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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bendissupermanera.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:A new era begins.]]
For seventeen years, Creator/BrianMichaelBendis was a driving force behind Creator/MarvelComics: creating the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel Universe, reinventing ComicBook/TheAvengers by [[ComicBook/AvengersDisassembled disassembling them]] and reassembling them as the ComicBook/NewAvengers and created highly popular characters such as ComicBook/JessicaJones and ComicBook/MilesMorales. Upon leaving the "House of Ideas", Bendis put down his stakes in Creator/DCComics and its ''wunderkund'', Franchise/{{Superman}}.
This new era officially began with ''ComicBook/ManOfSteel2018'', a "pilot episode" that pits Superman against the new villain Rogol Zaar. With ''Man of Steel'' over, the story continues in the relaunched ''Superman'' and ''Action Comics'' and sees Superman explore his place in the world and is forced to confront the possibility that he might not be doing enough to help humanity.
Bendis' ''Superman'' era also establish new situations for ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} and [[Characters/SupermanJonathanSamuelKent Jonathan Samuel Kent]] that were explored in [[ComicBook/SupergirlRebirth those characters]]' [[ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes2020 respective comic books]].
Bendis' run with the Superman franchise ended in December 2020, with Phillip Kennedy Johnson becoming writer of ''Superman'' and ''Action Comics'' and Bendis himself taking over ''[[Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica Justice League]]'' in March 2021, after the ''[[ComicBook/DCFutureState Future State]]'' event comes to an end.
'''WARNING: All spoilers from the first twenty-four issues of ''Superman'' and ''Action Comics'' will be left ''unmarked'' in the tropes below. Spoilers from ''Superman'' #25 and ''Action Comics'' #1025 onward will be ''marked''.'''
----
!!Brian Michael Bendis' ''Superman'' provides examples of following tropes:
* AloneWithThePsycho: Superboy is understandably terrified at being left at the mercy of Ultraman, the evil Superman from Earth-3. His encounter with Superwoman, who so closely resembles his mother, is hardly any better.
* AlternateTimelineAncestry: PlayedWith, regarding Kon-El. He is a refugee from the "Post/Crisis"/"New Earth" timeline, created from the DNA of Superman and Lex Luthor. Jonathan Samuel Kent, meanwhile, is the current Superboy of "Prime Earth" and the son of Superman and Lois Lane. While they are not quite the "same" person, everyone finds it strange that there are two different Superboys with similar origins.
* AndThisIsFor: When Superman and General Zod fight Rogol Zaar in ''Superman'' #6, Superman yells "For Kandor!", letting Zod know that Rogol destroyed the bottled city of Kandor. Because Zod fought very hard to protect Kandor in his time on the Kryptonian military, he fights Rogol more seriously, which is exactly what Superman wanted.
* ArcVillain: Rogol Zaar, Mongul and the Synmar Utopica for ''Superman'' and the Invisible Mafia, the Red Cloud and Leviathan for ''Action Comics''.
* {{Ambadassador}}: We all know how badass Superman is and the Bendis era takes it even further by making him Earth's representative in the United Planets.
* AntiVillain: Eisno Alkor wants to end his home planet's isolationism and introduce it to the larger galactic community, the same way Superman is doing for Earth. Unfortunately, his way of doing it involves causing a civil war and trying to take over the planet.
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: Rogol Zaar forcibly assembles an army of Phantom Zone criminals to invade Earth.
* BadassFamily: The House of El, obviously. Even their enemies say that one El is bad enough, but a whole family of them would ruin anyone's day.
* BatmanGambit: The Invisible Mafia, which that has been starting fires across Metropolis, expected Superman would start investigating their activities, so they blame Superman for the fires and correctly assume that Superman cannot help the police in their investigation because he could possibly have a vested interest in protecting himself. Fortunately, Clark uses his journalistic skills to work against them.
* BeenThereShapedHistory: [[spoiler:Jon suggests to a coalition of aliens that they should form a group similar to Earth's United Nations so that the damage caused by the Circle will never happen again. When the idea takes hold, Jon, Kal and Kara are visited by the Legion, who reveals that Jon just created the United Planets.]]
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Superman is highly respected throughout the galaxy and his compassionate nature is itself noted among its inhabitants. It's probably why when he shows up looking more irritated than usual, all sides of a space battle promptly surrender.
* BigNo: When Superman realizes that he and the Earth have been sent to Phantom Zone.
* BookEnds: ''Superman'' ends with Clark visiting the amateur musician he overheard back in ''Man of Steel'' to tell her he loves her work and dances with Lois to her music.
* BoomerangBigot: [[spoiler:Rogol Zaar has FantasticRacism towards Kryptonians only for his weakness to Kryptonite to reveal that he himself is partially Kryptonian.]]
* BrokenMasquerade: [[spoiler:In ''Superman'' #18, Superman reveals his identity to the entire world. Unlike the events of ''ComicBook/SupermanTruth'', it seems that the reveal is taken in a lot better stride.]]
* BrokenPedestal: Both Superman and Jon become increasingly disappointed in Jor-El as the Unity Saga continues.
* BruceWayneHeldHostage: ComicBook/TaliaAlGhul orders the kidnapping of Clark for his investigation. Clark, hearing Leviathan's footsteps all the way from Chicago, decides to play along, hoping to get something he can use against them. Unfortunately, Talia forces him to wear a Kryptonite vest. Although she is unaware that Clark and Superman are one and the same, she does think Clark could call Superman for help, so she isn't taking any chances. It takes Lois, Jimmy, Firestorm and Red Lantern Dex-Starr storming the Leviathan complex so that Clark can escape.
* TheBusCameBack:
** Lois returns to Earth in the pages of ''Action Comics'', but without Jon. She takes up residence in a hotel in Chicago, and does not notify Clark that she is back. She is seen at the end of ''Action Comics'' #1001 writing an expose on her marriage to Superman, and is confronted by Clark at the end of ''Action Comics''#1002. In ''Action Comics'' #1004, the pair discuss the state of their relationship. Lois assures him they're not breaking up, but that she feels at this stage neither Clark or Jon need her and she needs some space to write her book.
** [[spoiler: Jon Kent returns in the pages of ''Superman'', slightly older, Clark having missed out on [[NarniaTime seven formative years]] in his life]].
** ComicBook/TheQuestion returns in ''Action Comics'' #1005.
** The ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes make their grand return in ''Superman'' #14.
** [[spoiler:ComicBook/LanaLang]] returns in ''Superman'' #18, this time working as a reporter for ''The Daily Star''.
* CanonImmigrant: [[Film/SupermanIVTheQuestForPeace The Nuclear Man]] makes his first official appearance in ''Superman'' #2 [[TakeThat and is promptly killed by Rogol Zaar]].
* ContinuityNod: In issue #22, Superman smashes himself into Warworld, as remembering a previous battle where Supergirl stopped the satellite using that move, a nod to the ''ComicBook/WarWorld'' storyline.
* DownerBeginning: ''Superman'' #1 begins with Superman desperately searching for his family in space. He's naturally depressed by their absence.
* EnemyMine:
** As much as he hates Kryptonians, Rogol is forced to work with Jax-Ur to kill Superman and destroy Earth. Superman is able to get Jax-Ur off his back by getting him to question his partnership with Rogol. Jax-Ur, despite his crimes, loved Krypton, while Rogol hates Kryptonians, so what makes Jax-Ur think Rogol will not turn on him once Superman and Earth are destroyed?
** Superman and General Zod are forced to work together to fight Rogol when they are both trapped in the Phantom Zone. Their uneasy alliance continues even after Rogol is defeated, with the House of Zod allowed to govern their own region of space, which they can use to build a New Krypton.
* EvilTwin: The Crime Syndicate of America makes their return in ''Superman'' #8-9, including Ultraman and Superwoman. Superboy notes how creepy it is to look at evil versions of his own parents.
* EvilVersusEvil: General Zod versus Rogol Zaar in ''Superman'' #6. [[MakeWayForTheNewVillains Rogol wins]].
* FantasticRacism: Rogol Zaar really hates Kryptonians and the Red Cloud seems to hate Superman just for being an alien.
* FleetingDemographicRule: This isn't the first time a villain claims responsibility for the destruction of Krypton, a Superboy gets invited to join the Legion of Super-Heroes, and Superman loses his secret identity.
* FreakLabAccident: [[spoiler:How Robinson Goode became the Red Cloud]]. She was thrown into a chamber filled with gas that S.T.A.R. Labs had collected from a parallel universe after she threatened to expose their illegal activities.
* ForTheEvulz: Red Cloud had no reason to kill [[spoiler:Melody Moore]]. She just did it to piss Superman off.
* FounderOfTheKingdom: {{Downplayed|Trope}}. Jon didn't ''found'' the [[TheFederation United Planets]], he merely ''suggested'' the idea of the nations of the galaxy uniting under a single banner, similar to the United Nations of Earth. Regardless, the LegionOfSuperHeroes treats him with such high regard for coming up with the idea of the United Planets in the first place that they offer him a place in the Legion.
