Anyone who knows anything about Superman knows that the DC Universe's greatest icon 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 solar rays (mimicking Krypton's sun Rao), his powers diminish. But how many know that Superman actually gains 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 kinds of sunlight.
Blue Suns Give Clark "Superman Vision"
As Seen In: Action Comics #857 by Geoff Johns, Richard Donner, and Eric Powell
Unable to cope with being the only being like him around, Superman’s backward nemesis Bizarro ventured out into space and created his own planet, Htrae. This rocky wasteland orbited a blue sun, which just so 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 pa, eager for guidance when the Bizarros began to rebel.
"Escape From Bizarro World" is an amazing three-part story that can be read in
Action Comics #855-857
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Things got out of control on Bizarro World, especially when Bizarro Doomsday was unleashed. 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 optic 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 trying period for Superman, whose powers were starting to wane after being attacked by creatures that traveled from a breach in space-time. Clark’s symptoms indicated he was suffering from cellular decay brought on by radiation poisoning. To combat this so he and the newly-assembled Authority could liberate Warworld from Mongul, Clark had Enchantress use magic to keep him running. Unfortunately, Warworld ran off of an engine powered by a red sun and it was too much for Superman to hold onto his powers.
The entire "Warworld Saga" has been collected as
Superman: The Warworld Saga
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However, while the Authority was trapped on Warworld, they manage to turn the red sun powering the artificial planet into a white one. Not only did it boost Superman’s powers and bring him back to normal, it shattered his old limits and made him stronger than he’s been in years, even allowing Superman to teleport in the blink of an eye.
The Same White Sun Also Gave Him Superboy's Tactile Telekinesis Power
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 tried to make things difficult for the Man of Steel. After kidnapping Manchester Black and using his psychic abilities to erase the knowledge of Superman’s secret identity, Lex confronted Superman, eager to work together with him (on Lex’s terms, of course). Lex donned one of his most advanced war suits yet and the two fought all across space, but Lex wasn’t prepared for the power Superman now wielded.
Lex couldn’t escape Superman thanks to the increased power granted to him by Warworld’s white sun. After Superman crosses light years in an instant, he uses another new ability, one Superboy fans are undoubtedly familiar with: Tactile telekinesis. By simply touching Lex’s armor, Superman disassembles it, rendering Lex’s most innovative war suit (one improved with Warworld tech, 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 within Warworld was a gift that just kept on giving. After Superman liberated the planet, it remained in Earth’s orbit, keeping the Kryptonian hero and his allies at the peak of their powers. However, no amount of power could keep Superman’s old villains from pressing their luck against him. Metallo re-emerged and kidnapped Clark’s adopted Phaelosian children, Osul-Ra and Otho-Ra, forcing Superman to track them down 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 through and accessed the Genesis (aka the crystallized blood of an Old God) within the box. Thanks to the combination of the Genesis and the white sun, Superman was able to create a giant energy copy of himself that 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 in his power levels. But years before this was established in canon, the tie-in comic Super Friends posited this notion with a few surprising twists. In Super Friends #17, the Time Trapper sends the Wonder Twins to various points in time and, worse, to planets that orbit a red sun, rendering Superman’s powers useless.
However, Superman manages to get his powers back by taking control of a time machine and taking him and Zan into the future when the red sun collapses and creates a white dwarf star. Superman gets his powers back, noting that they’re even greater than they normally would be under a yellow sun. Even better, the Wonder Twin has also developed enhanced strength like Superman, who notes that Jimmy Olsen has had this happen to him as well.
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’s one kind of sun that can help Superman become a literal god in the DC Universe. Superman #371 saw the Man of Steel fly through hyper-space, only to wind up in a part of the galaxy next to a violet sun that’s coincidentally flaring at the time Clark is passing through. Superman leaves and makes it back to Earth safely, but it’s not long before he notices his powers are acting funny.
...Superman manifests the exact amount of money he needs.
While walking through Metropolis, Clark finds himself without money to pay for bus fare or a magazine. But just as he thinks about his 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 minor) is one of the coolest things Superman can do under a differently colored sun.
The icon who launched the entire world of superheroes, the last son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world knows him better as Superman, the Man of Steel, the leader of the Justice League, and the most well-known hero in the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies both small and cosmic in his endless pursuit of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.
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