The comic book industry has worked to increase LGBTQ+ representation in recent years, and DC is taking a major step forward in 2021. IGN can exclusively reveal that the current Superman, Jon Kent, is coming out as bisexual in the upcoming Superman: Son of Kal-El #5.
For those not up to date on the current DC line, Jon officially inherited the mantle of Superman from his father following the events of the Future State crossover. While Action Comics explores Clark Kent's adventures off-world, the recently launched Superman: Son of Kal-El focuses on the 17-year-old Jon as he grapples with the biggest responsibility of his young life. But at least he has someone new to share that life with.
Warning: the rest of this story contains some plot spoilers for Superman: Son of Kal-El #4 and #5!
Fans of the series probably won't be surprised to learn Jon is entering into a relationship with Jay Nakamura, a hacktivist who idolizes Jon's mother Lois and has already lent his new friend a helping hand. And as this image shows, the two friends will become something more when they share their first kiss in issue #5:
"Over the years in this industry, it probably won’t surprise you to hear I’ve had queer characters and storylines rejected. I felt like I was letting down people I loved every time this happened" writer Tom Taylor tells IGN. "But we are in a very different and much more welcome place today than we were ten, or even five years ago. When I was asked if I wanted to write a new Superman with a new #1 for the DC Universe, I knew replacing Clark with another straight white savior could 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."
"It is a pretty big deal doing it with Jon Kent as Superman," adds artist John Timms. "As we have seen Jon grow up in front of our eyes, it will be interesting to see him not only trying to find himself as a person but a global super hero in the complex atmosphere of modern life. On the other hand, I hope this kind of thing will not be seen as a big deal in the future. You could visualize how it could pan in the future when the most powerful man in the world is part of the LGBT community. So many things are on the horizon and beyond."
Given Jay's journalistic leanings, there are certainly comparisons to be drawn between this relationship and the classic Lois Lane/Clark Kent dynamic. However, Taylor stresses that Jay plays a much different and more proactive role in Superman's world.
"Jay has his own fight," Taylor says. "He’s obviously an effective journalist, and Lois Lane is his hero. But Jay is also a refugee from Gamorra, so his experience also reflects Clark’s. While this has fortunately changed over the years, historically, Lois has often fulfilled a damsel role. Jay Nakamura will never be that. He and Jon will tackle many things side-by-side."
This also plays into another reveal coming up in Son of Kal-El. Jay himself has superhuman powers, making him both an invaluable ally to the new Superman and a companion for a young man who's never had much of a chance to build a life for himself in the regular world.
"Due to Jon’s shifting age and spending time in the future, Jon doesn’t really have any friends in the present day who are his own age," Taylor says. "He doesn’t have his own cast. He has a best friend in Damian, who will remain integral in our series, but it was important to me that we gave Jon another close confidant and someone who can support him. What was most important was making Jay Nakamura formidable in his own right. Finding the balance in their relationship so they could be equals rather than having Jay be too reliant on Jon. This is why Jay’s own powers are revealed in issue #4, and we learn he can’t be harmed. That means, of everyone in Jon’s life, Jay is the only person Jon doesn’t need to protect. It means their relationship is an equal one built on mutual support."
Both creators are well known for their work with Harley Quinn – Taylor in the pages of Injustice: Gods Among Us and Timms drawing numerous issues of Harley's monthly series. Given that Harley was probably DC's most high-profile LGBT character prior to this news, we were curious if their experience with the character has informed their work developing Jon and Jay's relationship.
"Harley is a vastly different character than… any other character in comics," Taylor admits. "Jon and Jay are very different people. What I will say is Harley was the first character I was able to write as openly bisexual. Through our own universe of Injustice, we were able to tell stories and show relationships that maybe weren’t being depicted elsewhere at the time. And I was honored to have the chance to write the marriage of Harley and Poison Ivy last year in Injustice: Year Zero."
"Relationships in Harley's love life are always a crazy ride," Timms says. "Still, the main lesson is to be as natural as possible, going with actions from within the characters, driven by emotions and letting them be. I hope to achieve the same with Jon and Jay; although it is always complicated to keep the stoic exterior of a superhero character combined with strong feelings that will not always be rage or pain, it is a welcome challenge."
This latest twist is all part of Jon Kent's larger journey in the DC Universe in 2021 and beyond. Can he truly live up to his father's legacy? Can he find the balance between costumed and civilian lives that's proven so elusive so far? And perhaps most importantly, can he figure out what kind of Superman the world needs now?
"I think Clark said it best when he left Earth in Jon’s hands. Clark was the Superman of tomorrow. Jon is the Superman for the days after," Taylor says. "The question for Jon (and for our creative team) is, what should a new Superman fight for today? Can a seventeen-year-old Superman battle giant robots while ignoring the climate crisis? Of course not. Can someone with super sight and super hearing ignore injustices beyond his borders? Can he ignore the plight of asylum seekers?"
Taylor continues, "When asking these questions, it’s important to acknowledge that Jon isn’t just the son of Kal-El, he’s also the son of Lois Lane. Jon is the son of the fiercest, most effective journalist on the planet. With that, comes a strong sense of right and wrong, an instinctive dislike of corruption and a strong desire for the truth to win over misinformation. But Jon is young and passionate and sometimes how he tackles things will be a bit heavy-handed. And just like we see in our world, when young people speak truth to power, it ruffles the feathers of certain older people who are used to being the loudest voice in the room."
Superman: Son of Kal-El #5 will release in print and digitally on Tuesday, November 9.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.