The 2013 movie Man of Steel drew criticism from Superman fans for many reasons. One of the chief reasons was the film’s treatment of Johnathan “Pa” Kent and his death by tornado. Presumably meant to teach young Clark Kent the value of sacrifice (as Pa Kent died to prevent his son from revealing his powers), many felt the scene was pointless. This attitude is clarified in a new version of Superman’s origin in Superman Treasury 2025: Hero for All #1.
Written by Dan Jurgens, with art by Bruno Redondo, Superman Treasury 2025: Hero for All #1 finds Metropolis under attack by a giant robot. The Man of Steel is quick to defend his city from the apparently alien threat. However, the robot is ultimately revealed as a trap, intended to detain Superman while the alien invaders deal with Earth’s other superheroes.
As the invasion unfolds, Clark reflects upon his past and how his life in Smallville consequently influenced who he became. The first of these flashback sequences highlights the death of Pa Kent. In this reality, Jonathan Kent apparently died saving a young Clark and his friends from a tornado.
However, the opening scene of the comic shows Pa Kent alive and well, evacuating himself, his wife, and his grandson from Metropolis. This is the first hint that the flashbacks are a lie. These scenes are subsequently revealed to be part of an effort to gaslight Superman into abandoning Earth.
Pa Kent’s death should highlight Superman’s limits
The flashbacks also serve an important metatextual purpose. They reveal the true history of Superman in the comics by contrasting it against popular story points from various adaptations. These include Lex Luthor being Clark Kent’s best friend, as in the show Smallville. However, in the case of the Pa Kent death fake-out, the scene also serves to point out a major flaw in Man of Steel.
While Pa Kent is still alive in the comics, he has a history of dying when Clark is young in various adaptations. The first of these was 1978’s Superman: The Movie, where he had a sudden heart attack. This taught Clark that for all his powers, there were limits to what he could do.
Contrastingly, Pa Kent’s death in Man of Steel had no practical story purpose. While nominally meant to protect Clark’s secret identity, Pa Kent’s sacrifice was ultimately pointless. It was later shown that everyone in Smallville knew Clark was Superman and was willing to keep his secret. Conversely, Superman Treasury 2025: Hero For All #1 allows Pa Kent to die a hero in the false flashback, saving his then-powerless son and teaching him the value of heroism.
Superman Treasury 2025: Hero for All #1 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
