Warning: contains spoilers for Superman: Son of Kal-El #8!
Jon Kent, Clark Kent's son and the Superman of Earth, just revealed a disgusting fact of his Kryptonian strength that limits how he and his father can use their superhuman abilities. The moment comes as Superman attempts to prevent a sea monster from attacking Metropolis while fending off the efforts of Henry Bendix's vicious metahumans the Gamora Corps. Superman: Son of Kal-El #8 is from the creative team of Tom Taylor, Cian Tormey, Raul Fernandez, Federico Blee, and Dave Sharpe.
As Clark Kent left Earth to free a group of ancient Kryptonians held prisoner on Warworld, he passed the mantle of Superman down to his son Jon Kent, the former Superboy. Now, Jon is learning to protect the planet as one of its most powerful heroes, filling his father's shoes while also finding creative new ways to employ his powers. Unfortunately, even Superman has limits, and when a confused kaiju begins heading for Metropolis, preceded by a tidal wave, Jon has to think fast to stop the disaster and save lives. While Superman is able to disrupt the wave by swimming underwater and performing a sonic clap, he then reveals to Jay Nakamura - his boyfriend and leader of citizen activists the Truth - the disturbing reason he can't simply force the creature to leave.
While the kaiju is a danger to the city, it's not acting out of malevolence, but rather responding to man-made changes to its natural environment. Because of this, Superman doesn't want to hurt it, even as new enemy Henry Bendix orders his twisted "heroes" to go on the offensive. Having warded off the Gamora Corps and saved the lives he can, Superman reveals to Jackson Hyde that he can't simply push the giant creature onto a new course because - while he's strong enough to do it - he can't apply his strength over a great enough surface area. Jon says, "I'd be like a needle trying to push against an elephant. I'd go straight through." This disgusting imagery places a limit on Superman's strength, as while he's easily strong enough to kill the creature, redirecting it peacefully poses more of a problem.
In classic superhero style, Jon is able to find a creative solution, cutting a massive hunk of rock from the sea floor and using it to push the creature instead. This buys enough time for Aquaman to intervene, and he uses his influence over ocean life to resettle the creature far away. Sadly, it's far from a win for Jon, as his admirable commitment to peace (and the intervention of the Gamora Corps) means that some people are killed despite his best efforts. It's not the first time the comic has focused on the limits of Kryptonian powers - in Superman: Son of Kal-El #3, Clark Kent's Superman is able to hold a building up while Jon rescues its inhabitants, but he notes that for similar reasons to the kaiju, Superman can't fully stop it from collapsing.
This issue is actually in contrast to the Superboy who came before Jon, Conner Kent. As a clone, Conner had different abilities to either version of Superman, and possessed a "tactile telekinesis" which gave him total control over any object he was touching, allowing him to do things even Clark couldn't, such as hold a building together. Jon is far stronger than his clone relation, but this comic makes it clear that he and his father's powers still have limits. Along with finding new ways to use classic abilities (such as his exploding heat vision), this new focus on the practicalities of Superman's seemingly unconquerable powers is helping to establish Jon as the Superman of a new generation - recognizable as the continuation of his father's legacy, but facing new threats and new problems that are helping to make the role his own.