Warning: SPOILERS for Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #2With the arrival of his new "blue" lightning powers, Superman Jon Kent just landed what could be DC's hardest punch ever. Jon has been struggling to understand his new powers, but one thing is for certain: they're unlike anything he's ever experienced before.
Superman manages to take down Ultraman with a single punch in Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #2 by Tom Taylor, Clayton Henry, Jordie Bellaire, and Wes Abbott. Jon feels his anger building up when Ultraman confronts him—largely because of his own personal history with the supervillain, who trapped Jon in a volcano on an alternate Earth for years of his life. Once Jon's rage truly builds, his fists begin to channel blue lightning, and his whole costume shifts colors, at which point he clocks Ultraman in a splash page that displays the best look yet at Jon's new electric powers.
The knock-out punch immediately weakens Jon, and the powers fade completely. But Ultraman admits, after struggling to his hands and knees, that Jon has true power: "That...is the hardest I've ever been hit by anyone. And I've pissed off a lot of powerful people in a lot of dimensions."
How Did Superman Get These New Powers?
Though this is the first massive glimpse at Jon Kent's new powers, the young Superman first experienced them during DC's Lazarus Planet event. After a massive explosion of a Lazarus volcano, the entire planet is hit by "Lazarus storms," rains that cause havoc with existing superpowers and even give new powers to unsuspecting players. In "Electric," a story from Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton #1 by C.S. Pacat, Scott Godlewski, Alex Guimarães, and AndWorld Design, Jon Kent is caught in the Lazarus rain, at which point he first experiences a massive surge of power—including these electric powers that are now more fully manifesting in Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent.
No matter where he officially got these powers, Jon Kent's new electric abilities make him one of the most powerful beings in the DC multiverse. With Ultraman's admission that this was the hardest he's "ever been hit by anyone" across all the many dimensions he's plagued, Jon's single punch could be considered DC's hardest punch—ever. Ultraman is a Kryptonian of great power, and anything that can take him down with one hit should be treated seriously.
Jon Kent: DC's Strongest Superman
Jon Kent, especially with these upgraded abilities, is officially a major multiversal threat. According to Ultraman, he's probably even stronger than Kal-El himself. As this young Superman continues to learn about his newly manifested abilities—his new limits and his new strengths—he will only reach new heights, becoming the ultra-strong champion he was always meant to be.
Check out Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #2, available now from DC Comics!