Is Superman Weak to Magic? Why Can Magic Hurt Him?

If there’s something that has always been known about Superman, it’s that he is known as the Man of Steel and is incredibly resistant to many different forms of damage because his Kryptonian physiology makes him nearly invulnerable. However, we know that Superman can still get hurt because he still has a few weaknesses. One of the things that we’ve seen damaging Superman is magic. So, is Superman weak to magic?

Superman is not weak to magic but isn’t resistant to it, either. Magic does not make Superman weak, but it affects it the same way as magic affects just about anyone that doesn’t have resistance to magic. And that’s because Superman’s physiology was not meant to resist magic.

The Man of Steel’s durability has always been the stuff of legends in comic books because almost nothing hurts him. Then again, not even he is invulnerable to everything, and that’s why we have seen Superman getting hurt by magic. So, with that said, let’s look at whether or not Superman is weak to magic and how magic affects him.

Superman’s Resistance to Magic

Superman’s incredible physical capabilities heavily influence the entire world of comic books, as he has always been the most iconic powerhouse regarding his strength and speed. However, while he may be strong and fast, it has always been his durability that allowed him to bounce back from attacks that should have killed any other superhero. Superman has always been one of the most durable heroes in the world of comic books.

From what we’ve seen from Superman, he has been able to resist many different attacks, including those that come from some of the strongest villains in the pages of comic book lore. Of course, Superman is invulnerable to things that usually kill or damage any other being, including guns, regular swords, and anything similar. Not even a nuclear warhead would be enough to damage Superman.

However, as durable as Superman is, he can still take damage from a few things in the DC universe. If he gets hit by someone as strong or stronger than him, Superman can get hurt, as we’ve seen the likes of Wonder Woman, Darkseid, and Doomsday hurting and damaging the Man of Steel. Of course, there’s Kryptonite, which is the biggest weakness of Superman as this object weakens him to the point that he becomes just as weak as a regular human being. And Kryptonians also lose their superhuman strength and powers when exposed to a red sun instead of a yellow one.

But while we do know that Superman can tank attacks that would normally kill any other superhero, one of the things that fans know is that he cannot withstand magic. Yes, Superman can get hurt by magic or arcane-based attacks, which means he isn’t as nigh-invulnerable. So, does that mean that Superman is weak to magic?

The truth is that Superman isn’t weak to magic, and he has no weakness to magic, even though it can hurt him. Magic doesn’t work like Kryptonite or the red sun when it comes to Superman, as those objects weaken him. However, magical attacks do not do that to Superman.

So, even though some comic books show that Superman is weak to magic, he isn’t weak to it at all, and it’s just that magic can hurt him. When we say the word “weakness,” it pertains to something that can weaken someone, and however, magic doesn’t have that effect on the Man of Steel, even though we know that it can hurt him.

Why Can Magic Hurt Superman?

Well, the reason magic can hurt Superman even though he isn’t weak to it is that a Kryptonian’s enhanced physiology doesn’t include resistance to magic. In DC, magic is supernatural and beyond normal, which means it is beyond the normal bounds and limitations of the physical world.

We know that Superman’s invulnerability is physical, which means that he can withstand extremely powerful attacks as long as they are physical. But because magic isn’t physical, his invulnerability doesn’t extend to things beyond the bounds of the physical world.

As such, magical attacks hurt Superman in the same way as magic affects any other person. When Superman gets hit by a magical attack, its effects are the same as when it hits a normal person with no superhuman durability or invulnerability. In a way, magic cancels out Superman’s invulnerability but doesn’t necessarily weaken him, unlike how Kryptonite or a red sun works. 

In short, when Superman is exposed to something magical, it affects him as if he were normal. His invulnerability drops down to the level of a regular person. As such, he is affected by magical attacks because his invulnerability doesn’t cover such attacks. This makes him unlike Wonder Woman, whose durability covers magic attacks. And the fact that magic can affect Superman is why magical characters, such as Zatanna, Shazam, and John Constantine, can hurt him.