The New Superman Has The Opposite Of The Bat Signal | Screen Rant
Warning: spoilers ahead for Future State: Superman/Wonder Woman #1!
In the near future of DC's Future State, Jon Kent has taken over the role of Superman from his father Clark, becoming a naive but effective hero for his home city (and planet) after the original's mysterious exile. While Future State: Superman of Metropolis follows Jon's teenage years in the role, the more recent Superman/Wonder Woman #1 reveals a Jon who is a little more settled in his role. Readers are able to witness an average - though highly perilous - day in the life of the next Superman, which comes with the reveal that he has created the exact opposite of the Bat Signal for the people of Metropolis.
Metropolis has always been a brighter, more optimistic city than the gothic, noir-inspired Gotham - in fact its nickname is the City of Tomorrow - so it makes sense that it would have different needs than the crowded urban environment that so often falls prey to villains like Joker and Scarecrow. Happily, Jon is up to the task, gauging the mood of the city for a daily display of hope that sadly goes wrong by the end of the issue.
In Future State: Superman/Wonder Woman #1 from Dan Watters and Leila Del Duca, the new Superman's morning routine is revealed, all of which takes him only a handful of seconds thanks to his super speed and senses. After taking less than 3 seconds to savor his coffee, Jon scans the city with his super sight and hearing for any potential threats or dangers, making a list of things to keep an eye on, before flying up in the sky to create what's essentially the anti-Bat Signal: a huge 'GOOD MORNING, METROPOLIS' carved out of the clouds with his heat vision.
Apparently, Superman writes a message in the sky with the clouds every morning, letting the citizens of Metropolis know that he's there and that they're safe under his watch. What makes it so ironic is that Gotham's Bat Signal carries the exact opposite purpose: the Bat Signal is lit by the city at night to signal Batman that they need his help, while Superman signals to the city in the morning, letting them know that they're protected and all is well. They're quite literally direct opposites, and underscore the differing themes of Batman and Superman, as well as their home cities. Superman is a hero who's always looking out for the public, and takes efforts to reassure them, whereas Batman is distrusted and constantly fighting the odds: someone who is rarely welcome except when he's absolutely needed.
The existence of this much more hopeful "Super Signal" just goes to show the efforts Jon has been putting in over the years to make sure he's living up to his father's legacy. However, things don't look so good for Superman by the end of the Future State issue. Due to the presence of his enemy Solaris, who's powered by a red sun, Jon's power levels fluctuate hugely. While he keeps Solaris at bay for a day while trying to figure out how to respond, he collapses while writing his message in the clouds, passing out and falling towards the pavement instead - with heat energy still beaming from his eyes. Hopefully, the nearby Wonder Woman will be able to lend a hand and rescue him as the series from DC Comics continues.
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