The Physics of Superheroes: Spectacular Second Edition

by Kakalios, James

solar energy and

  transistorized weapons of

  Iron Man,

  Ironman (film)

  Janosik, George

  Jenkins, Paul

  JLA Classified

  Jordan, Hal (Green Lantern)

  Jor-El (father of Superman)

  Joule, James Prescott

  Joules, unit of energy

  Journey into Mystery

  Juggernaut (X-Men foe)

  Justice League of America (JLA, later Justice League)

  Justice League of America ,

  Justice League of America,

  Justice League of America ,

  Justice League of America,

  Justice League of America

  Justice League of America ,

  Justice Society of America

  Kang the Conqueror (Avengers foe)

  Kanigher, Robert

  Kefauver, Sen. Estes

  Kelvin, William Thomson, Lord

  Kid Flash (Wally West, later Flash)

  kinetic energy

  air molecules

  conservation of energy and

  convection and

  defined

  matter-waves and

  nuclear fusion and

  phase transitions and

  thermodynamics and

  water flow and no-slip zone

  Kirby, Jack

  Krypton

  Kryptonite

  Lagrange, Joseph- Louis

  laminar flow

  Landau, Lev

  Lane, Lois (Superman’s girlfriend)

  Langer, Robert

  lasers

  Lash, Bat (Western hero)

  “Last Days of Superman, The” (Superman )

  leaping

  Spider-Man and

  Superman and

  Lee, Stan

  Legion of Superheroes (Vol. 5)

  Legion of Super-Heroes

  Lemaris, Lori (Superman’s mermaid friend)

  lengths, shortening of, and velocity (Lorentz contraction)

  Lenlein, Andreas

  levers

  Lewis, Gilbert

  Liebowitz, Jack

  lie detector

  light. See also electromagnetic spectrum; photon

  ability to see

  electromagnetism and

  quantum mechanics and

  semiconductors and

  speed of

  sun and

  Light Lass

  lightning

  Lightning Lad

  lightning rods

  light sensors

  light waves

  Lincoln, Abraham

  liquid

  entropy of

  heating, in microwave

  phase transition and

  liquid crystals

  Little Nemo

  Loki (Avengers foe)

  long-chain polymers

  Lorentz contraction (length shortening)

  Lost in Space (TV show)

  Luthor, Lex (Superman foe)

  Mach, Ernst

  Mach number

  MacLain, Dr. Myron (Avengers scientist)

  MAD magazine

  magnetic domains

  magnetic fields

  diamagnetic levitation and

  electric charge or current and

  magnetizing iron in

  Special Theory of Relativity and

  magnetic turbo-insulator

  magnetism. See also electromagnetism

  blood and

  defined

  electricity and

  Faraday’s law and

  “reverse,”

  Magneto (Xmen foe)

  ability of, to control electric currents and magnetic fields

  diamagnetic levitation and

  helmet of, and brain waves

  magnetrons (microwave emitters)

  Mandarin (Iron Man foe)

  “Man in the Ant Hill, The,”

  Man-Thing (Marvel Comics character)

  Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, The (DeWitt and Graham)

  many-worlds model

  Marston, Elizabeth Holloway

  Marston, William Moulton

  Martian Manhunter (J’onn J’onzz)

  Marvel Comics

  Marvel Girl (Jean Grey)

  mass

  antimatter and

  atoms and

  Dark Matter and

  defined

  density and

  electron and

  force and motion and

  force due to gravity and

  oxygen required to run and

  pendulum and

  rotation and momentum and

  size vs.

  Special Theory of Relativity and

  weight vs.

  Masters of Evil (Avengers foes)

  materials science

  matter

  Big Bang and

  gravitational pull of

  properties of

  thermal conductivity of

  Matter- Eater Lad (Tenzil Kim)

  matter-waves

  Schrödinger’s equation and

  tunneling phenomenon and

  Maxwell, James Clerk

  Maxwell’s Demon

  Maxwell’s equations

  Mayer, Sheldon

  mechanics, classical. See also quantum mechanics

  angular momentum

  centripetal acceleration

  defined

  fluid

  forces and motion

  friction, drag, and sound

  impulse and momentum

  mathematics and

  quantum mechanics vs.

  simple harmonic motion

  special relativity

  thermodynamics and

  torque and rotation

  Melter (Bruno Horgan)

  Mestral, George de

  metallic bonds

  metals

  meteorite

  methane gas

  metric system

  metronome

  microwave device

  microwave radiation

  “Micro-World of Doctor Doom, The” (Fantastic Four )

  micro-worlds

  Milky Way

  Miller, Frank

  miniaturization

  miracle exceptions

  mitochondria

  Mode, Edna (The Incredibles)

  molecules

  Mole Man (Fantastic Four foe)

  moment arm

  moment of inertia

  momentum

  air vs. water in liquid

  angular

  impulse and

  linear

  matter-wave and

  moon

  Moore, Alan

  Mopee (Flash imp)

