Jon Kent and the Superman 2000 pitch

[Superlad93]

The solicit seemed to imply that Jon was desiring a normal life, so maybe that’s what prompts him to decide on college?

Judging by what has been said in interviews and in Jon's story in Infinite Frontier, I'm thinking it's because Jon's looking for a "anchor" beyond just his family. This is his native time and world, but he's come of age so far from the scope of it that he has to reform roots to it, and see what kind of person he wants to be here. What better place to find yourself than college (in fiction. Not in real life)?

Maybe that's why he reforms a secret identity (or at least keeps his identity on the low)? He figures "well, dad was a stranger in a strange land, and he did the whole secret identity thing to blend in and be more part of the world rather than above it, right? So, maybe that's what I should do?" But then clearly that doesn't last long.

But it's worth mentioning that the last time Taylor wrote a Superman offspring who took over for Clark and was worried about climate change, he underlined the fact that said offspring was inherently part of humanity regardless. It was through embracing that idea that said offspring was able to stand before the UN and call attention to the reality of the climate situation as a partner rather than an overseer. And sure enough, both the climate change story beat and the fact that Jon being part human links him to humanity in an inherent are plot points in Superman/Wonder Woman Future State. Jon even says that it took place early on when he was starting as Superman.

So I expect part of his journey will be relearning his inherent humanity and the responsibilities that come with it.

I’m also looking forward to what his supporting cast will look like. I think he might end up joining the Truth news organization (but hopefully in a role different from journalism).

You're thinking along those lines too, huh? Yeah, as soon as it explained the Truth's whole deal, I remembered Taylor saying Jon would have to figure out how to fight government inactivity to climate change, and I recalled Taylor's MO in a good bit of his work, I felt like Jon would work with them eventually. Them exposing his identity for the second time is likely there to start the relationship off rocky. Basically Jon going "you're screwing up my whole plan to relearn how to be human!" But then the Truth organization likely shows him that being human comes with its own set of responsibilities, and that means rolling up your sleeves and using what ever privilege or gifts you're afforded to more directly fight our demons as a people.

From there I think it's possible Jon goes into sociology as a major, and becomes more activist than journalist.

I high key want to see Jon and his friends get arrested at a demonstration, and have the cops wide eyed as they slap cuffs on Superman. Because you can totally do that now since Superman now has a social security number and home address on file! Lois guest stars and comes in to bails them out/rips the cops a legal new one as she talks circles around them.

[DABellWrites]

During an exit interview for Multiversity Morrison's also the same person that said he didn't have much more to say about Clark Kent specifically, and that he'd much rather write offshoots or characters inspired by the Superman like President Superman and Klaus, and ultimately Morrison doesn't want to be a stuffy old shirt type clogging up the works. They'd much rather newer creators get a voice in they can help it.

The fact that Morrison is doing Superman & The Authority is likely more so a favor to Lee or someone at DC, because it was the idea was around during 5G which Morrison wasn't linked to.

I imagine Morrison also sees this as a good chance to make good on their word and more so set up for the new writers like Taylor and PKJ. If they had a story and weren't already out the door with big two book, I imagine Morrison would want a crack at Jon before touching Clark again.

So, Morrison said all he had with Superman and wanted to do more silver age-inspired off-shoots of the character? That's what it sounds like.

[Superlad93]

So, Morrison said all he had with Superman and wanted to do more silver age-inspired off-shoots of the character? That's what it sounds like.

If that's how you want to rationalize it to your liking then far be it from me to stand in your way.

[oneveryfineday]

This is his native time and world

Infinite Frontier #0 made a point to bring back Jon’s Convergence origin, so Jon isn’t native to the world anymore which probably plays up his feelings of disconnect. But there might be another deliberate reason—Brain Cells said in Superman of Metropolis that there were many Clarks across the multiverse but only one Jon, so I think that’s meant to foreshadow a big role for Jon in the next crisis because of how singularly special he is. And hey, Flashpoint Batman is back so I’d like him and Jon to finally meet too.

I hope the part of Jon’s journey about relearning his human side involves a lot of Lois. I loved the connection Lois and Jon had in the recent S&L episode, even if the circumstances there were much different, but the idea that they’re two people that could understand each other differently from Clark is the same.

I high key want to see Jon and his friends get arrested at a demonstration, and have the cops wide eyed as they slap cuffs on Superman. Because you can totally do that now since Superman now has a social security number and home address on file! Lois guest stars and comes in to bails them out/rips the cops a legal new one as she talks circles around them.

That would be awesome as well, especially since colleges are ground zero for student movements. Even when they fail they tend to be part of a larger undercurrent of cultural change. I’m somewhat frustrated that modern Superman is associated with the establishment and by extension you get evil authoritarian Superman at the extreme end, so I’m eager for the return for the champion of the oppressed. I’m not picky about which Superperson, just as long as the message with that iconography is out there.

[Superlad93]

Brain Cells said in Superman of Metropolis that there were many Clarks across the multiverse but only one Jon, so I think thatÂ’s meant to foreshadow a big role for Jon in the next crisis because of how singularly special he is. And hey, Flashpoint Batman is back so IÂ’d like him and Jon to finally meet too.

