What does a Jon Kent Superman book need to be?

[Killerbee911]

So what would I like to see for Jon Superman, I talking more of the general sense and what philosophy other Superman should be like

* His own nickname, Yes It successful works with Miles but nickname that superhero community calls him when he is around Clark would be cool. The world would call him Superman but around other older heroes and when Clark is around he would called the nickname ,if the nick name is good he could eventually use it to spilt off the same way Nightwing has done.

* Weaker and Stronger than Clark part 1. I like the idea that he is generally weaker but could charge up on solar power became even stronger than anyone around

* Weaker and Stronger than Clark part 2. In his base "form" I would like that he is weaker than expected leaving him to use heat vision, ice breath, super speed and intelligence in creative combinations more than raw over powering stuff.

* No civilian job part 1, Jon's main job should be "Superhero", I know some people would like to see duel identity work thing but leave that for Clark

* No civilian job part 2 So where will his civilian cast/life come from well we are going steal from the Supergirl show. Jon will work for the DEO as Superman. It is perfect place for Superman because it leads him fight Aliens who whose powers are capable of hurting a superman level threat. It will deal a lot with planetary defense so again more chances to not stay on world increase chance threats capable of harming. Plus he will make alien friends whose issue will become his again leading him off world. Where Clark feels metropolis focus, Jon should feel Earth and Solar System focused.

* Jon should have different philosophy than Clark on killing, Remember he is also raised by Lois Lane. I would make Jon kill if necessary/last resort type AND never end up killing. The end result is the same Clark with Jon always doing every thing in his power to avoid the last resort. But with Jon you would have on occasion him struggling if it is time to use that option.

* I think strongest part of Jon's appeal that he is son of the greatest hero on planet and he has to live up that. Clark would feel a little more perfect doing the job, Jon would be a little more messy and making slight more mistakes. He would have greater mental pressure to be great hero, sometimes doubt himself and will be his "flaw" until he gets a hero responsibility moment.

I also like the idea Jon enjoying the Celebrity of being Superhero more and will have more interactions with the public as celebrity. So he is little bit more flamboyant and flashy in how he does thing, He will flirt with girls and quip a little bit more with villains.

[manwhohaseverything]

That would go against the point of this thread. That point being to go propose something based off what is already being established as the direction for the character. Clearly solar powers are still his thing as far as we know.

jon didn't the sun inside a volcano in earth-3.

[Superlad93]

jon didn't the sun inside a volcano in earth-3.

Apparently that's not the direction now.

[Kuwagaton]

It's difficult to state what isn't already covered by Watters.

I just want to see Jon as main character, not son of the main character. He's younger and his own man... basically the guy they wanted to write Superman as in the New 52 but not tied to anything except maybe some kiddo mischief with Damian and a stint in the Legion.

I also don't like "the future." Jon should have the complete perspective of the present and whatever else we think of should be the past.

Powers, scope wise... "Superman" is a general problem solver. You can't really change that. Stronger or weaker, he'll utilize strengths and work around weaknesses. You just have to come up with compelling characters to carry those situations.

[Blue22]

At this point you all know how I feel about this. It ain't worth going into. Instead I'll play along. Because I've actually had my own ideas on how I'd handle an adult Jon for a while now. Pretty much since that Super Sons of tomorrow arc. Of course those ideas involved Jon NOT being Superman. Because there's only been a grand total of two times where I've been okay with a sidekick growing up to replace their mentor (and in Dick's case, I was only okay with it because it was pretty obvious that it'd only be a temporary thing) But, for the sake of the thread, I can make some adjustments.

So skipping over the codename thing, because he's "Superman", the first thing I'd do is find ways to make it very clear that he is not just young Clark. That's been my biggest problem with him since this age up began. Dude's gonna be his own thing. His own Superman. Having him take on the mantle just for him to look like Clark and do all the same things Clark does is pointless. For all that, we might as well have kept Clark.

