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Like father, like son!
The Man of Steel’s son, Jon Kent – he’s the new Superman, if you haven’t been following the comic book version of the original superhero – has not only inherited his dad’s cape and tights, he has similar tastes when it comes to love interests. His new bae is a reporter too: a pink-haired man named Jay Nakamura.
After a mission that leaves Superman mentally and physically exhausted, Jay, his BFF, is there to look after him and they share a kiss, confirming that the new Superman is bisexual.
The comic-book storyline is part of the DC Comics series Superman: Son of Kal-El, which follows Jon as he inherits the mantle of Superman from his father, Clark Kent, aka Kal-El.
Jon and Jay’s relationship takes off in the next issue of the comic, due out in November.
DC Comics made the announcement about Jon’s latest storyline on National Coming Out Day, an annual LGBTQ awareness day that started in the US.
Since the series was launched in July, Jon has fought wildfires caused by climate change, foiled a high school shooting and protested the deportation of refugees from the US.
Tom Taylor, the writer of the series, says he knew “that replacing [the original Superman] with another straight white saviour would be a real opportunity missed.
“I’ve always said everyone needs heroes and everyone deserves to see themselves in their heroes. Today Superman, the strongest superhero on the planet, is coming out.”
This storyline isn’t meant to be an attention-grabbing gimmick, Tom told Reuters.
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“We didn’t want this to be, ‘DC Comics creates new queer Superman’.
“We want this to be ‘Superman finds himself, becomes Superman and then comes out’, and I think that’s a really important distinction there.”
Superman’s symbol has always stood for hope, truth and justice, he says of the superhero who, since his first appearance in print in 1938, has fought aliens, bank robbers, Nazis and white supremacists and even challenged Muhammad Ali in the ring.
“Today, that symbol represents something more. Today, more people can see themselves in the most powerful superhero in comics,” Tom says.
Artist John Timms, who illustrates the series, says the creative team was aware that it was a very big deal to have the son of Superman coming out.
“We’ve seen Jon grow up in front of our eyes, so it will be interesting to see him trying to find himself not only as a person but as a global superhero in the complex atmosphere of modern life.
“On the other hand, I hope this kind of thing won’t be seen as a big deal in the future. You could visualise how it could pan out in the future when the most powerful man in the world is part of the LGBTQ community. So many things are on the horizon and beyond.”
Reactions have been mostly positive, Tom says.
“I’m seeing tweets of people saying they burst into tears when they read the news, that they wished that Superman was this when they were growing up, that they could see themselves.
“People are saying for the first time ever they’re seeing themselves in Superman – something they never thought was possible.”
Sources: dccomics.com, nytimes.com, npr.org, ign.com,
