Absolute Superman Completely Rewrites the Man of Steel’s Origin Story – And It Is Heartbreaking
The following contains major spoilers for Absolute Superman #3, on sale now from DC Comics.
DC’s Absolute Universe has completely rewritten the Man of Steel’s origin story.
Absolute Superman #3 brings readers back six years to a time when Kal-El was young and still free to roam the surface of his homeworld of Krypton. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be long before Krypton suffered a tragic fate, as fans have seen play out time and time again. While this usually ends with the infant Kal-El being rocketed to Earth on his own, the Absolute Universe offers readers a far different take on the story. This time, the entire House of El makes the trip to a new world, and from the looks of things, they chose to settle into a whole new kind of life as the Kents upon their arrival.
Absolute Superman #3
- Written by JASON AARON
- Art by RAFA SANDOVAL
- Colors by ULISES ARREOLA
- Letters by BECCA CAREY
- Main cover art by RAFA SANDOVAL & ULISES ARREOLA
- Variant covers by DECLAN SHALVEY, CHRISTIAN WARD, and MIKE PERKINS & MIKE SPICER
While the Man of Steel has long operated under the guise of Clark Kent in his daily life, his adoptive parents have always been there to support him in both endeavors. The earliest iteration of Superman’s parents on Earth came in the form of the Golden Age Mary Clark, who made her debut right alongside the Man of Steel in the opening story from 1938’s Action Comics #1, “Superman: Champion of the Oppressed,” by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Together with her husband John Kent, the pair found the future Superman as a baby after his escape pod crashed down on their farm and took it upon themselves to raise the infant Kal-El to be the iconic hero fans know and love.
Over the years, the characters of Mary, later Martha, and John Kent have been reimagined numerous times across just as many iterations of Superman’s story. Most often, the pair are depicted as a kindly, small town couple who made it a point to raise Clark with an appreciation for the most humble aspects of life on Earth. Although the Golden Age version of Superman’s mother passed away prior to him reaching adulthood, subsequent iterations of Martha and John Kent have usually stuck around long enough to play the role of confidants well into their son’s superhero career.
This change to Superman’s origin story is just one of several major shifts that the character has undergone in his transition to DC Comics’ Absolute Universe. Rather than standing as a gleaming bastion of hope for the entire world, the Absolute Superman has been relegated to playing the role of a freedom fighter, with various governments and organizations branding him as a terrorist for his actions. This has drawn the attention and fire of all manner of threats, ranging from an entire army of Peacemakers to a brand-new take on one of Superman’s oldest enemies – Brainiac.
Absolute Superman #3 is on sale now from DC Comics.
Source: DC Comics