One big change: The costume. The blue spandex and red cape gotta go. I actually really liked his design at the start of Bendis run. If you all recall, that's the one compliment I've ever been willing to give to the aged up Jon. He looked REALLY good. But then they went and ruined it by giving him costumes and hair cuts that are more reminiscent of New 52 Clark. And now that he's on the road to becoming his own man, we're nixing that. Even the costume that I liked. Hell, maybe he even gets his own color scheme, the same way Conner has become more associated with black and red. I don't have any ideas that I'm 100% sold on but maybe he takes some cues from Conner, and even his younger self, and goes for a more casual approach. I always envisioned kind of an early 2000s skater or even a hipster kind of fashion (without going too "douchey"). But those are heavily dependent on how old this Jon is. If we're going with his late teens to early 20s then maybe.

Next, Metropolis. He ain't staying there. At least not for like 50% of the time. One of the big revelations he has after becoming Superman is that Clark and Bruce were going about things all wrong by trying to take on the brunt of the work in one city when they have an entire support system of family and friends to draw from. So he works things out with Kara, Conner, and both Steels (possibly even Damian, Maya, Kathy, and Boyzarro) to protect the city in shifts. There's always gonna be at least two heroes watching over Metropolis at any given time. Jon has a great deal of respect for the city that helped make his Dad a living legend, but he wants to focus more on expanding his horizons. Traveling to new places, experiencing new things. He wants to be the world's Superman. Not just Metropolis'. So a lot of his adventures would involve him just traveling around the world by himself (for now...I'll get into that later) or with Krypto, having a good time, discovering who he is, helping people in need, and stopping whatever crimes he stumbles upon. Basically the superhero equivalent to those young adults who travel right out of high school instead of going to college or going into the workforce. This way he has a chance to assemble a much more diverse supporting cast and it could even lead to a lot of fun crossovers with other heroes.

Career-wise, because being a superhero is not a job that Superman should be making a profit off of, he definitely does something to make money that doesn't require him being glued to one spot. Definitely not journalism. And not anything that has him confined to an office or anything that a typical 9-5 job entails.

I don't know. Maybe a freelance photographer or a vlogger/social media influencer. Hell, maybe one of those youtube musicians like Nathan Sharp or Jonathan Young. Ever since that one panel of Clark teaching him to play the guitar, I've always kinda headcanon'd that those two can sing lol. Anything to inspire hope/positivity via the internet and social media should be right up the alley of any modern Superman. Especially one who's focusing on more than just Metropolis. It's one of the best ways to connect to the people you've sworn to protect, all over the world. Hell, it might even be an easier way for him to find people who need his help.

As for his personality, again, I wanna get away from the "Clark Jr." aspects. If I wanted that, I'd just read more Clark books. At this point in his life, Jon's decided not to be overly stressed about living up to any legacy or even what the people think of him as a new Superman. He wants to focus on who he is, not who he's replacing. Love him or hate him, he's just a guy who's out to help the world and enjoy life. He's not high strung or overly proper. He's still got that politeness and humbleness that you'd expect from a Kent boy. But he's also got some wit and attitude from Lois. Overall he's much more...free spirited, relaxed, quippy, even sarcastic. Dude's basically Sonic the Hedgehog.

Obviously Jon has the same powerset as Clark. But there is one thing I'd like to see him get more use out of. His solar flare. That seems to have been kind of...forgotten. I want him to not only learn how to keep it from going out of control, but how to channel it into more than just explosions. Energy blasts from his hands, force fields, boosters for his other powers, ect.

Overall, I want the same feeling from Jon as Superman that I used to get out of Jon as a Superboy. I want him to be fun. I want him to have fun. To enjoy being a hero instead of feeling like it's a burden that's been passed onto him. With Clark out of commission (I guess), Kara's the next logical head of the family now. So he's cool with letting her be the more traditional "Superman". She can be Metropolis' main champion. She can have the Justice League. She can have the Trinity. Jon's more concerned with being his own kind of Superman.

