Warning: Spoilers for Superman: Son of Kal-El Annual #1 ahead!
In DC Comics' Superman: Son of Kal-El Annual #1 the new Superman travels to the Fortress of Solitude where he is able to communicate with his father, replicating the iconic Fortress scene between Christopher Reeve and Marlon Brando in the beloved 1978 Richard Donner film Superman, which set the bar for what future Superman movies aspired to be. Recently, the son of Superman—Jonathan Kent—has been through a lot the past few months while operating as Earth's new Man of Steel, especially because his father Clark has been off-world and unable to him.
Jon Kent has been dubbed the "new Superman" ever since his father Clark was removed from the Justice League and decided to travel to the far off Warworld with the intention of defeating Mongul and freeing his captive population. But, he decided he couldn't tell anyone about his plans, so Jon and Lois Lane have been completely in the dark about where Clark is or if he is even safe. This has made Jon's first few months as Superman especially difficult, seeing as Clark was not only his father but also his superhero mentor, and Jon has really been put through the ringer lately. The classic Superman (1978) movie scene that this issue calls back to occurs when Superman first travels to his artic Fortress of Solitude and is able to use Kryptonian memory crystals to call upon a projection of his father Jor-El (who died in the destruction of Krypton) to learn from him about his history and powers.
The scene between Kal-El and Jor-El in the Fortress became a particularly memorable fan favorite because Reeve and Brando never got to do an actual live scene together, seeing as Brando's Jor-El was just a projection, and many wished the two actors could have worked together more. Now, in Superman: Son of Kal-El Annual #1, written by Tom Taylor with illustration by Clayton Henry and Steve Pugh, Jon receives a memory crystal from Batman to use in the Fortress of Solitude. The Fortress of Solitude shown in Superman: Son of Kal-El is remarkably similar to the one from Superman (1978), and although Clark communicating with Jor-El via projection has since been made comic canon, this is the first time in a while that this Kryptonian technology has been on display.
The technology displayed in Superman (1978) showed Jor-El as a series of pre-recorded projections that helped Clark learn how to become Superman. Having apparently received an upgrade since then, the crystals in Superman: Son of Kal-El seem to create a sort of living AI projection of Clark for Jon to communicate with, where Clark is actively able to respond and engage with his son. When discussing his own past experiences learning from Jor-El's recordings, Kal-El tells his son, "Even when the answers were infuriating, my own father's recordings were still a comfort." Repeating a similar pattern, the AI projection of Clark is not able to reveal what his current mission is, but he is able to offer emotional and words of encouragement—things that Jon certainly needs from his father and mentor.
It is a nice moment for fans to see Jonathan and Clark Kent using similar technology as Reeve's Superman and Brando's Jor-El did in the classic Superman movie. Jon is not only dealing with the intense feelings of abandonment and worry from Clark traveling to Warworld, but he is also facing Lex Luthor for the first time, making this the perfect moment for Jon to start using the Kryptonian memory crystals to spend time with his father through an AI projection. Be sure to check out DC Comics' Superman: Son of Kal-El Annual #1 to find out how Superman will use his father's advice.
