Why Cosmic Armor Superman Is Too Powerful For James Gunn's DC Movie Universe
DC Comics' Superman has earned a reputation as one of the most ludicrously overpowered characters in all of fiction. In fact, the Man of Steel is so powerful that most people don't know the full extent of his powers. We've seen him display countless feats of impossible power, like splitting apart the continents, lifting 200 quintillion tons in "All-Star Superman" #1, and holding a black hole in his hand during the events of "JLA" Vol.1 #77.
The nearly infinite power of DC Comics' Superman certainly makes him a tough character to adapt for the big screen, a fact that director James Gunn will no doubt wrestle with in his forthcoming DC movie universe. This is especially apparent when you factor in his most powerful form of all, the so-called "Cosmic Armor Superman" or "Thought Robot," who is far too powerful for any villain that James Gunn has to offer. This version of Superman only ever appeared in two comic books: "Final Crisis: Superman Beyond 3D" #1 and #2, both of which were also written by Grant Morrison.
Within this story, we learn that Cosmic Armor Superman is a "robot" constructed from pure thought and subsequently inhabited by the merged form of Superman and his multiversal double, Ultraman. Once combined, Superman beats out Ultraman to become the "pilot" of this cosmic thought robot –- essentially transforming himself into a sentient plot device with the power to edit the story of the multiverse at will.
Cosmic Armor Superman has the power to change the story of the multiverse at will
As Cosmic Armor Superman, Superman has access to practically every power you can imagine, including time, reality, and plot manipulation, and strength and speed greater than any other being in existence. In "Final Crisis: Superman Beyond 3D" #2, we see these powers on full display when Cosmic Armor Superman fights Mandrakk the Dark Monitor. Mandrakk attempts to kill Superman by trapping him in a "self-assembling hyper story," in which he manifests an attack with "the heat of ten billion suns." Cosmic Armor Superman uses his powers to resist the story spoken into existence by Mandrakk and ends up defeating the Dark Monitor by casting him into the Overvoid.
Since Mandrakk is a multiversal threat more powerful than nearly every being in the DC Multiverse, it can easily be said that Cosmic Armor Superman's power surpasses every other incarnation we've seen of the character. Cosmic Armor Superman even has a case as one of the strongest characters in all of DC comics, capable of carrying an entire dimension in his hand and editing the multiverse on a whim. As such, it's practically impossible for him to appear in any kind of live-action "Superman" project.
Cosmic Armor Superman's overwhelming power and convoluted origin story are likely the reason he hasn't appeared in any other comics outside of "Superman Beyond 3D," and it's unlikely we'll ever see this multiversal thought robot crop up in the DC movie Universe.