DC Has Officially Gotten Rid of Superman’s Best New Characters, And It Reflects a Major Recurring Problem

Superman is one of the most iconic fictional characters of all time. Even if you’re not a comic book fan, you’ve heard of the Man of Steel and know at least a little bit about him, even if that only includes his look and general powerset. Everyone knows who Superman is and that he’s a hero who fights for truth, justice, and a better tomorrow for everyone. He’s the face of everything DC does and everything they want people to associate their unique brand of heroism with. His S-crest is one of the most recognizable symbols in the world, and his red and blue have permanently embedded themselves in the public zeitgeist.

Of course, with such a strong, defined public perception there naturally comes two things. One is a large supporting cast for the hero to bounce off of and grow with. The second is an iron-clad status quo that takes a literal mountain to change. Both of those factors have led to the creation of two of Superman’s greatest characters of the modern age, and are the exact reason that they basically no longer exist. Just a few years ago, DC gave Superman two adopted children by the names of Otho and Osul-Ra. As of Adventures of Superman: The Book of El #12, they were written out of Superman’s mythos in the most miltoast way possible, and, somehow, this isn’t the first time DC has removed Superman’s children.

The Super-Twins’ Final Story (Probably)

The Book of El was Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s final chapter in his multi-year-long saga with Superman, beginning way back with several Future State titles during the aborted 5G initiative. It was the epilogue and exploration of his imagined future for Superman’s legacy, and it brought all of his plot threads together. Kryl-Ux stole Otho and Osul into the 31st Century, leaving Superman to travel to the future and rescue his lost children. After a long, arduous journey, the family was reunited, and they made peace with Kryl, only for a final revelation to forever separate the twins and their Pa. They were called to continue saving the day in the future, and while they promised to come back home and only go occasionally, they agreed.

The Super-Twins left for this alternate future to help people and fight for the House of El like only they can, though I highly doubt we’ll be seeing any of their adventures anytime soon. If ever. This is the clearest example of writing characters out of a story that I’ve ever seen. With Johnson having signed an exclusive contract with Marvel, and DC having long since left the Future State era behind it, the Super-Twins became a relic of a time that could have been. As such, someone decided that they needed to disappear in whatever way worked. Given that no other Superman book even acknowledges that these two exist, it’s unfortunately clear that the Super-Twins are gone for, at the very least, the foreseeable future. As saddened as I am by that, and believe me, I’m their number one defender, this was very predictable.

The Super-Children That Have Come and Gone

Superman is a character who was practically made to be a father. Some of his most popular and influential stories, from All-Star Superman to “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?” directly tackle themes of legacy and fatherhood, which has baked the idea into audiences’ minds. There’s also the fact that Superman is the greatest example of positive masculinity in the world, and his relationship with Lois is a core, beloved dynamic. Him being a dad just makes sense for his character on practically every level. So, DC has made him a father. Multiple times. There was Gregor Nagy, Cir-El, Ariella, Power Girl, Chris Kent, and, most recently, the Super-Twins.

Superman has had multitudes of children, but somehow, only Jon Kent has stuck around in that capacity. Of course, there’s one big reason for that, and it’s the aforementioned, rock-solid status quo. Superman was made to be a father, so DC makes him a father, but the company also wants to keep the eternal status quo alive, and the public doesn’t typically think of him as a dad, so the children have to be taken away. This is the ultimate, worst compromise, where DC is willing to tell this story in the moment, but unwilling to commit to the major change it would bring. It’s a serious disservice to Superman and his children, all of whom are characters that deserve legacies of their own, instead of being forgotten to history. I love the Super-Twins, but given how things are going, it seems they’re destined to be lost like the majority of Superman’s other children.

Superman has a serious problem holding onto his kids, but at the end of the day, the biggest thing standing in his way is comics’ oldest issue, the status quo. At the very least, we’ve managed to keep Jon, and I’m thankful for that. Which of Superman’s kids is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!

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