As the beloved DC Elseworlds universe from the Dark Knights of Steel series expands, a surprise Justice League hero is about to receive a familiar origin. Aquaman and Superman don’t traditionally have much in common, but in the Dark Knights of Steel universe, Aquaman will truly be put in Superman’s shoes as he experiences Clark Kent’s traditional childhood.
The Dark Knights of Steel universe has made many fantastical changes to the history of established characters. Instead of Superman arriving on Earth alone, Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van came with him, completely changing Superman’s backstory. Aquaman’s history has changed as well, which will be explored in Tom Taylor and Ricardo Federici’s backups for Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter. The synopsis for issue #3 draws clear parallels between Aquaman’s new Dark Knights of Steel origin and Superman’s traditional origin.
DARK KNIGHTS OF STEEL: ALLWINTER #3 (2024) | |
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Release Date: | September 18th, 2024 |
Writers: | Jay Kristoff, Tom Taylor |
Artists: | Tirso Cons, Riccardo Federici |
Cover Artist: | Tirso Cons |
Variant Covers: | Skylar Patridge, Riccardo Federici |
The harsh winter journey takes a surprising turn when a familiar face from the Kingdom of El crashes into Slade and his young yet powerful charge, Alec Holland…but will Prince Bruce reveal himself to be friend or foe in their pursuit to end the Allwinter? And in the backup feature written by Tom Taylor, mastermind behind the Dark Knights of Steel universe, and drawn by Riccardo Federici—soldiers-turned-deserters Martha and Jonathan Kent find a new calling—protecting the miraculous child they rescued from a brutal Atlantean attack on the surface world. But in a kingdom that hates and fears those with extraordinary powers, how long will two mere mortals be able to keep the secrets of baby Arthur’s origins? | |
In this Elseworlds tale, since Superman’s biological Kryptonian parents are still very much alive when they arrive on Earth, he did not need to be raised by Martha and Jonathan Kent. Instead, it seems that the Kents adopted “a miraculous child” from Atlantis and raised him as their own instead.
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Aquaman Had a Very Different Life than Superman
But They’re Both from Two Worlds
People are usually defined by their childhoods, and Arthur Curry had a very different one from Clark Kent in the main DC Universe. Arthur Curry was the child of the queen of Atlantis and a lighthouse keeper. Despite wanting to be in Arthur’s life, Atlanna had to return to Atlantis as its queen. This left Arthur with a pretty big hole in his heart and a strange connection to the ocean that he didn’t truly understand. This was only made worse when Arthur’s father was killed, leaving Arthur entirely alone — until he was brought to Atlantis by one of his mother’s servants.
Superman’s childhood honestly couldn’t have been better. He grew up on a farm in a small town that he loved and was surrounded by a loving family. Every single bit of love and support that Clark got is what transformed him into Earth’s greatest superhero. In Dark Knights of Steel, since he still has his biological parents, he seems much the same: full of love and care for everyone he meets. So, while Superman hasn’t changed much, Aquaman should be nearly unrecognizable in this Elseworld, as he’ll have experienced the very same love and support from the Kents that made Superman into the hero that he is.
Aquaman Will Be a Completely Different Kind of Hero in Allwinter
Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter #1 Is Available July 17th, 2024
There’s no denying that Aquaman is a hero, but he’s a very different hero from Superman. He can be a lot more brutal at times, and he’s often torn between his responsibility as the King of Atlantis and as a hero of Earth. It’s unclear how many elements of that will be present in this version of the Justice League stalwart, but the one thing certain: the love of the Kents will undeniably transform Aquaman into an entirely different kind of hero in this new entry into the beloved Elseworld universe.
Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter #3 is available September 18th, 2024 from DC Comics!
Aquaman
