Superman#7 Spoilers and Discussion

[MeGrimlock420]

I'm also wondering if Jor El basically set Lois up. He had her put on that suit immediately, out of apparent "concern" for her safety in space. They immediately are attacked. Then he takes them to a planet where she gets absolutely mobbed and overwhelmed again immediately. He didn't dress Jon up in any House of El gear.

Also, why doesn't Clark have the Rebirth suit back on when she left with on? She would've given it back to him.

[HeroVladimir93]

Also, why doesn't Clark have the Rebirth suit back on when she left with on? She would've given it back to him.

I guess DC Comics still wants to keep Superman in the classic suit for the time being.

[MeGrimlock420]

I guess DC Comics still wants to keep Superman in the classic suit for the time being.

Probably so.

[Sacred Knight]

Yeah, him giving the suit to her was just an excuse to put him back in the classic suit. Now that she's back, it'll either just never be mentioned or maybe we get an off-hand comment how he's used to his old suit and prefers it or something.

[Superlad93]

I'm also wondering if Jor El basically set Lois up. He had her put on that suit immediately, out of apparent "concern" for her safety in space. They immediately are attacked. Then he takes them to a planet where she gets absolutely mobbed and overwhelmed again immediately. He didn't dress Jon up in any House of El gear.

Good lord, you're right. Jor-El, Mr. Proud Patriarch Of The House Of El, decided not to wear his crest proudly? But not only that--he decided not to tell his grandson, and heir, to make his bloodline known to all? Good catch, man!

I noticed how he did nothing but stared at Lois while she was clearly overwhelmed. There's a whole three silent panels dedicated to it when the old woman touches Lois' crest.

Due you think he might've even payed Lobo to talk to Jon? As Lobo leaves, he's again seen (only one in the shot besides Lobo) looking at him leave. Then, shrouded in shadow, he sees the mob overtake Lois. Dude, there's something 100% here.

[HeroVladimir93]

Good lord, you're right. Jor-El, Mr. Proud Patriarch Of The House Of El, decided not to wear his crest proudly? But not only that--he decided not to tell his grandson, and heir, to make his bloodline known to all? Good catch, man!

I noticed how he did nothing but stared at Lois while she was clearly overwhelmed. There's a whole three silent panels dedicated to it when the old woman touches Lois' crest.

Due you think he might've even payed Lobo to talk to Jon? As Lobo leaves, he's again seen (only one in the shot besides Lobo) looking at him leave. Then, shrouded in shadow, he sees the mob overtake Lois. Dude, there's something 100% here.

I have a feeling that Bendis is setting up Jor-El to be the primary antagonist of the new era. Rogol Zaar? Meh, that guy sucks. Invisible Mafia? A minor distracton. Leviathan? Okay, those guys might be bad, but not as bad as whatever Jor-El is planning for Superman and his family.

[Yoda]

Good lord, you're right. Jor-El, Mr. Proud Patriarch Of The House Of El, decided not to wear his crest proudly? But not only that--he decided not to tell his grandson, and heir, to make his bloodline known to all? Good catch, man!

I noticed how he did nothing but stared at Lois while she was clearly overwhelmed. There's a whole three silent panels dedicated to it when the old woman touches Lois' crest.

Due you think he might've even payed Lobo to talk to Jon? As Lobo leaves, he's again seen (only one in the shot besides Lobo) looking at him leave. Then, shrouded in shadow, he sees the mob overtake Lois. Dude, there's something 100% here.

They were also just staring at her initially, then Jor El announces she's married to "the Superman of Earth" while pulling Jon back from the mob. He was working on getting her out of the picture immediately.

I don't know about Lobo, but there is definitely more going on than it looks like. I wonder if Lois even is under some kind of subtle influence. I don't really think so, I think Bendis wants her actions to be her own, but the way she held her head after that scene made me do a double take. I mean Oz's staff had that type of tech built in and Bendis did say the Doctor Manhattan stuff has not been forgotten and will be dealt with.

