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Comic Book / Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent

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Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent is a six-issue mini-series by DC Comics, written by Tom Taylor with art by Clayton Henry. It is a part of the Dawn of DC initiative and a sequel to Superman: Son of Kal-El

Ever since the events of Action Comics #1050, Jon has been enjoying his restored anonymity. However, trouble is brewing in the distance: Ultraman, the deranged Superman from Earth-3, is going on a Kal-El-killing spree. Recruited by Val-Zod, the Superman of Earth 2, Jon must not only face down the man who stole his childhood but also face a world filled with Injustice.

The first issue was released on March 7, 2023.


Tropes Featured in this Series:

  • Aborted Arc: The initial setup of Jon confronting Ultraman for his crimes makes a Halfway Plot Switch to Jon being in the Injustice universe. Even though Ultraman died as a part of this, just before he had sent Val-Zod and Red Tornado of Earth-2 into the Phantom Zone. They had tracked him down to rescue him and confront Ultraman, but Jon ends up sent home without their intervention or any resolution to what happened to them.
  • Achilles in His Tent: Jon basically gets the Flash to adopt this attitude towards Jon's imminent interference in the planned executions, guessing that Barry doesn't fully approve of what Superman is doing and asking him not to get involved even though it would be easy for Flash to take action, in exchange for Jon promising not to hurt Superman.
  • Ambiguous Situation: Since this is set during the events of Injustice, it's unknown whether Jon made any real change to the Regime Superman after Cyborg forcibly sent Jon back (akin to the differences from canon depicted in the Animated Original Movies Universe), or the Injustice universe will continue to proceed as before.
  • Armor-Piercing Question: Jon borrows the Lasso of Truth to ask Damian if he truly wants Bruce Wayne to die, and Damian honestly replies that he doesn't.
  • Be Careful What You Wish For: In the previous series, Jay had admitted Lois Lane was a personal idol and inspiration. Well, like her, he's gotten a Kryptonian as a boyfriend...and with Jon's identity restored, he's now likewise getting to find out exactly what Lois went through back when she was publicly originally seen as Superman's Damsel in Distress.
  • The Bus Came Back: The Val-Zod Superman from Earth 2 makes his grand return alongside the Red Tornado of that universe, Lois Lane. We also have the return of the Injustice universe.
  • Continuity Nod: Val-Zod mentions that another version of Jon Kent is battling against a zombie apocalypse.
  • Doppelgänger Gets Same Sentiment: Jon does this from several angles in the Injustice universe;
    • He treats Damian like a slightly older, grumpier version of the one he knows, unaware Damian's put a tracker on him.
    • Not unreasonably, he assumes the Lex of the Injustice universe is every bit as awful as the Lex he knows.
    • He treats Batman with the same low-level hostility he would regular Batman.
    • He finds and meets that reality's version of Jay to have someone to talk to, though he refuses to do anything further, since that would count as cheating on his Jay.
    • When Jon meets Jonathan and Martha in the Fortress, he makes it clear that he’s not sure if he can be considered a version of their lost grandchild since they don’t know what the baby would have been like if Lois had lived, but the sentiment is still present.
  • The Dreaded: Ultraman. Not only does he still haunt Jon, he's hunting Kal-Els across the multiverse.
  • Easily Forgiven: Defied; when Harley apologises to Jon for her role in the Joker’s scheme that killed Lois, Jon makes it clear that she can’t just be forgiven for something like that, but also affirms that her fighting alongside Batman and the other heroes is at least a good way to atone.
  • Everyone Has Standards: Discussed when Jon observes that he’d more expect Batman to be the one to “take over the world” in this manner rather than any version of Superman, even if he also notes that he would never expect Batman to kill as he recognises how the Dark Knight has a code.
  • Green-Eyed Monster: Injustice Damian views Superman as a Parental Substitute and has served him loyally for years so when Jon suddenly appears in their dimension and Superman starts showing signs of fatherly affection that he feels he deserves more, it pisses him off.
  • Hero Killer: Ultraman. Somehow, his arrival in other universes causes other Kal-Els to weaken, allowing him to kill them with ease.
  • How Do I Shot Web?: Jon’s new electric powers are still a mystery to him and randomly kick in. It’s enough to injure Ultraman, but not take him out.