* FromBadToWorse: The situation within the Phantom Zone gets worse in ''Superman'' #2 as Rogol learns of Superman and Earth's arrival while the heroes of Earth are starting to get ravaged by the effects of the Zone... and Superman's losing his powers.
* HomeBase: The Fortress of Solitude, as usual. With the old one being destroyed by Rogol in ''Man of Steel'', Superman constructs a new one in the Bermuda Triangle.
* IJustWantToBeNormal: [[spoiler:''Superman'' #7 reveals that Lois' quick return to Earth (and most likely her wanting distance from Clark for the time being) was the overwhelming feeling of being confronted by aliens who revere the S-Shield like royalty along with the fact that she was a human travelling with a full-blooded and half-blooded Kryptonian.]]
* InternalReveal: In ''Action Comics'' #1007, Lois tells her father, General Sam Lane, that she is married to Superman.
* {{Irony}}: [[spoiler:The leaders of Synmar turned Eisno Alkor into the Synmar Utopica in order to defend Synmar from Superman because they feared what a solar-powered Kryptonian would do their planet. The threat Superman represents to Synmar never comes to pass, while the Synmar Utopica grows tired of his home's isolationism and decides to take over the planet and introduce it to the wider galaxy. Eisno was meant to become Synmar's protector but instead became its destroyer, while Superman didn't even become aware of Synmar's existence until Eisno brought him there, and when push came to shove, he ''saved the planet'' from Eisno.]]
* KeepTheHomeFiresBurning: RareMaleExample with Clark, who struggles between his faith for Lois and Jon as they travel with Jor-El and his fear that something could happen to them.
* MythologyGag: CBR [[https://www.cbr.com/superman-new-fortress-of-solitude-bermuda-triangle/ caught on]] to the fact that Superman's new [[IslandBase Fortress of Solitude]] might be reminiscent of Lex Luthor's Kryptonian island from ''Film/SupermanReturns''.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: As it turns out, Jon's desire to be with Jor-El and hope he can get his help in solving his problems was a bad idea as he comes back seven years older and the realization that grandpa is insane.
* NebulousEvilOrganization: Leviathan, the same Leviathan Franchise/{{Batman}} fought [[ComicBook/GrantMorrisonsBatman a few years ago]].
* NotSoOmniscientCouncilOfBickering: [[spoiler:The Circle, the mysterious [[TheIlluminati Illuminati]]-like group that ruled the galaxy from the shadows, was plagued by internal conflict and disssent. Jor-El begged the Circle to help save the Kryptonian people, but he was ignored, the Tamaranean king went to war against the Thanagarians, who used Rogol Zaar to force him to withdraw from a planet he was trying to conquer and Empress Gandelo attempted to hide the truth behind Krypton's destruction to protect her domain.]]
* NotQuiteDead: ComicBook/AmandaWaller abandons General Lane to a creature sent by Leviathan so she can escape. At first, it appears Lane died but ''Action Comics'' #1009, he survived and was sent to the hospital. [[spoiler:He later dies during ''Event Leviathan''.]]
* PhantomZone: ''Phantom Earth'', the premiering story arc in the ''Superman'' flagship book, features the entire Earth being trapped in the TropeNamer. Continuous exposure to the Zone causes people all over the world to feel sick and superhumans to lose their powers. Upon escaping, Superman ends up weaponizing the Phantom Zone throughout the Bendis era, [[spoiler: using it to trap both the Red Cloud and the Synmar Utopica at different points of the story.]]
* PlayAlongPrisoner: Subverted. Clark ''tries'' to be this but Talia al Ghul puts a Kryptonite vest on him, severely weakening him. He only survives thanks to Lois and a group of allies attacking Leviathan's hideout.
* PlayingTheVictimCard: Superman accuses Jor-El of portraying himself as the victim of the Circle's treason, when he helped them control the fates of countless planets and likely ordered their deaths and now, Jor-El has the gall of feeling betrayed when they turned their backs on Krypton.
* PlotRelevantAgeUp: Happens to Jon in ''The House of El.'' He left Earth as a 10-year-old and returns only weeks later, now aged 17. It turns out this because of some years spent traveling with Jor-El and some years imprisoned by Ultraman on the Crime Syndicate's Earth.
* PostCoitalCollapse: In ''Action Comics'' #1004, Clark and Lois reunite after being separated from a while, and their reunion quickly leads to them hitting the sheets. In one panel we see a shot of the empty bed and the following panel has them both collapsing on it, exhausted from their second round of sex, [[GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex but very much satisfied]].
* PreviouslyOn: Every issue of ''Action Comics'' opens with a full page of computer or phone screen belonging to a ''Planet'' employee, with various windows and other notes showing the story so far.
* PsychicDreamsForEveryone: General Zod gets involved in ''Phantom Earth'' by drinking from the spirits of Jekuul, the planet he previously conquered, and having a vision of Rogol Zaar. Because of Rogol's involvement in Krypton's destruction, Zod willingly goes back into the Phantom Zone to attain revenge. In ''The House of El'' Superman has a similar vision.
* PyrrhicVillainy: [[spoiler:The Synmar Utopica does succeed in his goal of introducing his home planet to the larger galactic community. Unfortunately, his reputation is left tarnished and the people of Synmar will now remember him as a criminal and a terrorist.]]
* TheReveal: ''Action Comics'' #1005 reveals that the Red Cloud is Robinson Goode, Clark's fellow reporter at the ''Daily Planet''.
* RevengeBeforeReason: General Zod, having a vision of Rogol, willingly goes back into the Phantom Zone to lay his hands on him, even if it means leaving his wife and son behind on Jekuul. Superman takes advantages of this and, during their fight with Rogol, he yells [[AndThisIsFor "For Kandor!"]], letting Zod know that Rogol destroyed the bottled city of Kandor and getting him to take the fight more seriously.
* SeriesContinuityError: When Jon reunites with Damian, Damian laments how Jon is now taller than him. Except Jon has always been explicitly taller than Damian since the day they met, which had been brought up repeatedly during their time together.
** On a larger note, the events of “The Unity Saga” in ''Superman'' start immediately after the end of Bendis' ''Man of Steel,'' and take place continuously with no room for his first ''Action Comics'' arc to take place. However, Lois' return in ''Action'' somehow happened between the events of ''Superman'' #1 and #7.
* ShamingTheMob: Superman stops a mob from looting Metropolis just by [[SwiperNoSwiping sternly telling them to stop causing trouble]]. Dejected, the mob disperses and Jimmy takes pictures of what happened.
* ShootingSuperman: Gets parodied and PlayedForLaughs in ''Action Comics'' #1001.
* SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay: ''Superman: Heroes'', set shortly after Clark reveals his secret identity, sees Superman trying to talk to his "pal", worried Jimmy might break off their friendship now he knows he's been lying to him. It turns out that Jimmy already knew.
-->'''Jimmy''': I used to think there were only two people in the world who called me "Jim." Then I realized it was only one.
* SoProudOfYou: [[spoiler:For his crimes as Mr. Oz, Jor-El is returned to the moment Krypton explodes. He encounters his younger self and assures him that Kal-El will do great things in the future.]]
* SpinOff: Events in Bendis' run will directly lead to two 12-issue miniseries starring ComicBook/LoisLane (by Greg Rucka) and ComicBook/JimmyOlsen (by Matt Fraction).
* SpiritualAntithesis: The "Truth" arc is this to the ComicBook/New52 [[ComicBook/SupermanTruth story arc of the same name]]. Unlike the original, Clark chose to reveal the truth to the public instead of Lois outing his identity to stop a blackmail scheme, he didn't suffer the loss of his powers, and the world and his co-workers took the news a lot better (granted, as noted under "Reality Ensues", Perry still fired him, but he wasn't angry with Clark and as also noted, he gave two work-arounds to allow Clark to actually still work for the paper in the same conversation).
* StuffedIntoTheFridge: [[spoiler:Melody Moore dies just so that Superman can grieve about his inability to save her.]]
* SuddenSequelHeelSyndrome: S.T.A.R. Labs begins to perform increasingly illegal activities in an attempt to increase their profits, such as mapping out the Phantom Zone without proper precautions and starting the experiments that [[spoiler:ultimately gave birth to the Red Cloud. S.T.A.R. Labs' leadership has even determined that they make their best profits whenever Superman isn't around to keep an eye on them.]]
* SuperSmoke: The Red Cloud, a new villainess working for the unseen crime ring in Metropolis, can turn herself into... well, a red cloud and suffocate people to death.
* SuperSoldier: Eisno Alkor, code-named Synmar Utopica, is planet Synmar's anti-Superman weapon. [[spoiler:Unfortunately for him, Superman never becomes a threat to Synmar and Eisno is left feeling that he got cheated out his purpose.]]
* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: While Superman revealing his identity with the world is a much more light-hearted affair than it was in ''ComicBook/SupermanTruth'', there are still a few problems with his civilian life, particularly with the ''Daily Planet'' as Supes is fired as a reporter due to the fact that he was hired hidden like he was meant he was under a ''load'' of trouble. [[DownplayedTrope That said]], Perry hires him back, as Clark's writing skills are too valuable to be wasted, while Superman himself can serve as an advertising mascot for the ''Daily Planet''.
* TakeThat:
** ''Action Comics'' #1005 has one crook being afraid of using the H-E-R-O dial because he's afraid of it backfiring and doing something crazy to make it work like selling your marriage to the devil. [[ComicBook/OneMoreDay You get one guess as to what he's referring to]].
** In the final issue of Bendis's ''Action Comics'', a kid yells at Jon that [[ComicBook/SuperSons he should hang out with Robin]] and [[TakeThatAudience do literally nothing else]].
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: The entire Earth was swallowed up by the Phantom Zone because some S.T.A.R. Labs scientists were researching for possible ways to safely map the Zone.
* VillainExitStageLeft: [[spoiler:As Superman and his allies begin dismantling the Invisible Mafia, Marisol Leone just packs her bags and departs for an AlternateUniverse.]]
* VillainTeamUp: ComicBook/LexLuthor and the Legion of Doom join forces with Leviathan in order to destroy Superman, even convincing Red Cloud to join them. Subverted with Marisol Leone, who correctly believes that an alliance with Luthor will draw unwanted attention from Superman. When [[spoiler:Red Cloud is placed under arrest and Leone escapes into another universe, she sends Robinson a letter, berating her for thinking that a team-up with Luthor would be a good idea.]]
* VillainsActHeroesReact: Both the ''Man of Steel'' miniseries and ''Superman'' #1 explore this notion. Jor-El had confronted Clark with the possibility that he is limiting himself to what he could do to help the people of Earth and ComicBook/MartianManhunter suggests that Superman could take his service to humanity to the next level by becoming some sort of leader for the global community.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: Nuclear Man shows up and is killed off within two pages.
* WhamShot: Jon Kent returns... as a 17-year-old teenager.
----
[[caption-width-right:350:A new era begins.]]
For seventeen years, Creator/BrianMichaelBendis was a driving force behind Creator/MarvelComics: creating the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel Universe, reinventing ComicBook/TheAvengers by [[ComicBook/AvengersDisassembled disassembling them]] and reassembling them as the ComicBook/NewAvengers and created highly popular characters such as ComicBook/JessicaJones and ComicBook/MilesMorales. Upon leaving the "House of Ideas", Bendis put down his stakes in Creator/DCComics and its ''wunderkund'', Franchise/{{Superman}}.
This new era officially began with ''ComicBook/ManOfSteel2018'', a "pilot episode" that pits Superman against the new villain Rogol Zaar. With ''Man of Steel'' over, the story continues in the relaunched ''Superman'' and ''Action Comics'' and sees Superman explore his place in the world and is forced to confront the possibility that he might not be doing enough to help humanity.
Bendis' ''Superman'' era also establish new situations for ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} and [[Characters/SupermanJonathanSamuelKent Jonathan Samuel Kent]] that were explored in [[ComicBook/SupergirlRebirth those characters]]' [[ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes2020 respective comic books]].
Bendis' run with the Superman franchise ended in December 2020, with Phillip Kennedy Johnson becoming writer of ''Superman'' and ''Action Comics'' and Bendis himself taking over ''[[Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica Justice League]]'' in March 2021, after the ''[[ComicBook/DCFutureState Future State]]'' event comes to an end.
'''WARNING: All spoilers from the first twenty-four issues of ''Superman'' and ''Action Comics'' will be left ''unmarked'' in the tropes below. Spoilers from ''Superman'' #25 and ''Action Comics'' #1025 onward will be ''marked''.'''
----
!!Brian Michael Bendis' ''Superman'' provides examples of following tropes:
* AloneWithThePsycho: Superboy is understandably terrified at being left at the mercy of Ultraman, the evil Superman from Earth-3. His encounter with Superwoman, who so closely resembles his mother, is hardly any better.
* AlternateTimelineAncestry: PlayedWith, regarding Kon-El. He is a refugee from the "Post/Crisis"/"New Earth" timeline, created from the DNA of Superman and Lex Luthor. Jonathan Samuel Kent, meanwhile, is the current Superboy of "Prime Earth" and the son of Superman and Lois Lane. While they are not quite the "same" person, everyone finds it strange that there are two different Superboys with similar origins.
* AndThisIsFor: When Superman and General Zod fight Rogol Zaar in ''Superman'' #6, Superman yells "For Kandor!", letting Zod know that Rogol destroyed the bottled city of Kandor. Because Zod fought very hard to protect Kandor in his time on the Kryptonian military, he fights Rogol more seriously, which is exactly what Superman wanted.
* ArcVillain: Rogol Zaar, Mongul and the Synmar Utopica for ''Superman'' and the Invisible Mafia, the Red Cloud and Leviathan for ''Action Comics''.
* {{Ambadassador}}: We all know how badass Superman is and the Bendis era takes it even further by making him Earth's representative in the United Planets.
* AntiVillain: Eisno Alkor wants to end his home planet's isolationism and introduce it to the larger galactic community, the same way Superman is doing for Earth. Unfortunately, his way of doing it involves causing a civil war and trying to take over the planet.
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: Rogol Zaar forcibly assembles an army of Phantom Zone criminals to invade Earth.
* BadassFamily: The House of El, obviously. Even their enemies say that one El is bad enough, but a whole family of them would ruin anyone's day.
* BatmanGambit: The Invisible Mafia, which that has been starting fires across Metropolis, expected Superman would start investigating their activities, so they blame Superman for the fires and correctly assume that Superman cannot help the police in their investigation because he could possibly have a vested interest in protecting himself. Fortunately, Clark uses his journalistic skills to work against them.
* BeenThereShapedHistory: [[spoiler:Jon suggests to a coalition of aliens that they should form a group similar to Earth's United Nations so that the damage caused by the Circle will never happen again. When the idea takes hold, Jon, Kal and Kara are visited by the Legion, who reveals that Jon just created the United Planets.]]
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Superman is highly respected throughout the galaxy and his compassionate nature is itself noted among its inhabitants. It's probably why when he shows up looking more irritated than usual, all sides of a space battle promptly surrender.
* BigNo: When Superman realizes that he and the Earth have been sent to Phantom Zone.
* BookEnds: ''Superman'' ends with Clark visiting the amateur musician he overheard back in ''Man of Steel'' to tell her he loves her work and dances with Lois to her music.
* BoomerangBigot: [[spoiler:Rogol Zaar has FantasticRacism towards Kryptonians only for his weakness to Kryptonite to reveal that he himself is partially Kryptonian.]]
* BrokenMasquerade: [[spoiler:In ''Superman'' #18, Superman reveals his identity to the entire world. Unlike the events of ''ComicBook/SupermanTruth'', it seems that the reveal is taken in a lot better stride.]]
* BrokenPedestal: Both Superman and Jon become increasingly disappointed in Jor-El as the Unity Saga continues.
* BruceWayneHeldHostage: ComicBook/TaliaAlGhul orders the kidnapping of Clark for his investigation. Clark, hearing Leviathan's footsteps all the way from Chicago, decides to play along, hoping to get something he can use against them. Unfortunately, Talia forces him to wear a Kryptonite vest. Although she is unaware that Clark and Superman are one and the same, she does think Clark could call Superman for help, so she isn't taking any chances. It takes Lois, Jimmy, Firestorm and Red Lantern Dex-Starr storming the Leviathan complex so that Clark can escape.
* TheBusCameBack:
** Lois returns to Earth in the pages of ''Action Comics'', but without Jon. She takes up residence in a hotel in Chicago, and does not notify Clark that she is back. She is seen at the end of ''Action Comics'' #1001 writing an expose on her marriage to Superman, and is confronted by Clark at the end of ''Action Comics''#1002. In ''Action Comics'' #1004, the pair discuss the state of their relationship. Lois assures him they're not breaking up, but that she feels at this stage neither Clark or Jon need her and she needs some space to write her book.
** [[spoiler: Jon Kent returns in the pages of ''Superman'', slightly older, Clark having missed out on [[NarniaTime seven formative years]] in his life]].
** ComicBook/TheQuestion returns in ''Action Comics'' #1005.
** The ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes make their grand return in ''Superman'' #14.
** [[spoiler:ComicBook/LanaLang]] returns in ''Superman'' #18, this time working as a reporter for ''The Daily Star''.
* CanonImmigrant: [[Film/SupermanIVTheQuestForPeace The Nuclear Man]] makes his first official appearance in ''Superman'' #2 [[TakeThat and is promptly killed by Rogol Zaar]].
* ContinuityNod: In issue #22, Superman smashes himself into Warworld, as remembering a previous battle where Supergirl stopped the satellite using that move, a nod to the ''ComicBook/WarWorld'' storyline.