[Superlad93]

I have a feeling that Bendis is setting up Jor-El to be the primary antagonist of the new era. Rogol Zaar? Meh, that guy sucks. Invisible Mafia? A minor distracton. Leviathan? Okay, those guys might be bad, but not as bad as whatever Jor-El is planning for Superman and his family.

I need to understand what the hell Jor-El is doing and why before I call him the primary antagonist.

But, and this is a really cool thought, I do like the idea that the Kents are now faced with what is basically space god Lex Luthor in this Jor-El. Seriously, when he's written as this master planer, no matter if his intentions are ultimately good but misguided, he's absolutely terrifying.

He's like Rick Sanchez with super powers!

They were also just staring at her initially, then Jor El announces she's married to "the Superman of Earth" while pulling Jon back from the mob. He was working on getting her out of the picture immediately.

I don't know about Lobo, but there is definitely more going on than it looks like. I wonder if Lois even is under some kind of subtle influence. I don't really think so, I think Bendis wants her actions to be her own, but the way she held her head after that scene made me do a double take. I mean Oz's staff had that type of tech built in and Bendis did say the Doctor Manhattan stuff has not been forgotten and will be dealt with.

I only bring up the Lobo part, outside of the fact that Jor-El does watch him leave just before the mob, but also because Lobo's words echo Jor-El's words from Man Of Steel. Jor-El tells Lois and Clark that Jon would be nearly a man by Kryptonian standards, and now Lobo is tells Jon to decide to be man rather than being told he is one.

That's maybe (and likely) Bendis working stuff thematically/foreshadowing (along with the growth spurt) because of Jon's journey. And that works really well especially since I'm just about sure he's going by Superman-something from here on. Or it's Jor-El drilling a thought into Jon's head.

[rpmaluki]

Jor-El might be manipulating things not necessarily out of malice but out of some misguided need to edify and preserve what's left of his house and basically his people by toughening Jon up since Clark is already beyond his reach to influence, at least not directly. Jon is still very malleable to him and his invite that Lois and Clark join him on this trip was a front and he expected his son not to accept but still had to deal with Lois. I think he is not only damaged by what Manhattan did to him but also by what happened to Krypton. Before Rogol Zaar was a thing, I would have said his passivity that saw him not push harder for the planet's evacuation has scarred him somewhat and as someone who was plucked at the very last second, who also bears the physical scars of what happened, a reminder of all he's lost and could lose even now, he's even more driven to achieve his goal where his family is concerned and that means crossing certain moral lines that Clark would no doubt balk at. This is further aggravated by whatever mind manipulation he was subjected to before MoS. I don't think he intended to harm Lois, but he definitely needed her out of the way so he could have Jon all to himself. It's not the actions of a mustache twirling villain but rather the desperate actions of a grandfather suffering through some serious PTSD.

[HeroVladimir93]

Jor-El might be manipulating things not necessarily out of malice but out of some misguided need to edify and preserve what's left of his house and basically his people by toughening Jon up since Clark is already beyond his reach to influence, at least not directly. Jon is still very malleable to him and his invite that Lois and Clark join him on this trip was a front and he expected his son not to accept but still had to deal with Lois. I think he is not only damaged by what Manhattan did to him but also by what happened to Krypton. Before Rogol Zaar was a thing, I would have said his passivity that saw him not push harder for the planet's evacuation has scarred him somewhat and as someone who was plucked at the very last second, who also bears the physical scars of what happened, a reminder of all he's lost and could lose even now, he's even more driven to achieve his goal where his family is concerned and that means crossing certain moral lines that Clark would no doubt balk at. This is further aggravated by whatever mind manipulation he was subjected to before MoS. I don't think he intended to harm Lois, but he definitely needed her out of the way so he could have Jon all to himself. It's not the actions of a mustache twirling villain but rather the desperate actions of a grandfather suffering through some serious PTSD.

When you put that way, Jor-El's evilness, if you can call it that, is certainly debatable, but this issue, what with Superboy's comment about Jor-El being insane, is setting up to be an antagonist.

