Superman & Lois season 4 has shown the accidental way that Superman has cursed his own son for this chapter of the DC story, inadvertently setting him up for arguably Superboy’s biggest live-action villain challenge yet. Superman & Lois season 4, episode 1 & 2 have already brought a series of major reveals and events to the show, with the death of Superman being followed up via Doomsday stealing his heart for Lex Luthor. As such, the Kent family are in a much more precarious position than ever before, since Lex Luthor remains committed to targeting them in order to get revenge on Lois Lane.
Despite his superhuman powers, this overarching setup is especially worrying for Jordan Kent, who’d been training to at least partially step into his dad’s shoes. While a hologram Clark is revealed in the Fortress Of Solitude, his ability to provide guidance isn’t quite the same as the real in the flesh hero’s ability to also protect the Kent family from harm. Jordan has definitely been knocked by the events of season 4 thus far, but is no doubt going to find himself once again squaring up with the show’s villains soon, making one prior show storyline somewhat ironic.
Superboy’s Superman & Lois Story Has Made Season 4’s Villain Setup An Even Bigger Challenge For Him
Superman & Lois Season 4 Sets Up A Colossal Challenge For Superman’s Protégé
Throughout Superman & Lois, the story of Jordan becoming Superboy has seen both Clark and Lois tell their son he needs to take his training slowly, particularly since his excitement at getting the proverbial spotlight due to his vigilante heroics suggested to them that he wasn’t emotionally ready to be a superhero in his own right. Indeed, much of the show saw Jordan not allowed to actively use his powers to help those in need, with Superman insisting he finish an extensive training course at the Fortress Of Solitude before he was allowed to help with even minor issues.
However, Clark’s death has left Jordan in a position where he could have done with every ounce of experience possible, and now can’t get that experience with his dad by his side the same way, meaning that he’s in an especially poor position to face up against the likes of Lex Luthor and Doomsday following his father’s passing. This is not a hopeful thing to note given these are two of Superman’s more dangerous villains, and since Jordan’s desire to bring his father back via a new heart puts him in consistent conflict with both.
While making sure Jordan doesn’t get hurt is a very fair concern for his parents, it has also limited the experience Superboy has in the field – and limited the amount of time he’s had learning how to actively operate as a superhero alongside his dad in the field. As such, the already colossal threats of Superman’s antagonists are only doubly so going forward, which doesn’t bode well for the young hero, even if the Irons family are likely to help him out when possible as Steel and Starlight.
Superman & Lois’ Brainiac Tease Could Make Superboy’s Villain Challenge Worse Again
Superman & Lois season 4’s cast may yet get an unexpected addition after the fascinating premiere tease of the universe’s version of Brainiac, following Lex Luthor’s ally Amanda McCoy handing him a device made to store Superman’s heart and stating that a “brainiac” named “Milton” made it – some interesting dialogue given Brainiac does take on the alias of Milton Fine in the comics. Showrunner Todd Helbing addressed the Brainiac tease, stating that “there will be more to come” in this vein, seemingly aligning with previous statements that a major comic character was on the way for the show.
If Brainiac does indeed show up – even simply as a normal human iteration of Milton Fine who doesn’t have ties to the extraterrestrial who takes over his body in the comics – this adds yet another major Superman villain to the list of figures that Superboy has to face up against. With Superman & Lois season 4, episode 1 and 2 showing just how hard Jordan will find it to go up against Doomsday or Lex Luthor alone, the odds would only be yet more stacked against Superman’s son, making how the story unfolds all the more interesting, since it’s unlikely it ends with the villains completely winning.
Superman & Lois Season 4 Giving Jordan Such Huge Challenges Is Great For The Show
Though Superman & Lois season 4 makes things look even more dire for Jordan and the Kent family – with Lex Luthor outsmarting Superboy to the extent the hero was forced to watch as he crushed what appeared to be his father’s heart in front of him – this is perfect for the final chapter of the show. Superman & Lois has kept pretty high stakes from day one when it comes to its story, and as such, amping up the tension and stakes in all the ways season 4 has ensures the series pulls out all the stops for the last leg of the story, providing a suitably dramatic conclusion to its run.
Superman & Lois season 4 stacking the odds against Jordan also seems to give the character the perfect point to prove himself. Ultimately, this seems a clever way to provide a satisfying end note for his personal arc, which has in no small part been about his complicated feelings when comparing himself to Superman.
While it’s likely any proper defeats of Lex or Doomsday are saved for Superman’s return – which is sure to be an especial relief given the current setup – letting Jordan see he can be a hero in his own right feels like the right conclusion for the series, taking Superboy from playing as a hero in a video game in episode 1 of the show, to being a bonafide hero even when all seems lost in its final chapter. Given how much Superman & Lois season 4 has already put Jordan through in the span of two episodes, hopefully the final payoff balances out the major struggles he seems set to experience between then and now.