* DownerBeginning: ''Superman'' #1 begins with Superman desperately searching for his family in space. He's naturally depressed by their absence.
* EnemyMine:
** As much as he hates Kryptonians, Rogol is forced to work with Jax-Ur to kill Superman and destroy Earth. Superman is able to get Jax-Ur off his back by getting him to question his partnership with Rogol. Jax-Ur, despite his crimes, loved Krypton, while Rogol hates Kryptonians, so what makes Jax-Ur think Rogol will not turn on him once Superman and Earth are destroyed?
** Superman and General Zod are forced to work together to fight Rogol when they are both trapped in the Phantom Zone. Their uneasy alliance continues even after Rogol is defeated, with the House of Zod allowed to govern their own region of space, which they can use to build a New Krypton.
* EvilTwin: The Crime Syndicate of America makes their return in ''Superman'' #8-9, including Ultraman and Superwoman. Superboy notes how creepy it is to look at evil versions of his own parents.
* EvilVersusEvil: General Zod versus Rogol Zaar in ''Superman'' #6. [[MakeWayForTheNewVillains Rogol wins]].
* FantasticRacism: Rogol Zaar really hates Kryptonians and the Red Cloud seems to hate Superman just for being an alien.
* FleetingDemographicRule: This isn't the first time a villain claims responsibility for the destruction of Krypton, a Superboy gets invited to join the Legion of Super-Heroes, and Superman loses his secret identity.
* FreakLabAccident: [[spoiler:How Robinson Goode became the Red Cloud]]. She was thrown into a chamber filled with gas that S.T.A.R. Labs had collected from a parallel universe after she threatened to expose their illegal activities.
* ForTheEvulz: Red Cloud had no reason to kill [[spoiler:Melody Moore]]. She just did it to piss Superman off.
* FounderOfTheKingdom: {{Downplayed|Trope}}. Jon didn't ''found'' the [[TheFederation United Planets]], he merely ''suggested'' the idea of the nations of the galaxy uniting under a single banner, similar to the United Nations of Earth. Regardless, the LegionOfSuperHeroes treats him with such high regard for coming up with the idea of the United Planets in the first place that they offer him a place in the Legion.
* FromBadToWorse: The situation within the Phantom Zone gets worse in ''Superman'' #2 as Rogol learns of Superman and Earth's arrival while the heroes of Earth are starting to get ravaged by the effects of the Zone... and Superman's losing his powers.
* HomeBase: The Fortress of Solitude, as usual. With the old one being destroyed by Rogol in ''Man of Steel'', Superman constructs a new one in the Bermuda Triangle.
* IJustWantToBeNormal: [[spoiler:''Superman'' #7 reveals that Lois' quick return to Earth (and most likely her wanting distance from Clark for the time being) was the overwhelming feeling of being confronted by aliens who revere the S-Shield like royalty along with the fact that she was a human travelling with a full-blooded and half-blooded Kryptonian.]]
* InternalReveal: In ''Action Comics'' #1007, Lois tells her father, General Sam Lane, that she is married to Superman.
* {{Irony}}: [[spoiler:The leaders of Synmar turned Eisno Alkor into the Synmar Utopica in order to defend Synmar from Superman because they feared what a solar-powered Kryptonian would do their planet. The threat Superman represents to Synmar never comes to pass, while the Synmar Utopica grows tired of his home's isolationism and decides to take over the planet and introduce it to the wider galaxy. Eisno was meant to become Synmar's protector but instead became its destroyer, while Superman didn't even become aware of Synmar's existence until Eisno brought him there, and when push came to shove, he ''saved the planet'' from Eisno.]]
* KeepTheHomeFiresBurning: RareMaleExample with Clark, who struggles between his faith for Lois and Jon as they travel with Jor-El and his fear that something could happen to them.
* MythologyGag: CBR [[https://www.cbr.com/superman-new-fortress-of-solitude-bermuda-triangle/ caught on]] to the fact that Superman's new [[IslandBase Fortress of Solitude]] might be reminiscent of Lex Luthor's Kryptonian island from ''Film/SupermanReturns''.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: As it turns out, Jon's desire to be with Jor-El and hope he can get his help in solving his problems was a bad idea as he comes back seven years older and the realization that grandpa is insane.
* NebulousEvilOrganization: Leviathan, the same Leviathan Franchise/{{Batman}} fought [[ComicBook/GrantMorrisonsBatman a few years ago]].
* NotSoOmniscientCouncilOfBickering: [[spoiler:The Circle, the mysterious [[TheIlluminati Illuminati]]-like group that ruled the galaxy from the shadows, was plagued by internal conflict and disssent. Jor-El begged the Circle to help save the Kryptonian people, but he was ignored, the Tamaranean king went to war against the Thanagarians, who used Rogol Zaar to force him to withdraw from a planet he was trying to conquer and Empress Gandelo attempted to hide the truth behind Krypton's destruction to protect her domain.]]
* NotQuiteDead: ComicBook/AmandaWaller abandons General Lane to a creature sent by Leviathan so she can escape. At first, it appears Lane died but ''Action Comics'' #1009, he survived and was sent to the hospital. [[spoiler:He later dies during ''Event Leviathan''.]]
* PhantomZone: ''Phantom Earth'', the premiering story arc in the ''Superman'' flagship book, features the entire Earth being trapped in the TropeNamer. Continuous exposure to the Zone causes people all over the world to feel sick and superhumans to lose their powers. Upon escaping, Superman ends up weaponizing the Phantom Zone throughout the Bendis era, [[spoiler: using it to trap both the Red Cloud and the Synmar Utopica at different points of the story.]]
* PlayAlongPrisoner: Subverted. Clark ''tries'' to be this but Talia al Ghul puts a Kryptonite vest on him, severely weakening him. He only survives thanks to Lois and a group of allies attacking Leviathan's hideout.
* PlayingTheVictimCard: Superman accuses Jor-El of portraying himself as the victim of the Circle's treason, when he helped them control the fates of countless planets and likely ordered their deaths and now, Jor-El has the gall of feeling betrayed when they turned their backs on Krypton.
* PlotRelevantAgeUp: Happens to Jon in ''The House of El.'' He left Earth as a 10-year-old and returns only weeks later, now aged 17. It turns out this because of some years spent traveling with Jor-El and some years imprisoned by Ultraman on the Crime Syndicate's Earth.
* PostCoitalCollapse: In ''Action Comics'' #1004, Clark and Lois reunite after being separated from a while, and their reunion quickly leads to them hitting the sheets. In one panel we see a shot of the empty bed and the following panel has them both collapsing on it, exhausted from their second round of sex, [[GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex but very much satisfied]].
* PreviouslyOn: Every issue of ''Action Comics'' opens with a full page of computer or phone screen belonging to a ''Planet'' employee, with various windows and other notes showing the story so far.
* PsychicDreamsForEveryone: General Zod gets involved in ''Phantom Earth'' by drinking from the spirits of Jekuul, the planet he previously conquered, and having a vision of Rogol Zaar. Because of Rogol's involvement in Krypton's destruction, Zod willingly goes back into the Phantom Zone to attain revenge. In ''The House of El'' Superman has a similar vision.
* PyrrhicVillainy: [[spoiler:The Synmar Utopica does succeed in his goal of introducing his home planet to the larger galactic community. Unfortunately, his reputation is left tarnished and the people of Synmar will now remember him as a criminal and a terrorist.]]
* TheReveal: ''Action Comics'' #1005 reveals that the Red Cloud is Robinson Goode, Clark's fellow reporter at the ''Daily Planet''.
* RevengeBeforeReason: General Zod, having a vision of Rogol, willingly goes back into the Phantom Zone to lay his hands on him, even if it means leaving his wife and son behind on Jekuul. Superman takes advantages of this and, during their fight with Rogol, he yells [[AndThisIsFor "For Kandor!"]], letting Zod know that Rogol destroyed the bottled city of Kandor and getting him to take the fight more seriously.
* SeriesContinuityError: When Jon reunites with Damian, Damian laments how Jon is now taller than him. Except Jon has always been explicitly taller than Damian since the day they met, which had been brought up repeatedly during their time together.
** On a larger note, the events of “The Unity Saga” in ''Superman'' start immediately after the end of Bendis' ''Man of Steel,'' and take place continuously with no room for his first ''Action Comics'' arc to take place. However, Lois' return in ''Action'' somehow happened between the events of ''Superman'' #1 and #7.
* ShamingTheMob: Superman stops a mob from looting Metropolis just by [[SwiperNoSwiping sternly telling them to stop causing trouble]]. Dejected, the mob disperses and Jimmy takes pictures of what happened.
* ShootingSuperman: Gets parodied and PlayedForLaughs in ''Action Comics'' #1001.
* SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay: ''Superman: Heroes'', set shortly after Clark reveals his secret identity, sees Superman trying to talk to his "pal", worried Jimmy might break off their friendship now he knows he's been lying to him. It turns out that Jimmy already knew.
