After 86 Years, DC Just Permanently Fixed the Biggest Criticism of Superman, Without Sacrificing His Power Level

As DC launches its new Absolute Superman series, a major change to the Man of Steel’s origin has addressed the biggest, oldest complaints fans have about the character. DC’s Absolute Universe is a new continuity where its iconic heroes are reimagined without any of their traditional advantages, pitting them against an entire reality built on the foundations of Darkseid’s evil. That means some major changes to the Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman lore fans know, but even in that context, Absolute Superman is making several jaw-dropping changes.

In a preview of Jason Aaron, Rafa Sandoval​​​​​​​, Ulises Arreola​​​​​​​ and Becca Carey’s Absolute Superman #1, readers see a very different version of Superman’s homeworld of Krypton. Instead of a sci-fi utopia, this is a futuristic world powered by the lava that flows across its surface – a world where an arrogant elite rule, and Superman’s parents are impoverished farmers whose lives were ruined by ambition.

The issue introduces the new version of Superman’s mother, Lara-El – a genius engineer whose desire to explore the cosmos ruined her standing in Kryptonian society. This is a huge change to everything that has defined Superman’s world and family in DC lore, setting up the Absolute Superman as a radically different version of the hero.

Absolute Superman Was Raised by Kryptonian Farmers

The New Man of Steel’s Parents Come from a Very Different Krypton

Superman’s origin story has had many iterations over the years, but certain elements have become iconic mythology for the character. Superman’s parents were genius scientists on Krypton when his father realized the planet would soon be destroyed. With little time, they sent their son to Earth, where he was adopted the Kents – two Kansas farmers who instilled him with an unbreakable moral code. That moral code became essential when, under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman began to manifest incredible powers, eventually dedicating himself to “Truth, Justice and the American Way.”

However, in this new continuity, Superman’s farmer parents aren’t his adoptive family but his biological mother and father, who suffer under Krypton’s government because they dared to imagine a galaxy beyond their own planet. This is a world characterized by a violent, fiery aesthetic and a blatantly unjust social order that Superman’s family have personally suffered under. No longer is Superman the son of a privileged leader who knew better than his society – now he’s the son of those ground beneath the heel of Krypton’s arrogance (though the preview does hint something is already wrong with the planet itself.)

DC Just Removed the Kents from Superman’s Origin

Superman’s Adopted Parents Shaped So Much of His Traditional Character

DC’s new Absolute Universe was introduced in this year’s DC All In Special, where Darkseid’s death allowed him to transcend his mortal form, taking control of an entire reality. Darkseid warped this world, turning evil into the status quo and robbing his old enemies of every advantage they’ve ever had, creating heroes who were “raised in Hell.” Batman is a poor engineer who never left Gotham, while Wonder Woman is a gritty warrior in a world where the word ‘Amazon’ is forbidden.

All In Special seemingly saw Superman fall to Earth for the first time, already in costume and as an adult. This suggested that the Absolute Superman wouldn’t have been raised on Earth by the Kents, and would come to the planet as a stranger. Previews of his first fight against this reality’s Peacemaker army suggest he’ll be victimized by Earth’s power structure, which exists in service of Darkseid’s vision of abiding, overpowering evil. It’s a new way of introducing Superman that addresses the two chief criticisms fans have of the character.

DC Is Turning Superman into an Underdog

Absolute Superman Is Addressing the 2 Biggest Complaints About the Character

One of the biggest complaints about Superman in pop culture is that he’s overpowered, while the other is that he’s a defender of the status quo, dedicated to fighting anyone who actually tries to change the world. His new origin in the Absolute Universe seemingly addresses both those problems, turning him into an outsider rebel who is opposing – not protecting – the power structures of both his birth and adopted planets. It’s a way of turning two worlds against Superman and turning even the iconic ‘overpowered’ superhero into an underdog.

Hopefully, fans will get to see Superman grow up on this very different Krypton. The original was born on the alien planet but left it while he was still a baby, giving him a questionable link to a society he never truly knew (something that’s markedly different in his cousin Supergirl, who left as a teenager.) Growing up under an oppressive government on his home planet, then evacuating only to discover the same systems on Earth can give Absolute Superman a very personal motivation to fight for freedom and justice, especially as he also realizes his mother’s dream of space travel.

There are a lot of ways Absolute Superman #1 could go from here, but it’s possible to see a very blurred reflection of Clark Kent’s classic origin. As the preview’s farmer detects something wrong with the soil of Krypton, it’s easy to guess that Superman’s mother Lara-El will use her genius to send him to safety, unable to go with him due to the rules of the Kryptonian ruling class. That’s a great set-up for a version of Superman who – instead of being a placid protector of anyone and everyone – fights to dismantle an unjust system.

Not only would that be a Superman very well suited for 2024, but it would also be loyal to the way the hero was originally depicted, back when he focused on terrorizing slum lords, corrupt politicians and irresponsible businesses rather than punching out supervillains.

Absolute Superman’s Costume Reflects His New Origin

Fire Now Plays a Major Role in Superman’s Backstory

The depiction of Krypton as a volcanic planet may also explain the biggest change to Superman’s costume. Absolute Superman wears a version of his traditional suit, but with flame detailing on his arms and legs. So far, this has mostly seemed like a purely aesthetic change, but if Kryptonian technology is based on lava, it’s possible that Superman’s suit uses heat to give him his powers.

Fans already know that Absolute Superman’s heat vision is incredibly explosive, as opposed to the original’s surgeon-like precision. It’s possible that in Absolute continuity, Superman won’t gain his powers from yellow sunlight, but through some kind of wearable tech developed by his mother. If so, that would be yet another huge change to Superman lore, but one very fitting with Darkseid warping the timeline. A Superman who runs on lava rather than sunlight is one associated with buried, dangerous power, rather than DC’s traditional ‘sun god.’

DC’s Absolute Universe exists to tell radically different stories starring the iconic heroes that fans love, and in just a few pages, Absolute Superman #1 takes that brief and runs with it. Of all DC’s heroes, it would have been hard before today to imagine Superman as the underdog, but that unique perspective is what DC seems to be setting up with its launch of Absolute Superman.

Absolute Superman #1 is available November 6 from DC Comics.