Paul Sutter, Ohio State astrophysicist, COSI chief scientist, and master of making science accessible and fun, led a panel of local experts taking on the science behind our favorite comics and movies. The discussion, at the Wizard World Comic Con in downtown Columbus on the last Saturday of July, was, quite appropriately, out of this world.

Sutter, who admits to being a big fan of the X-Men growing-up, says, “Sometimes comics or sci-fi books and movies can be the first entry point for kids into science, engineering and technology.”

The panel first tackled some key comic-book science questions:

How can Superman absorb energy from the sun?

That’s a little bit challenging since he’s so white and reflective. He would be able to absorb more energy if he were a different color.

Would the Flash burn himself alive?

Pretty much, yes. At very high speeds the wind resistance is so high that it’s like running through a brick wall. Just look at what happens to meteorites (hint: it isn’t pretty).

How exactly could a lightsaber work?

We can easily make plasmas and guide them with magnetic fields, but the difficulty would be in getting it to wrap back around to the handle. Oh, and powering it.

How much does it cost to clean up the world's major cities after every superhero fight?

Every time superheroes brawl, it’s more destructive than even the worst hurricanes. The financial strain due to such catastrophes would be incredible.

Then, experts and fans reflected on the impact of cultural aspirations and fears on comics.

“We talked about how comics and sci-fi sometimes reflect our worries of the future, but also sometimes our hopes,” Sutter says. “And, we examined that with stories spanning the past few decades. For example, ‘how did 1950s authors portray the 21st century, and how does that compare to what we find today?’”

Next came a lightning-round “Superhero Reality Check,” and finally — for more than 45 minutes — the experts fielded the questions of the more than 200 Wizard World Comic Con-goers, which were many.

“We were swamped by questions!” Sutter says. “Everything from how genetic modification would work, to questions about various superpowers, to sharks in tornadoes, to faster-than-light travel.”

Ohio State’s contingent of scientific experts at Wizard World Comic Con included Sutter; Jim Fowler (math); Lauren Jones, (human sciences); Jake Boswell (landscape architecture); and Rob Pyatt (Ohio State pathology department; and Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics Laboratories); along with WCBE General Manager Dan Mushalko.