Warning: Spoilers for Action Comics #1075Superman’sgreatest weakness in the DC Universe is widely regarded to be Kryptonite, but he has another that could spell even more trouble for him in the long run. In a shocking reveal, the Phantom Zone has transformed into a terrifying weapon with the capacity to take away Superman’s powers. A staple of Superman lore exploits his true weakness by eliminating the source of his superpowers: the sun.
InAction Comics#1075 by Mark Waid, Clayton Henry, Michael Shelfer, Matt Herms, and Dave Sharpe, Superman asks Jor-El what would happen if thePhantom Zone were to changebeyond being a void. Jor explains that he once attempted to solidify the Zone and caused a two-day black-out on Krypton, so this consequence would worsen on a larger scale.
Meanwhile, on Earth, Jimmy Olsen informs Lois Lane that the Earth is suddenly growing cooler instead of warmer. This global cooling turns out to be the Phantom Zone’s doing. Jor-El’s prediction has come to pass thanks to the wicked Aethyr’s machinations.The Phantom Zone is consuming the Earth’s sunin orderto fuel its evolution, weakening Superman in the process and potentially stripping his powers away for good.
The Phantom Zone Consumes Earth’s Sun in a Drastic Change to Superman Lore
Aethyr Expands DC’s Darkest Prison, Endangering the Earth
Superman first sets out to investigate the Phantom Zoneafter a horrific fusion of prisoners emerges from it. Since then, he’s discovered who the perpetrator of these dark designs is:Aethyr, a villain who originates from the Zone. Aethyr’s disdain for the criminals leads to him subjecting them to his own cruel vision of justice. He hasturned the Phantom Zone into absolute nightmare fuelby torturing its inhabitants and sending them through time portals, all to punish them for their crimes. Despite Superman’s efforts to thwart Aethyr’s plot, he ends up being sent through time, while Aethyr continues his reign of terror.
Aethyr’s first appearance in Superman lore can be found in 1982’sPhantom Zone#3 by Steve Gerber and Gene Colan, available now from DC Comics.
Aethyr’s punishment of thePhantom Zone prisonerscomes to a head in this issue, as he decides that they deserve the highest form of suffering he can muster. His original intent may have been revenge against Superman, but here, he’s rerouted his goal to tormenting the Kryptonians within the Zone to a horrifying degree. Channeling dark powers,Aethyr proclaims that he will turn the Phantom Zone into"an entire world dedicated to judgment and pain…from which there is no escape.“The Phantom Zone thereby commences its transformation, and it requires the power of Earth’s sun to do so.
The Phantom Zone Just Became the Ultimate Anti-Superman Weapon for 1 Critical Reason
Superman’s God-Tier Powers Disappear Without the Sun
Kryptonians like Superman draw their otherworldly power from the sun, with the energy of yellow suns unleashing their immense potential. Essentially,Superman’s exposure to the Earth’s sun is what gives him his god-like abilities. He can even amplify this effect viatechniques such as sun-dipping. Without the sun, Superman is no stronger than an average human.
Superman’s weakness in the absence of a yellow sun is proven when hetravels back in time to Krypton.Under his home planet’s red sun, Superman has no superpowersand becomes physically vulnerable. Superman needs a yellow sun to reach full power, and the Phantom Zone has now deprived him of Earth’s.
The Phantom Zone’s expansion will doom the Earth to eternal darkness and Superman to eternal powerlessness.
The Phantom Zone is used against Superman as it overtakes Superman’s primary power source.With no sun, even if Superman finds his way back home from Krypton’s past, he will be significantly weakenedand therefore unable to fight Aethyr. Artificial upgrades, includingSuperman’s high-tech solar gauntlets, can replicate the effect of a yellow sun, but their limited power supply renders them ineligible as a long-term solution.
Superman’s Dark New Villain Uncovers His Greatest Weakness
By Targeting the Sun, Aethyr Becomes A Major Threat to Superman
Superman will need to somehow overcome this environmental obstacleand restore the sun if he wants to be strong enough to stop Aethyr. Otherwise, the Phantom Zone’s expansion will doom the Earth to eternal darkness and Superman to eternal powerlessness.
Superman’s Return to Krypton Transforms the Meaning of His Logo, As He Becomes a Hero WITHOUT His Iconic Superpowers
Superman is forced to be without his “S” symbol and superpowers, but his actions prove that he’s a hero even without his classic iconography.
Superman has battled manyiconic villains in DC history, from Lex Luthor to Brainiac, but Aethyr has just shot up the list to become one of his most dangerous foes. The Phantom Zone sapping the sun’s power also saps Superman’s power in turn, giving Aethyr a game-changing advantage over Superman that no other villain has. The Earth’s temperature is plummeting due to Aethyr’s meddling, which shows how dim the sun’s light has already become in a short span of time.Supermanruns the risk of permanently losing his superpowers as the Phantom Zone begins to rob the Earth of its sun.
Action Comics#1075is 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.
