DC Confirms Absolute Superman Will Make a Major Origin Story Change

There’s a big change coming to the Man of Steel’s origin when his new series, Absolute Superman, begins. This week sees the release of DC All In Special #1, kickstarting a brand new publishing initiative by DC. The heroes are fresh off their victory against Amanda Waller in Absolute Power, so while they get down to business reforming the Justice League, a surprise attack from Darkseid sets the stage for the creation of the Absolute Universe. The first trio of titles launching are Absolute Superman, Absolute Batman, and Absolute Wonder Woman, with DC promising that fans will get jumping on points that offer new and different, yet familiar, origin stories, the one coming for Superman should raise some eyeballs.

*WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for DC All In Special #1 “Omega” story. Continue reading at your own risk!

The “Omega” story in DC All In Special #1 comes from the creative team of Scott Snyder, Joshua Williamson, Wes Craig, Mike Spicer, and Steve Wands. Whereas the “Alpha” story featured the feel-good story of a new Justice League Unlimited team coming together in the new Watchtower, the “Omega” story centers on the inverse events that found Darkseid boom tubing into the Watchtower to attack our heroes. With all the changes that have happened to the multiverse and omniverse across DC’s most recent events, Darkseid has felt a disturbance and is now on the search for “the truth.”

This truth has to do with his place within the DC Universe, and he abandons his children on Apokolips to gon on the hunt for his missing answers. This leads Darkseid to bond with the Spectre, and once the two enter into combat with Superman, Darkseid is seemingly killed. However, as we all know, Darkseid is, and the villain is reborn and brings about the birth of this Absolute Universe.

How Absolute Superman changes the Man of Steel’s origin

Absolute Superman is by writer Jason Aaron and artist Rafa Sandoval. While the first issue launches in November, the DC All In Special one-shot gives a sneak peak at the stories to come in Absolute Wonder Woman, Absolute Batman, and Absolute Superman.

“If that world is driven by life, by hope… then this one would be driven by challenge, by turmoil…” Darkseid’s inner monlogue says. The odds have been increased for DC’s heroes in the Absolute Universe, and hope is now the underdog. Wes Craig and Mike Spicer’s art shows a smoking crater in the middle of a wooded forest. As the panels zoom in closer, we see Superman crouching inside the crater with his boots and wrists on fire. One thing that stands out is instead of Superman arriving on Earth as a baby, Kal-El is a full-grown adult.

Another change that Absolute Superman appears to be making is the location of where Superman lands on Earth. The familiar story to Superman fans is Baby Kal-El crash landing on the Kent Farm in Smallville. But the landscape in the DC All In Special is wooded, not the open landscape we’ve come to find in Smallville. Perhaps even Smallville is different in the Absolute Universe, or it’s a sign that we’re not in Smallville anymore, so to speak. 

DC All In Special #1 is on sale now, and Absolute Superman #1 goes on sale November 6th.