Even when it comes to villains, there are few people in the DC Universe that Superman truly hates. However, not only is he now being forced to work with one of the people he loathes most, but he’s expected to accept their ‘redemption’ despite their blood-soaked and very personal history. Can even Superman make a place in his heart for such a despicable villain, and more importantly, can fans?
In a preview of Superman #29, Superman is reunited with Superboy-Prime. An alternate version of Clark Kent from a universe where he’s the only superhero, Superboy-Prime is perhaps DC’s most despised villain – an entitled bully whose temper-tantrum slaughtered heroes including Superman’s adopted brother Conner Kent.
Superboy-Prime was given a second chance back in 2020’s Dark Nights: Death Metal, when he sacrificed himself to save the multiverse. Seemingly returned to Earth-Prime, Superboy-Prime was given a second chance to be the hero he claimed he could be. However, his return paints him as the same arrogant jerk he’s been in the past, with Superman instantly outraged that the Time Trapper expects the two to work together.
Superboy-Prime Is Superman’s New Ally
Against Darkseid, Only This Unlikely Alliance Can Save the Multiverse
Superman recently discovered that the future heroes known as the Legion of Super-Heroes are missing, right as Darkseid assembles his own corrupted version of the team drawn from DC’s new Absolute Universe. The Time Trapper argues that as an anomaly outside time and space, Superboy-Prime is the one factor Darkseid’s army isn’t prepared for, and one who has experience of all the heroes-turned-villains under Darkseid’s command.
Even more than the Joker, Superboy-Prime became a character that DC fans love to hate. Unlike other supervillains, Superboy-Prime acted mostly out of petulance, lashing out without appreciating the potential consequences of his actions. After killing several heroes and being locked away by the Green Lantern Corps, he returned again and again with the goal of humiliating the heroes of the DC Universe, considering them unworthy compared to his own ‘perfect’ world.
Writers also used Superboy-Prime as a stand-in for entitled fans, with his main motivation being the belief that the DC Universe needs to be wiped away and replaced by something purer and simpler. However, as Superboy-Prime points out, despite his many murders, DC’s reboots have effectively erased his crimes, so a redemption arc should be possible, especially if he’s going up against a villain as significant as Darkseid.
Is Superboy-Prime Actually Redeemed?
While the Former Villain Is Here to Help, He Still Seems Like the Same Arrogant Jerk
The only problem is that despite being given a second chance, Superboy-Prime is seemingly just as lackadaisical about his evil deeds as ever, brushing them off when Superman brings them up. With Darkseid creating his own reality over in the Absolute Universe, it’s possible that Superboy-Prime may flip sides at the first opportunity.
Of course, there’s still the possibility that Superboy-Prime really does regret his actions and is downplaying the lives he took to try and persuade Superman to work with him – the quest to find the Legion of Super-Heroes will reveal the truth, but fans can’t be surprised that Superman is outraged at the idea of accepting Superboy-Prime as an ally, let alone a redeemed hero.
Superman #29 is coming August 27 from DC Comics.
- Created By
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Joe Shuster, Jerry Siegel
- First Appearance
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Action Comics
- Alias
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Kal-El, Clark Kent, Jonathan Kent
- Alliance
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Justice League, Superman Family
- Race
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Kryptonian
- Franchise
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D.C.