-->'''Jimmy''': I used to think there were only two people in the world who called me "Jim." Then I realized it was only one.
* SoProudOfYou: [[spoiler:For his crimes as Mr. Oz, Jor-El is returned to the moment Krypton explodes. He encounters his younger self and assures him that Kal-El will do great things in the future.]]
* SpinOff: Events in Bendis' run will directly lead to two 12-issue miniseries starring ComicBook/LoisLane (by Greg Rucka) and ComicBook/JimmyOlsen (by Matt Fraction).
* SpiritualAntithesis: The "Truth" arc is this to the ComicBook/New52 [[ComicBook/SupermanTruth story arc of the same name]]. Unlike the original, Clark chose to reveal the truth to the public instead of Lois outing his identity to stop a blackmail scheme, he didn't suffer the loss of his powers, and the world and his co-workers took the news a lot better (granted, as noted under "Reality Ensues", Perry still fired him, but he wasn't angry with Clark and as also noted, he gave two work-arounds to allow Clark to actually still work for the paper in the same conversation).
* StuffedIntoTheFridge: [[spoiler:Melody Moore dies just so that Superman can grieve about his inability to save her.]]
* SuddenSequelHeelSyndrome: S.T.A.R. Labs begins to perform increasingly illegal activities in an attempt to increase their profits, such as mapping out the Phantom Zone without proper precautions and starting the experiments that [[spoiler:ultimately gave birth to the Red Cloud. S.T.A.R. Labs' leadership has even determined that they make their best profits whenever Superman isn't around to keep an eye on them.]]
* SuperSmoke: The Red Cloud, a new villainess working for the unseen crime ring in Metropolis, can turn herself into... well, a red cloud and suffocate people to death.
* SuperSoldier: Eisno Alkor, code-named Synmar Utopica, is planet Synmar's anti-Superman weapon. [[spoiler:Unfortunately for him, Superman never becomes a threat to Synmar and Eisno is left feeling that he got cheated out his purpose.]]
* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: While Superman revealing his identity with the world is a much more light-hearted affair than it was in ''ComicBook/SupermanTruth'', there are still a few problems with his civilian life, particularly with the ''Daily Planet'' as Supes is fired as a reporter due to the fact that he was hired hidden like he was meant he was under a ''load'' of trouble. [[DownplayedTrope That said]], Perry hires him back, as Clark's writing skills are too valuable to be wasted, while Superman himself can serve as an advertising mascot for the ''Daily Planet''.
* TakeThat:
** ''Action Comics'' #1005 has one crook being afraid of using the H-E-R-O dial because he's afraid of it backfiring and doing something crazy to make it work like selling your marriage to the devil. [[ComicBook/OneMoreDay You get one guess as to what he's referring to]].
** In the final issue of Bendis's ''Action Comics'', a kid yells at Jon that [[ComicBook/SuperSons he should hang out with Robin]] and [[TakeThatAudience do literally nothing else]].
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: The entire Earth was swallowed up by the Phantom Zone because some S.T.A.R. Labs scientists were researching for possible ways to safely map the Zone.
* VillainExitStageLeft: [[spoiler:As Superman and his allies begin dismantling the Invisible Mafia, Marisol Leone just packs her bags and departs for an AlternateUniverse.]]
* VillainTeamUp: ComicBook/LexLuthor and the Legion of Doom join forces with Leviathan in order to destroy Superman, even convincing Red Cloud to join them. Subverted with Marisol Leone, who correctly believes that an alliance with Luthor will draw unwanted attention from Superman. When [[spoiler:Red Cloud is placed under arrest and Leone escapes into another universe, she sends Robinson a letter, berating her for thinking that a team-up with Luthor would be a good idea.]]
* VillainsActHeroesReact: Both the ''Man of Steel'' miniseries and ''Superman'' #1 explore this notion. Jor-El had confronted Clark with the possibility that he is limiting himself to what he could do to help the people of Earth and ComicBook/MartianManhunter suggests that Superman could take his service to humanity to the next level by becoming some sort of leader for the global community.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: Nuclear Man shows up and is killed off within two pages.
* WhamShot: Jon Kent returns... as a 17-year-old teenager.
----
to:
[[caption-width-right:350:A new era begins.]]
For seventeen years, Creator/BrianMichaelBendis was a driving force behind Creator/MarvelComics: creating the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel Universe, reinventing ComicBook/TheAvengers by [[ComicBook/AvengersDisassembled disassembling them]] and reassembling them as the ComicBook/NewAvengers and created highly popular characters such as ComicBook/JessicaJones and ComicBook/MilesMorales. Upon leaving the "House of Ideas", Bendis put down his stakes in Creator/DCComics and its ''wunderkund'', Franchise/{{Superman}}.
This new era officially began with ''ComicBook/ManOfSteel2018'', a "pilot episode" that pits Superman against the new villain Rogol Zaar. With ''Man of Steel'' over, the story continues in the relaunched ''Superman'' and ''Action Comics'' and sees Superman explore his place in the world and is forced to confront the possibility that he might not be doing enough to help humanity.
Bendis' ''Superman'' era also establish new situations for ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} and [[Characters/SupermanJonathanSamuelKent Jonathan Samuel Kent]] that were explored in [[ComicBook/SupergirlRebirth those characters]]' [[ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes2020 respective comic books]].
Bendis' run with the Superman franchise ended in December 2020, with Phillip Kennedy Johnson becoming writer of ''Superman'' and ''Action Comics'' and Bendis himself taking over ''[[Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica Justice League]]'' in March 2021, after the ''[[ComicBook/DCFutureState Future State]]'' event comes to an end.
'''WARNING: All spoilers from the first twenty-four issues of ''Superman'' and ''Action Comics'' will be left ''unmarked'' in the tropes below. Spoilers from ''Superman'' #25 and ''Action Comics'' #1025 onward will be ''marked''.'''
----
!!Brian Michael Bendis' ''Superman'' provides examples of following tropes:
* AloneWithThePsycho: Superboy is understandably terrified at being left at the mercy of Ultraman, the evil Superman from Earth-3. His encounter with Superwoman, who so closely resembles his mother, is hardly any better.
* AlternateTimelineAncestry: PlayedWith, regarding Kon-El. He is a refugee from the "Post/Crisis"/"New Earth" timeline, created from the DNA of Superman and Lex Luthor. Jonathan Samuel Kent, meanwhile, is the current Superboy of "Prime Earth" and the son of Superman and Lois Lane. While they are not quite the "same" person, everyone finds it strange that there are two different Superboys with similar origins.
* AndThisIsFor: When Superman and General Zod fight Rogol Zaar in ''Superman'' #6, Superman yells "For Kandor!", letting Zod know that Rogol destroyed the bottled city of Kandor. Because Zod fought very hard to protect Kandor in his time on the Kryptonian military, he fights Rogol more seriously, which is exactly what Superman wanted.
* ArcVillain: Rogol Zaar, Mongul and the Synmar Utopica for ''Superman'' and the Invisible Mafia, the Red Cloud and Leviathan for ''Action Comics''.
* {{Ambadassador}}: We all know how badass Superman is and the Bendis era takes it even further by making him Earth's representative in the United Planets.
* AntiVillain: Eisno Alkor wants to end his home planet's isolationism and introduce it to the larger galactic community, the same way Superman is doing for Earth. Unfortunately, his way of doing it involves causing a civil war and trying to take over the planet.
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: Rogol Zaar forcibly assembles an army of Phantom Zone criminals to invade Earth.
* BadassFamily: The House of El, obviously. Even their enemies say that one El is bad enough, but a whole family of them would ruin anyone's day.
* BatmanGambit: The Invisible Mafia, which that has been starting fires across Metropolis, expected Superman would start investigating their activities, so they blame Superman for the fires and correctly assume that Superman cannot help the police in their investigation because he could possibly have a vested interest in protecting himself. Fortunately, Clark uses his journalistic skills to work against them.
* BeenThereShapedHistory: [[spoiler:Jon suggests to a coalition of aliens that they should form a group similar to Earth's United Nations so that the damage caused by the Circle will never happen again. When the idea takes hold, Jon, Kal and Kara are visited by the Legion, who reveals that Jon just created the United Planets.]]
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Superman is highly respected throughout the galaxy and his compassionate nature is itself noted among its inhabitants. It's probably why when he shows up looking more irritated than usual, all sides of a space battle promptly surrender.
* BigNo: When Superman realizes that he and the Earth have been sent to Phantom Zone.
* BookEnds: ''Superman'' ends with Clark visiting the amateur musician he overheard back in ''Man of Steel'' to tell her he loves her work and dances with Lois to her music.
* BoomerangBigot: [[spoiler:Rogol Zaar has FantasticRacism towards Kryptonians only for his weakness to Kryptonite to reveal that he himself is partially Kryptonian.]]
* BrokenMasquerade: [[spoiler:In ''Superman'' #18, Superman reveals his identity to the entire world. Unlike the events of ''ComicBook/SupermanTruth'', it seems that the reveal is taken in a lot better stride.]]
