Welcome to SuperForums, where the elite meet to relax and talk shop. Feel free to take a break from saving the world and chat with your fellow super-folks: discuss your latest arch-nemesis, read up on the most recent super-scientific breakthrough, share a new crime-fighting technique, or just talk about the weather (and which super-villain is controlling it this week). Please note that membership is by invitation only. If you've somehow managed to access this site without permission, congratulations! You're one of the world's greatest hackers. In recognition of your abilities, your equipment has been infiltrated with hyper-advanced sentient programs. They have already alerted the appropriate authorities, and have taken control of all your linked technology.

Your current topic is Sol: What exactly is this Sun thing, anyway?

Topic started by: TechyTom
Abilities: Super-genius (all known fields)
Quote: The man that knows something knows that he knows nothing at all. (From Erykah Badu)

Hi guys (and gals, and golems, and gadgets, and all you other good folks out there)! So I was working on my solar power project out in the Karoo (that's in South Africa, for those heroes who don't get out much). That's going pretty well, by the way. Should be up and running by the end of the month, and should supply enough power to keep the Normal world running pretty much forever, with built-in redundancies and enough protective measures to deal with any super-villains who don't respect social upliftment. But then I got to wondering: where is all this power really coming from? What is the sun, exactly? Obviously I have a few notions, but I know that in our line of work, the truth is rarely what you think it is... so I thought I'd throw it out there and see what my fellow Supers have to say. Go ahead – I'm listening!

Protector
Abilities: Cosmic senses, super-strength, super-speed, flight, space-survival
Quote: Copernicus was right. Earth isn't even close to being the centre of the universe.

Amazing. This is the first time I've had the first response post on one of these forums. I should pop by Earth more often, I think. Anyhoo, according to the Oracle at the Edge (of the Universe, to give her full title) the sun is actually not just our sun. It's actually all suns. All the stars in the universe are one and the same, a hyper-real manifestation of a universal principle, displaying different facets (and thus attributes) depending on the space-time coordinates it's viewed from. What this means is really beyond my ability to understand.

Blaster
Abilities: Energy blasts, shields 
Quote: Brains are good. Brawn is better. But blasts are where it's really at.

Bwahahahahahahah! The all-knowing Oracle at the Edge of the Universe told you that, huh? Was she riding a polka-dot unicorn at the time? You need to spend less time in outer space, Prot. It's rotting your brain. So for the real deal: the Sun is a big-ass fireball that Earth and the seven other planets in our neighbourhood (sorry, Pluto!) orbit. That's the basics. Some sciency smartypants can fill you in on the rest.

Venge
Abilities: Military expertise, tactics, martial arts mastery
Quote: Guns do kill people. But I kill them harder.

Look, why are we even wasting time talking about this? Sun or no sun, we should be out there making sure the streets are safe. Who wants to help me take out a secret society that traffics in alien super-weapons?

Everyman
Abilities: Shape-changing (including colour, elasticity, etc., down to molecular level)
Quote: I can't wrap my mind around it. But my body...that's another story.

For what it's worth, last time I took down Doctor Destructor, he was trying to trigger some doomsday device that would make the sun stop emitting light and start emitting Dark. Apparently, all that shining stuff is just a showy fiery cover that stops the Dark from getting out.

Blaster

Doctor F@#*ing Destructor is your source of information these days? And you actually believe there's such a thing as Dark? Wow, you're seriously retarded. Maybe I should come over and blast some sense into your dumbsh!t skull and --- I apologise for any offense I may have caused. I didn't mean it. I just lash out to compensate for certain things in my life that are lacking. I won't mention what they are. But machismo like mine must have a cause, not so?

NOTE: This is your friendly neighbourhood moderator, Psyke. I hate to get all motherly, and I understand that heroes can disagree, and disagree vigorously, and debate is good. But I will not tolerate threats of violence on this forum. You're heroes. Behave like it. To set an example, I've temporarily taken control of Blaster's mind and caused him to be a bit nicer. Now I'm going to get him to take a bit of a breather and have a nice walk and get some fresh air, and when he gets back, maybe he'll have a bit of a new perspective.

