Warning: Spoilers for DC Power 2024 #1!
Val-Zod, one of the more underrated versions of Superman, is rejecting Clark Kent’s legacy in favor of carving out one for himself. Val is the Superman of Earth-2 who succeeds a fallen Clark in the essential role. Despite having big shoes to fill, he has truly adapted, becoming an epic hero in his own right — even if he doesn’t love all the so-called luxuries of being the official Man of Steel.
Val-Zod — the Superman of Earth-2 — expounds on the burden of being Superman in a story from DC Power 2024 #1, “Pure Blackness” by John Ridley and Edwin Galmon. The story serves as a meditation on Val-Zod’s character directly through his perspective, analyzing what life is like to be his version of Superman, all while carrying the symbol of another.
The qualities of being Superman that came easily for Clark actually feel suffocating for Val-Zod. However, rather than hindering his performance, it’s something that helps Val become a different Superman rather than just another carbon copy.
Superman’s Metropolis Home Base Doesn’t Make Sense for His Powers
Superman has long been synonymous with the city Metropolis, but Kryptonians thrive in the sun, and plenty of DC locales offer a lot more of it.
Val-Zod Embraces a Unique Version of Superman’s Legacy
In his origin story, Val-Zod is someone who was thrust into the responsibilities of Superman before he was ever ready or wanted them. At a time when the original Superman was thought to have turned evil (it turned out to be a clone who wound up killing Clark), Val emerged as a sheltered pacifist pushed into heroism as Earth’s last hope for survival. “Pure Blackness” paints Val as, in many ways, still being that same young man who prefers solitude to action, and he struggles to find meaning in being “just a symbol.”
Superman speaks in-depth about adopting the mantle from Clark Kent, but only ever being seen and treated as the symbol he carries instead of a full and complex person. Then, when his symbol doesn’t live up to expectations, he’s under scrutiny. He hasn’t accepted hero worship like Clark did before him. “I don’t want any of it,” he monologues. He just wants to be left alone and merely exist in “pure blackness.” However, he can’t, and instead of running from responsibilities, he embraces that which makes him different.
Val-Zod Knows He’s a Different Kind of Superman
From a storytelling perspective, it’s evident that much of the story’s subtext speaks to Val as a Black man, addressing the real elephant in the room: for the most part, in-universe citizens and real-life readers alike view him as merely a “Black Superman.” This story reiterates how he’s not only so much more than that, but how embracing what makes him different is what makes him unique. Clark Kent and even his son Jon need other people in their lives. Val, though, is different — but accepting what makes him different from others sharing the Superman name will allow him to reach his potential as a fresh take on Superman.
DC Power 2024 #1 is available now from DC Comics.
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