* BrokenPedestal: Both Superman and Jon become increasingly disappointed in Jor-El as the Unity Saga continues.
* BruceWayneHeldHostage: ComicBook/TaliaAlGhul orders the kidnapping of Clark for his investigation. Clark, hearing Leviathan's footsteps all the way from Chicago, decides to play along, hoping to get something he can use against them. Unfortunately, Talia forces him to wear a Kryptonite vest. Although she is unaware that Clark and Superman are one and the same, she does think Clark could call Superman for help, so she isn't taking any chances. It takes Lois, Jimmy, Firestorm and Red Lantern Dex-Starr storming the Leviathan complex so that Clark can escape.
* TheBusCameBack:
** Lois returns to Earth in the pages of ''Action Comics'', but without Jon. She takes up residence in a hotel in Chicago, and does not notify Clark that she is back. She is seen at the end of ''Action Comics'' #1001 writing an expose on her marriage to Superman, and is confronted by Clark at the end of ''Action Comics''#1002. In ''Action Comics'' #1004, the pair discuss the state of their relationship. Lois assures him they're not breaking up, but that she feels at this stage neither Clark or Jon need her and she needs some space to write her book.
** [[spoiler: Jon Kent returns in the pages of ''Superman'', slightly older, Clark having missed out on [[NarniaTime seven formative years]] in his life]].
** ComicBook/TheQuestion returns in ''Action Comics'' #1005.
** The ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes make their grand return in ''Superman'' #14.
** [[spoiler:ComicBook/LanaLang]] returns in ''Superman'' #18, this time working as a reporter for ''The Daily Star''.
* CanonImmigrant: [[Film/SupermanIVTheQuestForPeace The Nuclear Man]] makes his first official appearance in ''Superman'' #2 [[TakeThat and is promptly killed by Rogol Zaar]].
* ContinuityNod: In issue #22, Superman smashes himself into Warworld, as remembering a previous battle where Supergirl stopped the satellite using that move, a nod to the ''ComicBook/WarWorld'' storyline.
* DownerBeginning: ''Superman'' #1 begins with Superman desperately searching for his family in space. He's naturally depressed by their absence.
* EnemyMine:
** As much as he hates Kryptonians, Rogol is forced to work with Jax-Ur to kill Superman and destroy Earth. Superman is able to get Jax-Ur off his back by getting him to question his partnership with Rogol. Jax-Ur, despite his crimes, loved Krypton, while Rogol hates Kryptonians, so what makes Jax-Ur think Rogol will not turn on him once Superman and Earth are destroyed?
** Superman and General Zod are forced to work together to fight Rogol when they are both trapped in the Phantom Zone. Their uneasy alliance continues even after Rogol is defeated, with the House of Zod allowed to govern their own region of space, which they can use to build a New Krypton.
* EvilTwin: The Crime Syndicate of America makes their return in ''Superman'' #8-9, including Ultraman and Superwoman. Superboy notes how creepy it is to look at evil versions of his own parents.
* EvilVersusEvil: General Zod versus Rogol Zaar in ''Superman'' #6. [[MakeWayForTheNewVillains Rogol wins]].
* FantasticRacism: Rogol Zaar really hates Kryptonians and the Red Cloud seems to hate Superman just for being an alien.
* FleetingDemographicRule: This isn't the first time a villain claims responsibility for the destruction of Krypton, a Superboy gets invited to join the Legion of Super-Heroes, and Superman loses his secret identity.
* FreakLabAccident: [[spoiler:How Robinson Goode became the Red Cloud]]. She was thrown into a chamber filled with gas that S.T.A.R. Labs had collected from a parallel universe after she threatened to expose their illegal activities.
* ForTheEvulz: Red Cloud had no reason to kill [[spoiler:Melody Moore]]. She just did it to piss Superman off.
* FounderOfTheKingdom: {{Downplayed|Trope}}. Jon didn't ''found'' the [[TheFederation United Planets]], he merely ''suggested'' the idea of the nations of the galaxy uniting under a single banner, similar to the United Nations of Earth. Regardless, the LegionOfSuperHeroes treats him with such high regard for coming up with the idea of the United Planets in the first place that they offer him a place in the Legion.
* FromBadToWorse: The situation within the Phantom Zone gets worse in ''Superman'' #2 as Rogol learns of Superman and Earth's arrival while the heroes of Earth are starting to get ravaged by the effects of the Zone... and Superman's losing his powers.
* HomeBase: The Fortress of Solitude, as usual. With the old one being destroyed by Rogol in ''Man of Steel'', Superman constructs a new one in the Bermuda Triangle.
* IJustWantToBeNormal: [[spoiler:''Superman'' #7 reveals that Lois' quick return to Earth (and most likely her wanting distance from Clark for the time being) was the overwhelming feeling of being confronted by aliens who revere the S-Shield like royalty along with the fact that she was a human travelling with a full-blooded and half-blooded Kryptonian.]]
* InternalReveal: In ''Action Comics'' #1007, Lois tells her father, General Sam Lane, that she is married to Superman.
* {{Irony}}: [[spoiler:The leaders of Synmar turned Eisno Alkor into the Synmar Utopica in order to defend Synmar from Superman because they feared what a solar-powered Kryptonian would do their planet. The threat Superman represents to Synmar never comes to pass, while the Synmar Utopica grows tired of his home's isolationism and decides to take over the planet and introduce it to the wider galaxy. Eisno was meant to become Synmar's protector but instead became its destroyer, while Superman didn't even become aware of Synmar's existence until Eisno brought him there, and when push came to shove, he ''saved the planet'' from Eisno.]]
* KeepTheHomeFiresBurning: RareMaleExample with Clark, who struggles between his faith for Lois and Jon as they travel with Jor-El and his fear that something could happen to them.
* MythologyGag: CBR [[https://www.cbr.com/superman-new-fortress-of-solitude-bermuda-triangle/ caught on]] to the fact that Superman's new [[IslandBase Fortress of Solitude]] might be reminiscent of Lex Luthor's Kryptonian island from ''Film/SupermanReturns''.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: As it turns out, Jon's desire to be with Jor-El and hope he can get his help in solving his problems was a bad idea as he comes back seven years older and the realization that grandpa is insane.
* NebulousEvilOrganization: Leviathan, the same Leviathan Franchise/{{Batman}} fought [[ComicBook/GrantMorrisonsBatman a few years ago]].
* NotSoOmniscientCouncilOfBickering: [[spoiler:The Circle, the mysterious [[TheIlluminati Illuminati]]-like group that ruled the galaxy from the shadows, was plagued by internal conflict and disssent. Jor-El begged the Circle to help save the Kryptonian people, but he was ignored, the Tamaranean king went to war against the Thanagarians, who used Rogol Zaar to force him to withdraw from a planet he was trying to conquer and Empress Gandelo attempted to hide the truth behind Krypton's destruction to protect her domain.]]
* NotQuiteDead: ComicBook/AmandaWaller abandons General Lane to a creature sent by Leviathan so she can escape. At first, it appears Lane died but ''Action Comics'' #1009, he survived and was sent to the hospital. [[spoiler:He later dies during ''Event Leviathan''.]]
* PhantomZone: ''Phantom Earth'', the premiering story arc in the ''Superman'' flagship book, features the entire Earth being trapped in the TropeNamer. Continuous exposure to the Zone causes people all over the world to feel sick and superhumans to lose their powers. Upon escaping, Superman ends up weaponizing the Phantom Zone throughout the Bendis era, [[spoiler: using it to trap both the Red Cloud and the Synmar Utopica at different points of the story.]]
* PlayAlongPrisoner: Subverted. Clark ''tries'' to be this but Talia al Ghul puts a Kryptonite vest on him, severely weakening him. He only survives thanks to Lois and a group of allies attacking Leviathan's hideout.
* PlayingTheVictimCard: Superman accuses Jor-El of portraying himself as the victim of the Circle's treason, when he helped them control the fates of countless planets and likely ordered their deaths and now, Jor-El has the gall of feeling betrayed when they turned their backs on Krypton.
* PlotRelevantAgeUp: Happens to Jon in ''The House of El.'' He left Earth as a 10-year-old and returns only weeks later, now aged 17. It turns out this because of some years spent traveling with Jor-El and some years imprisoned by Ultraman on the Crime Syndicate's Earth.
* PostCoitalCollapse: In ''Action Comics'' #1004, Clark and Lois reunite after being separated from a while, and their reunion quickly leads to them hitting the sheets. In one panel we see a shot of the empty bed and the following panel has them both collapsing on it, exhausted from their second round of sex, [[GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex but very much satisfied]].
* PreviouslyOn: Every issue of ''Action Comics'' opens with a full page of computer or phone screen belonging to a ''Planet'' employee, with various windows and other notes showing the story so far.
