There’s no denying that Superman is one of the most powerful heroes in the DC Universe, and surprisingly, he could be even stronger. Superman has one technique that would boost his power to unbelievable heights, but he’s too scared to use it. And now fans know exactly why “sun-dipping” isn’t something Kal-El does regularly.
The reason behind Superman’s refusal to sun-dip was revealed during the Death Metal event by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. In this massive event, the entire cast of the DC Universe is battling against the army of the Dark Multiverse. One of the strongest soldiers of the Dark Multiverse is none other than The Last Sun, a version of Superman driven insane by being overwhelmed by the power of the sun.
This version of Superman has overwhelming power, capable of easily taking on the entire Super-Family and their villains. But the cost of this power is Superman’s morality, as he no longer cares for humanity or anything else. This horrifying version of Superman is actually a manifestation of one of Superman’s greatest fears.
The Last Sun Is Superman’s Most Powerful Form, And Greatest Fear
Dark Nights: Death Metal: War of the Multiverses by Magdalene Visaggio, Paul Pelletier
Superman’s power is derived from the sun. The entire reason he’s able to leap tall buildings in a single bound and outrace a speeding train is because of the yellow sun that shines down on him. It allows him to save the world, and in times of great need, Superman has dipped in the sun to increase his power. This has caused some people to question why Superman doesn’t do this for every threat he comes up against. During Superman’s fight against Doomsday, the situation could’ve been solved quickly if he just spent a few minutes in the sun, but power never comes without a cost.
As shown by the Dark Multiverse, one of Superman’s great fears is that he might one day be overwhelmed by the power of the sun. It’s a reasonable fear, considering just how far above humanity regular sunshine puts him. If Superman spent years consuming yellow suns, he’d be so far above humanity that he might not even recognize them anymore. In such a scenario, he’d have no problems becoming a horrific tyrant, as proven by the Last Sun. Superman already has numerous famous lines about how he feels he lives in a world of cardboard. If his power was increased 100x further, he’d have no ability to live in the world of humans at all.
Superman’s Deepest Fear: The Sun Might Corrupt Him
Even Superman’s Power Could Corrupt Him Eventually
This fear of Clark’s is a brilliant way to explain why he doesn’t just defeat every enemy he comes up against. In the DCeased universe, Clark spends several years consuming a yellow sun. When he came out, he was capable of fighting a Kryptonian, a Green Lantern, an Amazon, Cyborg, and two versions of Shazam. This is an incredible amount of power, and that was only after Superman barely consumed a single sun. A Superman that consumed dozens would make him unbeatable, and that’s exactly what Superman is scared of.
Superman has tons of fears, one of which being that he’ll never truly fit in with humanity or that Superman is just a bullet that’s doomed Earth to death, just like Krypton. What should be the greatest source of power for Superman, is revealed to just be his greatest fear. Superman will never be able to fully utilize sun-dipping, because he’s absolutely terrified that if he spends too long in the sun, he won’t emerge as a Superman, but as a monster.
Superman
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.