Son of Superman
Encyclopedia
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
Elseworlds
Elseworlds
Elseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others...
story released in 2000 written by Howard Chaykin
Howard Chaykin
Howard Victor Chaykin is an American comic book writer and artist famous for his innovative storytelling and sometimes controversial material...
and David Tischman
David Tischman
David Tischman is an American comic book writer who has been active since 2000, writing for such series as American Century, Cable, Bite Club, and Star Trek.-Biography:Tischman wrote Greatest Hits at Vertigo....
, with art by J.H. Williams III and Mick Gray.
Synopsis
When a solar flare erupts, Jon Kent manifests superpowers and learns from his mother, Lois LaneLois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
, that his father, the missing Daily Planet
Daily Planet
The Daily Planet is a fictional broadsheet newspaper in the , appearing mostly in the stories of Superman. The building's original features were based upon the AT&T Huron Road Building in Cleveland, Ohio...
reporter Clark Kent
Clark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
, was secretly the superhero Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
. Jon begins his attempts to follow his father's footsteps as the new Superman. To find out the truth of his father's disappearance, Jon helps a terrorist organization, led by Pete Ross
Pete Ross
Peter Joseph "Pete" Ross is a fictional character who appears in the Superman comic books published by DC Comics. He was introduced in Superboy #86 .-Pre-Crisis:...
and Lana Lang
Lana Lang
Lana Lang is a fictional supporting character in DC Comics' Superman series. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist John Sikela, the character first appears in Superboy #10...
, and discovers that his father has been held in an underground facility. Jon frees his father from his captivity, and the Kent family joyfully reunite. During Superman's absence, Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
has taken control of the Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
as well as many other aspects of life in America. The Justice League's liaison to Lex Luthor, the Martian Manhunter
Martian Manhunter
The Martian Manhunter is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225...
, is told to recruit Superman into the League once again. When Superman voices his disapproval of Pete Ross and Lana Lang's terrorist methods, his son tells him not to be so hard on them, and also says he is not proud of who his father is. Pete and Lana find the spacecraft
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
that carried Superman to earth, and use it to decode a Kryptonian
Kryptonian
Kryptonians are a fictional extraterrestrial race of the DC Comics universe who hail from the planet Krypton. The term originated from the stories of DC Comics superhero, Superman...
message they found at the facility where Superman was being kept. Superman finds out everything in the Fortress of Solitude
Fortress of Solitude
The Fortress of Solitude is the occasional headquarters of Superman in DC Comics. Its predecessor, Superman's "Secret Citadel", first appeared in Superman #17, where it was said to be built into a mountain on the outskirts of Metropolis...
has been stolen, while Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
finds out Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
is funding the terrorists. Pete Ross threatens to expose Lex Luthor as the man responsible for holding Superman captive, and agrees not to reveal the information in exchange for two hundred million dollars. In addition to the two hundred million dollars, Pete gives Lex one of the advance armors the terrorists used for their operations.
An army of men wearing these armors, led by a man who appears to be Superman, destroys the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
. The Justice League is ordered to bring in Superman, but Batman, Superman and Jon successfully defeat them, with the help of Wonder Woman. They find out Lex Luthor has uses the stolen Kryptonian technology and Superman's genetic to give himself superpowers, but only succeeded in gaining half of the Man of Steel's abilities. Because of his anger built up from all the years of growing up without his father, Jon confronts Luthor alone. Jon initially fares poorly against Luthor, but eventually gains an upperhand and Luthor is defeated. Wonder Woman later forces Pete and Lana to turn themselves into the authorities. The Justice League retires from fighting crime to "spend more time with their families." Bruce Wayne, no longer donning the cape and cowl of Batman, decides to pursue presidential candidacy to restore democracy to the country. Jon Kent finally establishes a relationship with his father, and continues his career as a superhero.