- I know things look dark...but you're the light. You're the hope. You're going to change the universe, I know it. No pressure. Just keep helping. You will make mistakes. You will fail sometimes. But I will always, always be proud of you. I've seen so much of the universe...you're the best thing in it.
Jon Kent, the son of Lois Lane and Clark Kent, who was also the superhero Superman, and himself was known as the hero Superboy.[1] When his father was infected with the Anti-Life virus, Jon took up his mantle as Superman after the survivors fled to Earth-2.[2]
History
Jon was born as the son of the reporters Lois Lane and Clark Kent, who was secretly the superhero Superman. He grew up to become Superboy and was also best friends with Damian Wayne, the son of Batman. Jon while staying with Damian and his mother, looked for her phone after it went missing, ignorant of the Anti-Life Equation infecting people through screens. It was destroyed by his father when he found it and he narrowly avoided being infected. Clark informed them about the infection after destroying all the screens in their apartment.[1]
Clark decided to head to Smallville to check on his parents but decided that his family and Damian needed to be someplace safe for the meanwhile. She then suggested leaving them at the Daily Planet, to which he agreed. Bruce later told everyone at the Planet building about how the infection was spreading.[3] Learning that he had been infected as well, Jon comforted Damian. Superman later emptied the Planet building of all the Anti-Living and barricaded the entrance.[4]
Jon later learnt from his grandmother Martha about his grandfather being infected when Superman brought her and they mourned him together. While Lois used the radio system to contact others, Jon discovered that Giganta was approaching and alerted others to it. Giganta was taken down by the Justice League, before being killed by Cyborg. An infected Captain Atom later approached the Planet building as he was about to blow up,[5] but Lois and everyone else there were saved by Dinah while they city was destroyed. As the heroes set up sanctuaries for survivors, he helped his father in severing the internet across the globe and shifted to the Fortress of Solitude along with others.[6]
Jon asked his father to talk to Damian when he felt hesitant about taking up the mantle of Batman, and he was thus finally convinced.[7] He followed Damian after learning from Cassie Sandsmark/Wonder Girl that he had stolen Wonder Woman's invisible jet. After landing the jet, Damian explained that he was trying to find his mother Talia al Ghul who was in Gotham City and Jon decided to accompany him along with Cassie. They found her inside Gotham Bank and later travelled to the Batcave to pay last respects to Damian's father. There they met Stephanie Brown and Jon finally got annoyed with Talia when she insulted a mourning Damian, who soon defused the situation and decided to head back to the Fortress of Solitude.[8]
Lex Luthor and Cyborg later made a plan to evacuate survivors from Earth. When Barry Allen was infected by the Martian Manhunter, he was stopped by Superman who was infected himself. Bidding goodbye to his family before turning, Clark told Jon that he was the hope and should keep assisting people even if he fails at times.[6] The survivors later decided they needed to evacuate Earth, but needed to stop Superman who had returned after turning into the Anti-Living. Jon evacuated with other survivors on an ark, but after learning that his father was heading towards it after the League failed to stop him, decided to fight him himself despite Lois being afraid for him. He was however knocked unconscious when he collided with him head-on and Superman after being confronted by the entire Green Lantern Corps decided to drain the Sun.[9]
Jon with the others survivors travelled towards another habitable planet which was named Earth-2 and they made their new home there.[9] He eventually took up the mantle of Superman, though he disliked it. When Earth-2 was attacked by an alien empire that saw humans as a threat, Jon fought them along with the rest of the League and defused a potential fight between the emperor and Damian, asking the alien leader to meet his mother who was now Earth-2's president. Learning that Cyborg was still alive and was calling out to the League, he decided to head back to Earth with others and was reunited with Krypto in space after he spotted him from the surface.[2]
the League did find Cyborg's head on Earth, but decided to leave after spotting a horde of Anti-Living coming in their direction. Jon left to check on the ship some of their companions were traveling in after it was hit, but returned after Green Arrow was infected by the Diana, the original Wonder Woman. Dinah in return decided to kill her with the same Sword of Athena she had laced with Green Kryptonite to kill the original Superman, but was stopped by Jon after he learnt from Cyborg about a cure. Jumping in front of the blade to save her, he was gravely wounded.[2] He would later be tended to by Doctor Fate and Mary Marvel, who were successful in his recovery.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Jonathan Samuel Kent possesses the same potential powers as an average Kryptonian. These include:
- Solar Energy Absorption: Under optimal conditions, this is the main source of Jonathan Samuel Kent's super powers as they are contingent upon exposure to solar radiation from a yellow sun star system. His biological make up includes a number of organs which lack analogues in humans and whose functions are unknown. It is believed that between one or more of these and his bio-cellular matrix, "yellow" solar energy is stored for later use. This allows for the use of these powers to fade when yellow solar radiation is not available instead of immediate failure.
- Heat Vision: Jonathan Samuel Kent can, as a conscious act, fire beams of intense heat at a target by looking at it. He can vary the heat and area affected.
