of a mid-life crisis for the Man of Steel, which considering he was pushing 80 at this point, is pretty understandable. He was certainly well past due.
 

As you can see, Superman has a bit of trouble holding onto his abilities. Fortunately, with Kryptonite in short supply and Metamorpho now fully on the right side of things, it’s unlikely to happen much in the new live action DC Universe.

At least as long as Muhammad Ali doesn’t show up.
 

Superman, directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult, lands in theaters this week! Click here to get tickets.

Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Bluesky at @joshualapinbertone and on X at @TBUJosh.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.