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A commonly accepted hypothesis is that yellow sunlight merely acts as a catalyst for further processes within him that release his true power.

Umm...

HOLY CRAP! Give me a minute while I snort my brain back up my nose. I'm a reporter, not a physicist!
Your calculations preclude Superman being a solar battery. If he gains his abilities from the energy of our yellow sun, then he obviously has some, as perhaps yet unexplained, ability to multiply that energy exponentially.
We all know that Jorel said his son would be strong and resilient but that doesn't explain how Superman does any of his uberness. Personally, I feel that his power must be physic in nature. Maybe the sun makes it possible, but his brain (being super and all) may be able to accomplish anything if he was capable to using all of it.
Maybe it all comes down to Superman having the power of super mind over matter. That's as good an explanation as any, in my opinion.
Keep posting!

Originally posted by Donkey Punch
The short answer is that Superman expends energy at a far higher rate than he could possibly absorb it. Absolutely.
A while back I did similar calculations (hey, GMTA ), and came to the conclusion that, in order for Superman to survive the full power of a ground-zero 1-megaton nuke, he'd have to absorb sunlight for 500,000 years.

The Sparkplug Hypothesis.

Originally posted by Endless Mike
A commonly accepted hypothesis is that yellow sunlight merely acts as a catalyst for further processes within him that release his true power.

I wonder what this True power source is. You seem like a really clever guy, do you have any ideas what it maybe. I think its been hinted at some points before, has anyone got any evidence to clarify this.

How are you sure that Superman's body uses exactly the power in watts or joules of radiation? Superman's body may convert it into another type of energy or energy source that may be much greater then just ordinary watts or joules. I would say something in his organ system must be converting the sun energy into another energy. Added to that, Superman isn't a normal human and his body probably conserves energy better then any other human. Saying that, he probably uses less energy on tasks that humans will use alot more energy on.

Originally posted by Mindship
Absolutely.
A while back I did similar calculations (hey, GMTA ), and came to the conclusion that, in order for Superman to survive the full power of a ground-zero 1-megaton nuke, he'd have to absorb sunlight for 500,000 years.

The Sparkplug Hypothesis.

You also seem like a really clever guy, especially if you are doing calculations like that (I got the info from another website). Its really bugging me as to whether this is an official retcon, or whether or not the living Solar battery theory still applies ? The recent 'Up up and away' saga kind of hints that his powers are psychological, maybe even psionic which would back up this guys theory .....

HOLY CRAP! Give me a minute while I snort my brain back up my nose. I'm a reporter, not a physicist!
Your calculations preclude Superman being a solar battery. If he gains his abilities from the energy of our yellow sun, then he obviously has some, as perhaps yet unexplained, ability to multiply that energy exponentially.
We all know that Jorel said his son would be strong and resilient but that doesn't explain how Superman does any of his uberness. Personally, I feel that his power must be physic in nature. Maybe the sun makes it possible, but his brain (being super and all) may be able to accomplish anything if he was capable to using all of it.
Maybe it all comes down to Superman having the power of super mind over matter. That's as good an explanation as any, in my opinion.

Although this would make sense to a certain extent, it doesn't really explain why he is limited to the powers he's got. Why cant he do Telekinesis and Transmutation e.t.c..

Another theory i have read before is that Krypton had different laws of physics to the rest of the universe. In this universe they where able to absorb and interact with parallel universes predicted by the Schroedinger and his cat. Although hes CURRENTLY unable to observe these parallel universes, he is still able to absorb photons from them, but only photons of a yellow band wave length. I.e. the many world theory (Similar to Hyper time) predicts the notion of two universes existing for every two way decision. Therefore every time a particle could have gone one way or the other its creates an entire new universe, letting it go both ways. If he could some how psionically absorb the radiation from these other universes he could literally absorb energy from Billions of stars simultaneously ? I think it was mentioned somewhere during the Byrne era, can anyone vouch for this ?

Originally posted by Spidervlad
How are you sure that Superman's body uses exactly the power in watts or joules of radiation? Superman's body may convert it into another type of energy or energy source that may be much greater then just ordinary watts or joules. I would say something in his organ system must be converting the sun energy into another energy. Added to that, Superman isn't a normal human and his body probably conserves energy better then any other human. Saying that, he probably uses less energy on tasks that humans will use alot more energy on.

Sorry mate, but during the process of conversion one cannot create or destroy energy. Just because he converts the radiation into potential energy, it doesn't mean he can magically create more out of nothingness than he absorbed in the first place. Thats if the laws of Thermodynamics apply to the D.C. universe, which I'm sure they do, as its been stated by scientist such as the Ray Palmer and Bruce Wayne, previously.

Originally posted by Donkey Punch
I wonder what this True power source is. You seem like a really clever guy, do you have any ideas what it maybe. I think its been hinted at some points before, has anyone got any evidence to clarify this.

I do not know. It has been implied that he has a link with the Source/Presence, but that doesn't explain the other Kryptonians and Daxamites.

Originally posted by Endless Mike
I do not know. It has been implied that he has a link with the Source/Presence, but that doesn't explain the other Kryptonians and Daxamites.

Maybe they all are ....

Where was this implied ?

In OWAW I believe

Originally posted by Endless Mike
In OWAW I believe

i own OWAW and i can remember that bit ?

