Warning! Spoilers ahead for Absolute Power: Super Son #1!Things have been rough for Superman's son, but he's coming to with an issue that's been holding him back. Jon Kent may be just as bright and optimistic as his father, but a dark cloud has come his way thanks to Amanda Waller.

In her bid to seize control of Earth's metahuman population, Waller by the Brainiac Queen. Thankfully, he was able to break control thanks to his superhuman allies. However, Superman's pride and joy isn't out of the woods yet, but a friend is there to help Jon overcome a huge issue.

Superman's Son Finally Processes His Intense Trauma

Dreamer Makes Up for Her Past Sins by Helping Jon

In Absolute Power: Super Son #1 by Sina Grace, Nicole Maines, John Timms, Travis Mercer, Hi-Fi, Adriano Lucas, Pete Pantazis, Rex Lokus, and Dave Sharpe, Jon Kent is recovering on Themyscira after Batman used a Mother Box to purge the Brainiac Queen from the Kryptonian. However, fearing remnants of the villain may be lingering within Jon, the Amazons guide him through his memories to look for any trace of her. However, the pain of knowing he hurt his superhero allies becomes too much for the young Superman, causing him to leave.

Jon’s memories are corrupted by the trauma he endured under the Brainiac Queen’s control. The Brainiac Queen implanted a safeguard deep inside Jon’s subconscious and she attempts to take control once more. However, Jon’s friend and dream-navigating hero Dreamer is also in his mind. Though Dreamer’s physical body is presumably dead, she still has her own autonomy in Jon’s subconscious and fights alongside him to root out the Brainiac Queen once and for all. Unfortunately, the Queen is too powerful and Jon is too tired from all the pain he’s seen in his life to fight back.

Dreamer appeared to perish in Absolute Power #2, but that hasn't stopped her from helping her friend in a time of need!

Dreamer sees how badly Jon is hurting and forges a space in his mind for him to process his feelings. She reminds him that this is his dream and that Jon is in control. After finally taking a moment to breathe, Superman finds his inner resolve and fights back against the Brainiac Queen as she fades into nothingness. When the dream is said and done, Jon reunites with his boyfriend Jay Nakamura and its that he’s not in a good place.

The Younger Superman Has Dealt with Trauma for Years

Jon Has Been Kidnapped, Held Hostage, and Turned into a Weapon of War

Once upon a time, Jon was Superboy and as happy as a kid could be. Despite being gifted with powerful, sometimes more unstable powers than his father, Jon always had all the love and he needed from his family. However, things took a turn for the young man when he was approached by his grandfather Jor-El, who offered to take Jon on a trip throughout the cosmos to teach him about his powers. Unfortunately, Superman would ultimately regret letting his son leave (and so would Jon).

During his time away, Jon was kidnapped by Ultraman, his father's evil opposite from Earth-3. Ultraman held Jon captive in a volcano for years, but thankfully, he managed to escape and make his way back, shocking his parents when Jon returned nearly grown. Jon managed to move on from the torment he incurred, but signs of trauma began to show after Clark adopted the Phaelosian twins Osul-Ra and Otho-Ra, making Superman's elder son miss the childhood he was robbed of.

But being held hostage was a walk in the park compared to what Amanda Waller put him through. After de-powering the Super-Family’s , Waller had Jon taken to be weaponized by the Brainiac Queen, enhancing him with alien tech and purging his memories. Jon was made to attack the remaining heroes at the Fortress of Solitude and later Themyscira. Thankfully, Batman had procured a Mother Box and severed the Brainiac Queen from Jon, leaving the younger Superman horrified by the atrocities he’d committed.

Superman Jon Kent is Healing and Can Finally Grow as a Hero

The Future is Limitless Now for Superman's Son

One of the biggest complaints about Jon Kent since he was aged up was that he never took a moment to truly process the awful things he went through. There have been brief moments of self-awareness, but it never seemed like Jon wanted to look backwards (understandable, as he went through some pretty dire circumstances for someone his age). But this recent experience with the Brainiac Queen was the breaking point and the push he needed to face and process the pain Jon has gone through.

...now that Jon’s in the process of moving past the worst years of his life, he doesn’t have to be constrained to just one identity.

The real question is now that Jon has finally confronted his trauma, what’s next for him? A good start would be to possibly step back from the superhero life for a bit just to make sure he’s processing his emotions in a healthy manner. But once he’s ready there’s no limit to what Jon could do. If he wants, he could continue to be Superman alongside his father. But if he’s ready, Jon could leave his father’s mantle behind and try something new.

Becoming Superman was something Jon did right after his experience with Ultraman and it no doubt made him feel safe after having power taken away from him. But now that Jon’s in the process of moving past the worst years of his life, he doesn’t have to be constrained to just one identity. He could get a new heroic moniker, one that’s uniquely Jon’s that shows just how far he’s come. That’s not to say that’s what Superman’s son should do, but if Jon’s moving on from his past, then he should feel free to do anything he wants.

Jon Kent Has the Potential to Be More Than Superman

But What is the Best Option for Him?

Healing takes many forms. Maybe he’s fine being Superman and maybe he does want a different path. Whatever his true desires are, they don’t have to be held back by what Jon has gone through anymore. He’s been through hell, but Jon has finally confronted the worst moments of his life and he’s stronger for it. Now that he’s worked through these huge issues, there really is no limit to what’s on the horizon for Superman’s son.

Absolute Power: Super Son #1 is available now from DC Comics.