When Robin was introduced as the first DC sidekick, it inspired writers to create sidekicks for other heroes as well. Green Arrow got Red Arrow, Wonder Woman got Wonder Girl, Aquaman got Aqualad, and so on. Through the years, even Superman had an array of sidekicks. Supergirl, Kon-El the Superman clone, and even Beppo the super monkey, all at some point fought alongside the Man of Steel. None of them, though, were destined to one day become the next Superman. That role was saved for Jonathan, the son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane.
Traditionally, Jon Kent's comics have been coming-of-age stories, as he learns about controlling his powers and what being a hero really means. He has featured in several storylines such as Super Sons, Legion of Super-Heroes, and even on TV in the new Superman and Lois. His more recent appearances in DC Future State have promoted him from Superboy to Superman. July 2021 saw the release of Superman: Son of Kal-El, a comic exploring Jon learning what it really means to be a hero in the modern era. As a new generation of Superman is introduced to the world, there are some things to know about Jon Kent.
He Was First Introduced In 2015
Jon Kent was first introduced by DC in 2015 during the comic's Convergence event. He was born when the old timeline existed alongside the New 52 canon. The Convergence event set the groundwork for DC's Rebirth launch, as well as establishing that the son of superman actually did exist.
Jon's writers have generally written him with the raw emotionality that children in real life deal with. In a time when kids, especially boys, are taught to suppress feelings instead of learning to face them, a child hero healthily exploring his overwhelming emotions was a hopeful turning point in comics.
The Big Three Have Great Hopes for Him
The introduction to Superman: Son of Kal-El begins with the Justice League sending Clark home from an alien invasion to be present at the birth of his child. They told him, in no uncertain terms that this event in his life was more important than anything else.
It wasn't just about Clark being there for Lois and his child. Wonder Woman, Batman, and eventually Superman realized that Jon Kent had the potential to be a hope for the future. Diana herself said that no matter his powers, with his parent's compassion and commitment "he could be anything. Jon kent could be the best of us. Faster than fate, as powerful as hope, able to lift us all." That's a lot of pressure on little shoulders, but a great comfort to those who see the future in him.
He's Possibly More Powerful than His Father
Traditionally the comics explore Jon's life as he develops new powers. He isn't yet as strong as his father and has only a fraction of the control, as the powers seem to fluctuate with his emotions. For the most part, he has been written with the same powers as Superman. There are a few exceptions such as in Superman #32, where it's revealed that Jon has a special kind of heat vision Clark doesn't.
Batman, of course, believes otherwise. True to his less than tactful reputation, he ran tests on Jon in the womb, discovering that his unique physiology could make him greater than even Superman one day. The mixture of human and Kryptonian DNA blended to combine the strengths of both species, giving him the potential to be so much more.
He's So Much Like His Mother
Lois Lane was originally created as a scrappy, no-nonsense reporter who had a thirst for exposing the truth and bringing justice to those who needed it. She took risks and put her neck on the line for what she thought was right. It's no wonder she was drawn to the mystery of the man who fought for justice against corruption and evil.
The son Lois and Clark would eventually have together inherited her dedication to exposing corruption and injustice. Bowing to the status quo wasn't sitting right with Jon, not when the status quo often oppresses the vulnerable. Damian Wayne points out to him that as the son of Lois Lane, he is always going to feel like he should do more. Combine that with being the son of Superman and he could change the world.
His Best Friend is a Stabby Mini Assassin
Like their fathers before them, the sons of Batman and Superman have a friendship for the ages. Also like their fathers, the relationship started a little rocky. Raised to inherit leadership over the League of Assassins, Damian Wayne had a paranoid streak as wide as Batman's and struggled to trust people in his early days as Robin. He kept Jon under surveillance long before they actually met and neither liked the other very much, to begin with. Their relationship slowly morphed into a friendly rivalry that eventually became a true friendship.
In Son of Kal-El, Jon seeks out Damian for advice on his internal struggle about what it means to be a hero. Both boys are destined to be more than their fathers, and their first step is the unfailing support they have for each other.
He's Still Finding His Way
Superman: Son of Kal-El immediately brings into question what it means to be a hero. Jon apprehended the cause of a forest fire, but when asked to turn the man over, he hesitated. The commanding officer asked Jon if he really wanted to go against the government so he acquiesced. He never felt right about the decision.
Jon is having to question if just obeying the rules is what makes a good hero or person in general. Fighting for justice and against corruption is going to include some pretty hard decisions with long-lasting consequences. He will have to confront the fact that what is right and what is expected aren't always the same thing. Jon is going to have to decide what kind of hero he wants to be.
He Has Intuitive Compassion
Jon Kent is being hailed as the 21st century Superman. One way DC is already exploring this idea is with his intuition for compassion. The fire in Son of Kal-El was started by a man having a panic attack and losing control of his powers. Instead of seeing the man as a threat and beating him up, Jon recognized his panic and offered him comfort.
In a time where anxiety of all kinds is rampant, having a hero clearly address the issue with compassion is a step toward truly embracing the modern age with comics. There are so many potential topics that writer Tom Taylor could use Jon to explore. Hopefully, fans will see more things like this included in future issues.
He Was Aged Up
For a good chunk of his duration in comics, Jon was a twelve-year-old child. When Brian Michael Bendis took over the Superman storytelling reigns, the writer aged Jon up in a matter of two weeks. Bendis has different plans for the super boy than his original creators and preferred him older for the coming projects.
Jon was aged up with typically questionable comic science. Jon and his grandfather, Jor-El, go on an adventure together and get stuck in a time-displaced location. Five years pass for Jon, but in the outside world, only two weeks have passed. The reunion was confusing and terrifying for his family but, now 17, Jon was the right age for Bendis to tell his story.
Named After Both Grandfathers
Most fans know that Clark Kent's adoptive father was named Jonathan Kent. To honor his father, Superman named his son Jonathan as well. The name is regularly shortened to Jon to avoid confusion and allow him to have his own identity.
What fans might not know is that Jon is also named after Lois's father. General Samual Lane serves in the US Army and is the director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. While the general isn't always a nice man, he is Lois's father and she loves him, so her son's middle name is Samuel.
He Has His Own Rogues Gallery
Having villains is a quintessential part of being a hero, and Jon Kent is no exception. The first villain he and Damian face off against was Kid Amazo, but he was far from the last. Despite being rather young in the DC world, Jon amassed quite the rogues' gallery of his own.
In keeping with the fact that Jon was a younger version of his father, many of his rogues were younger versions of the villains running about Metropolis and Gotham. Rex Luthor and Joker Jr. both face off against the young Superboy, as well as a few of Superman's own villains.