• Homepage
• bigrus
• How Absolute Superman Introduces a Totally Different Man of Steel

bigrus

How Absolute Superman Introduces a Totally Different Man of Steel

Harry Posted on November 7, 2024

Krypton’s Caste System

The changes in Absolute Superman are not limited to just Superman, but also include Krypton as a whole. Issue 1 opens with a flashback to life before the destruction of Krypton. As is normally the case in the series, Krypton is depicted as a highly advanced but arrogant civilization that prefers to stop exploring the stars and retreat inward. Also, as usual, Jor-El is depicted as the lone voice warning Krypton’s leaders of the planet’s imminent destruction. The difference this time is that Jor-El isn’t quite as vocal.

This is because neither he nor his wife Lara are respected scientists in the Absolute Universe. In this version of the Superman mythology, Krypton is dominated by a rigid caste system. At the top of the pyramid are members of the Science Corps, enjoying all the riches and luxuries Krypton has to offer. At the bottom is the Workers’ Guild, whose members strive for the interests of the more privileged classes.

Both Jor-El and Lara are members of the Workers’ Guild. Jor-El sacrificed his bright future in the Science League by giving a fiery graduation speech criticizing Krypton’s environmental policies. As for Lara, her bright future was cut short even earlier when, as a young student, she wrote an essay denouncing Krypton’s abandonment of space travel. In this universe, Jor-El is a safety inspector at the planet’s Sunstone mines, while Lara moonlights as a handyman helping struggling farmers.

Jor-El is called to investigate a troubled mine shaft, where he quickly discovers evidence that Krypton itself is beginning to decay. Unfortunately, no one in the planet’s ruling class is very interested in listening to the dire warnings of a humble worker.

Even Superman’s S shield takes on a very different meaning in this universe. The shield is not the symbol of the House of El, but the insignia worn by members of the Workers’ Guild. Superman carries the legacy of not only his parents, but also countless millions of oppressed and oppressed Kryptonians. More than ever, he is a hero to ordinary people.

Superman vs. Lazarus and the Peacemakers

Following Jor-El’s inevitable discovery, the plot jumps to the present day, where Superman is a refugee on Earth. He is seen hiding among a group of Brazilian miners working in diamond mines operated by the ruthless Lazarus Corporation. Superman seems confused about his environment and Earth culture in general; communicating with miners or trying to reconcile the fact that this new world could have such extreme differences in wealth and living standards. Frankly, it hasn’t been on Earth very long (more on that later).

Superman attempts to help the miners by single-handedly filling their cars with diamond ore and eliminating the deadly asbestos that permeates the mine. Unfortunately, this only raises the suspicions of the Peacemakers, the Lazarus Corporation’s armored, gun-toting enforcers. Superman has no choice but to intervene directly and fight the Peacemakers in defense of the miners.

Here we learn that Superman’s powers work very differently in the Absolute Universe. Instead of being empowered by Earth’s yellow sun, Kal-El needs to fuel his body with Krypton’s red Sunstone. He also relies on a helpful AI companion named Sol, whose instructions are to protect the last living son of the House of El.

Superman defeats the army of Peacemakers, but not before nearly losing control of his powers and unleashing his devastating heat vision. This act seems to consume him, showing that Absolute Superman is not the unstoppable powerhouse he is normally portrayed as. In fact, it’s unclear whether he even has the ability to fly in this universe.

Lois Lane: Lazarus’ Agent

Exhausted after his battle with the Peacemakers, Superman is taken into custody by the Lazarus team. The team has been following Superman for some time, noticing his work at other mining sites in Botswana and Dharavi. But the real surprise is the identity of the agent who detained him. This could be none other than Lois Lane.

In another major change for the Absolute Universe, Lois is transformed from a struggling journalist to a soldier in the service of Lazarus. The question is whether his commitment to the truth still remains. Will she align herself with Superman and fight to expose her masters, or has Lois been irrevocably corrupted by this twisted universe?

There is also the mystery of who really rules Lazarus. Lex Luthor would be an obvious candidate. Or, given the name, it could be Batman villain Ra’s al Ghul. But the answer seems to be none of these. Instead, an epilogue page shows Lazarus apparently being led by Brainiac.

As in the traditional DC Universe, Brainiac is surrounded by jars of cities he bottled as part of his collection. Did Brainiac have a hand in what happened to Krypton? So what exactly happened to Krypton? This wraps up the issue here, ending with the biggest twist to the Superman mythology yet.

The Fates of Superman’s Parents

Would Kal-El really be Superman if it weren’t for his adoptive Earth parents? Much of his worldview and innate goodness stems from the teachings of Ma and Pa Kent. Unfortunately, their influence in the Absolute Universe has been eliminated. Similar to how Wonder Woman was forced to grow up in Hades Far from the loving influence of his fellow Amazons, Superman appears to have never met the Kents in this universe. We only get a glimpse of the Kent family farm, which has been abandoned for years and is now owned by the Lazarus Corporation.

But that doesn’t mean Superman doesn’t have a positive parental influence in his life. Issue #1 ends with a return to Jor-El and Lara-El on Krypton. Jor-El laments the fact that his planet is dying and no one cares. Then she suddenly panics and wonders where her son is. That’s when Kal-El appears. Not a helpless baby, but a growing child. He even has Crypto as his loyal companion.

as long as Absolute Batman turns the Dark Knight’s mythology on its head Absolute Superman changes the game by revealing that Martha Wayne is still alive, allowing Kal-El to enjoy a childhood with his birth family. He may not be able to help the Kents transform him from boy to Superman, but Kal-El still has strong parental figures who will teach him to know right from wrong and fight for the underprivileged masses on both Krypton and Earth.

Naturally, this situation brings with it many questions. When exactly in this universe does Kal-El make his journey to Earth? How do they accomplish this feat if their parents are not members of the Science League? When will krypton end? So is it still popping in this version of the story? Given everything that’s changed in the Absolute Universe, we can’t ignore Aaron and Sandoval’s reveal that Krypton has survived to the present day.

What do you think of these changes to Superman’s origin story? If he’s not Clark Kent, is he still Superman? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

For more on what’s happening in the comic book world, find out which Star Wars characters are getting married and why Marvel suddenly made Spider-Man immortal.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer at IGN. Let him lend a machete to your intellectual thicket. I follow @jschedeen on Twitter.