He may be the most powerful hero in the DC Universe, but Superman lacks one thing compared to his younger counterpart. New Super-Man #18 reveals how Kong Kenan has become a much more improved version of the Man of Steel.
The DC Universe has no short supply of powerful heroes able to fight back the immense number of villains who wish to do it harm. And while the efforts from all heroes are crucial, few are able to deal with villains in the way that Superman is. With his immense powers, Clark can fight enemies as strong as Darkseid all by himself. However, even someone like Superman isn't without his weaknesses, and he has more than a few Achilles' heels that can bring him down. In addition to kryptonite and red solar rays, magic can cut through the overwhelming strength the hero possesses and leave him as weak as an average human.
While Superman's done a fantastic job in spite of his vulnerability to magic, the Super-Man of China, Kong Kenan, may be the hero who can improve Clark's legacy. In New Super-Man #18 by Gene Luen Yang and Brent Peeples, All-Yang, the deceiptful twin brother of Master I-Ching, has manipulated Kenan into opening a portal to a realm of demigods. Super-Man races to fix his mistake and repel the invading giants and is joined by his idol, Superman. The two heroes work in tandem to push back the magical threats, but nothing Superman does seems to work. However, Kenan is able to do much more damage to the beings. He's even able to absorb All-Yang's consciousness after Kenan accepts his role of keeping Yin and Yang in balance. When questioned how he can do these things, all Kenan can say is "magic".
How Super-Man Improves On Being Superman
While Superman can overcome his weakness to magic occasionally, more often than not, enemies are able to do some serious damage to him because of his vulnerability. All the strength in the world can’t stop DC’s magical menaces or divine threats from effortlessly beating him. However, Kenan doesn’t appear to have such a weakness, likely because his origins are a bit more magic than Clark’s. With all of Clark’s powers and one of his biggest completely removed, Super-Man may one day surpass Clark and any other Superman.
Sure, Clark has been able to win against certain villains in spite of the danger magic poses. But magic is still dangerous to Superman, and his weakness could ultimately get him killed. Kenan’s ability to withstand magical elements is a fantastic hurdle to overcome and it takes away the advantage of a lot of Superman foes. While Clark is still the Superman for now, Kenan’s invulnerability to magic may allow him to overtake his idol one day.