* PsychicDreamsForEveryone: General Zod gets involved in ''Phantom Earth'' by drinking from the spirits of Jekuul, the planet he previously conquered, and having a vision of Rogol Zaar. Because of Rogol's involvement in Krypton's destruction, Zod willingly goes back into the Phantom Zone to attain revenge. In ''The House of El'' Superman has a similar vision.
* PyrrhicVillainy: [[spoiler:The Synmar Utopica does succeed in his goal of introducing his home planet to the larger galactic community. Unfortunately, his reputation is left tarnished and the people of Synmar will now remember him as a criminal and a terrorist.]]
* TheReveal: ''Action Comics'' #1005 reveals that the Red Cloud is Robinson Goode, Clark's fellow reporter at the ''Daily Planet''.
* RevengeBeforeReason: General Zod, having a vision of Rogol, willingly goes back into the Phantom Zone to lay his hands on him, even if it means leaving his wife and son behind on Jekuul. Superman takes advantages of this and, during their fight with Rogol, he yells [[AndThisIsFor "For Kandor!"]], letting Zod know that Rogol destroyed the bottled city of Kandor and getting him to take the fight more seriously.
* SeriesContinuityError: When Jon reunites with Damian, Damian laments how Jon is now taller than him. Except Jon has always been explicitly taller than Damian since the day they met, which had been brought up repeatedly during their time together.
** On a larger note, the events of “The Unity Saga” in ''Superman'' start immediately after the end of Bendis' ''Man of Steel,'' and take place continuously with no room for his first ''Action Comics'' arc to take place. However, Lois' return in ''Action'' somehow happened between the events of ''Superman'' #1 and #7.
* ShamingTheMob: Superman stops a mob from looting Metropolis just by [[SwiperNoSwiping sternly telling them to stop causing trouble]]. Dejected, the mob disperses and Jimmy takes pictures of what happened.
* ShootingSuperman: Gets parodied and PlayedForLaughs in ''Action Comics'' #1001.
* SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay: ''Superman: Heroes'', set shortly after Clark reveals his secret identity, sees Superman trying to talk to his "pal", worried Jimmy might break off their friendship now he knows he's been lying to him. It turns out that Jimmy already knew.
-->'''Jimmy''': I used to think there were only two people in the world who called me "Jim." Then I realized it was only one.
* SoProudOfYou: [[spoiler:For his crimes as Mr. Oz, Jor-El is returned to the moment Krypton explodes. He encounters his younger self and assures him that Kal-El will do great things in the future.]]
* SpinOff: Events in Bendis' run will directly lead to two 12-issue miniseries starring ComicBook/LoisLane (by Greg Rucka) and ComicBook/JimmyOlsen (by Matt Fraction).
* SpiritualAntithesis: The "Truth" arc is this to the ComicBook/New52 [[ComicBook/SupermanTruth story arc of the same name]]. Unlike the original, Clark chose to reveal the truth to the public instead of Lois outing his identity to stop a blackmail scheme, he didn't suffer the loss of his powers, and the world and his co-workers took the news a lot better (granted, as noted under "Reality Ensues", Perry still fired him, but he wasn't angry with Clark and as also noted, he gave two work-arounds to allow Clark to actually still work for the paper in the same conversation).
* StuffedIntoTheFridge: [[spoiler:Melody Moore dies just so that Superman can grieve about his inability to save her.]]
* SuddenSequelHeelSyndrome: S.T.A.R. Labs begins to perform increasingly illegal activities in an attempt to increase their profits, such as mapping out the Phantom Zone without proper precautions and starting the experiments that [[spoiler:ultimately gave birth to the Red Cloud. S.T.A.R. Labs' leadership has even determined that they make their best profits whenever Superman isn't around to keep an eye on them.]]
* SuperSmoke: The Red Cloud, a new villainess working for the unseen crime ring in Metropolis, can turn herself into... well, a red cloud and suffocate people to death.
* SuperSoldier: Eisno Alkor, code-named Synmar Utopica, is planet Synmar's anti-Superman weapon. [[spoiler:Unfortunately for him, Superman never becomes a threat to Synmar and Eisno is left feeling that he got cheated out his purpose.]]
* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: While Superman revealing his identity with the world is a much more light-hearted affair than it was in ''ComicBook/SupermanTruth'', there are still a few problems with his civilian life, particularly with the ''Daily Planet'' as Supes is fired as a reporter due to the fact that he was hired hidden like he was meant he was under a ''load'' of trouble. [[DownplayedTrope That said]], Perry hires him back, as Clark's writing skills are too valuable to be wasted, while Superman himself can serve as an advertising mascot for the ''Daily Planet''.
* TakeThat:
** ''Action Comics'' #1005 has one crook being afraid of using the H-E-R-O dial because he's afraid of it backfiring and doing something crazy to make it work like selling your marriage to the devil. [[ComicBook/OneMoreDay You get one guess as to what he's referring to]].
** In the final issue of Bendis's ''Action Comics'', a kid yells at Jon that [[ComicBook/SuperSons he should hang out with Robin]] and [[TakeThatAudience do literally nothing else]].
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: The entire Earth was swallowed up by the Phantom Zone because some S.T.A.R. Labs scientists were researching for possible ways to safely map the Zone.
* VillainExitStageLeft: [[spoiler:As Superman and his allies begin dismantling the Invisible Mafia, Marisol Leone just packs her bags and departs for an AlternateUniverse.]]
* VillainTeamUp: ComicBook/LexLuthor and the Legion of Doom join forces with Leviathan in order to destroy Superman, even convincing Red Cloud to join them. Subverted with Marisol Leone, who correctly believes that an alliance with Luthor will draw unwanted attention from Superman. When [[spoiler:Red Cloud is placed under arrest and Leone escapes into another universe, she sends Robinson a letter, berating her for thinking that a team-up with Luthor would be a good idea.]]
* VillainsActHeroesReact: Both the ''Man of Steel'' miniseries and ''Superman'' #1 explore this notion. Jor-El had confronted Clark with the possibility that he is limiting himself to what he could do to help the people of Earth and ComicBook/MartianManhunter suggests that Superman could take his service to humanity to the next level by becoming some sort of leader for the global community.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: Nuclear Man shows up and is killed off within two pages.
* WhamShot: Jon Kent returns... as a 17-year-old teenager.
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Bendis' ''Superman'' era also establish new situations for ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} and ComicBook/JonathanSamuelKent that were explored in [[ComicBook/SupergirlRebirth those characters]]' [[ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes2020 respective comic books]].
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Bendis' ''Superman'' era also establish new situations for ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} and ComicBook/JonathanSamuelKent [[Characters/SupermanJonathanSamuelKent Jonathan Samuel Kent]] that were explored in [[ComicBook/SupergirlRebirth those characters]]' [[ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes2020 respective comic books]].
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* SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay: ''Superman: Heroes'', set shortly after Clark reveals his secret identity, sees Superman trying to talk to his "pal", worried Jimmy might break off their friendship now he knows he's been lying to him. It turns out that Jimmy already knew.
-->'''Jimmy''': I used to think there were only two people in the world who called me "Jim." Then I realized it was only one.
-->'''Jimmy''': I used to think there were only two people in the world who called me "Jim." Then I realized it was only one.
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* SpiritualAntithesis: The "Truth" arc is this to the ComicBook/New52 [[ComicBook/SupermanTruth story arc of the same name]]. Unlike the original, Clark chose to reveal the truth to the public instead of Lois outing his identity to stop a blackmail scheme, he didn't suffer a lost of his powers, and the world and his co-workers took the news a lot better (granted, as noted under "Reality Ensues", Perry still fired him, but he wasn't angry with Clark and as also noted, he gave two work-arounds to allow Clark to actually still work for the paper in the same conversation).
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* SpiritualAntithesis: The "Truth" arc is this to the ComicBook/New52 [[ComicBook/SupermanTruth story arc of the same name]]. Unlike the original, Clark chose to reveal the truth to the public instead of Lois outing his identity to stop a blackmail scheme, he didn't suffer a lost the loss of his powers, and the world and his co-workers took the news a lot better (granted, as noted under "Reality Ensues", Perry still fired him, but he wasn't angry with Clark and as also noted, he gave two work-arounds to allow Clark to actually still work for the paper in the same conversation).
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* RealityEnsues: While Superman revealing his identity with the world is a much more light-hearted affair than it was in ''ComicBook/SupermanTruth'', there are still a few problems with his civilian life, particularly with the ''Daily Planet'' as Supes is fired as a reporter due to the fact that he was hired hidden like he was meant he was under a ''load'' of trouble. [[DownplayedTrope That said]], Perry hires him back, as Clark's writing skills are too valuable to be wasted, while Superman himself can serve as an advertising mascot for the ''Daily Planet''.
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* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: While Superman revealing his identity with the world is a much more light-hearted affair than it was in ''ComicBook/SupermanTruth'', there are still a few problems with his civilian life, particularly with the ''Daily Planet'' as Supes is fired as a reporter due to the fact that he was hired hidden like he was meant he was under a ''load'' of trouble. [[DownplayedTrope That said]], Perry hires him back, as Clark's writing skills are too valuable to be wasted, while Superman himself can serve as an advertising mascot for the ''Daily Planet''.