I think it was something Imperiex said at the end, I'm not sure. However I think it was also stated by the Linear Men in one comic (which I don't remember the title of)

Originally posted by Endless Mike
I think it was something Imperiex said at the end, I'm not sure. However I think it was also stated by the Linear Men in one comic (which I don't remember the title of)

I've seen someone stating that Mongul and Orion have said the same thing, but I still cant find the source. Another interesting factor, was discovered when the Atom investigated his body and found that his stomach converted his food into pure energy by a form of fusion. Although this would provide him with huge amounts of energy it would not come close to the amounts needed to perform planetary feats. He have to be eating literally billions of tons worth of food to do that.

Well in one Pre - Crisis comic he ate all the food in the world

Originally posted by Endless Mike
Well in one Pre - Crisis comic he ate all the food in the world



Really ?

That would definitely give him enough energy to move a planet the size of earth (Thats if he converts the food into pure enrgy by fusion) But it maybe a one off feat.

It was basically just Pre - Crisis wackiness

Originally posted by Endless Mike
It was basically just Pre - Crisis wackiness

I thought as much, but at the same time at the moment Pre Crisis Superman IMO seems more plausible. At-least D.C. where vague about how his powers worked. The Bryne revamp makes him officially impossible, that really annoys me.

I always had a theory that supes body metabolised by converting its mass into energy through the theory of relativity then he could choose what form the energy took.

Originally posted by Help
I always had a theory that supes body metabolised by converting its mass into energy through the theory of relativity then he could choose what form the energy took.

Thats very simillar to my theory !

Sunlight is simply a catalyst for Superman's abilities.

At this point, Superman's best bet is that he's a subconscious reality warper (which conveniently explains his T-vo ability. )

Originally posted by Avlon
Sunlight is simply a catalyst for Superman's abilities.

At this point, Superman's best bet is that he's a subconscious reality warper (which conveniently explains his T-vo ability. )

Why the **** would Kryptonians have latent 'Reality warping' powers they couldn't use on their own planet ? Its seems a tad bit ridiculous ?

I think Kryptonains have an organ (wouldn't work in our universe), that attracts light to it on a large scale.There are loads of characters who are able to bend light (Doctor Light, etc), and loads of energy absorbers (Parasite,Captain Atom, etc) so why not make Superman one, except make this Solar absorption physiological rather than mental. Obviously Superman wouldn't be able to use this organ all the time as it would create a shadow over everything, but it not hard to imagine him going into space and the 'switching it on'. It would allow him to obtain huge quantities of Solar radiation, which his body then stores. It would also explain Sun dipping, as it works more effectively when in close proximity to the sun.

I've also always been a bit uncomfortable about the whole solar absorption thing, because the energy given off by yellow sun radiation wouldn't be sufficient to allow Supes to accomplish his uber feats.

I've always thought it wouldn't be sensible for Superman to do what he does if his powers were not inter dimensional in origin. The sun radiation is just a way to kick start his body's ability to draw more power from an inter dimensional source.

Basically solar radiation allows him to unlock more of his powers, he doesn't directly gain energy from solar radiation.

Originally posted by Allankles
I've also always been a bit uncomfortable about the whole solar absorption thing, because the energy given off by yellow sun radiation wouldn't be sufficient to allow Supes to accomplish his uber feats.

I've always thought it wouldn't be sensible for Superman to do what he does if his powers were not inter dimensional in origin. The sun radiation is just a way to kick start his body's ability to draw more power from an inter dimensional source.

Basically solar radiation allows him to unlock more of his powers, he doesn't directly gain energy from solar radiation.

I think most people prefer the idea of the Catalyst, or jump start concept. I wish writers would incorporate it though ....

Originally posted by Cartesian Doubt
I think most people prefer the idea of the Catalyst, or jump start concept. I wish writers would incorporate it though ....

I have heard people in documentaries (can't remember which) and magazines mentioning something similar to the catalyst idea. And according to a poster here Mongul and couple other characters have mentioned something of the sought.

If Superman has an energy source, what do you think it should be ?

There are various contenders:

His cells use the Sun to synthesise organic material (like Plants), which his cells then convert into pure energy. As each Kilogram of organic matter contains the energy equivalent of a 25 megaton nuclear bomb, he could should be able to absorb literally billions of nuclear bombs worth of energy every year. Although this sound enormous, and would easily enable him to move mountains and move close to the speed of light, it wouldn't give him the energy to a move a planet or the moon.

On the plus side, it worked very well with the Solar absorption idea, as he performing the equivalent of photosynthesis. It would have the added 'Badass' bonus, of making his cells living-suns as well.

One way to get around this, would be to use his gravity manipulation powers (i.e. his power to fly) to make himself into a gravity lens of sorts, like a living Black hole which would allow him to suck in the Suns light, using gravity. Of course he'd have to perform this stunt as close to the sun as possible, limiting the necessary size of the gravity lens.

On the negative side it doesn't really work with the Sun-dipping Idea. As the mass needed for the cellular fusion, comes from our Atmosphere, he'll be cut off from most oh his power source, whilst in the sun.

Alternative Power source, would be the limitless supply of energy from the vacuum of space, but this is already the power source of Captain Atom, and it doesn't link very well with the Solar absorption. On the plus side it is limitless, so Superman would be able to perform his more impressive feats. It also may be able to provide an explanation for his ability to fly, as scientists have recently created a form of levitation using the Vacuum energy.

The other ideas , would involve the Source or maybe some Extra Dimensional power source, but IMO, they both sound a little lame.