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Sun Boy

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Sun Boy
Sun Boy as depicted in Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #29 (2007). Art by Kevin Sharpe.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceAction Comics #276 (May 1961)
Created byJerry Siegel
Jim Mooney
In-story information
Alter egoDirk Morgna
SpeciesMetahuman
Place of originEarth (31st century)
Team affiliationsLegion of Super-Heroes
Elements of Disaster
Notable aliasesInferno, Ph'yr
AbilitiesPowers:

Heat and light generation
Immunity to heat and radiation
Equipment:

  • Legion flight ring

Sun Boy (Dirk Morgna) is a superhero appearing in media published by DC Comics, primarily as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries. He has the ability to generate internal solar energy to whatever degree he wishes, from enough to light a single candle to enough to melt nearly any obstacle.[1]

Sun Boy first appeared in 1961 during the Silver Age of Comic Books.

Publication history

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Sun Boy first appeared in Action Comics #276 (as a cameo in a Supergirl story) and was created by Jerry Siegel and Jim Mooney.[2] His first full appearance (albeit as an impostor) is in Adventure Comics #290.

Fictional character biography

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Silver Age

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The original version of Sun Boy as depicted in Adventure Comics #290 (November 1961). Art by Curt Swan.

Dirk Morgna's father owns a nuclear power plant, where he works as a helper. While he is delivering supplies to one of the plant's scientists, Dr. Zaxton Regulus, the machine the scientist is working on explodes, killing fellow worker Zarl Hendricks. Regulus blames the accident, and his subsequent dismissal, on the interruption. He tries to gain revenge on Dirk by throwing him in an atomic reactor, which instead gives him powers due to his "one-in-a-million genetic structure".

Dirk applies for the Legion, as Sun Boy, but is rejected as he has only demonstrated his ability to generate light. He is later accepted when he shows his heat-generation ability.

"Five Years Later"

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During the "Five Year Gap" following the Magic Wars, Sun Boy becomes leader of the Legion and becomes a public relations liaison to Earthgov. After Earthgov is revealed to be under Dominator control, Sun Boy is branded a traitor. He is later exposed to a fatal dose of radiation and euthanized by his lover Circe.[3]

Shortly before Dirk's death, "Batch SW6", a group of temporal clones of the Legionnaires, escape the Dominators' captivity. After Earth is destroyed,[4] a few dozen surviving cities and their inhabitants reconstitute their world as New Earth. The SW6 Legionnaires remain, and their version of Sun Boy assumes the code name Inferno.

This version of Inferno appears in Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #5.

Post-Zero Hour

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In post-Zero Hour continuity, Dirk Morgna is a supporting character who does not permanently possess powers. He temporarily gains pyrokinetic abilities on two occasions after being injected with radioactive gold by Doctor Regulus and possessed by the elemental spirit Ph'yr.

Threeboot

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In the 2004 revised Legion continuity, unlike the rest of his Legion comrades, Dirk Morgna's parents openly support the galactic movement the Legion represents. He becomes the Legion's field leader, but temporarily resigns and begins assisting the exiled descendants living in "otherspace".[5]

This version of Sun Boy is killed by Superboy-Prime in Legion of Three Worlds #3. He is temporarily resurrected as a Black Lantern in Blackest Night.

Post-Infinite Crisis

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The events of Infinite Crisis restore an analogue of the pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths Legion to continuity. Sun Boy is captured by Earth Man and used to turn stars throughout the galaxy red. He is rescued, but traumatized to the point that he can no longer use his powers.[6][7] Sun Boy is later killed in a starcruiser crash, after which the planet's inhabitants cook and eat his body.[8]

DC Rebirth

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In "Doomsday Clock", Sun Boy is erased from existence following Doctor Manhattan's alterations to the timeline. However, Superman convinces Manhattan to undo his changes, restoring the Legion and the Justice Society of America.[9]

In "The New Golden Age", Sun Boy is among the Legion of Super-Heroes members who arrive in the present and confront the Justice Society over their decision to recruit Legionnaire, a young, heroic incarnation of Mordru.[10]

Powers and abilities

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Sun Boy is a metahuman with the ability to generate vast amounts of electromagnetic radiation, heat, and light. He is also immune to virtually all forms of heat and radiation.[11] As a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, he is provided a Legion Flight Ring, which allows him to fly and survive in the vacuum of space and other dangerous environments.

In other media

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  • Sun Boy makes non-speaking appearances in Legion of Super Heroes. This version sports fiery hair and black sclera.
  • Sun Boy appears in the one-shot comic Batman '66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes.[12]

References

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  1. ^ Fleisher, Michael L. (2007). The Original Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes, Volume Three: Superman. DC Comics. p. 306. ISBN 978-1-4012-1389-3.
  2. ^ Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 355. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
  3. ^ Circe is not to be confused with the sorceress Circe, an adversary of Wonder Woman.
  4. ^ Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 4) #38, late December 1992.
  5. ^ Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 5) #48 (January 2009)
  6. ^ Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 6) #2 (June 2010)
  7. ^ Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 6) #5 (September 2010)
  8. ^ Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 6) #17 (February 2013)
  9. ^ Doomsday Clock #12 (December 2019). DC Comics.
  10. ^ Justice Society of America Vol. 4 #10. DC Comics.
  11. ^ Sun Boy of the Legion of Super-Heroes
  12. ^ "Batman '66 Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes #1 - Atomic Batteries To Power, Flight Rings To Speed (Issue)". Comic Vine. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
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