One of DC’s Fan-Favorite Heroes Could Secretly Be a Major Villain

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Jon Kent has been the most compelling new Superman character in a long time. He brought a much-needed fresh perspective to the comics, particularly through the dynamic of him learning to be a father. It’s been fantastic to watch him develop from a playful child into a promising hero, potentially even exceeding his parents’ abilities. However, his journey hasn’t been without issues. The controversial decision to rapidly age him up significantly harmed his development, and since then, his character has felt directionless, with DC Comics appearing unsure of how to utilize him.

As a huge Superman fan, I totally get why people have been begging for a way to see Jon as a kid again, but honestly, it’s just not realistic at this point – he’s been an adult for a long time! Still, we all loved seeing young Jon’s adventures. But the new Superman Unlimited storyline might finally put those wishes to rest. It brought back someone who looked like a younger Jon Kent, and it was a clever idea – the adult Jon changed his name to Tomorrow Man to protect his younger self and let him have a normal life. However, issue #13 dropped a major bomb – this ‘young’ Jon isn’t who he claims to be. In fact, it looks like he’s actually the son of one of Jon’s biggest enemies, which is a crazy twist!

A Broken Boy Displaced From and Haunted By the Past

Master Txyz, a powerful demon from another dimension, is destined to be Jon Kent’s greatest enemy. To prevent this, Txyz attempted to destroy Jon before they could even meet. Ironically, this act actually set Jon on the path to becoming the hero who would ultimately defeat Txyz and save the world – a common outcome with time travel. Eventually, Txyz decided to give Jon a strange ‘gift’: he had Tomorrow Man rescue a young Jon from a volcanic trap. Tomorrow Man left the boy with Lois Lane, but Jon was haunted by terrifying nightmares of being tormented by Ultraman, who vowed to either make him his second-in-command or kill him in the process. Believing Jon needed a distraction, Tomorrow Man then took him to fight the mischievous Super Monkey, Beppo.

Being a monkey with the strength of a Kryptonian already made Beppo incredibly powerful, even more so than Tomorrow Man. But things got even worse: Beppo’s blood contained Kryptonite, and his bites actually weakened Tomorrow Man. While Tomorrow Man was weakened, Superboy completely lost control. Beppo bit him, which only made Superboy angrier and, strangely, stronger. Superboy then brutally attacked Beppo, screaming that no one would ever harm him again. This revealed two important things to Tomorrow Man: first, this version of Jon Kent was far more damaged and traumatized than he ever was, and second, Kryptonite somehow increased Jon’s power. This wasn’t the Jon he remembered at all. At best, this was an imposter created by Master Txyz. At worst, this Jon was actually Ultraman’s son.

The Fake Jon Is the Real Jon’s Worst Nightmare

It’s been clear for a while that Superboy isn’t what Tomorrow Man believes. Krypto’s constant growling at him first alerted Damian to something being off. This Jon also seems much more withdrawn and quick to anger than the original, who remarkably remained resilient even after years of hardship. It’s possible Master Txyz is behind this, swapping in a Jon who reacted worse to trauma, hoping to manipulate Tomorrow Man into sacrificing himself for him. However, the evidence suggests an even more troubling explanation.

For years, Ultraman emotionally tormented Jon, though Jon states Ultraman only physically hit him once. Most of the abuse involved Ultraman keeping Jon captive and treating him like a confidant – someone to talk to and cry in front of – before suddenly becoming angry and leaving. The new Superboy appears younger than Jon was during this time, likely a choice for marketing and to appeal to fans, and has endured much worse mistreatment. Ultraman didn’t try to change Jon into something he wasn’t, but after Jon escaped, Ultraman clearly wants to corrupt his son and make him a brutal enforcer. Also, Kryptonite actually strengthens Ultraman, which explains how Superboy was able to defeat Beppo after being bitten.

Superman Unlimited #13 is on sale now!

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2026-05-23 17:12