Anyone who knows anything about Superman knows that the greatest icon in the DC Universe gains his powers from Earth’s Sun. Thanks to his Kryptonian physiology, the Man of Steel can fly, blast heat vision, and use freeze breath as long as he’s exposed to the familiar radiation.
Fans may also be aware that when Clark is exposed to red sun rays (mimicking Krypton’s Rao sun), his powers diminish. But how many know that Superman actually earnings powers when exposed to suns of different colors? From blue, white, and even purple, read on to discover the impressive abilities the Last Son of Krypton gains when exposed to different types of sunlight.
Blue Suns Give Clark “Superman Vision”
As seen in: Action Comics #857 by Geoff Johns, Richard Donner and Eric Powell
Unable to deal with being the only being like him around, Superman’s belated nemesis Bizarro ventured into space and created his own planet, Htrae. This rocky desert orbited a blue sun, which happened to give the doppelganger “Bizarro Vision,” which allowed him to create Bizarro copies of DCU icons. Superman was forced to travel to Bizarro World after Bizarro kidnapped Superman’s father, eager for guidance when the Bizarros began to rebel.
“Escape From Bizarro World” is an incredible three-part story that can be read in Action Comics #855-857!
Things got out of control in Bizarro World, especially when Bizarro Doomsday was released. Before Bizarro Doomsday could kill Jonathan Kent, Superman used a new power granted to him by the blue sun: Superman Vision. This red, blue, and yellow optical beam could endow anyone with Kryptonian powers, which Clark shared with Jonathan to survive Bizarro Doomsday. The effect was temporary, but that didn’t stop Jonathan from trying to prove he could lift a tractor with his bare hands.
Warworld’s White Sun Made Superman Able to Teleport
As seen in: Action Comics #1050 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Tom Taylor, Joshua Williamson, Mike Perkins, Clayton Henry and Nick Dragotta
The “Warworld Saga” was a difficult period for Superman, whose powers were beginning to wane after being attacked by creatures traveling from a rift in space-time. Clark’s symptoms indicated that he was suffering from cellular decay caused by radiation poisoning. To combat this, so that he and the newly formed Authority could free Warworld from Mongul, Clark had the Enchantress use magic to keep it running. Unfortunately, Warworld ran on an engine powered by a red sun and was too much for Superman to maintain his powers.
However, while the Authority was trapped on Warworld, they managed to turn the red sun that powers the artificial planet into a white sun. This not only increased Superman’s powers and brought him back to normal, but also broke his old limits and made him stronger than ever. even allowing Superman to teleport in the blink of an eye.
The same white sun also gave him Superboy’s power of tactile telekinesis
As seen in: Action Comics #1050 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Tom Taylor, Joshua Williamson, Mike Perkins, Clayton Henry and Nick Dragotta
It wasn’t long after Superman and his allies deposed Mongul that Clark’s old nemesis, Lex Luthor, attempted to make things difficult for the Man of Steel. After kidnapping Manchester Black and using his psychic abilities to erase knowledge of the Man of Steel’s secret identity, Superman, Lex confronted Superman, eager to work together with him (on Lex’s terms, of course). Lex donned one of his most advanced warsuits and the two fought across space, but Lex was not prepared for the power that Superman now wielded.
Lex was unable to escape Superman thanks to the power boost granted to him by Warworld’s white sun. After Superman crosses light years in an instant, he uses another new ability that Superboy fans are no doubt familiar with: tactile telekinesis. By simply touching Lex’s armor, Superman dismantles it.rendering Lex’s most innovative warsuit (enhanced with Warworld technology, no less) worthless.
That White Sun also allowed Superman to make energy constructs
As seen in: Action Comics #1054“Power Like This” by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Max Raynor
The white sun inside Warworld was a gift that kept on giving. After Superman freed the planet, he remained in Earth’s orbit, keeping the Kryptonian hero and his allies at the height of their powers. However, no power could stop Superman’s former villains from pressing their luck against him. Metallo resurfaced and kidnapped Clark’s adopted children, Osul-Ra and Otho-Ra, forcing Superman to track them to Metallo’s lair.
Superman confronted Metallo, who was now powered by a kryptonite-infused Orphan Box. However, despite the pain it caused Clark, he pushed forward and accessed the Genesis (also known as the crystallized blood of an Old God) inside the box. Thanks to the combination of Genesis and the white sun, Superman was able to create a giant energy copy of himself who easily defeated Metallo.
A White Dwarf Star Enhanced Superman’s Powers (And Gave Other Heroes Kryptonian-Level Strength)
As seen in: Super Friends #17 by E. Nelson Bridwell, Ramona Fradon and Bob Smith
If one thing is clear, it’s that a younger white sun gives Superman a serious boost to his power levels. But years before this was established in canon, the Super Friends comics posited this notion with some surprising twists. In Super Friends #17the Time Trapper sends the Wonder Twins to various points in time and, worse, to planets orbiting a red sun, rendering Superman’s powers useless.
However, Superman manages to regain his powers by taking control of a time machine and taking him and Zan to the future, when the red sun collapses and creates a white dwarf star. Superman regains his powers, noting that they are even greater than they normally would be under a yellow sun. Even better, the Wonder Twin also developed enhanced strength like Supermanwho notes that this also happened to Jimmy Olsen.
A purple sun allowed Superman to change reality
As seen in: Superman #371 by Bob Rozakis, John Calnan and Pablo Marcos
Enhancements and unexpected powers are one thing, but there is a kind of sunshine that could help Superman become a literal god in the DC Universe. Superman #371 saw the Man of Steel fly through hyperspace, only to end up in a part of the galaxy near a violet sun that coincidentally shines just as Clark is passing by. Superman leaves and returns to Earth safelyBut it doesn’t take long for him to realize that his powers are acting strangely.
…Superman manifests the exact amount of money he needs.
While walking through Metropolis, Clark finds himself without money to pay for a bus ticket or a magazine. But as soon as he thinks about the lack of funds, Superman manifests the exact amount of money he needs. It doesn’t last, but being able to change reality (no matter how small) is one of the coolest things Superman can do under a different color sun.