Absolute Superman Rewrites His Kryptonian Origin, Merging The House of El & The Kents in A Brilliant Twist

One of the most important aspects of Superman's character is the fact that he is of two worlds. Born on Krypton to an affluent and powerful family, the House of El. But after Krypton's destruction, he ends up on Earth as a member of the Kent family, Kansas farmers. But in a stroke of brilliance, DC's new Absolute Universe has merged the two origins into one.

The merging of Superman's upbringing s revealed in the upcoming Absolute Superman #1 by Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval. While the House of El were powerful scientists in the Prime Universe and were near the top of society, that doesn't seem to be the case for the Absolute Universe version of Superman.

In the Absolute Universe, it seems that Superman's parents are at the bottom rung of society, as demonstrated by his mother Lara-El, who is a mechanic after she was forbidden from applying to the science academy for writing a paper criticizing Krypton's lack of space exploration. The job of Jor-El is currently unknown, but it seems that the El family runs a farm together.

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What The House of El's New Origin Means For Absolute Superman

Absolute Superman Is A Fascinating New Take On Iconic Lore

While Kal-El may have been born to one of the most powerful and respected families on Krypton, he never got to actually enjoy that privilege, as he was only a baby and was sent to Earth when Krypton exploded. Once arriving on Earth, Kal-El was taken in by the Kent family, who gave him a grounded upbringing. He possessed larger-than-life powers, but he was still just a farm boy from Kansas. It seems instead of having that upbringing on Earth, Superman will be getting it on Krypton instead.

Very little is currently known about Absolute Superman, but one of the main confirmed changes is the fact that Superman will not be growing up with the Kent family. He will instead arrive on Earth, and grow up alone. This seems to strongly imply that Superman will not be arriving on Earth as an infant, since he wouldn't be able to take care of himself. This means that every life lesson he starts out with will come from his El family, Kryptonian farmers. A brilliant way to merge his two heritages into something new, yet familiar.

Our Take on Absolute Superman's New 'Farming' Family Legacy

Superman Needs Both Histories To Be Who He Is

Kal-El's upbringing by the Kent family made him who he is, and in most interpretations of the story, he always has them around to rely on. Some storylines have played with the idea of the Kents dying, which often usually results in a less resolute, darker Superman. The same could be true of the Absolute Universe: Superman never truly felt the tragedy of Krypton's loss on a personal level, because he was an infant. But the Absolute Superman will likely be old enough to not only understand the loss of his planet, but the loss of the only family he ever had.

Absolute Superman #1 is on sale from DC Comics on November 6th.

Superman

The icon who launched the entire world of superheroes, the last son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world knows him better as Superman, the Man of Steel, the leader of the Justice League, and the most well-known hero in the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies both small and cosmic in his endless pursuit of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.