[rpmaluki]

When you put that way, Jor-El's evilness, if you can call it that, is certainly debatable, but this issue, what with Superboy's comment about Jor-El being insane, is setting up to be an antagonist.

An antagonist isn't always a villain. He doesn't agree with Clark's super heroics and is convinced Kal can do more but Clark has his own ideas, in that he's an antagonist to his son's values. I don't have issues with Jor-El being an antagonist for an arc or two as long as he's not written as some evil villain Clark has to destroy like every other villain he's faced since donning the tights. Jor-El is still his father and that needs to be respected in the writing at least.

[HeroVladimir93]

An antagonist isn't always a villain. He doesn't agree with Clark's super heroics and is convinced Kal can do more but Clark has his own ideas, in that he's an antagonist to his son's values. I don't have issues with Jor-El being an antagonist for an arc or two as long as he's not written as some evil villain Clark has to destroy like every other villain he's faced since donning the tights. Jor-El is still his father and that needs to be respected in the writing at least.

Maybe Bendis can give Jor-El some measure of redemption in his new stories. Of course, the outcome of that story depends on how Doomsday Clock ends.

[Scott Taylor]

Jor El might be Dr. Manhattan, who knows. At the very least, it seems that all this is Manhattan's fault.

As to Lois, I don't really hold it against her being a bad mom. Have you even read some of the Golden Age stuff? She's bad news and Superman is a dick.

[Darkspellmaster]

Okay after reading this thread here is my thoughts for those that are okay with this. There's this argument that this will make Jon more memorable, but to the contrary we've seen in seen in several cases that that is not true.

Take for example Chris Kent. During his time fans of his, myself included , were hoping that he could get what Jon got with Damian, a friendship that was unique. Unlike Damian who was a biological son, Chris was adopted to Lois and Clark and made for an interesting parallel to Clark's own past. Growing up with adopted parents who were like his birth family, while dealing with powers, only, unlike Clark, Chris had someone like him to teach him.

There was also the dynamic that this was Zod's son and, like Damian, he was going to over come that. Then they went, aged him up, same age too, maybe a year younger, gave him a girlfriend and people loathed it. Writers didn't know what to do with him because he had no connections to other characters other than the Kents. So when they de aged him a lot thought that this could lead to a good story as there were hints for him to meet Damian at the time. Only new 52 came and screwed that up.

Then we have Bart being aged to Wally's age and forced into the Flash role when he was not ready and being an ass. Causing fans to hate the book leading to his death.

Then there was the adult Tim in Batman Beyond that made no sense.

The reasons why the likes of Damian, Dick, Tim, Kon, Wally, Cassie, Donna, Garth, Roy, etc. manage to be so loved is because we see them grow up. They have time to be kids, make mistakes. We see them go though trials and tribulations and come out stronger. We love them because we see them learn and grow and when the time comes for say a switch to being in the JL, we can get behind it because we know they are ready because we saw how they got to this point.

Wally, Dick, Donna, Roy and Garth are perfect examples. Dick was able to step into Batman because of how he grew as a character. Wally got to be Flash because readers, for the most part, could accept that Barry would say he was ready to take the role on. Donna was able to be Wonder Woman because she knew how to be a diplomat and bring hope. Roy could easily take on Ollie's role as Green Arrow and Garth could be Aquaman if he wanted, because they were allowed to grow up over time.

Jon and Chris never got that and I think it hurts them because kids can't grow with them if they are forced to be "adults". Wanna know why TT and YJ are so loved? Because those of us that care about these characters grew up with them.

I was hoping for the same for Jon. But apparently the o ly kid that gets to grow up is Damian. Because, you know, the Bat books are special.

[manwhohaseverything]

Jor El might be Dr. Manhattan, who knows. At the very least, it seems that all this is Manhattan's fault.

As to Lois, I don't really hold it against her being a bad mom. Have you even read some of the Golden Age stuff? She's bad news and Superman is a dick.

DC always finds a scapegoat for all the things they pull don't they.
And golden age lois thing. If i am not mistaken or misremembered it, she almost married jor el once. Heck, held baby kal.