Related
Warning : spoilers forSuperman : Son of Kal - El # 4ahead !
Resourceful villains have recently determined a highly effective strategy for attacking DC’sSupermanthat is sovereign of usingkryptonite , the notorious substance that is Kal - El ’s Achilles heel , with its quick repetition in the strip making it absolved that mirthful writers have embraced the unusual helplessness . For most of his history , Superman ’s status as a near godlike entity has been equilibrate bythe existence of kryptonite , which severely weakens the Man of Steel . Alarmingly , both Kal - El and Jon Kent have of late had their powersincreased , as villain quicken them to irrepressible levels that risk harming those around them .
Given the worldwide recognition of Superman , kryptonite has become synonymous with a person ’s greatest impuissance and is used widely outside of strip . likewise , the Super - Family ’s biggest weakness is no enigma from their enemies , with evenAmanda Waller verify her own Superboy clonethrough a kryptonite gadget . This crystalline thing is a oddment of Superman ’s destroy home satellite Krypton , and nearly every colour of kryptonite imaginable has made an appearance in the comics . It has been fashion into weapons and chains , and adversaries like Batman and Lex Luthor keep it in on hand as a contingence architectural plan for dealing with Superman .
Related : Superman Brings Back radical - Rare White Kryptonite ( And It ’s Deadly Power )
But while kryptonite might be famous , it ’s seldom an exciting weakness , merely reduce Kryptonian heroes to the position of normal human beings . Instead , more recent enemies have focalise on intensifying Superman ’s abilities beyond his ability to control . Henry Bendix practice this new strategy on Jon Kent inSuperman : Son of Kal - El # 4by Tom Taylor and Daniele Di Nicuolo , showing that even Supermen can become too herculean for their own good . By making Jon ’s powers too stiff , while also weight him with the ability to hear even more victim in need of saving , Bendix ishitting Superman decently where it hurt . With Superman ’s intent to redeem people and major planet alike , any failures are especially drain . This is psychological war , make Jon Kent sorely aware of anyone he fails to save and substantially raise the trouble of using his powerfulness to generate aid .
Earlier this twelvemonth , inJustice League # 61by Brian Michael Bendis , David Marquez , and Tamra Bonvillain , Clark Kent had his powers similarly gyrate out of control . While confront Brutus on his home planet , Superman had his estrus vision go haywire , needing to employ his other powers to make it through this overwhelm nightmare . That both Supermen have been subject to condition that amplify their mightiness beyond their control suggest that writer are exploring this as a raw weakness . WhenSuperman is unable to control his signature superpowers , he turn into the proverbial bull in the china shop .
This is compelling because it operates so differently from kryptonite , which reducesSuperman and similar charactersto undermine forms that even non - powered individuals could go for to beat out . By removing the fine line of control that keeps their awesome power in check , superheroes can be made into something dreadful against their will . When in full explored , this could be a fate far worse than something like Winter Soldier ’s brainwashing , since the overwhelming drive to help is still there , but the heroes are only positioned to make thing worse .
With this clever overload of Superman ’s powers , Bendix has found a vulnerability that is more physically and emotionally dangerous than kryptonite . give how probable this is to severely bear upon Jon Kent , aSupermanwho is following in his founding father ’s footstepsand trying to prove his nerve , exploit this new failing is certain to rest a fiendish scheme for Bendix and other villain foregoingkryptonitein favor of something that cuts deeply .
Next : The Justice League Needs Superman ’s Son ( But Not For His Powers )
