4 Years Later, DC Comics Revives Its Coolest Superman Idea (With a Twist)

One of the best ideas from the modern Superman era is being revisited, albeit with a particular twist. For a character that’s been around as long as the Man of Steel has, it can be hard to find new territory. But Mark Waid and Dan Mora did when they introduced David Sikela, aka Boy Thunder, in the pages of Batman/Superman: World’s Finest. Like Superman, Boy Thunder is the survivor of a dead world (a dead universe, actually) who was rocketed to the Prime Earth by his parents. And also like Superman, David’s unique physiology gave him powers under Earth’s sun.

So, David took the mantle of Boy Thunder and became Superman’s sidekick. Unfortunately, their partnership came to an early end when he was inadvertently transported to another world. More specifically, David ended up on Earth-22, where he became a disciple of the Old God Gog and ended up turning into the violent anti-hero Magog (the very same Magog from Kingdom Come). Sadly, due to Batman/Superman: World’s Finest putting a bow on the David storyline, nothing more came from Boy Thunder. However, DC is using David’s mantle as a springboard for a new wave of heroes.

DC Comics Reveals Kandor’s New Protectors, Team Thunder

In Supergirl #12 by Sophie Campbell, Tamra Bonvillain, and Becca Carey, Kara is in dire straits. She’s just gone up against the Black Flame, a young Kryptonian woman leading the youths of Kandor in rebellion against the Science Council, who hid the knowledge of a genetic anomaly preventing them from leaving the bottled city. Supergirl was in bad shape after her fight, but thankfully, scientist Kim-Da manages to save Kara’s life by fitting her with cybernetic enhancements to save her life. Supergirl is understandably upset, but she’s even more pissed at the Science Council.

Speaking of, members of the Science Council come by to discuss the Black Flame situation with Supergirl, who lays into them, saying that much of this is their fault. But beyond the anger the young people of Kandor are feeling, Kara notes that the greater danger is the Black Flame, who has Kara’s solar ring, giving the Black Flame the full breadth of a Kryptonian’s powers. Thankfully, Kim-Da has a contingency in place and takes Supergirl to a private lab where he introduces her to Team Thunder, a group of clones grown from Boy Thunder and Kim-Da’s DNA.

Team Thunder is composed of three heroes, Thundergirl, Thunderlad, and Thunderkid. They’ve all been given tech to supply them with solar radiation to activate their powers. However, as clones, they all lack any freedom or autonomy. Before Supergirl can plead on their behalf, the Black Flame attacks, forcing Supergirl to enter the fray. She puts up a valiant effort, but Black Flame gets the upper hand thanks to her freeze breath. Before she can make a killing blow, Kim-Da unleashes Team Thunder on the Black Flame, both promising that they will kill the other as Supergirl watches helplessly.

Is DC Giving Boy Thunder a Second Chance?

I will admit, DC got me with its advertising for the “Reign of the Superboys” event, which showed Boy Thunder alongside other Superboys like Conner Kent and Superboy-Prime. I was certain we’d see a time-displaced David, but Campbell went in a direction I really didn’t see coming. Still, it is cool to see DC revisit Boy Thunder and use his schtick to introduce three new versions of the hero. But I have to ask, is this simply a neat nod to the past, or are there actually plans to keep one of these clones around as a new Boy Thunder?

Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself, but I don’t think it’s that crazy an idea. “The Reign of the Superboys” has already taken some wild swings so far. Superboy-Prime is on a redemption tour in Superman, and Jon Kent has both taken on a new identity and rescued his Super Sons-era self from the past in Superman Unlimited. Would a half-clone of the original Boy Thunder becoming the new one be that any more out there? This is, after all, a Superboy-focused period, so why not keep one clone around to give the short-lived hero a second chance?

Of course, this is a Supergirl comic, and I don’t think Campbell wants to shift too much focus away from Kara. Then again, she’s made quite a number of new allies, so I don’t see why there can’t be room for a new Boy Thunder. It was a neat idea for Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, and I think it’s still a neat idea now. Taking short-lived ideas and pumping new life into them has given us a lot of interesting characters, so I really hope Team Thunder is leading to something bigger for the Superman line.

What do you think about Team Thunder? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!

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