Superman Projects That Almost Were

[Bruce Wayne]

No Superman was going to be a rightwing authoritarian (probably Batman too) according to Morrison and it was going to be the new gen vs right-wing reactionaries of the old gen.

[Leancarp900]

That's kind of the point. That Jon/Damian/one of the Fox kids + Yara + Andi + Boomerang Jr would be the 5G Heroes. That's not rumor mongering. Bendis aging Jon, Fraction being the next writer, Deconnick introducing Andi, it's clear they were going to replace the older generation of heroes. That was the whole point of the project.

Jon got aged-up because Bendis wanted to relaunch the Legion of Superheroes. 5G was brainstormed a year later.

[Bruce Wayne]

Jon got aged-up because Bendis wanted to relaunch the Legion of Superheroes. 5G was brainstormed a year later.

I don't agree. I think 5G was already in the works at this point. Rucka/Fraction/DeConnick getting jobs were clearly paving the way for them doing the 5G weekly eventually. They were being set up to be the architects of the 5G era.

More importantly people have pointed out, Didio very much sees the Quesada era Ultimate line as a model to relaunch/reboot books (such as Earth One/All-Star/New 52) and he has mentioned that 5G was very much Ultimate inspired. I think he was brainstorming the reboot very early on when they inked the deal with Bendis. I think the amount of effort that went into 5G and the material that they generated before it got cancelledshows they had being laying the groundwork for awhile.

From Morrison, we can determine the overly elaborate plans were already in place by 9/2019 at the latest when he was pitched the authoritarian Superman and the Authority by DC, half a year after Bendis had already aged up Jon.

[Thor-Ul]

Jon got aged-up because Bendis wanted to relaunch the Legion of Superheroes. 5G was brainstormed a year later.

No, that was DiDio. The guy already had relaunched the Legions as teenagers before Johns had the winning hand with the retroboot and again he gave Bendis charte blanche to make the Legion Superboy playfield again.
I blame Bendis for a lot of thing, but I don't think than make th eLegion teenagers agains was his idea. He run with the ball, that is true, but I believe he was not, the one who came with the idea of reboot them again.
But I can accept than surely the 5G project was part of the deal for Bendis to jump in DC. The guy had created the new Spider-Man. Create the new Superman was an idea really attractive to be ignored.

[Vordan]

From what I recall hearing in Word Balloon interview with Bendis around that time, Didio was already planning on aging Jon up for 5G, Bendis simply agreed to handle that in Superman proper.

[Leancarp900]

From what I recall hearing in Word Balloon interview with Bendis around that time, Didio was already planning on aging Jon up for 5G, Bendis simply agreed to handle that in Superman proper.

Oh well, didn't know that.

No, that was DiDio. The guy already had relaunched the Legions as teenagers before Johns had the winning hand with the retroboot and again he gave Bendis charte blanche to make the Legion Superboy playfield again.
I blame Bendis for a lot of thing, but I don't think than make th eLegion teenagers agains was his idea. He run with the ball, that is true, but I believe he was not, the one who came with the idea of reboot them again.
But I can accept than surely the 5G project was part of the deal for Bendis to jump in DC. The guy had created the new Spider-Man. Create the new Superman was an idea really attractive to be ignored.

Bendis' involvement in 5G was actually going to be rather small. He was going to cowrite The Last Call, write Green Arrow (apparently one of the few DC heroes who wasn't going to be replaced) and a few spy books.

[greatmetropolitan]

Every piece of 5G info I hear about Superman is a "there but for the grace of God" moment. Absolutely awful decisions that show a massive lack of understanding of Clark. Very glad that was scrapped.

[Matt Rat]

The original plan for Jon's solo title New Superman would have seen Jon Kent learning of the fate of the Earth from serving with the Legion and teaming with Jenny Sparks to prevent this future. Clark in the meantime would grow tired of staying on the sidelines and would set out on secret missions without the knowledge of Lois, which soon leads to the formation of the Authority under his watch, eventually recruiting Jenny.



https://bleedingcool.com/comics/the-...-the-5g-files/

[Thor-Ul]

The original plan for Jon's solo title New Superman would have seen Jon Kent learning of the fate of the Earth from serving with the Legion and teaming with Jenny Sparks to prevent this future. Clark in the meantime would grow tired of staying on the sidelines and would set out on secret missions without the knowledge of Lois, which soon leads to the formation of the Authority under his watch, eventually recruiting Jenny.



https://bleedingcool.com/comics/the-...-the-5g-files/

SO the new reboot of the Legion was going to be Jon Kent's fault?

[Vordan]

The original plan for Jon's solo title New Superman would have seen Jon Kent learning of the fate of the Earth from serving with the Legion and teaming with Jenny Sparks to prevent this future. Clark in the meantime would grow tired of staying on the sidelines and would set out on secret missions without the knowledge of Lois, which soon leads to the formation of the Authority under his watch, eventually recruiting Jenny.



https://bleedingcool.com/comics/the-...-the-5g-files/

Well that explains why they tossed Kenan to the side, they were going to give his title to Jon. I would love to know the reasoning why they were so dead set on Jon, was it because Didio wanted at least one white guy on the new League?

The Clark stuff sounds terrible and I’m sure there would have been a big marital spat between Clark and Lois over him going behind her back, probably would’ve even ended in divorce if Didio was just using 5G to lead into another New 52 attempt the way some people theorize, but **** all of the Jon stuff sounds light years better than what we got!

[Thor-Ul]

Bendis' involvement in 5G was actually going to be rather small. He was going to cowrite The Last Call, write Green Arrow (apparently one of the few DC heroes who wasn't going to be replaced) and a few spy books.

You sure? For what I am reading it seems like Bendis was going to stablishing how the circunstances than derived the 5g were going to developt.

I suppose than now all his ideas will be set aside and others will be ignored.

[Vordan]

In a new event comic, World's Finest/ Justice Alliance, picking up on those Batman storylines, Jon Kent learns the importance of the Superman/Batman team. Once the new Batman and new Superman find mutual respect and understanding, they become the catalysts for the creation of a new super-team, replacing the former Justice League, which had fallen apart over Clark Kent's insistence they all give up secret identities. The new team was called The Justice Alliance. Which will include Yara Flor, Wonder Girl, Jo Mullein Green Lantern and as a new Flash, the child of Flash villain and Suicide Squad member, Captain Boomerang. Likely to be Bolt, the daughter of Australian criminals in Future State Suicide Squad playing the role of Flash. And would have been written by Tim Sheridan.

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/a-ne...hapter-eleven/
Well the new JA would have been ass I guess, judging by how mediocre Titans Academy was.

[LordUltimus]

Didn't Bendis say that they wanted him for their spy stuff and he specifically requested Superman?

[Vordan]

Didn't Bendis say that they wanted him for their spy stuff and he specifically requested Superman?

Talking about his initial jump to DC? No Didio expected him to ask for Batman and he was shocked when Bendis passed and asked for Superman instead. He was going to do some spy books and Green Arrow for 5G however.

[Frontier]

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/a-ne...hapter-eleven/
Well the new JA would have been ass I guess, judging by how mediocre Titans Academy was.

"Which had fallen apart over Clark Kent's insistence they all give up secret identities" - none of that makes sense.

And then he goes back to doing hero work in secret behind Lois' back.