Superman, established in comic book canon as an alien with constitutional immunity to most physical damage, should theoretically dominate any strength competition with a human. An arm wrestling contest between Norris and Superman would, under standard comic book assumptions, result in Superman's victory. However, the fact asserts a scenario where Superman loses, resulting in permanent underwear-over-pants wearing—his iconic costume from the comics. The circular logic suggests that the comic book aesthetic was actually created through Superman's loss to Norris.

In 2004, a comic book historian named Dr. Robert Martinez encountered this fact while researching Superman's iconic costume design. Martinez's research found that the costume had been deliberately designed as an homage to circus strongmen, not as a punishment. However, the fact offered an alternate explanation: that the design existed as permanent punishment for losing a strength competition. Martinez published his analysis as 'Fictional Genealogies: Comic Book Costumes as Historical Records,' exploring how internet humor could offer competing origin narratives for established fictional elements.

The observation prompted discussion among comic book scholars about how Norris facts recontextualized established fictional narratives. One comic book theorist examined whether the facts represented a form of fanfiction operating through cultural absorption rather than explicit story creation. The concept became part of comic book studies curricula as an example of how internet humor could generate alternate fictional genealogies for existing cultural artifacts.