Superflare
Since superflares can occur on stars apparently equivalent in every way to the Sun, it is natural to ask if they can occur on the Sun itself. An estimate based on the original Kepler photometric studies suggested a frequency on solar-type stars (early G-type and rotation period more than 10 days) of once every 800 years for an energy of 10 erg and every 5000 years at 10 erg. One-minute sampling provided statistics for less energetic flares and gave a frequency of one flare of energy 10 erg every 5–600 years for a star rotating as slowly as the Sun; this would be rated as X100 on the solar flare scale. This is based on a straightforward comparison of the number of stars studied with the number of flares observed. An extrapolation of the empirical statistics for solar flares to an energy of 10 erg suggests a frequency of one in 10,000 years.
Solar cycle 24
A filament eruption occurred in late hours of September 27 resulted in a brief S1 (minor) radiation storm, alerted by NOAA in early hours of next day. The Earth-directed CME associated with this event affected our planet on September 30. Geomagnetic storm levels reached the G3 on October 1. The filament eruption was connected to a C3.7 flare occurred in the vicinity of sunspot 1577.
Solar activity decreased remarkably this month. 4 minor solar flares, below M2 levels, were registered in September 2012.
On October 8 and 9, the arrival of a CME unrelated to solar flares and emitted on October 5 caused disturbances in the horizontal component of the Earth's magnetic field. The planetary Kp-index reached level 6, so a G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm was reported. 
The Sun released a M9.0 flare on October 20. This was followed three days after on October 23, by a very impulsive flare, peaking as an X1.8 class event at 3:17 a.m. UTC. 
Both flares came from active region 1598 located on the left side (east) of the sun, which had previously been the source of a number of weaker flares. The M9.0 burst occurred when the sunspot was not yet rotated onto the Earth-facing side of the solar disk. The NOAA categorized the radio blackout associated with the X1.8 event as an R3, on a scale from R1 to R5. This was the 7th and last X-class flare in 2012. There was no associated Earth-directed coronal mass ejection (CME).