Windows has a super-administrator account that has not only elevated privileges to perform protected system functions, but unfettered access to anything on the computer, regardless of user ownership.  Does Linux have an equivalent?  My understanding is that in terms of access to all user accounts, root is just another user (it would defeat user security if any user could become any other user simply by doing it via root).
Is there a Linux equivalent of the Windows super-administrator?
permissions;users
In Linux/Unix the user with user id 0 is such a super administrator. The user is usually called root, but the magic is really behind the id and not the name.That user is especially not bound to local file access permissions and can read and write any file. That user also has the ability to change to any other user without needing a password.