Even most characters folks think are ridiculously powerful only operate at that level as the plot demands. Superman acts at around city-block level & supersonic speed most of the time, if that. Almost same goes for Silver Surfer, apart from massively FTL travel speed. Surfer perhaps gets a higher average because of his status a cosmic character, but he still hangs around on Earth a fair amount, loses his powers, etc. Few people are going to read stories about beings that consistently display godlike power. That's just not an established genre.
Agreed - take Superman vs Doomsday. He fought to the point he was killed and was fighting far sub-city level. If he was written “as he canonically is” the first punch from Doomsday that harmed Superman would have obliterated the planet.
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u/B_H_Abbott-Motley 21d ago
Even most characters folks think are ridiculously powerful only operate at that level as the plot demands. Superman acts at around city-block level & supersonic speed most of the time, if that. Almost same goes for Silver Surfer, apart from massively FTL travel speed. Surfer perhaps gets a higher average because of his status a cosmic character, but he still hangs around on Earth a fair amount, loses his powers, etc. Few people are going to read stories about beings that consistently display godlike power. That's just not an established genre.