Can Superman Touch The Surface Of The Sun?

[Minerboh]

We all saw in the past, Superman going pretty close to the Sun and even deep inside to the Sun's photosphere. But suddenly, i wondered. Can Superman go deep inside enough and reach the surface?

[Francisco]

Post-crisis pre-flashpoint he could. Currently? I have no idea.

[Jim Kelly]

As far as I know, the Sun is one big ball of exploding gas, so there's no surface to touch. And from a certain perspective, we are all inside the Sun, as its radiation reaches out far beyond Earth. We "touch" the Sun every day, since its radiation makes contact with us all the time.

Pre-Byrne reboot, Superman went right inside the Sun. In fact, he went right inside Rao and talked to the sun-dwellers who lived there. And, of course, he went right inside the Sun in ALL-STAR SUPERMAN--and I guess in ONE MILLION.

[Jim Kelly]

Hm, checking my facts, I guess at the core, because it's so dense, there must be something like a surface. Kind of hard to imagine, given how hot it is. I think the problem for Superman wouldn't be the heat but the density. The amount of pressure at the heart of the Sun has to be extraordinary. But given all the other impossible things that Superman can do, he could probably do that, too. If Superman can go through a wormhole in space (which has to be under even more pressure than the Sun's core), then he should be able to touch the core.

[MykeHavoc]

There was also Our Worlds At War, where he went inside and emerged as a raging enflamed bullet to defeat Imperiex. And he and Kal-L plowed through a red sun to defeat Superboy-Prime in Infinite Crisis, which led to his temporary power loss for the Up, Up and Away arc.

[Minerboh]

As far as I know, the Sun is one big ball of exploding gas, so there's no surface to touch. And from a certain perspective, we are all inside the Sun, as its radiation reaches out far beyond Earth. We "touch" the Sun every day, since its radiation makes contact with us all the time.

Pre-Byrne reboot, Superman went right inside the Sun. In fact, he went right inside Rao and talked to the sun-dwellers who lived there. And, of course, he went right inside the Sun in ALL-STAR SUPERMAN--and I guess in ONE MILLION.

Wow! Is thre any picture from this story?

[ZNOP]

Hm, checking my facts, I guess at the core, because it's so dense, there must be something like a surface. Kind of hard to imagine, given how hot it is. I think the problem for Superman wouldn't be the heat but the density. The amount of pressure at the heart of the Sun has to be extraordinary. But given all the other impossible things that Superman can do, he could probably do that, too. If Superman can go through a wormhole in space (which has to be under even more pressure than the Sun's core), then he should be able to touch the core.

The Sun: Structure

Much like the earth, the Sun has many different layers that define its structure. Unlike the earth, the Sun is completely gaseous, there is no solid surface on the Sun.

[Jim Kelly]

Wow! Is thre any picture from this story?

It was "The Sun of Superman," SUPERMAN 255 (August '72). Unfortunately, searching the internet for images, I don't find any of the interior art, just the cover by Nick Cardy. Visually, it was one of the most stunning by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson (even if the science didn't make much sense). I might have to scan a few panels. It was also reprinted in the digest-sized BEST OF DC No. 12 ('81). I liked the eclipse effect that Swan and Anderson used.

The plot has the sun dwellers--actually "Sun-Thrivers," energy beings who thrive inside of suns--bring their sun (Rao) into our solar system. Superman goes inside the sun and communicates with them. He then has to gather all the Kryptonite in the galaxy (that still exists--all the Kryptonite on Earth was turned into iron) to create a new planet Krypton for the Sun-Thrivers. This effectively eliminates all Kryptonite from our galaxy (for the next few years).

[Minerboh]

It was "The Sun of Superman," SUPERMAN 255 (August '72). Unfortunately, searching the internet for images, I don't find any of the interior art, just the cover by Nick Cardy. Visually, it was one of the most stunning by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson (even if the science didn't make much sense). I might have to scan a few panels. It was also reprinted in the digest-sized BEST OF DC No. 12 ('81). I liked the eclipse effect that Swan and Anderson used.

The plot has the sun dwellers--actually "Sun-Thrivers," energy beings who thrive inside of suns--bring their sun (Rao) into our solar system. Superman goes inside the sun and communicates with them. He then has to gather all the Kryptonite in the galaxy (that still exists--all the Kryptonite on Earth was turned into iron) to create a new planet Krypton for the Sun-Thrivers. This effectively eliminates all Kryptonite from our galaxy (for the next few years).

Thanks for the info!

[Jim Kelly]

Re: "The Sun of Superman," I scanned three pages (which is the limit for how many I like to post from a regular comics book--I want people to actually find these comics or demand they be reprinted) and I put the scan on my blog. Putting images on this message board is always a problem for me so you can go to this link and see them there--

Or go to the blog and look at them there for the second week in June on my "8 Days Louise" page.

[WhatHappenedToUrsula]

Post-crisis pre-flashpoint he could. Currently? I have no idea.

Yep. I agree with this 100%.

[victorsage]

Some versions could, some couldn't.

[exile001]

In my head, he will always be able to live at the core of the sun. I've seen it before, and it's always awesome!

[daBronzeBomma]

Is this issue you're referring to?



This topic got me reminiscing: remember that episode of SUPER FRIENDS where Luthor made a deal with the Sun Creatures (who lived inside our Sun) to turn our sun red to rob Superman of his powers and he had to use the Supermobile to defeat them?





Good times : )

[Jim Kelly]

I don't remember seeing that one, but I guess that SUPER FRIENDS episode must've been inspired by the "Sun of Superman" (see my above posts).