__________________________________________________ ______________________


There is one more idea that I have but I'm kinda back and forth on it because it feels too similar to something else. You'll probably start to understand as I explain it a bit more. If Jon's Superman now and Conner, in this scenario, has moved on to his own identity....that means the Superboy position is up for grabs. I thought a possible candidate could be Lor-Zod. If I recall he's still out in space with his parents and would be significantly younger than Jon at this point. Maybe he goes to earth to take out Superman in an attempt to make Zod happy (or to show he's superior to Zod. This could be a couple years later so he's 13-14 and going through a teen angst phase), only to find out that there's a new Superman. He figures "any supes will do" and becomes a bit of a reoccurring adversary/annoyance for a while before Jon gets fed up and basically tells him "Look, dude. You only hate me because our Dads hate each other. I'm not my Dad. And you don't have to be yours. You're like a million light years away from him right now. Get a life. Get your own life."

It takes a few more clashes for it to sink in but, eventually, Lor actually starts taking what Jon said to heart. Carrying on his father's old grudges (and failing just as spectacularly as he has) wasn't getting him anywhere. It certainly wasn't making him happy. So at the end of their final encounter as enemies (which, of course, ends in failure yet again), Lor finally breaks down and asks Jon for help. He doesn't know what he needs help with. He just knows that he needs help. Being the sap that he is, Jon can't just turn away a crying kid. So he lets Lor tag along with him and Krypto on their random adventures so the boy can figure out what he wants to do with his life now that he's no longer under Zod's thumb. The two start to grow a bit of a brotherly bond with each other (the kind that I wish Jon and Conner had gotten to have) and eventually Lor just straight up becomes the next Superboy.

The only reason I'm hesitant about this idea is because the whole concept sounds a bit too similar to Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne. Like, there are plenty of ways to make it different enough but the premise itself feels a little too close to that.

[manwhohaseverything]

Apparently that's not the direction now.

there is no set direction.The character is very much moldable.There is a bunch of takes as of now.I am dreading them going benevolent saviour gimmick(sun powers play into that).It's such a waste .

[Superlad93]

there is no set direction.The character is very much moldable.There is a bunch of takes as of now.I am dreading them going benevolent saviour gimmick(sun powers play into that).It's such a waste .

I have zero interest in getting into a whole thing with you. You've said what you want. I respect it. Cool.

[manwhohaseverything]

I have zero interest in getting into a whole thing with you. You've said what you want. I respect it. Cool.

Alright,as you wish.On topic,Champion of metropolis all the way.Everyday.

[lotchj]

I'm just not interested in any superman that isn't Clark Kent!! If Dc does replace Clark with Jon, i won't be added that comic book to my pull list. What does a Jon Kent superman book need to be. Don't make Jon Kent SUPERMAN!!!

[Blue22]

I'm just not interested in any superman that isn't Clark Kent!! If Dc does replace Clark with Jon, i won't be added that comic book to my pull list. What does a Jon Kent superman book need to be. Don't make Jon Kent SUPERMAN!!!

I mean....I agree with you 100%, dude. Trust me. I do. But come on. Lad asked, nicely(ish), in the first post for actual...like...constructive takes on the matter.

So for the sake of the conversation, just like....I don't know....do what I did and assume you've been tasked with fixing Jon with the one condition that you aren't allowed to undo any of Bendis' shit. You gotta move full speed ahead with him as Superman. No exceptions. So with that in mind...what would you do with Jon? I chose to at least make him a different kind of Superman. To focus less on the fact that he's replacing Clark and more on how he's finding himself and moving away from being like his Dad.

[manwhohaseverything]

I'm just not interested in any superman that isn't Clark Kent!! If Dc does replace Clark with Jon, i won't be added that comic book to my pull list. What does a Jon Kent superman book need to be. Don't make Jon Kent SUPERMAN!!!

You mean this guy?

/cue max fliescher cartoon intro music
Ta da!
I will see myself out.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

A more defined idea of who Jon is and what makes him different from his parents.

A quick pace and a fun tone.

Exploring what happened between the years he was away would help. That's where Jon would become "Jon" to me. He didn't have his parents around to be a safety net. So whatever he choose to do would showcase who he is or who he could be.

A fight with the Time Luchadores.

A dynamic with his mom and her side of the family.

Him having a job as a side hustle could be fun.

EDIT- having his time on Earth 3 leave some mental scars could be interesting to explore.