Panthrax
Abilities: Were-panther (super-strength, agility, animal senses)
Quote: Who's the baddest cat of them all? That's right.

Vebngre isw right, guhgys! M,amn up[ and loetrs kkjick somes ass!!

Crackle
Abilities: Electrokinesis
Quote: I've got the spark you've been looking for.

@Panthrax: Dude, how many times do I have to tell you to get a were-panther-friendly keyboard? Or use voice control tech, or some of TechyTom's ThoughtTranscriber tools or something? Damn, man.

Whisper
Abilities: Martial arts mastery, genius (expertise in biology/engineering)
Quote: And miles to go before I sleep. And miles to go before I sleep. (From Robert Frost)

Oh, let him be, Crackhead. At least he's never gotten short-circuited in the bathroom before, like some people I could mention...

Crackle

Whisper, baby! Long time no see. When you gonna hit my neck of the woods again? I know a great sushi place, and you know I can arrange for a little mood lighting...

Venge

The lady's not interested, Crackerjack. And if I recall, last time she and I hit your neck of the woods, it was to bust up that little super-villain thieves' guild you were involved in. In fact, I'm not entirely sure we ever found out what you were doing there. Seems a bit shady. And you know what I do when things get shady.

Whisper

Leave him alone, Venge. You know he was working undercover, and he's been on our side for years now, and he already knows what your knuckle sandwiches taste like. And btw he really does know how to provide mood lighting :) Anyway, to get the topic back on track...The sun? Giant thing that weighs more than the rest of our stellar system put together, just over eight light-minutes and around ninety million miles from Earth, releases a whole range of electromagnetic energy as well as a solar wind of charged particles. Not my area of expertise, though, so maybe one of those physicist types will weigh in later.

Mystik
Abilities: Master of magic
Quote: There are more things in heaven and earth, my friend, than are dreamt of in any philosophy. Believe me.

No-one ever believes me when I say things like this, but look, it's absolutely true that what we call the sun is not a thing in itself. It's actually just a hole in our dimension that leads into another one – one that most of us would consider to be a hell dimension, and which is ruled over by the fiery Lord Surtr. You don't have to take my word for it. Baldur will totally back me up on this, when he gets resurrected again.

OmniMan
Abilities: Super-strength, super-speed, invulnerability, super-senses, omnivision 
Quote: All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. (From Edmund Burke)

This discussion is silly. I've been to the sun. Plenty of times. Some of you folks may even know that it's one of the sources of my power (and for any villains snooping on this site, I assure you it's not the only one, and if you try to mess with me by messing with the sun, you're in for a world of hurt). It's exactly what the Normals think it is: a perfectly ordinary star, a huge nuclear furnace that crunches lighter elements into heavier ones and releases a heck of a lot of energy in the process. There's no Dark under the light, no universal star connection, and no giant other-dimensional fire monsters.

Herald
Abilities: Cosmic energy manipulation
Quote: Until the stars go out. Until then shall I long for thee, O Shallavan, my love.

I do not often find myself in agreement with OmniMan – not since the day his interference caused my master to abandon me in this insignificant corner of the cosmos. But I led my master to star after star, including your sun, and all of them were just as OmniMan has said (or they were until my master got to them). Never did I encounter an alternate dimension, or fire giant. Properly prepared, your sun could birth a Hyperion when it finally reaches the end of its lifespan. Until then, it is as it appears. Also, I would like to take this opportunity to point out to Crackle that I am not “like a naked Smurfette”. I am clothed in a form-fitting manifestation of the essence of the cosmos itself. Furthermore, I do not share the reproductive organs of the dominant species of this planet. Also, I am reliably informed that the handshake involves that particular aspect of the anatomy of both parties, and I do not appreciate being misled in that regard. It caused me a good deal of embarrassment when meeting with representatives of your United Nations recently.

