Sun Boy

DC Comics character

Comics character

Sun Boy

Sun Boy as depicted in Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #29 (2007). Art by Kevin Sharpe.

Publication information
Publisher| DC Comics
First appearance| Action Comics #276 (May 1961)
Created by| Jerry Siegel
Jim Mooney
In-story information
Alter ego| Dirk Morgna
Species| Metahuman
Place of origin| Earth (31st century)
Team affiliations| Legion of Super-Heroes
Elements of Disaster
Notable aliases| Inferno, Ph'yr
Abilities| Powers:

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

### Silver Age

[edit]

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"

[edit]

During the "Five Year Gap" following the Magic Wars, Sun Boy becomes leader of the Legion and 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] Following this, a temporal clone of Sun Boy from "Batch SW6" is introduced.[4]

### Post-Zero Hour

[edit]

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

[edit]

In the "Threeboot", Sun Boy is the Legion's field leader. He later 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

[edit]

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 and left unable to 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

[edit]

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][10]

## Powers and abilities

[edit]

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

[edit]

* 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

[edit]

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 (September 2024). 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.

## External links

[edit]

* SUN BOY at the LEGION Collection - http://jameskeeley777.wixsite.com/legion/sun-boy
* A Hero History Of Sun Boy

* v
* t
* e

Legion of Super-Heroes

* Otto Binder
* Al Plastino
* Mort Weisinger

Incarnations|

* 1958 team
* 1994 team
* 2004 team

Founding members|

* Cosmic Boy
* Lightning Lad
* Saturn Girl

Notable members|

* Blok
* Bouncing Boy
* Brainiac 5
* Chameleon Boy
* Chameleon Girl
* Chemical Kid/Chemical King
* Colossal Boy
* Comet Queen
* Computo (Danielle Foccart)
* Dawnstar
* Dream Girl
* Earth-Man
* Element Lad
* Ferro Lad
* Laurel Gand
* Gates
* Invisible Kid (Lyle Norg and Jacques Foccart)
* Karate Kid (Val Armorr)
* Karate Kid (Myg)
* Jon Kent
* Khundian Legionnaires
* Kid Quantum
* Kinetix
* Lightning Lass/Light Lass
* Magno
* Matter-Eater Lad
* Mon-El
* Night Girl
* Phantom Girl
* Polar Boy
* Princess Projectra/Sensor Girl
* Sensor
* Shadow Lass
* Shrinking Violet
* Spider Girl/Wave
* Star Boy/Starman
* Sun Boy
* Timber Wolf
* Triplicate Girl/Duo Damsel/Duplicate Damsel
* Tyroc
* Ultra Boy
* White Witch
* Wildfire
* XS

Special members|

* Elastic Lad (Jimmy Olsen)
* Insect Queen (Lana Lang)
* Pete Ross
* Superboy (Kal-El)
* Superboy (Kon-El)
* Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)
* Superman

Supporting characters|

* R. J. Brande
* Controllers
* Shvaughn Erin
* Inferno
* Laurel Kent
* Legion Academy
* Legion of Substitute Heroes

Antagonists|

* Anti-Monitor
* Brainiac
* Composite Superman
* Computo
* Dark Circle
* Darkseid
* Dominators
* Fatal Five
* Emerald Empress
* Persuader
* Justice League of Earth
* Khunds
* Legion of Super-Villains
* Mordru
* Nemesis Kid
* Ol-Vir
* Ra's al Ghul
* Sklarian Raiders
* Starfinger
* Superboy-Prime
* Universo
* Vandal Savage

World|

* Colu
* Daxam

Publications|

* "One of Us Is a Traitor"
* "The Death of Ferro Lad"
* "The Adult Legion"
* "Mordru the Merciless"
* "Earthwar"
* "The Exaggerated Death of Ultra Boy"
* "The Great Darkness Saga"
* Legionnaires 3
* "The Universo Project"
* "The Greatest Hero of Them All"
* "The Terra Mosaic"
* "End of an Era"
* Legion Lost (vol. 1)
* "The Lightning Saga"
* "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes"
* Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds

Alternate continuities|

* Legion of Galactic Guardians 2099
* Superboy's Legion

In other media|

* TV series
* JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time
* Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Cosmic Clash
* Justice League vs. the Fatal Five
* Film

Related articles|

* Adventure Comics
* Dev-Em
* The Final Night
* Heroes of Lallor
* Invasion!
* L.E.G.I.O.N.
* Legion of Super-Pets
* R.E.B.E.L.S.
* Science Police
* Sodam Yat
* United Planets
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* Workforce
* Zero Hour: Crisis in Time!

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Superman characters

Superman
family|

| By codename|

* Superman
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|

By public
identity|

* Kal-El/Clark Kent
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Pets|

* Krypto
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Supporting
characters|

* Lois Lane
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Associated
characters|

* The Authority
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* Bouncing Boy
* Sun Boy
* Brainiac 5
* Ultra Boy
* Element Lad
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* Lightning Lass
* Dream Girl
* Timber Wolf
* Princess Projectra
* Ferro Lad
* Karate Kid
* White Witch
* Shadow Lass
* Chemical King
* Wildfire
* Tyroc
* Dawnstar
* Laurel Gand
* Legion of Super-Pets
* Legion of Super-Villains
* Lobo
* Maxima
* Newsboy Legion
* Project Cadmus
* Silent Knight
* Super-Chief
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* World's Finest Team

Enemies|

| Archenemies|

* Lex Luthor
* Brainiac
* Darkseid
* General Zod
* Ultra-Humanite

|

Other
central rogues|

* Atomic Skull
* Bizarro
* Bloodsport
* Bruno Mannheim
* Cyborg Superman
* Hank Henshaw
* Doomsday
* Livewire
* Manchester Black
* Mercy Graves
* Metallo
* Mister Mxyzptlk
* Mongul
* Parasite
* Silver Banshee
* Toyman

Recurring
adversaries|

* Anti-Monitor
* Atlas
* Blaze and Satanus
* Brainiac 2
* Chemo
* Composite Superman
* Conduit
* Dev-Em
* Draaga
* Equus
* Faora
* Funky Flashman
* Gog
* Hellgramite
* Imperiex
* Jax-Ur
* Joker
* Kalibak
* Kobra
* Kryptonite Man
* Lord Satanis
* Magpie
* Mala
* Mammoth
* Morgan Edge
* Neutron
* Nick O'Teen
* Non
* Ol-Vir
* Prankster
* Professor Hamilton
* Quarmer
* Quex-Ul
* Rampage
* Riot
* Scorch
* Solaris
* Solomon Grundy
* Terra-Man
* Titano
* Ultraman
* Ursa
* Volcana

Organizations|

* Black Zero
* Fearsome Five
* Intergang
* Masters of Disaster
* Royal Flush Gang
* Secret Society of Super Villains
* Suicide Squad
* Superman Revenge Squad

Alternative
versions|

| Superman|

* Earth-One
* Earth-Two
* Ultraman
* Superboy-Prime
* Kingdom Come

|

Supergirl|

* Power Girl

In other
media|

| 1978–1987 film series|

* Superman
* Lois Lane
* Lex Luthor
* Eve Teschmacher
* General Zod

|

DC Extended Universe|

* Clark Kent / Superman
* Lois Lane
* Lex Luthor
* Zod

Smallville|

* Clark Kent
* Lois Lane
* Lana Lang
* Justice League
* Lex Luthor
* Lionel Luthor
* Chloe Sullivan

Arrowverse|

* Kara Danvers
* Alex Danvers
* Lex Luthor
* Nia Nal

Superman & Lois|

* Clark Kent
* Lois Lane

Related|

* Superman and Lois Lane
* Daily Planet
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* Kryptonians

* Category

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