Damn. That's a very, VERY good point.

I don't know if you're aware, but PKJ was asked on twitter if Jon being more powerful than Clark or Kara was due to him being half Kryptonian like Batman once suggested. PJK said that there will be events that make that "seem" like that's the case. He seems to underscore "seem", thus implying that it's not the actual reason. And we've even already seen an example by PKJ himself debunking that theory via Clark's other half Kryptonian son, the Red King, being told by his mother that he'd be more powerful than his dad when they fought (likely making the assumption based on Jon Kent's power), but Clark flat out disproves this easily.

So it may be linked to him being singular in the multiverse/born on a reality that's now gone.

Also PKJ said that Jon is extremely important to DC going forward even beyond Son of Kal-El and Action. He made it sound like that was like JL or something, but it could very well also be Crisis. It's interesting because a lot of times a DC Crisis has a moment where it marvels at how there are an infinite number of Supermen, and how he's a constant. But this would be an interesting flip of that where Jon, a Superman, is singular. What if he has all of the potential power of all the Jon Kents that could've been but aren't? Like a Superman equivalent to the Speed Force? That would be nuts.

And now that I think about it, PKJ's Superman event is supposed to involve the multiverse, and ultimately be about Clark, but what if that's where they understand the nature of Jon's power and what he is? I joked about Jon having Hypertime powers because his Kingdom Come version, Hyperman, also had those powers specifically because of his metatextual importance.

That would be awesome as well, especially since colleges are ground zero for student movements. Even when they fail they tend to be part of a larger undercurrent of cultural change. IÂ’m somewhat frustrated that modern Superman is associated with the establishment and by extension you get evil authoritarian Superman at the extreme end, so IÂ’m eager for the return for the champion of the oppressed. IÂ’m not picky about which Superperson, just as long as the message with that iconography is out there.

Interestingly enough, the Superman 2000 pitch literally says "to that end, weÂ’d like to balance out his battles with Brainiac and Luthor with stories which thoroughly explore those values, stories allowing him to return to his roots as a champion of the weak and oppressed. Even more so than for Batman, Green Lantern, Flash--all his peers and contemporaries--SupermanÂ’s job is to fight for and inspire those who cannot fight for themselves. His job is to make this world a better place and to help all men realize their potential as supermen."

And Taylor's MO in nearly all his books is geared to this mindfulness in some regard, so chances are quite good for that to some degree.

[Alpha]

The thing about all of these ideas is that none of them are bad, and I can embrace them on their own (although I still want Jon to become the scientist adventurer of the family with a robot squad). My problem is that we could've done all of that without keeping Clark and Lois away from Jon through his whole puberty, and without forcing the Superman title on Jon. Why couldn't they just fast forward in time and give him his own unique name like Hyperman, or Skyman or SkyChamp.

[manwhohaseverything]

The thing about all of these ideas is that none of them are bad, and I can embrace them on their own (although I still want Jon to become the scientist adventurer of the family with a robot squad). My problem is that we could've done all of that without keeping Clark and Lois away from Jon through his whole puberty, and without forcing the Superman title on Jon. Why couldn't they just fast forward in time and give him his own unique name like Hyperman, or Skyman or SkyChamp.

How would that change anything?he would be superman..just called with a silly different name. Anyone who acts super is super...otherwise not..More importantly, why?cause he is afraid filling his dad's shoes.As far as i am concerned.i am iritated by a hero who constantly requires parents for wisdom and motive.to be just.To choose to do the right thing.I hate that,they have chained superman to joker's philosophy of a man not being able rise above his society or even genetics with "one bad day".Jon kent superman should be beyond all that...He should be a pure being of will...

[oneveryfineday]

Damn. That's a very, VERY good point.

I don't know if you're aware, but PKJ was asked on twitter if Jon being more powerful than Clark or Kara was due to him being half Kryptonian like Batman once suggested. PJK said that there will be events that make that "seem" like that's the case. He seems to underscore "seem", thus implying that it's not the actual reason. And we've even already seen an example by PKJ himself debunking that theory via Clark's other half Kryptonian son, the Red King, being told by his mother that he'd be more powerful than his dad when they fought (likely making the assumption based on Jon Kent's power), but Clark flat out disproves this easily.

So it may be linked to him being singular in the multiverse/born on a reality that's now gone.

Also PKJ said that Jon is extremely important to DC going forward even beyond Son of Kal-El and Action. He made it sound like that was like JL or something, but it could very well also be Crisis. It's interesting because a lot of times a DC Crisis has a moment where it marvels at how there are an infinite number of Supermen, and how he's a constant. But this would be an interesting flip of that where Jon, a Superman, is singular. What if he has all of the potential power of all the Jon Kents that could've been but aren't? Like a Superman equivalent to the Speed Force? That would be nuts.

And now that I think about it, PKJ's Superman event is supposed to involve the multiverse, and ultimately be about Clark, but what if that's where they understand the nature of Jon's power and what he is? I joked about Jon having Hypertime powers because his Kingdom Come version, Hyperman, also had those powers specifically because of his metatextual importance.