  More Fun Comics

  More Fun Comics,

  More Fun Comics

  More Fun Comics ,

  More Fun Comics,

  Morgan, Ace

  motion. See also Newton’s laws of motion

  centripetal acceleration and

  forces and

  friction, drag, and sound and

  impulse and momentum and

  underwater

  Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards)

  Mr. Mxyzptlk (Superman imp)

  muscles

  Mutt and Jeff (comic book)

  My Greatest Adventures ,

  Mysterious Wu Fang, The

  “Mystery of the Human Thunderbolt, The,”

  nanometer

  National Allied Publications

  National Comics (later DC Comics)

  National Periodicals

  Naval Ordinance Laboratory

  negative energy

  Negative Man (Larry Trainor)

  neon lights

  neurons (nerve cells)

  neuroscientists

  neutrinos

  neutrons

  neutron star

  New Fun Comics

  newspaper comic strips

  Newton, Isaac

  Newton’s law of gravity


  Newton’s laws of

  Newton’s laws of motion

  First

  Second

  Third

  Newton (unit of force)

  NGC 3198 galaxy

  Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner)

  night-vision goggles

  Nite Owl II (Dan Dreiberg)

  Nitinol

  nitric oxide

  Norris, Paul

  Norville, Emil (Superman foe)

  no-slip zone

  n-type semiconductor

  nuclear decay

  nuclear fission

  nuclear forces

  nuclear fusion

  nucleus, of atom

  observer

  quantum physics and

  Special Theory of Relativity and

  Øersted, Hans Christian

  Ohm, Georg

  Ohm’s law

  On Growth and Form (Thompson)

  orchestra chairs analogy

  materials science and

  solid-state physics and

  Orrgo (foe)

  oscillating electric charges in atoms

  oscillation, harmonic motion and

  Outcault, Richard F.

  oven, conventional

  oxygen

  gas exchange in lungs

  iron bonded to

  required by Flash

  molecules, momentum of

  Papp, George

  paramagnetic materials

  Pauli, Wolfgang

  pendulum

  Peter Parker: Spider-Man ,

  phase transitions

  costumes and

  crystalline structure and

  microwave and

  phosphorescent material

  photoconductors

  photons

  photosynthesis

  physicists

  in comic books

  mathematics and

  Picture Stories from American History

  Picture Stories from Science

  Picture Stories from the Bible

  pitch or frequency of sound

  Planck, Max

  Planck length

  Planck’s constant (h)

  planets

  plastic deformation

  polymers

  Porcupine (Alex Gentry)

  positive electrons or holes, in semiconductor

  potential difference (voltage)

  potential energy

  electrical current and

  food and

  power

  Power of the Atom #12, The

  power plants

  Prankster (Superman foe)

  pressure

  angular momentum and

  imbalances of

  phase transitions and

  underwater

  pressure wave

  Prince Namor (Sub- Mariner)

  “Prisoners of Doctor Doom” (Fantastic Four # 5)

  Professor X (Charles Xavier)

  Protector (Ant Man foe)

  protons

  Pryde, Kitty

  p-type semiconductor

  Pulitzer, Joseph

  pulmonary surfactant

  pulp magazines

  pulsed energy weapons

  Quantum (Avenger foe)

  Quantum Chromo- Dynamics (QCD)

  Quantum Electro-Dynamics (QED)

  quantum mechanics

  basis of chemistry and

  Einstein and

  parallel universes and

  Planck and

  Schrödinger and

  solid-state physics and

  string theory and

  tunneling and

  quantum transition or jump

  quark-gluon plasma

  quartz

  Quick, Johnny

  Quisp (Aquaman imp)

  “Race to the End of the Universe, The” (Flash)

  radar guns

  radio

  radioactive decay

  Radioactive Man (Simpson’s Comics)

  radioactivity

  radio waves

  Ramos, Humberto

  Red Barbarian (Iron Man foe)

  refrigerators

  relative motion

  relativity

  General Theory of

  Special Theory of

  repulsor rays

  resistance

  electric current and

  of fluid (drag)

  respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)

  retconning (retroactive continuity repair)

  “Return of Doctor Doom, The” (Fantastic Four )

  Return of the Ant-Man, The” (Tales to Astonish #35)

  reverse magnetism

  Richard, Olive

  Riemann, Bernhard

  Robbins, Jim

  Robin (Batman’s sidekick)

  Robotman (Doom Patrol)

  rockets

  Rogers, Buck (sci fi hero)

  Romer, G. B.

