Warning: this articles contains spoilers for Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #6!Since beginning work on the character in 2021, Tom Taylor has been providing something fans of Superman haven’t seen for a very long time: an authentic evolution of the character’s moral core. Finding a genuinely innovative way of exploring the mythology of an iconic superhero can be a high bar to clear, but Tom Taylor’s recent work on Jonathan Kent, the son of the original Superman, may be a rare example in mainstream comics of a new take that truly evolves an older archetype. And one fan, an Episcopal priest no less, recently explained how.

On X, featuring a totalitarian Superman whose moral com was broken after Joker tricked him into killing Lois Lane. While this confrontation appears to be headed for a father vs son beat down, it instead ends with a bereaved Jon approaching the evil Clark and - despite knowing he could take him down - throwing his arms around his pseudo-father in a hug, and offering a sincere plea for repentance.

Speaking from the perspective of "a philosopher priest/ethicist," Christopher A. writes:

So, my unrequested and unnecessary thoughts about @TomTaylorMade and the tale of two Supermen. Here's why Jon's embrace of Injustice Supes works as an exploration of an ethically informed life. For starters, nobody ever has a truly consistent ethic from birth to death.

We adapt and change as we receive new information. Sometimes we double down on our previous ethic, becoming convinced it is THE way to behave. Other times, we act differently as a way to force ourselves to change. 'Fake it 'til you make it' is a theological virtue.

Jon's story can work as an example of what breaking cycles of violence can look like. In that volcano, tortured for years, something changed within that differentiated his own ethic from Clark's. He is keenly aware of the ultimate futility of violence as a means of personal change and growth. Repeating acts of violence against violent folk may feel retributively attractive, but it may not be restoratively functional. Jon's arc, since @TomTaylorMade began writing, appears to me (a philosopher priest/ethicist limited perspective) to be a deconstructive story about what it CAN mean to be Superman, not what it MUST mean.

Jon pushed his father as an act of loving resistance. To see his father pushed only to reveal a monstrous exercise of power was a destabilizing event, one that pushed his ethic further.

Jon discovered his own meaning behind the word Superman, and Clark himself has been changed by Jon's approach. A beautiful story from the perspective of growth from trauma and the willingness to respond to abject horror with an act of love, an act that might, just might, open Injustice Clark to love again.

To which Jon's Superman talks down a fiery metahuman, saying:

Yes. This is what Jon had attempted since the very first of Superman: Son of Kal-El.

Jon Kent Has Been Changed by Meeting Injustice's Superman

Since Taylor began his run on the character with Superman: Son of Kal-El #1, the story of Jonathan Kent has been one of comprehensive and difficult moral choices. An altogether different character than his father, Jon is often portrayed as a more overtly comionate and less physically confrontational hero. Despite this, Jon has a tendency to openly act against corruption and cruelty, even when they're backed by legitimate sources of authority. Jon is less violent, but more willing to publicly break the law - something Clark Kent commends, claiming that as a native citizen of Earth, Jon possesses a degree of authority to change the planet that he doesn't. Jon hugging the evil Clark has been immensely controversial, with some fans claiming it's damaging to show the young Superman embracing a fascist dictator - however it's certainly part of a deliberate moral arc.

Jonathan Kent Might Represent a Better Superman

When taking the reins of an established hero archetype like Superman, the first question a writer needs to ask is "how does this story make this character relevant?" What Christopher A. highlights is that, far from being a mark of his ineffectualness, Jon’s desire to see a world without violence is what makes him such a resonant figure, and this is an aspect which gets to the heart of the very concept of the superhero itself. A superhero does not have to be a figure who solves crimes with fighting, or even by unraveling a mystery: a superhero can be someone who seeks to promote redemption and reconsideration, even if it means putting themself in harm’s way. Jon is less confrontational in the sense of hurting others, but more confrontational in the sense of challenging any structure or action he sees as wrong - in short, a superhero whose strength is founded in protest rather than combat.

Turning Jon Kent into the new Superman was a huge decision for DC, as he can't simply be a carbon copy of his father. Jon Kent's latest win shows why this isn't the case, as facing down an evil Superman clarifies and evolves his moral perspective, and focuses on the interventionist love that drives his personal brand of heroism.

Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #6 is available now from DC Comics.

Source: Christopher A., Tom Taylor