WARNING: Spoilers for Superman: Son of Kal-El #4
Jonathan Kent may be fighting for truth, justice, and a better tomorrow as Superman, but his newest allies once fought to kill DC Comics’ Suicide Squad – and they succeeded. Since the classic Superman's departure to Warworld, it’s fallen to the Son of Kal-El to take over for Clark Kent as the new Man of Steel. Things have gotten off to a rocky start, and the young Kent has already made some pretty dangerous foes.
While he’s managed to make some powerful enemies, he’s also made some pretty impressive new allies as well. Superman: Son of Kal-El #4 by Tom Taylor and Daniele Di Nicuolo introduces Superman and reintroduces readers to none other than Wink and the Aerie. Last seen in Taylor and Bruno Redondo’s Suicide Squad: Bad Blood, these two characters are far more dangerous than they may initially seem.
After the Kent Family farm is destroyed on the orders of Henry Bendix, Superman and his soon-to-be boyfriend Jay schedule a meet to exchange information with the young journalist’s partners over the skies of Metropolis. When Jon and Jay arrive over the Daily Planet building, they find none other than the Revolutionaries’ Wink and the Aerie flying in to meet them with the intel. The duo expresses their admiration for Jon, and Superman departs on polite terms with his new allies, but their potential team-up could change things for the Son of Kal-El.
When they first came on the scene, the Revolutionaries were working to destroy the Suicide Squad from within, and they undoubtedly succeeded where even characters like Batman and the Justice League have failed. In the time since, Amanda Waller has still managed to re-form the Suicide Squad with a Superboy of her own and without governmental approval, but the classic Suicide Squad that she and the fans knew is long gone. And the Aerie and Wink are a big reason why.
Personal vendettas aside, these two characters are far from the typical Suicide Squad draftees. Alongside their other teammates in the Revolutionaries, they were as frequently considered freedom fighters as they were terrorists. Even in the DC Universe, they’ve got plenty of supporters thanks to their largely altruistic motivations, even if their methods are more drastic than most other superheroes. Either way, they’re far more radical than the other heroes Superman normally fights alongside, and that could push Jon into some dangerous new territory.
For now, it seems that Wink and the Aerie want the same thing as Superman – truth, justice, and a better tomorrow. While their methods against the Suicide Squad were a bit more violent than someone like Jon Kent can be comfortable with, they could still be powerful allies in his never-ending battle. But in this case, what DC Comics' new Superman doesn’t know just might hurt him.