# Other Stars, Other Suns, Superman **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comic-books-manga\ **Created:** [August 7, 2026, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-stars-other-suns-superman/1032211 "2026-08-07T15:11:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2026, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-stars-other-suns-superman/1032211/1 "2026-08-07T15:11:10Z")
Those of us who know comics know that Superman gets his powers under the energies of a Yellow Spectrum Sun. Red Suns deny him these energies. But Astronomy teaches of of other stars. There are five star colors: blue, white, yellow, orange, and red. What effect do these other stars have on the Last Son of Krypton? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2026, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-stars-other-suns-superman/1032211/2 "2026-08-07T15:23:04Z")
I remember reading a comic from long ago that said a red Sun turns Kal-el into the **King of the Ants**. With feelers, yet. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2026, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-stars-other-suns-superman/1032211/3 "2026-08-07T15:23:09Z")
Blue sun - Ramps up his powers and gives him a few new ones Red sun - doesn’t charge him Yellow sun - powers Orange sun - charges half as fast Green sun - removes powers but gives him telekinesis and telepathy White sun - God Superman ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2026, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-stars-other-suns-superman/1032211/4 "2026-08-07T15:32:10Z")
Dammit! I misremembered, it’s red Kryptonite not red sun. Still… ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2026, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-stars-other-suns-superman/1032211/5 "2026-08-07T15:49:42Z")
Based on the new _Supergirl_ film, green sun = very bad to the point of being potentially deadly. But I have no idea if this is something they came up with for the film or if there’s precedent in the comics. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2026, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-stars-other-suns-superman/1032211/6 "2026-08-07T16:00:14Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Dammit! I misremembered, it’s red Kryptonite not red sun. Red kryptonite does whatever the writer of that issue felt was going to advance the plot. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2026, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-stars-other-suns-superman/1032211/7 "2026-08-07T16:07:17Z")
Versatile, huh? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2026, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-stars-other-suns-superman/1032211/8 "2026-08-07T16:38:04Z")
There aren’t any green stars. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2026, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-stars-other-suns-superman/1032211/9 "2026-08-07T16:41:05Z")
There aren’t any Kryptonians, or red Kryptonite, either. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2026, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-stars-other-suns-superman/1032211/10 "2026-08-07T16:42:25Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > There aren’t any green stars. Wait - are you saying that Oa isn’t real? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2026, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-stars-other-suns-superman/1032211/11 "2026-08-07T16:45:54Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > There aren’t any green stars. What if it’s actually a red star but you’re colorblind? ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2026, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-stars-other-suns-superman/1032211/12 "2026-08-07T16:52:48Z")
What if Superman were exposed to gamma rays??! ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2026, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-stars-other-suns-superman/1032211/13 "2026-08-07T16:53:39Z")
William Herschel knew immediately that he’d discovered a new planet (Uranus) in 1781 precisely because it was green. (Oddly enough, he wanted to name it King George’s Star.) ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2026, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-stars-other-suns-superman/1032211/14 "2026-08-07T16:59:00Z")
They thought they had discovered a new element due to a 530.3 nm emission line in the Sun’s spectrum, but it turned out to be highly ionized iron. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2026, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-stars-other-suns-superman/1032211/15 "2026-08-07T17:01:24Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > I remember reading a comic from long ago that said a red Sun turns Kal-el into the **King of the Ants**. With feelers, yet. I think you’re confusing things a bit. In _Action Comics_#296 coverdated January 1963 Superman deliberately exposes himself to Red Kryptonite (not a Red Sun) to give himself an ant’s head so he can communicate with giant invading red ants. (Red Kryptonite is Green Kryptonite that passed through some interstellar cloud and causes weird temporary effects on Kryptonians. Superman and his crowd have noted the effects of different pieces of Red Kryptonite, and keep a collection of these in lead containers – which blocks the radiation – so they can make use of these effects.) I have a suspicion that this episode was inspired in part by Ralph Milne Farley’s _Radio Planet_ series of stories, and in particular the 1950s comic adaptation of them that probably influenced the creation of Marvel’s Ant Man, who had first appeared as the character in September 1962. In other words, DC rushed their own version of Superman as Ant Man into a comic as soo n as Marvel introduced the character. [https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Action\_Comics\_Vol\_1\_296](https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Action_Comics_Vol_1_296) > **[Action Comics #296 Superman 9x12 FRAMED Vintage 1963 DC Comics Art Print Poster](https://grantscomics.com/products/action-comics-296-superman-9x12-framed-vintage-1963-dc-comics-art-print-poster?srsltid=AfmBOormiDsb2e6bdyEAEk5iOBtX2EEOQZ8pFqdCE31rk1PrNCR-FbhcBtE)** > > Action Comics #296 Superman 9x12 FRAMED Vintage 1963 DC Comics Art Print PosterOfficially licensed framed 9" x 12" art. NOT a copy.FREE SHIPPING on everything. Always. All items are shipped within 2 business days with UPS or USPS tracking. Everything... ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2026, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-stars-other-suns-superman/1032211/16 "2026-08-07T17:03:09Z")
The Science Of covers the entire history of green stars in DC lore. > **[Supergirl and the Green Star Problem](https://www.thescienceof.org/p/why-green-stars-dont-exist-and-why)** > > Supergirl sends Kara to a planet orbiting a green sun, which raises a surprisingly fascinating question: Can green stars actually exist? > > The answer takes us through binary star systems, phone screens, your own eyes, and one of the strangest facts... ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2026, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-stars-other-suns-superman/1032211/17 "2026-08-07T17:19:40Z")
I remember in the 2025 Superman movie, his cousin Kara says she’s going to a planet with a red star so that she can get drunk. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2026, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-stars-other-suns-superman/1032211/18 "2026-08-07T17:22:54Z")
Yeah. That’s because Kryptonians lose their “super” status when they go to a planet under red sun, according to Silver Age DC continuity. So they can get hurt and also be affected by drugs. If Superman wanted to get high on weed he’d have to go to a red sun world. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2026, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-stars-other-suns-superman/1032211/19 "2026-08-07T17:25:45Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > (Oddly enough, he wanted to name it King George’s Star.) I wrote about it in another thread, but the planet Uranus [was almost named Herschel](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-this-conversation-ever-happen-in-the-star-trek-universe/998094/46). It’s funny that DC Comics really liked to give special significance to the colors of things. The different Lantern Corps groups, the color of suns, the color of Kryptonite. Rainbow Brite would have fit in pretty well there. Heck, Superman has had rainbow powers before. [![](https://static0.cbrimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Rainbow-Beams-10-Wierdest-Superman-Powers.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1.5) ](https://static0.cbrimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Rainbow-Beams-10-Wierdest-Superman-Powers.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1.5) They really should do a sponsorship with Skittles at some point. I imagine it has to do with the colorful medium of comic books, and DC in particular liked their very bright, colorful aesthetics. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2026, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-stars-other-suns-superman/1032211/20 "2026-08-07T17:36:54Z")
Yeah, I corrected myself in Post #4. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-stars-other-suns-superman/1032211.md?page=2)