Jonathan Kent, Crime Syndicate of America. Having spent a significant amount of time as the evil Ultraman's prisoner, Jonathan's return to his original dimension has left some worried, wondering if his time away will corrupt him in a twisted version of how Clark Kent's upbringing inspired and reinforced key values that became synonymous with Superman.
Having escaped the destruction of Krypton in a small rocket ship, Kal-El crashed onto planet Earth where he was discovered and raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent. Clark Kent grew up, balancing his Kryptonian powers with the human morality of his adoptive parents. In contrast, Jonathan Samuel Kent had a relatively normal childhood, raised by parents who were aware of his alien and human origins, and who had experience reconciling human morality with Kryptonian might. But after being rejected by the Teen Titans, Jon was left experiencing an identity crisis, taking a summer vacation with his grandfather, Jor-El, in hopes of finding himself. Their time together was complicated, and mixed with tragedy when their ship ed through a black hole.
In Superman #9 by Brian Michael Bendis, Ivan Reis, and Brandon Peterson, Jonathan found himself on Earth-3, where he was immediately confronted by the evil version of the Justice League, the Crime Syndicate. Ultraman - a twisted version of Superman - claimed Jon and flew away, dropping him into the center of an active volcano. With no sunlight to give him power, Superboy was left defenseless and at the mercy of his new jailer, who assured him he'd never return to his real home. Jonathan spent month after month as Ultraman's prisoner, experiencing a wide range of unpredictable emotions from someone who looked like his father but was the direct opposite in so many ways. Although he was eventually able to escape and return to his home world thanks to Jor-El, his years away had only amounted to three weeks for his parents, and he returned as an adult, much to their shock and surprise.
Ultraman himself compared Superboy's time on Earth-3 to Superman traveling from Earth to Krypton, positioning himself as a dark adoptive parents who would help Jon reach his "true potential," just as Jonathan and Martha Kent did for Superman. While Jon seemed to hold Ultraman in contempt for the duration of his imprisonment, he was still in the villain's charge for a tragic stretch of his formative years, and certain heroes are concerned how it will affect him in future. In Infinite Frontier #0, the Spectre expresses deep skepticism about Superboy ever becoming the next Superman, citing the dark influence of Ultraman and Jor-El in his belief that Jon will grow into a tyrant, though Wonder Woman emphatically disagrees.
Superman's legacy has always been a complicated one, full of hardship, pain, and suffering, and despite his best efforts, Superboy has lived through much of the same. Nevertheless, Jon's time on Earth-3 did not break or corrupt him, but rather strengthened his resolve and dedication to being a hero. Although he seems to have readjusted back to his old lifestyle, powerful forces have taken note of how Jon tragically lived a twisted version of his father's upbringing, and remain poised to strike should this Superman begin to take after his darker influences.
