DC Comics will be kicking off 2021 with Future State, a line-wide publishing event, sharing with fans exactly what the name implies: the future of the DC Universe and its heroes. For Superman, this will mean some unfortunate days ahead, as the Earth will reject the Man of Steel as one of its heroes, forcing him to protect the outer reaches of space instead of his adopted home. In his place, the Son of Superman and former Superboy Jon Kent will take on his father's mantle as protector of Metropolis. However, the DC solicitations for Future State reveal that Jon Kent will have some fears and struggles as the new Superman, motivating him to make some drastic moves akin to that of the supervillain Brainiac in Future State: Superman of Metropolis #1-2.
Jonathan Kent has come a long way since goofing off and hanging out with Damian Wayne as the Super Sons. Most recently, Jon Kent is actually in the 31st century, working with the Legion of Superheroes. In Tom King's DCeased: Dead Planet, another potential future where the anti-life equation becomes corrupted and creates zombies, Jon becomes Superman as well, coming into his own and even becoming stronger than his father ever was. However, in Future State: Superman of Metropolis #1-2 from writer Sean Lewis and Johns Timms, Jon is still trying to figure things out, and it appears as though his fears about the state of the rest of the world will get the better of him.
According to DC's solicitations for Future State, Jon Kent's fears over Gotham and what it becomes will motivate him to bottle up Metropolis in order to keep it safe. Naturally, this is a pretty intense decision, as it's the go-to move of the villain Brainiac, who apathetically curates worlds by shrinking and bottling them up to preserve them in his collection. Naturally, this choice made by the new Superman is something that heroes like Supergirl won't be very happy about, as the solicitations share. Here's the cover art and synopsis for the upcoming issues from DC Comics:
Due to his involvement in an international crisis happening in the near future, Clark Kent has been rejected by Earth, causing him to focus his lifesaving efforts outside his adopted home. He travels to Warworld to rise through the ranks of gladiatorial combat in order to defeat Mongul with the help of some unlikely heroes. Back in Metropolis, Clark’s son Jon has taken on the mantle of Superman. After seeing the horrors that befell Gotham, he bottles Metropolis in order to keep it safe, putting him at odds with Supergirl.
Future State: Superman of Metropolis #1-2, "Superman of Metropolis" by Sean Lewis and John Timms, "The Guardian" by Sean Lewis and Cully Hamner, "Mister Miracle" by Brandon Easton and Valentine De Landro
Apparently, heroes such as the new Guardian and Mister Miracle will be featured in the issues as well, trapped in the newly bottled city and trying to readjust to their new world as a result. It's no surprise that Supergirl will be taking issue with the Son of Superman in Future State, as bottling an entire city is the pure definition of enforcing one's will on an entire population, even if the intentions are supposedly good. With Clark Kent unable to step in, it'll be up to Kara Zor-El to talk some sense into the new Superman of Metropolis as Future State unfolds.