A brief moment in the latest episode of Krypton pays homage to a iconic Superman scene that’s been recreated in numerous animated and live-action adaptations of the DC Comics hero. Nearly every Superman movie, TV show, or cartoon features the Man of Steel ripping opening his jacket and revealing the ‘S’ symbol on his costume at least once.
Superman’s legacy is at the heart of the Syfy series, which is centered around Superman’s grandfather, Seg-El (Cameron Cuffe). The first season focused on Seg and a time-traveling Adam Strange (Shaun Sipos) as they worked to preserve Superman’s legacy, which was supposedly being threatened by Brainiac (Blake Ritson). After Superman was erased from the timeline by General Zod (Colin Salmon), season 2 has drifted away from the Man of Steel to deal more directly with the threats posed by Zod, Brainiac, and Lobo (Emmet J. Scanlan).
In Krypton season 2, episode 7, titled “Zods and Monsters”, Seg and Nyssa (Wallis Day) go to the Fortress of Solitude and finally have Brainiac removed from his head. With Brainiac gone, Seg turns his attention to his son in a moment that finally returns Superman to the spotlight. Seg and Nyssa agree to give their son, Cor-Vex, a new name: “Jor-El”. This key moment confirms the identity of Superman’s grandmother and reveals that Jor-El has been a part of the show all along. Afterward, Seg, still enjoying being free of Brainiac, opens up his jacket to show off his shirt, which is marked with the emblem of the House of El, more famously known as Superman’s ‘S’ symbol.
Seg’s pose in this scene is clearly set up to resemble Clark Kent ripping open his jacket as he prepares to change into his “Superman” costume and save the day. The show is able to make a light-hearted reference to the classic Superman moment without having Seg dramatically take off his jacket and fly off into action.
Though season 2 has been light on direct references to Superman, the first season was full of them, particularly since his legacy formed the basis of the show’s original plot. Season 1 dropped numerous Easter eggs alluding not only to Superman, but to other major characters in the DC Universe, such as the Justice League. With Jor-El being officially introduced and the season nearing its end, it’s likely that the series will dig deeper into its connections to the Man of Steel as the war with Zod comes to a close and Superman is hopefully restored to the timeline.
