arkadarp
asked:
DC did a a one-shot a few years ago called "All-Star Superman" wherein he flies too close to the sun, absorbs WAY too much energy and is now dying. As a consequence he becomes SUPER super powerful (way more so than is normal for him), but deteriorates over the course of the comic until he becomes so weak he can barely move. I think it's an interesting look at a once immortal man and how he stands up for his ideals when he can't in the way he did previously. I encourage you to look it up.

I may do that, but this again raises an inconsistency with the character, which is inevitable given writer differences.  In other publications Superman comes in immediate contact with the sun, at times going within it to recover and recharge, such as in DCU Online, and Superman Prime to an extent.

As far as the All-Star series goes (at least according to the Wiki, so take it with a grain of salt) Supes over-absorption of solar radiation is from Luthor’s interference, after which he exhibits abilities exhibited in other series upon being exposed to the radiation from a blue star without harmful effects.  It doesn’t help that even though his supercharge drains him to the point of collapse in “All-Star”, it doesn’t kill him and if anything makes him stronger as he becomes a solar being.

Comic characters are generally wildly inconsistent as there’s no cheat sheet for their powers or limitations between writers.  Iron Man is inconsistent in his own stories (though this is more easily explained away with the technological aspect and advancement) but to my knowledge, Superman is among the most, if not the most inconsistently written hero DC or Marvel has.