It looks like the unfortunate path that Batman's son went down in Injustice was much darker than fans first thought. An interview with Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent writer Tom Taylor hints at what may have helped push Damian Wayne towards the darkness.
Taylor and DC have recently let it slip that Superman's son Jon Kent is heading to the universe that serves as the setting for the Injustice franchise. In an interview on DC's website, Taylor discusses plans he has for the upcoming miniseries and what it will mean for the younger Man of Steel. Not only will Jon Kent face off against the most evil Superman in the entire multiverse in the form of Ultraman, he's going to see some familiar allies who have embraced darker destinies than the ones he knew.
Obviously, Batman. There is Superman, there is Wonder Woman, and how she reacts to Jon suddenly showing up. But I guess the biggest one—and I wasn't going to give this away, but you know what, for anyone reading this I will—there is a different Damian Wayne in the Injustice world. Literally his best friend is essentially not on the side of the angels in this world. That is going to give us a very fun and entertaining dynamic and quite a tortured dynamic to play with.
In addition to the Justice League's Trinity, Jon is going to see what's become of his best friend Damian Wayne in the Injustice world. Taylor reaffirms that this isn't the Damian that Jon knows and that this version of Batman's son is not a force for good. The writer seems quite excited about the conflict that will inevitably come from their meeting.
Injustice Took Batman's Son Damian to a Dark Place
Things have always been difficult for Damian Wayne, but they were even more tragic in the Injustice universe. Damian supported Superman’s creation of the Regime, a movement dedicated to the eradication of crime, putting the violent Robin in opposition to his father. The rift between the two widened when Damian accidentally killed Nightwing after he tried putting a stop to the Boy Wonder’s killing of criminals. After being rejected by Batman, Damian joined Superman’s Regime as a new Nightwing and continued his mission of eliminating crime in all its forms no matter what.
Now anyone who knows anything about Damian Wayne knows that he’s the Robin with possibly the biggest violence streak in the Bat-Family. But in the Prime Earth continuity, he’s managed to restrain those impulses and improve on himself thanks to the allies he surrounded himself with. In fact, one of the best influences on Damian was Superboy Jon Kent, and the two’s time together as the Super Sons was a great period of growth for the scion of the Dark Knight. However, pairing Injustice’s Damian with the Prime Earth Jon Kent highlights how little a chance the former actually had at fighting for good.
Injustice's Damian was Doomed to be His Worst Self
The Injustice universe presents a world where ideologies break up the DC Universe’s most iconic alliances. And while Damian loses a number of partners, one that he never had to begin with was Jon Kent. In the Prime Earth continuity, Jon always served as a source of inspiration and encouraged Damian to be the best. But Injustice’s Damian wasn’t as lucky, and wound up going down a road filled with torment. What will Damian’s response be when he sees someone that could have been his friend in another life, and helped him choose a better way of life? Fans will have to see what happens when Jon Kent meets the Injustice variant of Batman’s son in Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #1, on sale March 12th, 2023
Source: DC