Superboy’s New Name Is a Big Problem Whether DC Knows It or Not

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Warning: Spoilers for Secret Six #1Superboy’s new name is a big problem for the character, whether DC knows it or not. While Jon Kent has enjoyed his time in the spotlight following his 2015 debut, his new codename highlights a problem the character has faced in recent years, following his tenure as the main Superman of the DC Universe. Whether the publisher knows it or not, Jon Kent’s newest name brings to light a long-term problem with Jon Kent.

In Secret Six #1 by Nicole Maines and Stephen Segovia, Jon Kent makes his return to the spotlight after being turned into a weapon by Amanda Waller in Absolute Power by Mark Waid and Dan Mora. While he still calls himself Superman in this issue, future solicitations point to Jon adopting the mantle of Super Son to differentiate himself from his father.

However, this new codename brings attention to the fact that DC hasn’t known what to do with Jon Kent for some time, especially after being aged out of his childhood identity of Superboy.

Jon Kent’s New Codename Highlights the Problem That Superman’s Son Faces

Secret Six #1 by Nicole Maines, Stephen Segovia, Rain Beredo, and Steve Wands

Jon Kent was one of the most important new developments of Superman lore during DC’s Rebirth era. Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason’s Superman series heavily focused on Clark, Lois, and Jon as a family unit, with the couple approaching parenting together and helping Jon come into his own as a child. Super Sons by Tomasi and Jorge Jiménez featured Jon as a main character alongside Damian Wayne and focused heavily on their friendship. Jon Kent’s continual presence in the Superman line during DC Rebirth marked him as an important part of not only the line’s identity, but also of Superman’s supporting cast.

Following Brian Michael Bendis’ arrival as the writer of both Superman and Action Comics in 2018, Jon underwent a massive change in his character. Bendis’ time on theSuperman line saw Jon Kent be artificially aged, going from a ten-year-old to a seventeen-year-old. Jon Kent traveled into the future to join the Legion of Superheroes in their 2019 series, also written by Bendis. After Bendis’ time with the Superman titles came to an end, Tom Taylor and John Timms gave Jon the mantle of Superman during the 2021 series Superman: Son of Kal-El.

Jon Kent’s lack of consistent roles highlights a problem DC has had with handling the character following his being aged up. When Jon Kent was Superboy, there was a clear role for him to play and a trajectory for his character. He lost both of those over the course of Bendis’ Superman run and, while other writers have tried to give Jon a place within the Superman line, nothing has really stuck for the character. Bouncing between roles and identities only exacerbates the problem for Jon, making the problem more obvious, especially for long-time fans of the character.

Secret Six Might Finally Push Jon Kent in the Right Direction

His Past Still Haunts His Present

Secret Six seems to be doing its best to remedy Jon’s lack of direction by heavily focusing on his trauma from Absolute Power. While Jon spends the first issue focusing more on Jay and Nia’s hostility towards one another, his narration makes it clear that he’s still shaken by the experience of being turned into Amanda Waller’s weapon. If followed through, this gives Jon a new direction to explore as a character, one which turns his lack of consistency into an aspect of his character within the narrative.

However, Jon’s new name of “Super Son” only highlights the problem that DC has had with finding a place for him. The name is clearly evocative of the Super Sons series that he starred in alongside Damian Wayne, but it only reminds readers of a more iconic and deeply missed part of the character’s history. And the changes made to Jon’s character can’t be easily undone, either. With Conner Kent having returned to the Superman line and the Superboy mantle, Jon can’t take his old name back without creating the same confusion that his new codename is trying to avoid.

The Name “Super Son” Is a Clear Indicator of Jon Kent’s Rocky Road

One of DC’s Most Successful Legacy Characters Is Not a Serious Problem

Regardless of the direction that Jon Kent’s character goes in, his new codename highlights the turbulent path he has undergone behind the scenes. He went from being one of the new faces of the Superman line during DC Rebirth to being a character without a clear path or direction. While Absolute Power and Secret Six may give Jon Kent the push he needs to find a new direction within the DC Universe, it won’t undo the damage caused by the publisher losing its direction for him in the first place.

The DC Universe is filled with legacy characters, many of whom thrive on their own and find their own directions as characters. Jon Kent’s continual struggles with finding his own path highlights how DC has let not just his character down, but failed to capitalize on his popularity and potential. His new codename makes this more apparent, as it calls attention to Jon Kent’s past rather than highlighting his future or any potential future he could have.

Above all else, Jon Kent adopting the name of Super Son makes the modern version of the character feel like a shadow of his former self. Jon Kent had such promise as a character in the past, and DC has consistently failed to capitalize on it. While Secret Six may give Jon the push he needs to find his own place in the DC Universe, his new name will only call to attention how promising his past potential was, and how the publisher lost track of what to do with the son of Superman.

Superman and His Cast Are a Priority for DC Comics

Hopefully Jon Kent Will Benefit, Too

As DC’s new “Summer of Superman” initiative approaches, it’s clear that the company needs to find some kind of place and plan for Jon Kent. The character was, at one point, one of the core parts of the Superman line, and even took on the mantle of Superman himself. While his new codename is less than ideal, there’s still a place for Jon Kent within the DC Universe, and DC owes it to the character and the character’s fans to find it.

Jon Kent’s new codename is a problem for the character, regardless if DC knows it or not. By losing the name of Superboy in favor of Super Son, Jon Kent’s new development highlights the ways DC Comics has mismanaged his character, failing to find a place for him both in the Superman line and within the larger DC Universe. While Secret Six can hopefully push Jon Kent into finding his own direction as a character after Absolute Power, his new name only highlights his past as Superboy and how DC failed to find a place for the son of Superman.

Secret Six #1 is available now from DC Comics.

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