Son of Kal-El: the story of Jon Kent
What do you do when your dad is the greatest superhero in the world, your mom is an avid reporter with a nose for trouble, and your best friend is a pint-sized killer with a pat on the back? Welcome to the life of Jonathan Kent, Superman's son. Jon has come a long way and is now taking the next step on his heroic journey in a new series called Superman: son of Kal-El. As we prepare for the start of the next stage in Jon's life, let's recap everything that brought Superman's son to this moment.
A surprising start
Jon first appeared in Convergence: Superman # 2, which is an amazing start for a character who has become such an important part of the DC universe. Convergence was a month-long comic event consisting of limited two-issue titles focusing on seemingly shattered timelines. The Lois and Clark we have seen in Convergence: Superman they were introduced as their pre-Flashpoint incarnations, but not everything was as it seemed. During the events of Convergence: Superman, Clark was temporarily weakened and Lois became pregnant. Their baby was named Jonathan Samuel Kent after both of his earthly grandparents.
The thing that makes Jon's debut extraordinary is how small the events of Convergence it seemed to matter outside of him. A largely forgotten event today, most of the variants of the multiverse that played a role in it returned to their worlds after Convergence ended up, never to be seen again, except for Superman, Lois and little Jon. They found themselves transplanted into the main DC Universe and decided to stay hidden. After all, the new 52 releases of Superman and Lois were still very active, so their presence would have raised some uncomfortable questions.
The limited series Superman: Lois and Clark followed their lives as refugees of the multiverse. While Lois was publishing novels, Clark was fighting crime from the shadows, and the now XNUMX-year-old Jon remained unaware of his parents' true nature. Of course, it was hard to hide the truth from Jon when his powers started to take hold and he found his father's old Superman uniform.
Becoming Superboy
Jon was initially upset that his parents had kept the truth from him, but after he calmed down he realized how beautiful everything was. His father was Superman and he was starting to develop powers of his own. Which child wouldn't be thrilled? Clark began to train his son to use his powers correctly, but the first few attempts didn't always go well. In 2016 Superman # 1, Jon accidentally killed a cat while testing his heat vision. This traumatized Jon, as he began to realize that if he wasn't careful his powers could hurt others.
He idolized his father and wanted to be the next Superboy, but Jon was scared. Luckily his parents were able to help him focus and Jon soon realized his powers. And then things got weird. (Also for comics!)
the 5ns Dimensional devil Mr. Mxyzptlk has kidnapped Jon and as Superman fought to save his son, he learned the shocking truth about the true nature of his family. The Kents were not refugees of the multiverse, as they initially believed. They were pieces of the original Kal-El and Lois Lane that had been split and separated. While confronting Mxy, Superman and Lois combined with the energy signatures of their New 52 counterparts, merging the timeline and changing their stories.
If it sounds complicated… well, imagine how he felt about Superman! All you need to know is that in the new version of the timeline, the Kents have always been natives of this world and Clark was the only real Superman. Action Comics # 977-978 presented a new version of the story of the Kent family and the birth of Jon.
in 2016 Superman # 10, Jon met Damian Wayne for the first time… and he immediately hated him. Robin had kidnapped the new Superboy because he thought Jon's lack of control and immaturity made him a threat. Of course Superman was furious that Robin had kidnapped his son, confronting the young Boy Wonder and his father, Batman.
Eventually, Superman and Batman realized that Damian and Jon could benefit from each other's influence. Jon needed to learn from someone closer to his age and Damian needed social interaction, period. The boys were initially concerned about these mandatory superhero dates, but they soon became best friends, though Damian won't always admit it out loud. Discover the 2017 series Super Sons to see their collaboration unfold as a fun, kid friendly crime comic.
Children… they grow up so fast
Like many children, Jon took a summer trip with his grandfather, but unlike most children, his grandfather was the presumed dead Jor-El and the vacation was a journey through the cosmos. In a surprising revelation, Superman's space dad had survived the destruction of Krypton and wanted to make up for lost time. Jor-El offered to take Jon with him into space to show him the universe and help train him, and the boy accepted. Lois initially accompanied them, but it became a little strange for her to violate the whole grandfather / grandson bond, so she went home. It was going to be a mistake she would regret for the rest of her life.
in 2018 Superman # 6, Jon returned from space as a changed man. Really changed! Although Jon had only been gone for a few weeks, his parents were shocked to see that their preteen cherub was now a 17-year-old. During his cosmic journey, Jon ran aground on the fearsome Earth-3, a prisoner of the infamous Crime Syndicate. It took him seven years to find his way home, but because of the interdimensional travel, only a few weeks had passed for his parents. Clark and Lois were heartbroken and angry at being robbed of their son's childhood years, but they were proud to see the man Jon had become and the hero he had become. For his part, Damian was furious that Jon had gone through puberty before him. Bad luck, wonderful boy.
Jon's new maturity came in handy as he fought alongside his father in a series of battles. It was Jon's idea to form the United Planets, an intergalactic governing body that still exists in the 30s of the DC Universe.ns Century. About 30ns Century, Jon's heroic splendor led him to join the Legion of Super-Heroes, an important rite of passage for all who have been called Superboys. Jor-El's training methods may have been odd, and although the summer trip cost Jon his childhood, it's hard to argue with the results. Jon Kent is a hero who is going places and as unthinkable as it may seem, he truly has the potential to surpass his father.
Superman: son of Kal-El will continue Jon's heroic journey as he navigates that difficult time between adolescence and adulthood. The son of Superman and Lois Lane has two important legacies to respect, but if his career so far has been any indication, we know that Jon will become a true man of steel.
Superman: Son of Kal-El # 1 by Tom Taylor, John Timms and Gabe Eltaeb is now available in print and as a digital comic.
Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DCComics.com and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Twitter at @TBUJosh.