- Super-Hearing: Jonathan Samuel Kent's hearing is sensitive enough to hear any sound at any volume or pitch. With skill and concentration, he can block out ambient sounds to focus on a specific source or frequency.
- Enhanced Vision: Jonathan Samuel Kent's vision processes the entire electromagnetic spectrum as well as allowing vast control over selective perception and focus.
This umbrella ability includes the following:- Electromagnetic Spectrum Vision: Jonathan Samuel Kent can see well into most of the electromagnetic spectrum. He can see and identify radio and television signals as well as all other broadcast or transmitted frequencies. Using this ability, he can avoid detection by radar or satellite monitoring methods. This also allows him to see the aura generated by living thing.
- Telescopic Vision: This is the ability to see something at a great distance, without violating the laws of physics. Though limited, the exact extent of the ability is undetermined. In function, it is similar to the zoom lens on a camera.
- X-Ray Vision: This is the ability to see through any volume of matter except lead. Jonathan Samuel Kents can see things behind a solid, opaque object as if it were not there. He can focus this ability to "peel back" layers of an object, allowing hidden image or inner workings to be observed. The exact type of energy perceived—such as x-rays, cosmic rays, or some other energy invisible to normal humans—is unclear. This ability perceives an ambient energy source though, it does not involve the eye projecting a concentrated, possibly toxic, beam to be reflected back from objects.
- Microscopic Vision: This is the ability to see extremely small objects and images down to the atomic level.
- Infrared Vision: Jonathan Samuel Kent can see with better acuity in darkness, and to a degree in total darkness.
- Flight: Jonathan Samuel Kent is able to manipulate graviton particles to defy the forces of gravity and achieve flight. This ranges from hovering to moving in any posture, in any direction.
- Invulnerability: Due to the interaction of his dense molecular structure and supercharged bio-electric aura, Jonathan Samuel Kent is nigh-invulnerable to extreme energy forces. In addition, his extends this protection against toxins and diseases.
- Superhuman Stamina: Jonathan Samuel Kent is able to maintain continuous strenuous physical action for an indefinite period of time. This based on his body converting yellow solar radiation directly to energy but is limited by physiological and psychological needs to eat, drink, and sleep.
- Superhuman Strength: Jonathan Samuel Kent's strength is augmented by yellow solar radiation interacting with the greater than human density, resilience and biological efficiency of his musculature. His strength is more an act of conscious will on energy fields than actual physical strength. It is this act of conscious will that enables him to perform physical feats that are beyond the mere application force, such as moving a mountain top without said rock crumbling under its own mass.
- Superhuman Speed: Jonathan Samuel Kent is able to move at incredible speed by sheer force of will. This extends to his perceptions and allows for feats such as catching bullets in mid-flight as well as covering vast distances in little or no time.
This also confers: - Super-Breath: Jonathan Samuel Kent is able to create hurricane force winds by exhaling air from his lungs. He can chill the air as it leaves his lungs to freeze targets. He can also reverse the process to pull large volumes of air or vapor into his lungs.
- Longevity: Jonathan Samuel Kent can live longer than regular humans, remaining at his prime as long as he was under the exposure of the "yellow" sun.
Weaknesses
- Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Jonathan Samuel Kent possesses the same potential weaknesses as an average Kryptonian. These include:
Notes
- Superboy was created by Dan Jurgens, first appearing in Convergence: Superman #2. However, the DCeased version of Superboy first appeared in DCeased #1 by Tom Taylor and Trevor Hairsine.
Trivia
- Damian Wayne is Jon's best friend.[11]
- Jon was seventeen when the Anti-Living invaded Earth-2.[12]
Recommended Reading
- Superboy Recommended Reading
- Adventure Comics (Volume 1)
- Superboy (Volume 1)
- Superboy (Volume 2)
- Superboy (Volume 4)
- Superboy (Volume 5)
- Superboy (Volume 6)
- Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 1)
- Superboy and the Ravers (Volume 1)
- Young Justice (Volume 1)
- Young Justice (Volume 3)
- Teen Titans (Volume 3)
- Teen Titans (Volume 4)
Related
- 30 Appearances of Jonathan Samuel Kent (DCeased)
- 19 Images featuring Jonathan Samuel Kent (DCeased)
- 1 Quotations by or about Jonathan Samuel Kent (DCeased)
- Character Gallery: Jonathan Samuel Kent (DCeased)
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 DCeased #1
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 DCeased: Dead Planet #1
- ↑ DCeased #2
- ↑ DCeased #3
- ↑ DCeased #4
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 DCeased #5
- ↑ DCeased: Hope at World's End #4
- ↑ DCeased: Hope at World's End #5
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 DCeased #6
- ↑ DCeased: Dead Planet #1
- ↑ DCeased: Hope at World's End #5
- ↑ DCeased: War of the Undead Gods #7
Justice League member This character has been a member of the Justice League of America, or the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from the clutches of both interstellar and domestic threats. |
Superman Family member |