Warning: contains major spoilers for Infinite Frontier #3!
Superman may frequently save Earth as a superhero, but Clark Kent has been failing it as a reporter at The Daily Planet. Infinite Frontier #3 features a surprising headline that won't make his job of defending the world any easier. He's one of the biggest voices at the paper - and one of the most trustworthy - which makes it surprising that stories like this one are getting published.
The reset of the DC universe and the reveal of the Multiverse to average inhabitants of Earth Prime has become a cause of concern. The Multiverse in some regards has become old hat, but there is a lot that isn't known about it. Infinite Frontier has been exploring the reactions and perceptions of Earth Prime's inhabitants regarding this major change.
Created by the team of Joshua Williamson, Paul Pelletier, Jesús Merino, Tom Derenick, Xermánico, Norm Rapmund, Raul Fernandez, Romulo Fajardo, Jr., and Tom Napolitano, Infinite Frontier #3 continues exploring the effects of the multiverse on Earth Prime. The latest issue opens with a look at The Daily Planet's front page on its website, with a list of article headlines and synopses. At the bottom is one labeled "What IS the Multiverse?" which then has a rather concerning description that Clark Kent couldn't - and wouldn't - have written.
The article description includes the line, "Listen to our experts explain why you should be afraid of the Multiverse." Immediately, this article aims to instill fear into readers. This kind of fearmongering over something that already makes people nervous is not what Clark Kent would approve of. This is how distrust and mass fear begins spreading, which can lead to far more problems - such as mistrusting beings from other worlds without proper reason, mistreatment of heroes and people from other worlds, and even a distrust of Superman and other heroes. All of this could be detrimental to long-term survival and could cause dissension among Earth-Prime's inhabitants.
Superman has been a consistent superhero over the years and one that people have been able to rely on. He is well-known, easily recognized, and even with changes, he is one of Earth's most trustworthy heroes. Unfortunately, The Daily Planet is not trying to be as comforting and calm about the Multiverse. Superman and other heroes have been investigating the Multiverse and changes that have arisen as a result. The Justice League has lost some positive public opinion, but generally they have tried to maintain a sense of calm. His employer when he is Clark Kent has not been so open about the concept of a Multiversal world.
Although Superman has been busy, Clark Kent has a responsibility to push truth and advocate for level-headed reporting. While he is not an editor or the owner of the company, he has been one of the most respected reporters there for years. Unless he has left this position, it seems strange that this would get through without any kind of pushback from him - particularly since it could make his job as Superman harder. Going forward it could be interesting to see if reporting like this could have cause some conflict with Clark and Lois when it comes to the paper's handling of the latest events - or if things have changed in the paper's management itself. Superman saves the world, but The Daily Planet - Clark Kent's usual employer - may be causing big trouble for him and failing the people of Metropolis.
