The “Electric Blue” Superman returns as Jon Kent’s new form in early 2023 as part of the upcoming Lazarus Planet event. Jon Kent has been making waves the past year, ascending to the role of Superman while his father is away in space. Now, thanks to the events of Lazarus Planet, Jon will undergo a startling transformation, one that will be shockingly familiar to longtime Superman readers.
The “Electric Blue” Superman look debuted in 1997’s Superman #123, when the Man of Steel inexplicably developed electric-based powers, replacing his original suite of abilities. While in his electric form, Superman leaked radiation, requiring him to wear a blue containment suit. As a result, when Superman would transform back to Clark Kent, he no longer had his invulnerability, making him as weak as a regular human. A year later, Electric Superman separated into two beings: Superman Red and Superman Blue. A riff on a classic Silver Age story, the two Supermen attempted to work together, but differences in approaches led to conflict between them. This did not last long, and Superman returned to his classic look in 1998’s Superman Forever #1. In the years since, Superman’s Electric Blue look has remained a curiosity in the character’s 83-year history, but now his son is bringing it back as Lazarus Planet ravages the DC Universe.
The publisher just unveiled the news about both Jon’s new look and Lazarus Planet at its “Explore the Multiverse” panel at New York City Comic-Con. Spinning out of events in December’s Batman vs Robin #4, a volcano containing the Lazarus Formula explodes, coating the planet in the mysterious substance, causing drastic transformations in some of the DC Universe’s biggest hitters, including Jon Kent! DC has revealed first-look art, shared below, revealing Jon’s new look and powers, and he is once again the spitting image of his father, sporting the iconic Electric Blue look. More details on Superman’s new status quo as well as more information on Lazarus Planet will be revealed soon, but the event is being helmed by showrunner Mark Waid with a murderer's row of talent on related books.
Superman Transforms for Lazarus Planet
The original Electric Superman's powers focused on energy manipulation, and that's likely to hold true here. Superman's blue form could adjust its density and appearance, absorb and repurpose different forms of energy, interface with electronics, control magnetism, and travel even faster than normal, functionally allowing Clark to teleport to familiar locations. Jon has already found new ways to use his regular Kryptonian powers (for instance, discovering a different frequency of heat vision), so it's likely he'll either put his own spin on these electric powers or add even more abilities.
Superman's New Form Could Be Here to Stay
Since adopting the heroic identity of Superman, Jon Kent has emerged from his father’s shadow, and the Electric Blue look gives him a golden opportunity to continue his evolution. Jon will have new powers noticeably different from his dad, allowing him to be his own hero. And unlike Clark Kent's Superman, whose regular form is a pop culture icon, these powers could remain a part of Jon Kent for some time, giving him even more distance from his dad. The Electric Blue Superman look will be returning in early 2023, this time adopted by his son, Jon Kent, and will give the young hero unique new ways to help save Earth from the Lazarus Planet event.