  • I Have Your Wife: Superman kidnaps and imprisons the Jay of his reality and when Jon confronts him, breaks his arm to try and goad a fight.
  • Kirk Summation: Jon catching up on what happened in the Injustice timeline is pretty much a string of him calling out the people responsible for things turning out so horribly whenever he can. Harley and Batman get it most directly.
  • Let's You and Him Fight:
    • Averted. When Val-Zod arrives, Val admits that he's surprised he's not trying to fight him. Jon reassures him he prefers talking things through over violence.
    • Played straight in issue 3, when Jon meets the Insurgency. They assume the kid with the Superman colors is with the Regime and attack, even as Jon's trying to ask them to stop. Only the fact he addresses them in ways someone who knows them might and the cooler wisdom of Alfred manage to calm everyone down.
  • Like a Son to Me: Despite not technically being his kid, Regime Superman sees Jon as his own as he reminds him of the child he lost and could've had with his Lois.
    Regime!Superman: What would you have me do instead? Keep him locked up in a tower? I'm not going to imprison my child, Diana.
    Regime!Wonder Woman: He's not your child, Kal. Your child died.
    Regime!Superman: (bows his head)
  • The Masquerade Will Kill Your Dating Life: Poor Jay Nakamura. The entire world forgot that Jon is Superman Secundus, thus they just know him as "Superman's boyfriend" and wishes he could take back his own anonymity.
  • Mirror Character: When Jon learns what happened to Lois and her unborn child in this reality and how Superman reacted to it, his assessment of Superman’s reaction and decision to ally with the Insurgency over the Regime prompts others to compare him to Lois, reflecting that where Clark fought for Truth Lois lived it.
  • Neck Snap: The Regime Superman does this to Ultraman, taking advantage of his weakened state to casually kill him.
  • Never My Fault: Superman immediately blames alt-Jay for turning Jon against him, rather than consider that Jon rejected Superman because he himself rejects what this version of his father has become.
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Jon delivers one to Regime Superman at the end, although being Jon he manages to combine it with You Are Better Than You Think You Are, the overall message being "I hope you can remember what being Superman means and regain that, but right now, you do not deserve that name."
  • Redemption Rejection: When Jon finally confronts Superman over the Regime he tries to persuade him away from his path. Superman just smacks him away while calling him sanctimonious. Jon playing a recording of Lois urging Clark to be better seems to get through to him, but Cyborg sends him back before anything comes of it.
  • Sequel Hook: The story ends with Jon arriving just in time for the Beast World event.
  • Sheep in Sheep's Clothing: Injustice Lex, as in the video games, really is just a nice guy trying to do the right thing by his friend. Though his choice of doing so does, admittedly, look shady.
  • Shut Up, Hannibal!: When Wonder Woman dismisses Jon as a disappointment, Jon rejects that accusation as coming from a Wonder Woman who's failed to live up to her intended purpose as an ambassador for peace.
  • Took a Level in Jerkass: Not Jon, but Insurgency Batman. While he has reason to hate his Earth's Superman, the fact that he now claims that Superman murdered his own child is really stretching it. Though it isn't long before he considers Jon as already understanding more about being Superman than the Regime one currently does.
  • Turn the Other Cheek: Jon attempts to make a point to the alt-Superman by refusing to actually fight him, instead hugging him in sympathy for his loss and trying to talk him down by affirming that he's forgotten what Superman's true purpose should be.
  • Villainous Rescue: Ultraman has the weakened Jon in his grasp and vows to hurt Jon by torturing Lois… only for the Regime Superman to casually swoop in and snap Ultraman’s neck.
  • What the Hell, Hero?:
    • As Jon learns more about the "Injustice" universe, including how Superman’s reaction more matches what he’d expect of Batman or how Hal Jordan has joined the Sinestro Corps, he reflects on just how screwed up this world is compared to his own.
    • While Jon obviously views Insurgency Batman as the lesser evil to Regime Superman, he's not above calling Bruce on how his coldness when they needed him most pushed Clark and Damian further into darkness.
  • You Are Better Than You Think You Are: The last thing Jon does in the Injustice Universe is give one last speech to the counterparts of everyone he's close to and encourage them not to give in to their worst impulses and become better people.

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