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* SpiritualAntithesis: The "Truth" arc is this to the ComicBook/New52 [[ComicBook/SupermanTruth story arc of the same name]]. Unlike the original, Clark chose to reveal the truth to the public instead of Lois outing his identity to stop a blackmail scheme, he didn't suffer a lost of his powers, and the world and his co-workers took the news a lot better (granted, as noted under "Reality Ensues", Perry still fired him, but he wasn't angry with Clark and as also noted, he gave two work-arounds to allow Clark to actually still work for the paper in the same conversation).
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* {{Ambadassador}}: We all know how badass Superman is and the Bendis era takes it even further by making him Earth's reprsentative in the United Planets.
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* {{Ambadassador}}: We all know how badass Superman is and the Bendis era takes it even further by making him Earth's reprsentative representative in the United Planets.
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* BeenThereShapedHistory: [[spoiler:Jon suggests to a coalition of aliens that they should form a group similar to Earth's United Nations so that the damage caused by the Circle will never happen again. When the idea takes hold, Jon, Kal and Kara are visited by the Legion, who reveal that Jon just created the United Planets.]]
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* BeenThereShapedHistory: [[spoiler:Jon suggests to a coalition of aliens that they should form a group similar to Earth's United Nations so that the damage caused by the Circle will never happen again. When the idea takes hold, Jon, Kal and Kara are visited by the Legion, who reveal reveals that Jon just created the United Planets.]]
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* BruceWayneHeldHostage: Talia al-Ghul orders the kidnapping of Clark for his investigation. Clark, hearing Leviathan's footsteps all the way from Chicago, decides to play along, hoping to get something he can use against them. Unfortunately, Talia forces him to wear a Kryptonite vest. Although she is unaware that Clark and Superman are one and the same, she thinks Clark could call Superman for help, so she isn't taking any chances. It takes Lois, Jimmy, Firestorm and Red Lantern Dex-Starr storming the Leviathan complex so that Clark can escape.
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* BruceWayneHeldHostage: Talia al-Ghul ComicBook/TaliaAlGhul orders the kidnapping of Clark for his investigation. Clark, hearing Leviathan's footsteps all the way from Chicago, decides to play along, hoping to get something he can use against them. Unfortunately, Talia forces him to wear a Kryptonite vest. Although she is unaware that Clark and Superman are one and the same, she thinks does think Clark could call Superman for help, so she isn't taking any chances. It takes Lois, Jimmy, Firestorm and Red Lantern Dex-Starr storming the Leviathan complex so that Clark can escape.
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* NotQuiteDead: [[ComicBook/SuicideSquad Amanda Waller]] abandons General Lane to a creature sent by Leviathan so she can escape. At first, it appears Lane died but ''Action Comics'' #1009, he survived and was sent to the hospital. [[spoiler:He later dies during ''Event Leviathan''.]]
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* NotQuiteDead: [[ComicBook/SuicideSquad Amanda Waller]] ComicBook/AmandaWaller abandons General Lane to a creature sent by Leviathan so she can escape. At first, it appears Lane died but ''Action Comics'' #1009, he survived and was sent to the hospital. [[spoiler:He later dies during ''Event Leviathan''.]]
* PostCoitalCollapse: In ''Action Comics'' #1004, Clark and Lois reunite after being separated from a while, and their reunion quickly leads to them hitting the sheets. In one panel we see a shot of the empty bed and the following panel has them both collapsing on it, exhausted from their second round of sex, [[GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex but very much satisfied]].
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* SpinOff: Events in Bendis' run will directly lead to two 12-issue miniseries starring Lois (by Greg Rucka) and Jimmy Olsen (by Matt Fraction).
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* SpinOff: Events in Bendis' run will directly lead to two 12-issue miniseries starring Lois ComicBook/LoisLane (by Greg Rucka) and Jimmy Olsen ComicBook/JimmyOlsen (by Matt Fraction).
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** In the final issue of Bendis's ''Action Comics'', a kid yells at Jon that [[ComicBook/SuperSons he should hang out with Robin]] [[TakeThatAudience and do literally nothing else]].
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** In the final issue of Bendis's ''Action Comics'', a kid yells at Jon that [[ComicBook/SuperSons he should hang out with Robin]] and [[TakeThatAudience and do literally nothing else]].
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* VillainTeamUp: Lex Luthor and the Legion of Doom join forces with Leviathan in order to destroy Superman, even convincing Red Cloud to join them. Subverted with Marisol Leone, who correctly believes that an alliance with Luthor will draw unwanted attention from Superman. When [[spoiler:Red Cloud is placed under arrest and Leone escapes into another universe, she sends Robinson a letter, berating her for thinking that a team-up with Luthor would be a good idea.]]
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* VillainTeamUp: Lex Luthor ComicBook/LexLuthor and the Legion of Doom join forces with Leviathan in order to destroy Superman, even convincing Red Cloud to join them. Subverted with Marisol Leone, who correctly believes that an alliance with Luthor will draw unwanted attention from Superman. When [[spoiler:Red Cloud is placed under arrest and Leone escapes into another universe, she sends Robinson a letter, berating her for thinking that a team-up with Luthor would be a good idea.]]
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* WhamShot: Jon Kent returns... as a 17 year old teenager.
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* WhamShot: Jon Kent returns... as a 17 year old teenager.17-year-old teenager.
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* TakeThat: ''Action Comics'' #1005 has one crook being afraid of using the H-E-R-O dial because he's afraid of it backfiring and doing something crazy to make it work like selling your marriage to the devil. [[ComicBook/OneMoreDay You get one guess as to what he's referring to]].
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* TakeThat: TakeThat:
** ''Action Comics'' #1005 has one crook being afraid of using the H-E-R-O dial because he's afraid of it backfiring and doing something crazy to make it work like selling your marriage to the devil. [[ComicBook/OneMoreDay You get one guess as to what he's referringto]].to]].
** In the final issue of Bendis's ''Action Comics'', a kid yells at Jon that [[ComicBook/SuperSons he should hang out with Robin]] [[TakeThatAudience and do literally nothing else]].
** ''Action Comics'' #1005 has one crook being afraid of using the H-E-R-O dial because he's afraid of it backfiring and doing something crazy to make it work like selling your marriage to the devil. [[ComicBook/OneMoreDay You get one guess as to what he's referring
** In the final issue of Bendis's ''Action Comics'', a kid yells at Jon that [[ComicBook/SuperSons he should hang out with Robin]] [[TakeThatAudience and do literally nothing else]].
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* BookEnds: ''Superman'' ends with Clark visiting the amateur musician he overheard back in ''Man of Steel'' to tell her he loves her work and dances with Lois to her music.
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* BewareTheNiceOnes: Superman is highly respected throughout the galaxy and his compassionate nature is itself noted among its inhabitants. It's probably why when he shows up looking more irritated than usual, all sides of a space battle promptly surrender.
* BoomerangBigot: [[spoiler:Rogol Zaar has FantasticRacism towards Kryptonians only for his weakness to Kryptonite to reveal that he himself is partially Kryptonian.]]
* SoProudOfYou: [[spoiler:For his crimes as Mr. Oz, Jor-El is returned to the moment Krypton explodes. He encounters his younger self and assures him that Kal-El will do great things in the future.]]
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* WeHardlyKnewYe: Nuclear Man shows up and is killed off within two pages.
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* WeHardlyKnewYe: Nuclear Man shows up and is killed off within two pages.pages.
* WhamShot: Jon Kent returns... as a 17 year old teenager.
* WhamShot: Jon Kent returns... as a 17 year old teenager.
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* Ambadassador: We all know how badass Superman is and the Bendis era takes it even further by making him Earth's reprsentative in the United Planets.
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* Ambadassador: {{Ambadassador}}: We all know how badass Superman is and the Bendis era takes it even further by making him Earth's reprsentative in the United Planets.
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* VillainStageExitLeft: [[spoiler:As Superman and his allies begin dismantling the Invisible Mafia, Marisol Leone just packs her bags and departs for an AlternateUniverse.]]
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* VillainStageExitLeft: VillainExitStageLeft: [[spoiler:As Superman and his allies begin dismantling the Invisible Mafia, Marisol Leone just packs her bags and departs for an AlternateUniverse.]]
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* AlternateTimelineAncestry: PlayedWith, regarding Kon-El. He is a refugee from the "Post/Crisis"/"New Earth" timeline, created from the DNA of Superman and Lex Luthor. Jonathan Samuel Kent, meanwhile, is the current Superboy of "Prime Earth" and the son of Superman and Lois Lane. While they are not quite the "same" person, everyone finds it strange that there are two different Superboys with similar origins.
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* VillainStageExitLeft: [[spoiler:As Superman and his allies begin dismantling the Invisible Mafia, Marisol Leone just packs her bags and departs for an AlternateUniverse.]]