I agree with Robanker about comparing it to Batman Beyond and Blue-22 for adding Lor-Zod.

[king81992]

At this point you all know how I feel about this. It ain't worth going into. Instead I'll play along. Because I've actually had my own ideas on how I'd handle an adult Jon for a while now. Pretty much since that Super Sons of tomorrow arc. Of course those ideas involved Jon NOT being Superman. Because there's only been a grand total of two times where I've been okay with a sidekick growing up to replace their mentor (and in Dick's case, I was only okay with it because it was pretty obvious that it'd only be a temporary thing) But, for the sake of the thread, I can make some adjustments.

So skipping over the codename thing, because he's "Superman", the first thing I'd do is find ways to make it very clear that he is not just young Clark. That's been my biggest problem with him since this age up began. Dude's gonna be his own thing. His own Superman. Having him take on the mantle just for him to look like Clark and do all the same things Clark does is pointless. For all that, we might as well have kept Clark.

One big change: The costume. The blue spandex and red cape gotta go. I actually really liked his design at the start of Bendis run. If you all recall, that's the one compliment I've ever been willing to give to the aged up Jon. He looked REALLY good. But then they went and ruined it by giving him costumes and hair cuts that are more reminiscent of New 52 Clark. And now that he's on the road to becoming his own man, we're nixing that. Even the costume that I liked. Hell, maybe he even gets his own color scheme, the same way Conner has become more associated with black and red. I don't have any ideas that I'm 100% sold on but maybe he takes some cues from Conner, and even his younger self, and goes for a more casual approach. I always envisioned kind of an early 2000s skater or even a hipster kind of fashion (without going too "douchey"). But those are heavily dependent on how old this Jon is. If we're going with his late teens to early 20s then maybe.

Next, Metropolis. He ain't staying there. At least not for like 50% of the time. One of the big revelations he has after becoming Superman is that Clark and Bruce were going about things all wrong by trying to take on the brunt of the work in one city when they have an entire support system of family and friends to draw from. So he works things out with Kara, Conner, and both Steels (possibly even Damian, Maya, Kathy, and Boyzarro) to protect the city in shifts. There's always gonna be at least two heroes watching over Metropolis at any given time. Jon has a great deal of respect for the city that helped make his Dad a living legend, but he wants to focus more on expanding his horizons. Traveling to new places, experiencing new things. He wants to be the world's Superman. Not just Metropolis'. So a lot of his adventures would involve him just traveling around the world by himself (for now...I'll get into that later) or with Krypto, having a good time, discovering who he is, helping people in need, and stopping whatever crimes he stumbles upon. Basically the superhero equivalent to those young adults who travel right out of high school instead of going to college or going into the workforce. This way he has a chance to assemble a much more diverse supporting cast and it could even lead to a lot of fun crossovers with other heroes.

Career-wise, because being a superhero is not a job that Superman should be making a profit off of, he definitely does something to make money that doesn't require him being glued to one spot. Definitely not journalism. And not anything that has him confined to an office or anything that a typical 9-5 job entails.

I don't know. Maybe a freelance photographer or a vlogger/social media influencer. Hell, maybe one of those youtube musicians like Nathan Sharp or Jonathan Young. Ever since that one panel of Clark teaching him to play the guitar, I've always kinda headcanon'd that those two can sing lol. Anything to inspire hope/positivity via the internet and social media should be right up the alley of any modern Superman. Especially one who's focusing on more than just Metropolis. It's one of the best ways to connect to the people you've sworn to protect, all over the world. Hell, it might even be an easier way for him to find people who need his help.

As for his personality, again, I wanna get away from the "Clark Jr." aspects. If I wanted that, I'd just read more Clark books. At this point in his life, Jon's decided not to be overly stressed about living up to any legacy or even what the people think of him as a new Superman. He wants to focus on who he is, not who he's replacing. Love him or hate him, he's just a guy who's out to help the world and enjoy life. He's not high strung or overly proper. He's still got that politeness and humbleness that you'd expect from a Kent boy. But he's also got some wit and attitude from Lois. Overall he's much more...free spirited, relaxed, quippy, even sarcastic. Dude's basically Sonic the Hedgehog.

