science

Takion

Takion is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Takion rather than just read about it. In short: Takion (Joshua Saunders) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Paul Kupperberg and Aaron Lopresti, first appearing in an eponymous series in 1996 that lasted for 7 issues.

Key takeaways

Takion belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Takion to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Takion from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Takion (Joshua Saunders) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Paul Kupperberg and Aaron Lopresti, first appearing in an eponymous series in 1996 that lasted for 7 issues.

Publication history In 2019, Kupperberg wrote about the creation of Takion on his website, stating:

"Unbeknownst to me and Dan [Thorsland], over in editor Archie Goodwin's office, a very different version of Starman was in development with writer James Robinson and artist Tony Harris. It only became beknownst when we fed our Starman proposal into the pipeline for review by the senior editors our Starman was bounced like a Spalding. Instead of just chalking it up to experience and sticking the proposal in a drawer, Dan suggested we salvage what we could from it and use that as a foundation to create an entirely new character. This we did and, after a bunch of talking and a few drafts, "Will Payton…Starman" became "Josh Saunders...Takion".

Fictional character biography Josh Saunders, a blind psychologist, is chosen by Highfather to become a Source Elemental and given the ability to manipulate the Source, which Highfather says must be cleansed. In reality, Takion was created as an avatar of Highfather to resurrect him in the event of Highfather's death. Takion possesses omniscience, but has to filter this awareness and the information he receives using the weaker perception of a human brain. He later learns to separate the future and past from the present, allowing him to use his powers without them overwhelming him. Takion's main nemesis is Stayne, a nameless human woman transformed by Darkseid's power. She is sent to keep Takion from achieving his true potential and to prevent him from learning about Darkseid's plan to destroy the Source Wall. During the Genesis event, Highfather is killed by Ares. After Izaya's death, the role of Highfather is offered to Scott Free (Mister Miracle), Izaya's only living heir. Scott turns the offer down, leaving Takion to become the new Highfather. During Death of the New Gods, Takion is killed by Infinity-Man after he and Himon attempt to investigate his murder of several New Gods.

Powers and abilities A living embodiment of the Source, Takion serves as a conduit and avatar between the Source and the New Gods of New Genesis. Takion's only limit is the amount of energy existing in the Source; he cannot create new energy, but can channel and manipulate existing forms of energy. Takion is also able to manipulate time, become intangible, and teleport.

In other media Takion appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.

References

External links GCD Project: Takion #1 DCU Guide: Takion Profile DCU Guide: Takion Chronology New Gods Library: Takion New Gods Index: Highfather DCU Guide: Takion #1 Fanzing #44: Saunders Family Tree New Gods Comics Index

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Takion

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Takion claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Takion before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Takion ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Takion

In research: Takion appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Takion in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Takion is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Characters created by Paul Kupperberg, Comics characters introduced in 1996, DC Comics characters who can teleport, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Takion outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Takion in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Takion means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Takion out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Takion in simple terms?

Why does Takion matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Takion?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Takion.