DC Officially Confirms Superman's Golden Superpower Is Here To Stay

2 days ago 21

Superman activating his gold form, with armored El Caldero soldiers behind him

Published Sep 12, 2026, 11:30 PM EDT

Adam has been writing in the entertainment news space for over a decade. Beginning his career of covering film and TV at CinemaBlend, he has also appeared on The Flash Podcast and done several radio spots.

For decades, Superman has boasted the same traditional set of powers, which includes super strength, super speed, flight, invulnerability, heat vision, X-ray vision, and freeze breath. Most superheroes don’t come anywhere close to having this many abilities, and while the Man of Steel can be weakened by things like kryptonite, magic, and a red sun's radiation, he still ranks as one of DC’s most powerful characters.

Yet, even though so much might is already naturally gifted to him when a yellow sun’s radiation reacts to his Kryptonian biology, there are instances when Superman has gained even more powers. Sometimes, they’re temporary or removed from the canon, like Clark Kent’s ability to reverse time with his super speed. However, it’s now been confirmed that the golden superpower he’s had since Superman Unlimited began last year isn’t going anywhere.

Superman’s Golden Form Is A Permanent Superpower

Superman Unlimited #17, Written By Dan Slott, Art By Rachael Stott

Superman recalling the history of the Kryponite meteorite and his gold form while being poisoned by Kryptonite

In the preview for Superman Unlimited #17, the titular protagonist recalls how he gained his gold form when he prevented a Kryptonite meteorite from hitting Earth. It’s because this power kicked in that he survived and safely landed the meteorite in an unpopulated area of the nation of El Caldero. This golden form renders Clark immune from Kryptonite by releasing all the yellow sun radiation in his body. This is different from the Superman of the 853rd century’s gold form, though Clark utilized that as well during the DC K.O. crossover.

He describes what happened above El Caldero as “unlocking a new superpower,” indicating that this isn’t an ability that will fade with time. That’s not to say that a future event might somehow erase Superman's gold form from his arsenal, but barring that, it’s permanently a part of him. What remains unclear is if this power is unique only to him, or if other DC characters with Kryptonian DNA, like Kara Zor-El/Supergirl and Conner Kent/Superboy, can unlock it as well.

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Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet?

AThanagar BKrypton CApokolips DOa

✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft.

✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story.

Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she?

ADiana Prince BLana Lang CLois Lane DCat Grant

✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis.

✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner.

Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called?

AKryptonite BVibranium CNth Metal DRed Sun Ore

✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro.

✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness.

In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor?

AHenry Cavill BBrandon Routh CTom Welling DChristopher Reeve

✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since.

✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman.

Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he?

ABrainiac BLex Luthor CDarkseid DDoomsday

✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary.

✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror.

After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up?

AGotham City BMetropolis CSmallville, Kansas DCoast City

✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents.

✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm.

As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper?

ADaily Planet BDaily Bugle CMetropolis Star DGotham Gazette

✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world.

✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home.

This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain?

ABizarro BParasite CMetallo DGeneral Zod

✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013).

✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories.

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Superman’s Golden Form Has Drawbacks

Superman in his gold form while Batman, Superboy, and Supergirl watch him

While it's great that Superman finally has a way to naturally defend himself against Kryptonite, the gold form only lasts for 200 seconds. After that, not only is he once again vulnerable to the irradiated remnants of his homeworld, but he also temporarily loses all his superpowers. Additionally, the golden form doesn’t kick in passively, so it’s still possible for Superman to be taken by surprise by someone who has Kryptonian weaponry or powers.

Making matters worse, the Kryptonite from the meteorite that the El Caldero government has been selling is now weaponized against both Kryptonians and humans. Because of General Zod’s machinations in the Kingdom of Zod crossover event, this infection is spreading across the world, and Clark is among those who’ve been affected. The gold form doesn’t help him after the fact, so he’s once again in danger of dying from Kryptonite poisoning.

As if all this wasn't bad enough, Zod is no longer even the primary threat in Kingdom of Zod. The general took control of El Caldero and unleashed the Kryptonite plague after his original plan to devastate Earth with the meteorite failed. Unfortunately for him, his newly-resurrected wife Ursa wasn’t impressed by his revenge scheme against Superman and the House of El. She killed him and has no traveled back in time to save Krypton and rule it herself, leaving not just Earth, but the entire timeline hanging in the balance.

Superman Unlimited #17, a.k.a. Kingdom of Zod Part 7 will be released Wednesday, September 16 by DC Comics.