Warning: Spoilers For Superman & Lois Season 2, Episode 4 Below
Superman & Lois brings in numerous significant characters in the Superman mythos, but one in particular gets a major redemption on the show. Moving ahead into season 2, Superman & Lois continues to show Kal-El (Tyler Hoechlin) navigate the travails of being both Superman and family man. Despite his vast Kryptonian powers, both prove to be full of challenges for him.
After defeating his Kryptonian half-brother Morgan Edge (Adam Rayner) aka Tal-Rho in season 1, Superman faces a new foe in season 2 in the form of his doppelgänger Bizarro. Additionally, a rift in his relationship with the U.S. government has led to the formation of a metahuman military team bearing the Superman emblem known as the Supermen of America, much to his chagrin. While Superman has a lot on his plate dealing with the threats shown in season 2, he has a strong ally in his former enemy John Henry Irons (Wolé Parks). Many Superman fans know John by his alter-ego of Steel, and Superman & Lois has given John a remarkable gift.
Superman & Lois marks John's second appearance in live-action after the 1997 movie Steel, which starred Shaquille O'Neal in the title role. Over two decades after its release, Steel remains infamous as one of the worst superhero films of all time. Steel was a massive bomb in 1997, earning just $1.7 million against its $16 million budget, which killed off the chances of John's adventures continuing in a Steel 2. At the same time, John's role on Superman & Lois has been the complete opposite of the disaster of Steel. Not only does the show link John's origins back to the Man of Steel, it also shows John as the genius, tech-minded hero many fans know and love.
Steel Dropped The Ball For John (& Ditched All Of His Origin Material)
To call the 1997 Steel movie an adaptation of the character is more than a little misleading. Steel shares the superhero and civilian names of comic book counterpart, along with his metal suit and sledgehammer. Beyond that, the movie tells its own version of John Henry Irons' origin story, and a quite cheesy version at that. Even with John's high-tech metal suit and hammer, Steel also watered him down drastically from what he could do in the comics.
Steel dropped John's red cape and the flight capacity of his suit, while the story removed all connections to Superman. Instead, John patrolled the streets of Los Angeles on a motorcycle and in a truck driven by his ally Uncle Joe (Richard Roundtree). On top of that, the suit John donned as Steel was lackluster at best, laughable at worst, while the film's action scenes were as clunky as Steel's armor. Steel's failure left it to be remembered as one of the lowest points in the history of superhero films. It was also possibly the worst first impression any superhero has ever made in their big-screen debut. The ultimate failing of Steel was that, rather than adapting John and his world to tell a specific story, it completely removed everything that made him Steel in the first place. Still, the 21st century golden age of superheroes on the big and small screens has ensured that second chances are always a possibility for Superman and everyone else. Superman & Lois has given just that to John Henry Irons.
Superman & Lois Shows Steel As The Hero He Is
As is common in any adapted work, Superman & Lois adjusts John's origins as Steel to suit its story. On the show, John is from a parallel universe in which the Superman of his world went bad and became a murderous, city-destroying villain. Upon his arrival on Earth Prime, John is sure that the Superman he sees will travel the same path. His fears are only strengthened by meeting Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch), Lois having been his wife in his universe. However, over the course of season 1, John realizes that Superman is strong enough to repel the possession of General Zod he fears will overtake him. This leads Superman and John to join forces against Morgan Edge, and by season 2, the two are full-fledged heroic allies.
While the details of John's origin are a significant departure from the comics, Superman & Lois holds true to the spirit of how John Henry Irons became Steel. The key to John's beginnings as Steel, and what the 1997 Steel film jettisoned, was John being inspired by Superman to become a hero. With his brilliant mind and skill in engineering and metallurgy, John was a character who showed that anyone could follow Superman's example if their heart was in the right place. With John fighting side-by-side with the Man of Steel, Superman & Lois' version of his origin depicts the essence of John's story that Steel completely lacked. It also seems likely that the show will go even further as John's story progresses.
Why Steel's Comic Accurate Suit Will (Probably) Be Seen In Season 2
John's origins in the comics were tied heavily into The Death of Superman and subsequent Reign of the Supermen arcs. After the Man of Steel saved John's life, he encouraged John to "live a life worth saving" when John expressed his gratitude. After Superman's death in battle against Doomsday, John used his metal-working and engineering skills to honor Superman. Building himself a flying metal suit with a red cape and superpowered sledgehammer, John became the hero known as the Man of Steel, and later simply Steel after Superman's resurrection. Though John starts out on Superman & Lois as an enemy of Kal-El's before becoming his ally, there's ample indication that his classic Steel suit will be seen on the show.
After Bizarro emerges from the mines of Smallville, Superman and John's battle with him leaves John's high-tech flying suit significantly damaged. The suit still remains somewhat functional, enabling John to assist Superman in his battle with Bizarro in the arctic in season 2's episode 4 "The Inverse Method". Unfortunately, John is left badly wounded and his suit all but compromised. With John shown in a hospital bed at the end of the episode, he's likely to remain out of commission for a good chunk of the rest of season 2. That said, once he's recovered, his attention is sure to return to repairing his suit, which he and his daughter Natalie (Taylor Buck) have already discussed making upgrades to. This all sets the stage for John to return to action in his fully augmented, comic accurate Steel suit by the end of season 2, complete with his classic red cape.
John Henry Irons may have gotten off to a bad live-action start in Steel, but Superman & Lois has given him the reboot he's waited ages for. As Superman's most trusted ally, he'll doubtlessly continue his complete transformation into Steel fully realized. With where season 2 has taken John, his suit is also more likely than ever to jump right from the comics onto the screen. Best of all - with the significance and meaning of Superman's S-shield being a major theme of Superman & Lois season 2, John might finally get to don the Superman-approved S-shield on his comic book armor himself.