Can you use outwit to counter the improved movement symbol? It is an ability like flight with you can outwit.

Like you say, Improved Movement is a combat ability, and doesn't say it can't be countered, so yes, it can be Outwitted. But I'm not sure if one Outwit takes out all Improved Movement abilities, or if you need one for hindering, one for elevated, etc.

With fliers you do need to Outwit Flight and Carry separately, after all, but I'm not sure if different types of Improved Movement are in fact separate abilities.

I'm not sure that Improved Movement can be counter due to this being in the rules.

"Trait abilities are generally denoted by the (star) symbol, but other symbols may be used to denote a trait. When a symbol appears to the left of the combat symbols on a figure’s dial, that symbol denotes a trait whose description will be found on the character card with that symbol."

the Improved Movement is too the left of the dial, meaning that it is a type of trait according to the Player's Guide.

You cannot counter any symbols. You can, however, counter combat abilities granted by the symbols.
Improved Movement is a single combat ability, regardless of what subtypes it covers. One Outwit is enough to stop a whole lot of movement or targeting (though you'd need to counter Improved Movement and Imporved Targeting separately).
No, it is a combat ability, which is why it is listed under Combat Abilities on the PAC. That section covers things like LotR's Epic Actions, which uses a different symbol but is still a Trait. Do not that the Improved symbol is not in the same place as the Trait star, unlike the LotR Epic symbol.

Okay, but it should be noted that the player's guide doesn't say where on the left of the combat dial the symbol has to be, but that anything on the left of the combat dial a symbot is trait so shouldn't that section be updated?

I would agree. This would be the first symbol on the left hand side that is not treated like a trait. Both grenades and epic actions have been clarified to be trait abilities.

If Improved Movement is in fact not supposed to be a trait, then the Player's Guide would need to be updated.

Techincally, everything is left of the combat symbols if you keep going around far enough.

I think the PG entry could probably stand to be reworded , but I also believe that the PAC is completely clear on what is a Trait and what is a Combat Ability. Trait Abilities are listed under "Trait Abilities", and Combat Abilities are listed under "Combat Abilities".

And it's nice to see that Throw a Grenade can be countered....

Uh... It cannot be countered. Its listed with the trait abilities you just mentioned were completely separate from combat abilities.

Throw A Grenade and Epic Actions are listed as traits in the 2012 core rulebook.

So maybe the section in the player's guide stating that anything to the left of the dial being a combat ability just needs to be removed and not updated since Throw A Grenade and Epic Actions are already listed as traits in the rulebook.

My mistake. Throw a Grenade is a Trait Ability which grants the use of the Throw a Grenade Combat Ability. Since it is use, not possess, it cannot be countered.

I missed the use and got a little excited, but it is a Combat Ability, as well.

Would Earthbound (say, via Swingline) do anything to either of the Improved abilities?

Earthbound/Neutralized: This character possesses ,,, instead of its combat symbols. This power can't be countered or ignored.

Improved Movement (or Targeting) is not a Combat Symbol, it is a Combat Ability, so there is no reason Earthbound should affect it.

Right, okay, so as of now, Earthbound currently does not address either the Improved/plus-sign symbol or the Trait/star symbol. Got it, that's what I needed to hear.

Thanks.

Improved movement and leap climb and break away?

If an improved movement has the character dial on its description, so that it ignores characters for movement, does that mean it requires no break away roll to move, similar to leap and climb?

Just asking for clarification.

Yes. If you ignore characters for movement, you don't have to break away.