Superman's Savage Redesign Changes His Connection to Humanity

In the DC Universe, Superman is held up as a beacon of humanity. But surprisingly, it's his new Jurassic League dinosaur doppelganger that has a better connection with the people of Earth.

The Jurassic League reimagines classic DC characters as superpowered dinosaurs. This bizarre world includes regular dinosaurs as well as primitive humans. The villainous dinosaurs, which include dino versions of the Joker, Bizarro, and Black Manta, are abducting humans for a nefarious purpose involving a mysterious Dark Embryo. All the while, dino versions of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman try to stop them.

Not surprisingly, the dino version of Superman, called Supersaur, has a similar origin to his human counterpart. He was sent away from a dying planet and crash-landed on Earth, where he was adopted by primitive humans and raised to be considered one of their own. In The Jurassic League #2 by Juan Gedeon and Daniel Warren Johnson, it's revealed that Supersaur stands apart from the dino version of Batman because he can actually understand the human’s language. Having been raised among humans, Supersaur can communicate with both humanity and the superpowered dinosaurs. This language barrier has been frustrating for the dino Batman, who saved a human child and has been unable to communicate with him.

This language skill makes Superman not just an adopted member of humanity, but the sole bridge between them and the powerful dinosaurs with who they co-exist. It's as if a large society of Kryptonians also existed on Earth in DC's main reality, with Superman as the lone member who can speak to humanity on their behalf and vice versa. Given that the Jurassic League is assembling against a huge dino threat, Superman's role as an ambassador for humanity makes him vitally important. This is a fascinating new twist on his status as an adopted 'human,' and one that gives him a different kind of power and responsibility.

This changed dynamic is a subtle but an important difference between Supersaur and Clark Kent, even as it reflects on the original Man of Steel. Ultimately, any new version of a hero is an interpretation of the themes and ideas core to the character. In Superman's case, while Clark Kent may not be literally mediating between humans and Kryptonians on a daily basis, he is a symbolic expression of the best humanity can be. In this way, Supersaur's ability to speak to both humans and dinosaurs says something essential about Superman's purpose in seeking peace, and the foundational sense of teamwork and acceptance that the Justice League needs for its very different heroes to unite together against planetary threats like the Dark Embryo.

Superman Has a Chilling Explanation for Why He Doesn't Help Everyone

While he's capable of solving the world's problems, that doesn't mean that Superman is willing to. The Man of Steel spelled out the fine line he has to walk in order to prevent himself from negatively affecting humanity.

When baby Kal-El was rocketed to Earth to avoid the destruction of Krypton, his father knew that the boy would one day grow up to possess amazing powers that would practically make him a god among the population. While he's far from the only hero on Earth, there's enough evidence to argue that Superman is the most powerful DC hero around. Clark has come a long way from his days of being able to run faster than a speeding bullet or leap tall buildings in a single bound. Superman's powers have advanced to the point where, if he so desired, he could solve all of Earth's problems for good.

And yet, despite knowing that he could, Clark actually refuses to eliminate every problem on Earth, though he isn't without his reasons. He was forced to admit this to Kyle Rayner after the hero received a power boost thanks to wielding the power of Ion. In Judd Winnick and Doug Eaglesham’s Green Lantern #149, Kyle Rayner has become more powerful than ever before and effortlessly shows off his new power to the JLA. The Green Lantern effortlessly stops an alien invasion all on his own before the League can even form a response. Superman takes it upon himself to talk to the young hero, letting him know that Green Lantern is actually doing too good a job with his new powers. Clark explains to Kyle that their power is meant to stop evil forces too powerful for regular people. Anything more than that robs humanity of its independence.

To prove his point, Superman shows Green Lantern how, in just a small period of time, Kyle already has people worshipping him as a god online. To be fair, even Superman admits there are a number of churches who worship him, though he credits that more to the time he's spent working as a hero. Still, Clark shed an interesting light on how he operates. As much as he may want to, Superman has to let humanity work things out for themselves.

He may just be one hero among many, but there is little to no doubt that the most beloved hero in the DC Universe is Superman. But for all the people who look up to him, Clark knows that he has to do what's best for them. As easy as it would be for him to solve society's ills, it would rob the people he cares for of their purpose and growth. Clark loves the Earth and its cultures more than anything. The last thing he would want to do is change it. It's a hard line to walk and no doubt difficult to accept sometimes, but Superman can't solve the problems of the world if it thinks it deserves its own identity.

Spider-Man's Symbol Has Officially Become The Opposite of Superman's

Marvel's Spider-Man has a symbol that stands for the complete opposite of Superman's own, as the image of Miles Morales has been corrupted and twisted in a dark, dystopian future. The symbol has come to mean many different things in Marvel's New York: triumph for citizens and arrogance for the press, namely J Jonah Jameson. Now in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #39, the spider symbol stands for fear and oppression - for some very tragic reasons.

In previous issues, Miles Morales successfully defeated his doppelgängers in a Clone Saga of his very own. Unlike Peter Parker's infamous Clone Saga in the 90s, Miles was forced to contend with three: leader Selim, psychic Mindspinner and the impossibly-strong Shift. Miles eventually swayed Shift to his side and subsequently dispatched Mindspinner and Selim - or so he thought. Traveling to a dark future timeline, Miles and Shift were shocked to see Selim as the new ruler of Brooklyn, known now as the Empire of the Spider.

In Miles Morales: Spider-Man #39, written by Saladin Ahmed with art by Alberto Foche, Miles and Shift link up with the small resistance movement that fights back against Selim and his troops. Ganke, now a much older resistance leader, tells Miles about his younger sister Billie, now a fighter herself. "All that evil crap Selim did...he did it under that spider symbol" says Ganke. Billie grew up around the oppression of the Empire of the Spider - and learned to hate the symbol, along with everyone else.

This is in sharp contrast to the emblem of Superman, which stands as a symbol for hope in the DC Universe (in some continuities, the symbol is the Kryptonian symbol for hope as well as the House of El family crest). Miles Morales has always been a hopeful character, and despite his age, often makes more mature decisions than Peter Parker. Unfortunately Selim has accomplished what no other clone has before: drag Spider-Man's name through the mud and teach citizens to fear even the possibility of his presence.

This could very well be a deceitful tactic on Selim's part. If Miles were ever to threaten the Empire, Selim has made absolutely sure that Miles' costume and powers would fail utterly to inspire the people. Miles, who has a generally good relationship with the people of New York, would fall into despair. But giving up in the face of overwhelming odds is not Miles Morales' style, nor is it Superman's - and thus despite his symbol being used against him, this Spider-Man is still as much of a hero as the Man of Steel.