Ronan Kent is the Superman of the 30th Century and leader of the House of El. He is the brother of Rowan Kent, the Blue Lantern.
History
Ronan inherited the role as Superman of Earth from his uncle Brandon Kent following an adventure in the Phantom Zone. Due to the resolve and leadership he showed, Brandon felt that Ronan was ready for the role and retired to become a teacher.[1] Years later, Ronan lead the House of El's defence of Earth from an invasion by Pyrrhos.[2]
Alternate Timeline
In the year 2025, Kryl-Ux invaded Earth and Ronan's ancestor, the original Superman, was mysterious displaced into the future. This created an alternate timeline in which Kryl-Ux occupied Earth with his army of Warzoons and Promethean Giants. Even by the 30th Century Earth had not fully recovered, and had degenerated into a feudal society ruled over by Kryl-Ux's appointed governors.[3]
Ronan Kent as Nightwing in the alternate timeline
Ronan and his twin sister Rowan were raised by their uncle Brandon Kent, the Superman of Earth. When they were younger, they tried to protect the people alongside him as Nightwing and Flamebird. In 951 PAE, Brandon discovered that "The Luthor", the nominal ruler of Tropolis Kyne, was a robot secretly controlled by Brainiac. He also found a facility on the ocean floor where humans were transformed by Brainiac into creatures known as the Summer Men. They destroyed the facility, but thousands were already active and the Summer Men became the enforcers of Brainiac's, and through him Kryl-Ux's, rule.[4]
Brandon Kent eventually died and Rowan soon departed from Earth, leaving Ronan as the last of the House of El on the planet. Ronan gave up on the hope of large-scale change and focused his efforts on covertly helping the people of "Planter's Fief", the region once known as Smallville and Lowell County. He also stopped wearing his house sigil. In 956 PAE he was caught while attempting to smuggle a "Lightborn" called Thealric out of the fief and attacked by the Summer Men. Just as they were about to obliterate him, Superman appeared in front of them, blocking the blast.[3]
The two of them drove away the Summer Men and Superman asked Ronan to take him to the Fortress of Solitude, where he had a "Temporal Glider" that could return him to his time. Ronan had largely abandoned the Fortress long ago, but it was still inhabited by the Chronicler of the House of El, a man so old that his real name was forgotten. Ronan told Superman he should speak to the Chronicler before he did anything, and when they met Superman realised that the Chronicler was his friend Jimmy Olsen, still alive after almost a thousand years. Jimmy started to explain to Superman that he wasn't the only one to disappear on the day of the invasion, and before he could go back he needed to find someone. Suddenly Brainiac and the Summer Men burst in through the roof of the Fortress and attacked.[4]
Ronan was forced to fight off a squad of Summer Men, and found that he was able to resist their weapons. He told them that he realised he had been wrong to ever be afraid of them and defeated them all. In the process, his clothes were burned off, revealing his Nightwing costume underneath. Superman's fight with Brainiac took them to Tropolis Kyne and Rowan chased after them. He helped Superman destroy Brainiac, but as the megalomaniacal android was shutting down he told Rowan that he was doomed to fail in every universe, and that in every reality of the Multiverse the House of El ended with him. Ronan demanded to know what he meant, but the deactivated Brainiac did not respond.
They returned to the Fortress and both Ronan and Jimmy tried to convince Superman to stay in the present. He told them that he would fix things so Kryl-Ux's rise to power would never happen, but Jimmy told him that the Super-Twins had disappeared on the same day he had, and that if he left without learning where they are they would be forever lost. Kryl-Ux appeared in their minds and told Superman that he would trade the children for the three remaining God-Aspects of Olgrun held by members of the House of El out in space.[5]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Ronan possesses the same potential powers as an average Kryptonian. These include:
- Solar Energy Absorption: Under optimal conditions, this is the main source of Ronan'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: Ronan 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: Ronan'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: Ronan'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: Ronan 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. Ronans 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: Ronan can see with better acuity in darkness, and to a degree in total darkness.
- Flight: Ronan 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, Ronan is nigh-invulnerable to extreme energy forces. In addition, his extends this protection against toxins and diseases.
- Superhuman Stamina: Ronan 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: Ronan'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: Ronan 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: Ronan 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: Ronan can live longer than regular humans, remaining at his prime as long as he was under the exposure of the "yellow" sun.
Abilities
Weaknesses
- Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Ronan possesses the same potential weaknesses as an average Kryptonian. These include:
- Solar Energy Dependency: Ronan's abilities will eventually weaken without replenishing his energy reserves with normal (yellow) sun radiation.
Notes
- He is the fifth black Superman. The other four were the Sunshine Superman, the Superman of Earth-D, Val-Zod and Calvin Ellis.
Related
- 5 Appearances of Ronan Kent (Future State)
- 7 Images featuring Ronan Kent (Future State)
- Quotations by or about Ronan Kent (Future State)
- Character Gallery: Ronan Kent (Future State)
Footnotes
  Superman Family member |