The One Who Fell – Superman #30 – 32 (2021)

September 1st, 2021

The final arc of the Superman title before Jon Kent takes over, The One Who Fell works as a fantastic passing of the torch story. The story sees Clark receive a telepathic message from a former comrade. Surprised and unsettled to receive the message, he takes Jon with him to the planet Thakkram. While exploring, they discover that Clark’s one time friend, Qarath O Daanim, had passed away, and that the planet was currently honouring him. However, not all is as it seems when Clark and Jon discover that the evil they had defeated years ago might not be gone. The arc sees the citizens of Thakkram succumbing to the dark influence, until only Jon remains to save them all.

The story heavily hinges on the idea of living up to expectations. We see this from both Clark and Jon as well as Qarath O Daanim and his son, Qarath O Bakkis. Both Jon and Bakkis see their fathers as the ultimate warriors, but also who they think the world expects them to be. Jon’s sympathy with Bakkis becomes a central focus, but also one that causes Clark to truly consider the weight on his son’s shoulders.

Very early on in the arc, we see Clark and Jon flying towards Thakkram with Clark’s monologue presented across a two-page spread. These comments by Clark cements the idea that Clark does worry about his son but sees him as a worthy successor. Something Jon proves later on by showing just how much more advanced his powers are becoming.

“Now my little barn swallow is soaring through the andromeda galaxy, your cells igniting with the power of a supernova. You are a miracle Jonathan Kent. You’ll do things I never could. But I’ll always miss reading to you as you fell asleep. Feeling your little chest rise and fall as I brush the hair out of your eyes … Imagining how amazing your life will be” (Johnson & Godlewski.2021:7).

The arc is clearly set up as a means for Clark and Jon to spent time together, after Jon was aged up and came back from the 31^st Century. As both fans and Clark acknowledge, the ageing up of Jon means that seven of his most important years were skipped over. Both Clark and the reader missed out on these formative years. The One Who Fell approaches this from a mature perspective. Primarily from the fathers point of view, while acknowledging childhood expectations.

With the events of both Action Comics and the Tom Taylor lead Superman: Son of Kal-El, this story feels even more important. Written and drawn as a moral reflection on the events we miss and the uncertainty of the future.