Warning! Spoilers for Superman: Birthright
In a twist on Superman’s origin story, it’s revealed that his Kryptonian parents Jor-El and Lara knew he would become a superhero someday. While the Els typically don’t know what Kal-El’s destiny holds for him when he leaves Krypton, one story gave the couple some closure.
Although he is the DC Universe’s most hopeful superhero, Kal-El’s journey began with tragedy. As Krypton abruptly came to an end, Jor-El and Lara sent their baby boy to a distant solar system where he could be the last of his kind, but still live a semi-normal life. Unsure of his fate, the Kryptonian couple were left with hope that the ship would successfully make the trip. Even though Clark Kent grows up to have access to an artificial intelligence version of his father in the Fortress of Solitude, Jor-El never had the same advantage to see his son. Considering that Krypton is many centuries ahead of Earth’s technology, a specific iteration of Superman’s origin story purposed that Jor-El would be able to see Kal-El’s future.
When Superman saves Metropolis for the first time, the moment is broadcasted through Kryptonian technology to Jor-El and Lara on Krypton. The emotional moment comes in the final pages of Superman: Birthright, written by Mark Waid with art by Leinil Francis Yu. Immediately after sending their infant son Kal-El to Earth as Krypton is destroyed, the two parents see an image of him grown up on a screen. Superman is able to communicate for just a moment with his birth parents, telling him that he survived the journey to Earth, before the transmission is disrupted by Krypton’s destruction.
The brief glimpse into their son’s adult self is a bittersweet conclusion to Superman: Birthright, bookending the reimagined origin story with Clark’s biological parents. Often, Jonathan and Martha Kent receive the spotlight in origin stories, with the House of El remaining distant and alien. Since Kal-El is on a quest to learn about his true biological heritage, Waid’s take on the iconic tale shifts the narrative and balances both sets of parents.
Unfortunately, the heart wrenching scene hasn’t resonated with any retellings of Superman’s origin since Birthright. The cinematic closing to the graphic novel should be worth a live action adaptation, as it is fit for a film such as Man of Steel or a series like Superman & Lois. Comics frequently give the Kents a sense of peace about their son’s destiny as Superman, but only Mark Waid has done the same for Jor-El and Lara.
