DC Is Wasting Superman’s Best Characters in Decades

Superman is the oldest superhero around, having kick-started the genre all the way back in 1938. He’s an incredible character who has spearheaded DC for decades, but not even a character as interesting as Superman could maintain that pace without some equally interesting side characters. From Lois Lane to Perry White, Superman has a whole cavalcade of characters with whom he can connect, contrast, and bounce off. Many of these characters have gotten the time to shine at one point or another, but two of Superman’s best new characters in decades have the potential to do everything people have been asking for, but are all but forgotten.

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Otho-Ra and Osul-Ra are Superman’s two newest children, adopted after he defeated Mongul in the modern classic “Warworld Saga.” They’re Phaelosians, a splinter sect of Kryptonians that were exiled from Krypton centuries ago, meaning that they have all the same powers as Clark, and grew up on the gladiatorial Warworld. However, if you’ve never heard of these two, I cannot blame you, because despite the fact that Otho and Osul are literally Superman’s kids, they are completely ignored by every major Superman ongoing. This is especially horrible because Otho and Osul fix a problem DC fans have been begging them to fix for years.

All Three of Superman’s Children

Otho and Osul are a chance for Superman to raise two young children, to give them advice and lessons in a way only possible with kids who haven’t even become teenagers yet. Superman raising two young kids is an adorable, wholesome idea that showcases how incredibly caring the Man of Tomorrow is and brings out the best in him and the children. The drama and emotional resonance of the wholesome moments are even more resonant and impactful because of the serious trauma the siblings experienced at such a young age. This dynamic is something that DC fans have been pleading for ever since Jon Kent was forcibly aged up. However, therein lies the problem.

When someone mentions Superman’s children, the person most likely to come to mind is Jon Kent. He’s Superman’s oldest kid, and his introduction was a game-changer, being the biggest Superman status quo change since the New 52. Frankly, Jon was the biggest change since Superboy in the ‘90s. He was a fresh idea that offered a chance to show a new side to Superman, and fans got to watch Jon and Superman grow as they learned how to fit in with their roles. Jon as the son of Superman, and Superman as a dad. That dynamic was ripped away when Jon was aged up from ten to seventeen without warning, in one of the most hated moves of the past decade in comics.  

Paying for Jon’s Unfortunate Past

Image Courtesy of DC Comics

The Super-Twins are all but completely ignored, specifically because of what happened to Jon, despite the fact that they were made to make up for it. Fans all but universally hated Jon getting aged up, and despite continuous demands from diehards, at this point, it is far too late to de-age Jon. So the Super-Twins were introduced, which gave readers the exact kind of dynamic they missed out on and Superman a chance to actually raise his kids. However, no writer is focusing on the Super-Twins because they’re spending whatever spare panels they have on trying to fix Jon’s character. 

When Jon was aged up, it was with the intent to make him the main and only Superman, but when that plan fell apart, he lost his new identity just like he had to give up his old one. Jon needs a new direction and identity, but the Super-Twins don’t. Otho and Osul know who they are, but because they don’t need anything and are still less popular than Jon, they tend to be ignored so writers can focus on trying to fix Jon. It’s a catch twenty-two, where the Super-Twins can’t become popular if they’re ignored, but they’re ignored because Jon is more popular. They give fans exactly the dynamic for Superman that fans have been begging for, but they’re being wasted as is.

Otho and Osul need to be used because their characters have just as much potential as Jon’s. There’s even the possible tension that exists between the three, where Jon has to learn to be an older brother, even though he barely knew how to be an only child before he lost his childhood. These characters can help each other, but nobody will get anywhere if they’re never used. The Super-Twins deserve justice, and I will not rest until they get it.

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