Obviously Jon has the same powerset as Clark. But there is one thing I'd like to see him get more use out of. His solar flare. That seems to have been kind of...forgotten. I want him to not only learn how to keep it from going out of control, but how to channel it into more than just explosions. Energy blasts from his hands, force fields, boosters for his other powers, ect.

Overall, I want the same feeling from Jon as Superman that I used to get out of Jon as a Superboy. I want him to be fun. I want him to have fun. To enjoy being a hero instead of feeling like it's a burden that's been passed onto him. With Clark out of commission (I guess), Kara's the next logical head of the family now. So he's cool with letting her be the more traditional "Superman". She can be Metropolis' main champion. She can have the Justice League. She can have the Trinity. Jon's more concerned with being his own kind of Superman.

__________________________________________________ ______________________


There is one more idea that I have but I'm kinda back and forth on it because it feels too similar to something else. You'll probably start to understand as I explain it a bit more. If Jon's Superman now and Conner, in this scenario, has moved on to his own identity....that means the Superboy position is up for grabs. I thought a possible candidate could be Lor-Zod. If I recall he's still out in space with his parents and would be significantly younger than Jon at this point. Maybe he goes to earth to take out Superman in an attempt to make Zod happy (or to show he's superior to Zod. This could be a couple years later so he's 13-14 and going through a teen angst phase), only to find out that there's a new Superman. He figures "any supes will do" and becomes a bit of a reoccurring adversary/annoyance for a while before Jon gets fed up and basically tells him "Look, dude. You only hate me because our Dads hate each other. I'm not my Dad. And you don't have to be yours. You're like a million light years away from him right now. Get a life. Get your own life."

It takes a few more clashes for it to sink in but, eventually, Lor actually starts taking what Jon said to heart. Carrying on his father's old grudges (and failing just as spectacularly as he has) wasn't getting him anywhere. It certainly wasn't making him happy. So at the end of their final encounter as enemies (which, of course, ends in failure yet again), Lor finally breaks down and asks Jon for help. He doesn't know what he needs help with. He just knows that he needs help. Being the sap that he is, Jon can't just turn away a crying kid. So he lets Lor tag along with him and Krypto on their random adventures so the boy can figure out what he wants to do with his life now that he's no longer under Zod's thumb. The two start to grow a bit of a brotherly bond with each other (the kind that I wish Jon and Conner had gotten to have) and eventually Lor just straight up becomes the next Superboy.

The only reason I'm hesitant about this idea is because the whole concept sounds a bit too similar to Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne. Like, there are plenty of ways to make it different enough but the premise itself feels a little too close to that.

So basically Jon travels around the world, picking up allies, fighting crime and other various threats? I like this concept.

[lotchj]

A more defined idea of who Jon is and what makes him different from his parents.

A quick pace and a fun tone.

Exploring what happened between the years he was away would help. That's where Jon would become "Jon" to me. He didn't have his parents around to be a safety net. So whatever he choose to do would showcase who he is or who he could be.

A fight with the Time Luchadores.

A dynamic with his mom and her side of the family.

Him having a job as a side hustle could be fun.

This is why i don't want to see Jon become Superman!! Side hustle, fighting his Mom's family. It always the same, make Making his different is making him forget the valves his parents give him. This why i have lost interested in most comics and tv show!! Because most characters today don't really have any valves. Superman is one of the few that does, it refreshing.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

This is why i don't want to see Jon become Superman!! Side hustle, fighting his Mom's family. It always the same, make Making his different is making him forget the valves his parents give him. This why i have lost interested in most comics and tv show!! Because most characters today don't really have any valves. Superman is one of the few that does, it refreshing.

I never said he should fight his mom. I meant he should have a relationship with her and her family. There should be stories where he tries to connect with his grandfather or try to be a mediator between his mom and aunt. If he and his mom disagree on an issue that's not the end of the world.

Side hustle became slang for a second job, it doesn't mean crime.

Jon being different from his parents doesn't mean he forgets what they taught him. I don't want Jon to be a carbon copy of his parents.