So I went ahead and re-read SOM and Brain Cells’ exact line is “Funny thing. I looked across the past and future and there were all these Clarks and no Jonathans. What do you think that means, hm?” So I guess Brain Cells doesn’t explicitly say the multiverse, but the fact he was talking about multiple Clarks in the past and future gives me that impression. And then the part about there being no Jonathans? That’s really weird. It seems like Jon doesn’t exist at all across the timelines, so the Jon we have here must be an anomaly. That slots in with the highly unusual circumstances of his birth.

I’m trying to look at the line from a different angle just in case I’m overthinking things—perhaps Brain Cells was just taunting Jon for being a failure of a legacy compared to his father?—but it doesn’t feel satisfying to me. Regardless, it just seemed like an odd line for Brain Cells to say and I’d like my theory and everything else you said to be true. I never thought about Jon being singular as a flip to the seemingly infinite number of Supermen in the multiverse, which is just...mind-blowingly cool.

And good catch that Jon’s hybrid nature might not actually be the full explanation for his strength. It could also be why Conner doesn’t exhibit crazy power levels too, but his fluctuating power could be explained away as clone issues anyway. I think until something else gets hinted at, I’m going with Jon’s reintroduced Convergence origin as being important.

Edit: Also Jon was able to alter written history in The Golden Age, so there are a lot of signs pointing towards Jon being in the center of major time shenanigans.

And Taylor's MO in nearly all his books is geared to this mindfulness in some regard, so chances are quite good for that to some degree.

Yeah, I see Taylor as an activist who crafts entertaining stories to deliver his message. I haven’t watched The Deep, but from what I understand it’s a kids show that promotes environmental awareness, and I think Taylor will use that same spirit to explore topics like climate change and other political issues in Superman. Definitely looking forward to that.

[oneveryfineday]

Why couldn't they just fast forward in time and give him his own unique name like Hyperman, or Skyman or SkyChamp.

Because everyone else would be a lot older too and DC doesn’t want that! So weird self-contained time skip it is.

[Alpha]

How would that change anything?he would be superman..just called with a silly different name. Anyone who acts super is super...otherwise not..More importantly, why?cause he is afraid filling his dad's shoes.As far as i am concerned.i am iritated by a hero who constantly requires parents for wisdom and motive.to be just.To choose to do the right thing.I hate that,they have chained superman to joker's philosophy of a man not being able rise above his society or even genetics with "one bad day".Jon kent superman should be beyond all that...He should be a pure being of will...

No, he would be his own person. That's what I want from Jon. I don't want 4 or even 2 people running around with the same identity. He shouldn't be a literal replacement for his father, and I see no reason for him to become the same hero. I don't want Superman Senior and Superman Junior

[Quinlan58]

Superman Dynasty has been teased as the future of Superman's bloodline since the Silver Age. I don't particularly like the idea, but I guess I've made peace with it.

As for Brain Cell's line about there only being one Jon Kent in all the "past and future", couldn't that have been a reference to the new "continuity" from Death Metal, where everyone remembers every life they've had? Because that means, in the new continuity, Clark has lead a number of different lives, but for Jon it's just the one, which he has always remembered.

[Alpha]

Superman Dynasty has been teased as the future of Superman's bloodline since the Silver Age. I don't particularly like the idea, but I guess I've made peace with it.

I'm not opposed to someone else being Superman 150 years in the future, but I think it's ridiculous right now. It's gonna end up hurting both Jon and Clark

[oneveryfineday]

As for Brain Cell's line about there only being one Jon Kent in all the "past and future", couldn't that have been a reference to the new "continuity" from Death Metal, where everyone remembers every life they've had? Because that means, in the new continuity, Clark has lead a number of different lives, but for Jon it's just the one, which he has always remembered.

Could be, though Jon has two lives/origins, the Convergence one where he was born in a now destroyed universe, then the Reborn one where he got folded into Prime Earth’s history.

[Vordan]

And now that I think about it, PKJ's Superman event is supposed to involve the multiverse, and ultimately be about Clark, but what if that's where they understand the nature of Jon's power and what he is? I joked about Jon having Hypertime powers because his Kingdom Come version, Hyperman, also had those powers specifically because of his metatextual importance.

Where did you hear this? I haven’t heard a hints about this, just that an event itself was coming in Sept.

[Superlad93]

Edit: Also Jon was able to alter written history in The Golden Age, so there are a lot of signs pointing towards Jon being in the center of major time shenanigans.

This is a very good point. I'm really staring to think there may be something to the "Hyperman" theory on some level.

Yeah, I see Taylor as an activist who crafts entertaining stories to deliver his message. I haven’t watched The Deep, but from what I understand it’s a kids show that promotes environmental awareness, and I think Taylor will use that same spirit to explore topics like climate change and other political issues in Superman. Definitely looking forward to that.

If he can thread the needle and dance between socially aware issues and crazy Silver Age stuff then we'll really have something special on our hands. His Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man book's first arc down this well.