Warning! Spoilers ahead for Absolute Power: Super Son #1!Things were hard for Superman’s son, but he comes to terms with an issue that has held him back. Jon Kent may be just as bright and optimistic as his father, but a dark cloud has come his way thanks to Amanda Waller.
In her bid to seize control of Earth’s meta-human population, Waller had the younger Superman kidnapped and technologically augmented by the Brainiac Queen. Fortunately, he was able to break control thanks to his superhuman allies. However, Superman’s pride and joy is not out of the woods yet, but a friend is there to help Jon overcome a huge issue.
Superman’s son finally processes his deep trauma
Dreamer makes up for her past sins by helping Jon
in Absolute Power: Super Sun #1 By Sina Grace, Nicole Maines, John Timms, Travis Mercer, Hi-Fi, Adriano Lucas, Pete Pantazis, Rex Lokus and Dave Sharpe, Jon Kent is recovered on Themyscira after Batman uses a Mother Box to cleanse the Brainiac Queen of the Kryptonians. . However, fearing that remnants of the villain may be lingering in Jon, the Amazons guide him through his memories to look for any trace of her. however, The pain of knowing he is hurting his superhero allies becomes too much for the young SupermanTaking care of him.
Jon’s memories are corrupted by the trauma he endured under the Brainiac Queen’s control. The Brainiac Queen implants a safeguard deep within Jon’s subconscious and she attempts to take control once more. However, Jon’s friend and dream-navigating hero Dreamer is also on his mind. Although Dreamer’s physical body is presumably dead, she still has her own autonomy in Jon’s subconscious and fights alongside him to root out the Brainiac Queen once and for all. Unfortunately, the queen is also strong and Jon is too tired from all the pain he’s seen in his life to fight back.
Dreamer sees how badly Jon is hurt and forges a space in his mind for him to process his feelings. She reminds him that this is his dream and that Jon is in control. After finally taking a moment to breathe, Superman finds his inner strength and fights back against the Brainiac Queen Like she knows nothing. When the dream is said and done, Jon reunites with his boyfriend Jay Nakamura and admits that he is not in a good place.
The younger Superman has dealt with trauma for years
Jon is kidnapped, held hostage and turned into a weapon of war
Once, Jon was Superboy and as happy as a child could be. Despite being gifted with powerful, sometimes more unstable powers than his father, Jon always had all the love and support he needed from his family. However, it took a turn for the young man when his grandfather Jor-El came across him, who offered to take Jon on a trip across the cosmos to teach him about his powers. unfortunately, Superman would ultimately regret letting his son leave (And so would Jon).
During his time away, Jon is kidnapped by Ultraman, his father’s evil opposite from Earth-3. Ultraman held Jon captive in a volcano for years, but thankfully, he managed to escape and make his way back, shocking his parents when Jon returned almost adult. Jon managed to move on from the torment he incurred, but signs of trauma began to show after Clark adopted the Phaelosian twins Osul-Ra and Oto-Ra, Making Superman’s older son miss the childhood he was robbed of.
But being held hostage was a walk in the park compared to what Amanda Waller put him through. After de-powering the members of the Super-Family, Waller took Jon to be weaponized by the Brainiac Queen, enhancing him with alien tech and wiping his memories. Jon was made to attack the remaining heroes in the Fortress of Solitude and later Themyscira. Thankfully, Batman procured a Mother Box and separated the Brainiac Queen from Jon, Leaving the younger Superman horrified by the atrocities he’d committed.
Superman Jon Kent is healing and can finally grow as a hero
The future is limitless now for Superman’s son
One of the biggest complaints about Jon Kent since he was old was that he never took a moment to really process the horrible things he went through. There were brief moments of self-awareness, but it never felt like Jon wanted to look back (understandably, as he went through some pretty tough times for someone his age). But the last experience with the Brainiac Queen was the breaking point and the push he needed to face and Process the pain that Jon went through.
… Now that Jon is in the process of moving through the worst years of his life, he doesn’t need to be constrained to just one identity.
The real question is now that Jon has finally confronted his trauma, what’s next for him? A good start would be to possibly step back from the superhero life for a bit just to make sure he processes his emotions in a healthy manner. But once he’s ready, there’s no limit to what Jon can do. If he wants, he can continue to be Superman alongside his father. But if he is ready, Jon could leave his father’s mantle behind and try something new.
Becoming Superman was something Jon did right after his experience with Ultraman and it no doubt made him feel safe after the power was taken from him. But now that Jon is in the process of moving through the worst years of his life, he doesn’t have to be constrained to just one identity. He may get a new heroic moniker, one unique to Jon that shows just how far he’s come. That’s not to say that’s what Superman’s son should do, But if Jon moves on from his past, he should feel free to do whatever he wants.
Jon Kent has the potential to be more than Superman
But what is the best option for him?
Healing takes many forms. Maybe he’s good at being Superman and maybe he wants a different path. Whatever his true desires are, they don’t have to be held back by what Jon has gone through anymore. He’s been through hell, but Jon has finally confronted the worst moments of his life and he’s stronger for it. Now that he has tackled these huge issues, there really is no limit to what is on the horizon Superman’s Sun.
Absolute Power: Super Sun #1 is available now from DC Comics.