  Romita, John

  rotation

  angular momentum and

  of galaxies

  of low-pressure region and levitation

  torque and

  Rothman, Milton A.

  rust

  Sandman (Spider-Man foe)

  Saturn Girl

  scaling problem

  scanning tunneling microscope

  Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff)

  Schrödinger, Erwin

  Schrödinger equation

  solid-state physics and

  tunneling phenomena and

  Schrödinger’s cat

  Schwartz, Julius “Julie,”

  science

  accurate, in Silver Age comics

  comics and science fiction as pre dictors of

  experiment and

  theory, defined

  truth, acceptance of

  Science

  science fiction

  Science Police (Legion of Super Heroes)

  scientists, depiction of

  sea level

  “Second Nature” (Robbins)

  secret identity

  “Secret Origin of Bouncing Boy, The,”

  Secret Wars miniseries

  Seduction of the Innocent (Wertham)

  semiconductors

  Sentinels (X Men foe)

  setae

  Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos

  Shadow, The

  shape memory materials

  Shark (Green Lantern foe)

  Shlockley, William

  Shocker (Spider-Man villain)

  shock front

  shock waves

  Showcase #4

  Showcase #6

  Showcase #22

  Showcase #34

  Shrinking Violet

  shrink rays

  shrink wrap

  Shuster, Joseph

  Siegel, Jerry

  silicon

  Silver Age

  Silver Surfer

  simple harmonic motion

  Simpson, Bart

  Skrull Invaders (Fantastic Four foe)

  sky, color of

  “Slowdown in Time” (Flash # 141)

  “Smash and Grab Gang” (Superboy # 1)

  Smith, Dr. Zachary (Lost in Space character)

  Smithsonian

  smoke detectors

  snowflake

  solar cells

  solar energy

  solids, phase transition of

  solid-state physics

  chemical bonds and

  sonic boom

  sound, speed of

  sound barrier

  sound wave

  space-time

  speciation

  speech, and miniaturization

  speed. See light, speed of; sound, speed of; velocity

  Speedy (Green Arrow sidekick)

  Spencer, Percy L.

  Spider, The

  Spider-M an (Peter Parker)

  battle of, with Electro

  battle of, with Ice Man

  costumes and

  crawling up walls


  death of Gwen Stacy and

  leaping ability of

  on power and responsibility

  origin of superpowers of

  sixth (spider) sense of

  swinging from webbing

  web shooters and

  writer of

  Spider-M an (film)

  Spider-M an 2 (film)

  Spider-M an Unlimited ,

  spiders

  leaping ability of

  silk and webs of

  spinning

  Sputnik

  squeezed quantum states

  Stacy, Gwen (Spider-Man’s girlfriend)

  death of

  Stapp, Col. John

  Star Boy

  Starro (JLA foe)

  stars

  formation of

  gravity and

  nuclear fusion and

  Starsky, Igor (Bruce Banner’s research assistant)

  Star Trek (TV series)

  static electricity

  statics

  steel

  steering plates

  Stilt Man (Daredevil foe)

  Storm (Ororo Munroe)

  Strange Tales

  Strange Tales

  straw, drinking

  stress fracture

  string theory

  Strong force

  subatomic particles. See also specific particles

  suction

  Sullivan, Vin

  sun

  color of

  electricity and energy from

  energy from, and food

  shining of

  surface temperature of

  weather and

  Sun Eater (Legion of Superheroes foe)

  Superboy #1

  Superboy

  Supergirl

  superhero comics. See also specific physics concepts; superhero foes; superhero friends; and super heroes

  bloopers in

  Communism and

  costumes in

  decline of, in mid 1950s,

  historical and scientific trivia in

  history of

  origin transitions in, and popular zeitgeist

  physics and

  political attack on

  Superman (Kal-El, Clark Kent)

  Aquaman vs.

  Bizarro planet and

  buildings lifted by

  costumes and

  disguise of

  electrical currents and

  Flash vs.

  Golden vs. Silver Age

  graphite squeezed into diamond by

  heat vision of

  Hulk vs.

  imp foe of

  Kryptonite and

  Krypton’s doom and

  Krypton’s gravity and strength of

  last words of

  leaping of

  long-distance thirst-quenching, and

  moon on string and

  Newton’s laws of motion and

  origin of

  parallel Earth visited by

  pre-flying, and gravity

  race with Flash across Milky Way

  Spider-Man vs.

  Superboy removed from history of

  time travel of, and effort to change history

  time travel of, and relativity

  weight of, on Krypton

  X ray vision of

  Superman,

  Superman ,

  Superman,

  Superman ,

  Superman

  “Superman’s Greatest Feats,”