I was thinking. Superman's new Solar Flare flare power was revealed pretty much right before his power loss, and he has been shown using it a lot, to the point of some people saying that it is overuse. What if the two are connected?

My theory is that his cells are damaged when the Solar Flare is used. If it is used sparingly, his body can handle it and slowly repair the damage, repairing it enough within twenty-four hours for his powers to return, but leaving other sorts of problems in his genetic code that take longer to repair. Those errors can build up with repeated use of said Solar Flare, having it take longer and longer for his powers to return and eventually leading to his DNA being warped beyond the Fortress' ability to recognize him.

What do you think? Have I hit on the reason, or am I just crazy? Do you have any other theories about his power loss?

What do you guys think?

@squalleon, @lvenger, @superguy1591, @ultimatesmfan, @saintwildcard, @sandman_, @sog7dc

I think you are partly right and definitely on the right track.

I too think the overuse of the Solar flare has something to do with it. Plus in the various interviews Yang and JRJR said they want to explore that new power, so it is logical to think it plays a heavy role.

I wonder what happened with the twist ending of the Superman/Batman annual. Did everyone forgot Superman got stabbed in the end?

Makes sense to me.

seems about right

Sure

@zearing:

It would be a possibility if Kara wasn't also experiencing powerloss in the last issue of her comic. Kinda strange, don't you think? That both started having the same problems about almost the same time.

And here's another problem with it. If it comes down that it's really the Flare power that's causing all this for Superman, then they'll have to remove it altogether.

Which begs the question. Why bring about a new power, only to have it damage the character to the point where that power has to be removed?

It would be insane for DC to do something like that.

And also the Flare power is too in our face. A lot of fans are only looking at that explanation has the source of the problem. In my opinion, the source of the problem is something entirelly different or even something that's so in our faces that we're not seeing it.

Time will tell.

@heavenlydarkdragon: I don't read Supergirl, but I heard that she had a version of the Solar Flare as well. If that's true, then she could be experiencing the same problem for the same or similar reasons.

As for why DC would do it, I have a couple of reasons.

One, it is still a new power, and relatively safe to use if he uses it sparingly. In my theory it would just have a longer cooldown for safe use than twenty-four hours, and he can't just go around spamming it all the time. I was kind of seeing it as ending up as an emergency power, for use if he is backed into a corner and nothing else is working.

Secondly, it could be a plot device, being used for the express purpose of removing his powers for this story arc. It would be more interesting than using kryptonite or red sunlight to depower him, and it would show how Superman's powers can be a threat to even himself if used unwisely.

As for it being "too in our face", I can kind of see that, but again, it's better than using one of his more traditional weaknesses for this purpose.

@zearing:

Yeah... Here's the problem. Although she also had a similar version of the Flare power, it wasn't nearly has powerful has seen in Superman, and no matter how many times she used it, she never got depowered. Oh, and also she hadn't used that power for quite some time. Months maybe.

So has you can see taking into account the facts we got from her, your theory doesn't hold. At least with her.

Has for beeing a backup power for Superman. Well, here's the problem. I've seen Superman do more powerful things without the Flare power than with it. So using it against lets say someone like Darkeid would be suicidal, because if he missed, then he would be left vulnerable. Basically Superman would've defeated himself.

Has for plot device. Superman already has too many, he doesn't need anymore. Wouldn't you agree? After all isn't red sunlight, kryptonite, psychics and magic enough?

Funny how we never see for example the Flash having something like a SFD (speed force disruptor) in the form of a currupted solid stone made of speed force energy or simply a device that cuts his link to the SF. With Wonder Woman they could use Nth metal to cancel her powers, given that Nth metal cancels magic out, and her powers are magic based. Or no one uses ultrasounds in combination with infrasounds to disrupt the activity in the brain in order to make any Lantern, no mater which color, powerless. After all if your brain can work properly then the rings also don't work properly.

Only Superman gets the full menu of McWeakness.

I kind of have the same idea. but-

I agree with this as well.

A seldom spoken truth that somehow majority of readers(and writers too by the looks of things) just look over. Even Martian Manhunter whose powerset is overkill is given a logical physical weakness which is then made out to be a psychological one which can be overcome,smh.

Btw nice work coming up with ways to take out the various JLers.

I agree, your theory does sound the most plausible given how Truth will end up with a severely depowered Superman only comparable to Luke Cage at best. The caveat about his cells being damaged hasn't emerged yet, and I'm surprised Romita's badass Bat-God didn't find any sign of this in his scans of Superman's body following his use of the Solar Flare. Repeated usage of the Solar Flare might lead to Superman's powers fading away to a shell of their former levels, but I don't see why Superman is relying on such a dangerous and counter productive power in the first place.