WARNING: Contains potential spoilers for Absolute Superman #2!
DC gave Absolute Superman his official threat rating, but does it really capture the full extent of his power? Furthermore, with this new classification, comparison with the original Superman becomes inevitable – especially when considering who would emerge victorious in a battle between these two sons of Krypton.
If the two Supermans met now, there's no doubt that the OG Superman would win in a landslide...
Jason Aaron, Rafa Sandoval and Ulises Arreola Absolute Superman #2 picks up right where the previous issue left off, with Agent Lazarus Lois Lane handcuffing herself to the Man of Steel in an attempt to arrest him. However, things quickly go wrong when Kal-El drags Lois away as he flees from the rest of the Lazarus Corps Force, giving Lois a first-hand look at Superman's heroism and abilities.
Once Superman frees himself from his handcuffs, the two go their separate ways, with Lois returning to Lazarus headquarters to file her report on the Man of Steel. This earns Superman his official threat level rating - a solid 8 out of 10.
DC officially gives Absolute Superman a Threat Rating of Level 8 (out of 10)
Main cover by Rafa Sandoval and Ulises Arreola for Absolute Superman #2 (2024)
Although Lois is the only one to witness Superman's heroism firsthand, it is Brainiac who assigns his classification to the Man of Steel. Following protocol, Lois uses the “automated system” known as Brainiac - who she believes is an AI, not the shadowy puppet master he really is - to file her report. Posing as an AI, Brainiac asks Lois questions about her interactions with Superman, including, “How serious a danger would you rate the matter, on a scale of one to ten?” Having seen Superman's pure heart, Lois responds honestly, stating that she wouldn't consider him a danger, at least not in that sense.
Lois goes on to explain that although Superman is incredibly powerful and raw in some ways, she does not believe his intentions are bad and therefore he is not dangerous from a threat perspective. However, Brainiac disregards the essence of his explanation, distorting his words and attributing to Superman a “eight rating.” Lois immediately tries to correct what she believes to be a misunderstanding about AI. But Brainiac presses ahead with his questions, deliberately misinterpreting Lois' answers and jumping to extreme conclusions, such as suggesting that Superman should be fired - despite Lois suggesting nothing of the sort.
Is the Level 8 rating an accurate representation of Superman's absolute threat level?
Cover card variant B by Mahmud Asrar for Absolute Superman #2 (2024)
Despite Superman's threat rating being based on Lois' misinterpretation of his words and Brainiac's manipulations, this rating still holds weight as it reflects everything Brainiac learned from Lois about Superman's power levels and abilities. While it's hard to give this supervillain credit, the rating seems pretty accurate for the Man of Steel. There are several reasons why Kal-El deserves an eight, and also several reasons why he's not yet up to a nine or ten.
First of all, the Absolute Universe Superman deserves at least an eight because he appears to have all the powers of his Earth-Prime counterpart, and there is no indication that his abilities are any weaker. He also gains additional power level points due to his somewhat sentient suit, which contains an AI called Sol. However, Kal-El still doesn't meet the criteria for nine or ten due to his clear inexperience. But given time to master his powers, he will no doubt claim a danger level of nine or ten.
How do Absolute Superman's power levels compare to the OG Man of Steel?
Superman Earth-Prime wins in a landslide for a reason
When considering Earth's heroes and villains - aka excluding overpowered extraterrestrial beings like Darkseid - Earth-Prime's Superman easily earns a level ten rating. While Clark's immense power set plays a major role in this ranking, his experience is also a significant factor. This experience is what sets Absolute Superman apart from his Prime Earth counterpart, as AU's Kal-El is still extremely inexperienced, still learning not only about his powers, but also his identity. If the two Supermen met now, there's no doubt that the O.G. Superman would win in a landslide as he has the power and experience on his side.
Absolute Superman #2 is now available from DC Comics!