DC Just Revealed The Weirdest Use For Superman’s Superhearing & I Wish I Could Unsee It

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DC just unveiled a decidedly unique use for Superman"s superhearing, and it"s one that very much changes how you look at the power. Superman"s movie roster has depicted a wide range of the Man Of Steel"s powers, and though things like flight or laser vision tend to take center stage for the major moments, the Kryptonian"s superhearing has also been a crucial and consistent part of these abilities. In fact, there are relatively few Superman releases that don"t feature him hearing someone far away in danger and swooping off to save them, since it"s such an iconic kind of scene for the hero to save.
Throughout the years, this power has been used in many different ways, be it tracking enemies, locating loved ones by their heartbeats, or simply using it to locate peril halfway across the world. That said, writers have consistently found more creative ways to use almost every single one of the Man Of Steel"s skills, and superhearing is certainly no different, though the new use given to it by one of DC"s 2025 releases might not be one you would be able to guess beforehand.
Superman's Superhearing Has Been A Long-Established Part Of His Skillset Close While not as visually impressive as skills like superstrength or ice breath, Superman"s enhanced hearing has been depicted as a part of his skillset for some considerable time. The term super-hearing is first referenced in relation to the superhero"s senses in the 1939 Superman #2, with the comic initially declaring that "Superman"s super-acute hearing" has allowed him to listen in on a conversation where a crooked boxing manager is discussing his criminal plans, and a direct use of the term "super-hearing" then being directly used later in another story in the same issue when Superman hears an elevator approaching.
Though these are some relatively light uses of Superman"s superhearing - since he"s shown hearing things not all that far away from him - it helped define the ability, which had been loosely referenced before, but not in as direct a fashion. Following this point, superhearing would remain a fixture of Superman"s traditional power roster throughout the majority of his comic depictions, with the ability also growing in potency throughout much of this time, and being translated on-screen into both animated and live-action releases revolving around the Man of Steel and his escapades.
2025 Gives Superman A Far More Unusual Use For His Superhearing Close Superman stories have provided plenty of more unconventional uses for superhearing, like him occasionally developing what is essentially echolocation due to his super-hearing, allowing him to know the dimensions of spaces he can"t physically see. However, 2025 has provided a much more unusual use for the Kryptonian"s superhearing that goes in a very different direction.
In Harley Quinn season 5, episode 9, a surprising crew of Lois Lane, Bruce Wayne, and the Joker band together to deal with the devastation being wreaked upon Metropolis by Lex Luthor"s sister Lena. Lois attempts to summon the on-vacation Superman with the watch he gave her to do so, and finds it"s unable to escape the forcefield over Metropolis, causing her to resort to desperate measures. Lois reluctantly reveals a Morse code machine she has used to send "certain messages" to Superman when he"s far from home, with the implication being that these are risqué messages communicated via superhearing.
In case Lois" embarrassed and stilted explanation is too subtle, the episode has the Joker outright say “That is some old school sexting”, making things as transparent as possible. Though this is an undeniably creative utilization of superhearing - and an undeniably creative use of a Morse code machine as well - it is one that feels distinctly less superhero-esque compared to the vast majority of other ways Superman is shown to use the power in the comics and their adaptations, and one I"m worried I may now permanently associate with the power for the rest of time.
Harley Quinn's Superhearing Continues The Show's Unique Approach To Superman Close Harley Quinn"s more comedic leanings mean it"s able to explore all of its heroes and villains in very different ways to their traditional depictions, but this is most notable - and often most interesting - when it"s in relation to Batman and Superman. Releases centered on the two iconic heroes - or just with a more serious tone - have an obligation to depict them in more awe-inspiring ways that Harley Quinn doesn"t, leaving things in a unique place where the series can focus more on what the day-to-day human lives of the characters would be like.
Harley Quinn season 5, episode 10 is set to finish the season with its release on March 20, 2025.
While this leads to a lot more weird interactions between the characters, it"s also an approach that is in some ways more comic-accurate than it might otherwise seem - since moments like Action Comics #1051 suggesting the Man of Steel and Lois Lane kept his Warworld Saga Gladiator costume for more salacious purposes aren"t exactly uncommon in the comic world. Though most Superman releases lean more into other parts of the comics, Harley Quinn"s method does keep things fresh - albeit in a way that may have permanently changed what I and others associate with the power of superhearing.

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