Warning! Spoilers ahead for Secret Six #1!He tried his best, but it’s become clear that Jonathan Kent just isn’t destined to beSuperman. It seems only like yesterday that Jon grew up before fans' eyes and adopted his father’s mantle, but his latest adventure reveals just how the world sees him.
Jon Kent’s decision to leave Earthwith his grandfather resulted in the boy returning to his mother and father nearly fully-grown. Not long after that, Clark trusted Jon to keep the world safe as Superman while the elder Man of Steel liberated Warworld. While Jon stepped upto serve as Superman, it has become clear that the DCU will never perceive him as the ‘real’ one.
Jon Kent isn’t Seen as Superman in the DC Universe
At Best, He’s “Superman Junior”
InSecret Six #1by Nicole Maines, Stephen Segovia, Rain Beredo, and Steve Wands, Jon, like many other people in the DC Universe, is still reeling from theevents ofAbsolute Power. The younger Superman ventures out to Belle Reve Penitentiary to stop a breakout, specifically to contain a rampaging Bizarro. Jon, still coming to terms with the pain he went through under Amanda Waller’s control, pulls his punches when facing down the backwards doppelganger. A guard, on the other hand, encourages him to kill Bizarro,calling Jon ‘Superman, Jr.’ in an attempt to spur him on.
…as Superman’s son, Jon can’t be seen helping a villain escape.
Jon defeats Bizarro and afterwards heads back to his home to have dinner with his boyfriend Jay Nakamura. Jay is similarly trying to overcome the trauma Waller brought into his life by killing his mother. But Jay’s issues bubble to the surface when Dreamer appears at Jay and Jon’s apartment with a shocking reveal:Amanda Waller has gone missing. The trio head to Belle Reve to investigate, but Jay is barely able to hold back his anger at Dreamer over the role she played in Jay’s mother’s death.
Jay tries to keep the peace between the three of them, but things only get worse when they break into Belle Reve. They meet Dreamer’s former Suicide Squad teammate, Black Alice, who promises to lead them to Waller in exchange for helping her escape. Before they can even discuss their terms, the trio is attacked by guards. Dreamer holds back their gunfire while Jay discusses a deal with Black Alice. Jon is understandably angry at Jay, saying that,as Superman’s son, Jon can’t be seen helping a villain escape.
Both Jon and DC Comics Recognize He’s Not Superman
Jon’s About to Enter His ‘Super Son’ Era, Anyway
Ever since he adopted the mantle, Jon has had a tough time being perceived as Superman. To be fair, he’s not the first legacy hero to struggle with this and with a hero as big and iconic as his father, anyone trying to replace him would face an uphill battle. But it’s been about four years since Jon adopted the title and, frankly, it’s never really stuck. Yes, he’s technically Superman, but after the cancelation ofSuperman: Son of Kal-El,Jon has struggled to find a place that allows him tobethe next-gen Superman.
Interestingly enough, Jon refers to himself as ‘Superman’s son’ rather than Superman…
The idea that Jon isn’t really seen as Superman in real-life has appeared to bleed into the DC Universe itself. Rather than just call him ‘Superman’ as he’s supposed to be known, the guard calls him ‘Superman, Jr.’. Maybe it’s a fair way of making a distinction between Jon and his father, but in the absence of Clark it feels more like a backhand way of saying Jon isn’t the ‘real’ Superman. Interestingly enough, Jon refers to himself as ‘Superman’s son’ rather than Superman,as if he’s also expressing doubt in his ability to be seen as Superman.
The real kicker is that DC Comics seems to be giving up on Jon as Superman. The plot summary ofSecret Six’ssecond issue refers to Jon as ‘Super Son’ instead of Superman (even though the last page literally labels Jon as Superman in a group shot with the Secret Six). Honestly, maybe it’s for the best. Jon’s ascension to being the new Superman was extremely rushed, and he just hasn’t been able to capture people as Superman the way DC was hoping. For now,it’s probably best that Jon Kent just move on from the Superman identity altogether.
Jon Kent Doesn’t Need to Be Superman
Focus on Building Up His Character
The immediate rush to make Jon the new Superman is arguably the reason fans at large never took to his new role. That’s not to say that Jon can never be the Man of Steel someday, but without taking the time to build on his character and personality, forcing him to fill his father’s shoes was always going to backfire. In order for Jon to properly grow, he needs to step back from beingSupermanso he can re-discover who he is without the weight of his father’s iconic mantle.
