Sometimes it feels likeSupermanhas countless powers: flight, super strength, super speed, heat vision, frost breath, and dozens of others. This breadth of powers is one of the biggest reasons that people call Superman boring, but all of these powers pale in comparison to his final resort: the Super Flare.
Supermanhaving an attack that’s so powerful, he avoids using it is a pretty scary concept, but that’sexactly what the Super Flare is. Alternately called the Solar Flare power, it debuted inSuperman#38 by Geoff Johns and John Romita Jr. when Superman realizes that he’s capable of expending all of his solar energy in one giant blast.
This attackdecimates everything around him and drains Superman of all his powers, rendering him virtually human - which is why he seldom uses the ability. Not only is it the most destructive power in his arsenal, but it leaves him almost entirely vulnerable after the fact, making it a truly last-resort attack.
Solar Flare Is the Strongest Kryptonian Ability
Superman#38 by Geoff Johns, John Romita Jr, Klaus Janson, Laura Martin, Ulises Arreola, Daniel Brown, Wil Quintana, and Sal Cipriano
Superman has powers because of Eart’s yellow sun. Superman’s Kryptonian cells can absorb the yellow radiation and turn this into incredible power. Superman’s strength, flight, speed, and heat vision all come from the solar energy that he absorbs, and if he needs to, he can expend all of it instantly. The Super Flare is a catastrophic ability, and he’s almost never used it. But when Superman is in a pinch,he’s capable of unleashing all of his power at onceto absolutely obliterate anyone in the immediate area around him.
Superman avoids using the ability, but he’s also managed to refine it over the years.
Losing all his powers after using a Super Flare is the biggest reason that Superman avoids using the ability, but he’s also managed to refine it over the years. TheJustice League helps SupermaninJustice League#49 by Geoff Johns, Jason Fabok, Brad Anderson, and Rob Leigh so that he can control the exact amount of energy he releases in his super flare, allowing him to make it much smaller and more contained. Instead of destroying an entire city block, he can localize the blast much more easily, which alsoallows him to expend less energy, saving some so it doesn’t take him as long to recharge after using the Solar Flare power.
Why Doesn’t Superman Use His Solar Flare Power More?
Superman Has Been Holding Back His Strongest Attack
With the amount of powers and high level of strength Superman has, he seldom needs to use his super flare attack. Few enemies could push him to the desperation he’d need to unleash all his power at once. He’d also have to be sure that his super flare attack would actually take his enemy down, or else Superman would be severely weakened. While this attack is rarely used in the comics, it remainsSuperman’sstrongest move and is reserved for only the most desperate of situations.
Superman#38is available now from DC Comics!
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.
