If there’s one thing I didn’t expect Jon Kent to face during his space adventure, it was the Crime Syndicate. After coming to realize that his grandfather is unstable, Jon began to look for ways to return home to Earth. Unfortunately for him, the ship they were on was pulled through a wormhole and landed Jon on Earth 3. So how does Superboy stand against the Crime Syndicate alone?
(Spoilers Incoming)
In the present, the Kent family is still in the Fortress of Solitude. We start with a daydream from Superman, in which he has finally achieved his goal of world peace. Heroes from around the world gather to celebrate their victory, and so does Zod, who says he is there with Superman out of respect. That daydream is quickly broken as Clark is pulled back into reality. Once his focus has returned, Jon continues his story of his time on Earth 3. When he arrived, the Crime Syndicate immediately attacked. However, they didn’t attack him. Instead, they began attacking each other to see who could keep Jon for themselves. Of course, Ultraman was the one who took Jon in the end.
After flying away, Ultraman threw Jon into a volcano to keep him prisoner. Jon quickly realized that because of this Earth’s differences from his, his powers were severely weakened. To his shock, Ultraman tells Jon that he doesn’t plan on killing him. This almost changes when Jon tries to speak up for himself, as Ultraman wraps his hands around Superboy’s head and begins to squeeze. He lets him go before it comes to that and reveals that he just wants someone to talk to. He later returns with a whole pig for Jon to eat, but quickly becomes violent, grabbing Jon by the head and punching him across the volcano. As Jon tells his parents, that would be the last time Ultraman ever hit him. Each time he returned after that, he would just sit there. He would talk Jon’s ear off about life as Ultraman, often ending with Ultraman flying away crying. Jon noticed that after he flew away crying, he wouldn’t return for a long time, so the Boy of Steel hatched a plan. Jon used part of the volcano as a way to trigger an eruption to free himself. Upon escaping, he made his way into one of the nearby cities and disguised himself. Then the idea dawned on him that if he was facing an evil Justice League, there must be an alternate version of the Hall of Justice where he could find a way home. He made it inside, but before he could fully realize his escape plan, he was attacked by the alternate version of his own mother: Superwoman.
Well, now we know Ultraman is a really emotional guy when he’s not killing hordes of people for fun. This issue alone shows that Jon is beginning to evolve beyond that 10-year-old kid who hung out with Robin. His ability to remain calm and strategize his plan of attack will be key in getting him away from the Crime Syndicate alive. Facing off against the evil doppelganger of his father was one thing. Ultraman didn’t really get physical with Jon. However, I don’t see Superwoman being so kind. In Forever Evil, she ended up being the one who played three sides against each other just for the fun of it. Can Jon be ready to face down a woman so evil and dangerous? And where is Jor EL? We know he’s probably here somewhere. For all we know, this is what he wanted. If he felt his mission was in danger, I don’t think having to eliminate his grandson would stop him. Hopefully soon, the fullness of Jor El’s plan will be revealed before it’s too late.