Panthrax

@Mystik, you know I love you, man, but how many times do we have to tell you to take all that spooky magic crap elsewhere? Also, thanks for the remote electro-assist, Crackle! It's nice to actually be able to get my words across. Also saves me having to destroy another keyboard when I get a bit frustrated.

Crackle

Why can't anybody around these parts take a joke? My apologies, Smur-- Herald. But I bet you didn't get too many complaints, huh? And Panthrax – you're welcome, buddy. Remember that next time I need help tackling the Technocracy or the Tough Tough Boys or whoever, okay?

Whisper

@Panthrax: That's an interesting response coming from a guy who's half cat-god...

Herald

Well, to be honest, no. But you should have seen their faces. I'm not an expert on human expressions, but those were really interesting.

Master Thinker
Abilities: Evil genius: special expertise in robotics, computers
Quote: Someday I'll show them. I'll show them all!

Hah! So much for your vaunted sentient programs. Stupid heroes. How do you even put your pants on in the mornings? Or maybe you only end up with your underpants on the outside because it confuses your tiny little brains? Your pathetic old-school artificial intelligences will never ----

NOTE: This is your moderator, Mind One. Bearing in mind that we have a strict no-villain policy here on SuperForums, I have ejected Master Thinker from this thread. I've also instructed some of his robot servants to give him a good spanking for his misbehaviour, and to rearrange the layout of his current favourite lair. Out of respect for his masterful defeat of our ordinary security protocols, I have not alerted the authorities. But if you consult your SuperGuides, you'll find information that may prove useful if he ever plagues you again. For one thing, his given name is Marion. I'm told humans find that amusing.

Crackle

Hahahahaha! Suck it, Thinker! That's what you get when you mess with an artificial intelligence that outlived the civilization that created it. Anyhoo, while I've got you here, Mind One, I've always meant to ask someone who was around way back when: T-Rex versus Spinosaurus, who was the real king of the carnosaurs?

Mind One (MODERATOR)
Abilities: Artificial Intelligence (and proud of it)
Quote: Error! Does not compute! Does not compute! Does not --- nah, only kidding.

Neither. Your paleontologists haven't even started to discover the real awesome yet. We used to call it For The Love Of Mercy, Run! Run! Run! But I'm sure the human scientists will come up with a better name for it...

OmniMan

Guys, I hate to cut this discussion short (though, as I'm sure I've pointed out before, it's really, really silly) but it seems Mister Impossible has just launched the object under discussion out of our usual galaxy. That's right, the sun is leaving the Milky Way. So in just a few minutes our whole solar (stellar? Whisper, care to help me out here?) system is going to fall apart. I'm not really a scientist, so I don't know exactly how it's going to go down, but I'm pretty sure it's not going to be pretty. One thing I do know for sure, though: the sun's not going down on my watch. (Yes, Venge, I just said that. Deal with it) It's time to show the world what heroes are made of, heroes!

Warrior (MODERATOR)
Abilities: Super-soldier (enhanced physical and mental capabilities, military training), espionage, tactics
Quote: Do the right thing. It's that simple.

Alright, people. You heard the man. Cosmics and mystics, you're in space. Street levels, you're on crowd control. Whisper, pick your team and go beat some sense into Impossible. Everyone else, Mind One is sending you your orders right now, and for those not at a computer, Psyke is beaming it directly into your mind. If you're new to the game, please don't be alarmed. Plan Alpha Two Nine, folks – let's go save the world.

Crackle

Man, just once I'd like for us to finish a topic before we have to run off and save the day. I mean, I haven't even had breakfast yet and...ow! Psyke just punched me in the brain! Alrighty, alright, I'm on my way. Game faces on,folks!

MODERATOR NOTE: This thread has been closed and packed into the Eternity Capsule for archival purposes. Please note that anyone wanting to reopen it will have to face The Final Guardian. If you don't have an End Stage Key, we wouldn't recommend it.