Warning! Spoilers for Superman: Son of Kal El #2
The iconic values of Superman aren’t what they used to be, and fans finally know the reason. After visiting the past, the Man of Steel isn’t the same superhero he once was.
In recent years, Clark Kent has grown into fatherhood, learning a new way to be a superhero. No longer focused solely on taking down bad guys, Superman has learned what it means to train up the next generation in the form of his son Jon. Realizing that his responsibility to mankind goes beyond saving people in distress and locking up criminals has left him with a lot to consider. Superman is growing in his understanding that he has an example to set, as seen in Superman: Son of Kal-El #2, written by Tom Taylor with art by John Timms and Gabe Eltaeb.
Over the years, Superman’s most important values have evolved, but recently his motivations have become clear. After traveling back in time to visit his biological father Jor-El, Superman realized he wasn’t the morally idealistic man he previously assumed. Instead, Kal-El was faced with the reality that his dad is extremely flawed. As a result of meeting Jor-El in the flesh, Superman has had his ideas of being a hero challenged. Now, he has vowed to never send his villains to the Phantom Zone, realizing he might have been crossing a line. Superman has also gone onto take a stand more frequently in international incidents. Similarly, Clark has also encouraged his son Jon to stand up against systemic injustice, and face relevant real world issues to bring unity.
Clark’s paradigm shift regarding his father’s unfortunate reputation is continuing to have an impact. While Superman has learned the complexities of life on his adoptive home planet, it might have been easy for him to paint a glossy and idealistic version of Krypton. With the little he knew of his birth parents, he likely held them in high regard throughout his life. Jor-El provided Earth with its greatest superhero, so it would be easy for him to assume his dad had the good of mankind in mind.
With such an unexpected reveal, ongoing stories have created an opportunity for Superman to emphasize his own ideals, which he inherited from his adoptive parents, Martha and Jonathan Kent. Taking on a nuanced view of the world from his time as a reporter alongside Lois Lane, Superman is prepared to admit where he falls short, and make the according changes in his pursuit of justice. Now that Clark has been forced to reconcile with the truth of his detached father, he is moving on and learning from disappointment. As the reality of Jor-El’s actions sink in, Superman is reevaluating what it means to be a father to his own son, and stand for what is right.
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