Warning! Spoilers ahead for Superman #30!

The latest mission that Superman embarks on with his son Superboy proves that it will shape the type of hero Jonathan Kent will one day become in his father's absence.

In DC's Future State, Superboy is the new Superman and makes a promise to Metropolis to be a different kind of hero from his father. Whereas Clark Kent was a hero who served the whole universe, Jonathan promises to be a hero who serves only Metropolis. This promise implies that Superman spending time saving the universe had an adverse affect on how he protected Metropolis. It's therefore telling that, in the present day, Superman tells Superboy that this current mission "was one of the more memorable adventures we shared together, just before I left Earth, for what I'm afraid may have been the last time."

Related: Superboy is Proving He's A Better Superman Than His Father

The adventure in question takes place on Thakkram in Superman #30, written by Sean Lewis and Phillip Kennedy Johnson with art by Sami Basri and Scott Godlewski. Superman had once saved Thakkram's inhabitants from parasites known as the Shadowbreed, which would have drained Thakkram's core and possibly its solar system had he not intervened. Now, Superman and Superboy go to Thakkram's aid once more after Clark Kent ostensibly receives a distress signal. Upon the arrival of the father-son team, they learn that the call had apparently been a mistake but, when the dynamic duo explore further, discover that this is not the case at all.

It's relevant to point out that, based on Superman's description of the adventure to his son, it transpires right before he left Earth for possibly the last time. The fact that it's one of their final missions together means that it undoubtedly means a lot to Superboy since his father will soon be gone. It's even more important that this particular adventure takes place on another planet based on the negative connotations that Superboy implies in Future State about his father serving the universe as opposed to just Metropolis. So not only will this mission most likely make a huge impact on Superboy emotionally, but it could very well be why he believes the people of Metropolis would want him to say that he'll devote more time to them.

Lastly, it appears as though this particular story most likely takes place before the events of the Golden Age arc, where Superman is apparently dying and Superboy is concerned that his father will soon die. In this particular story, Superman clearly isn't dying, nor is Superboy concerned for his father's safety, so it's possible that whatever is causing Superman to die began while on Thakkram. Could the Shadowbreed have infected Superman? Time will tell what impact this adventure will have on Superman's life and Superboy's future role as the hero of Metropolis.

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