DC's Strongest Superhero Team Is Finally Reuniting Thanks To One Classic Hero's Disappearance

Published Sep 7, 2026, 11:59 PM EDT An experienced Editor representing Canada via ScreenRant's Team Anime, J.R. has been reading manga since the first printing of Shonen Jump in North America. This passion drove him to write about anime, manga, and manhwa since 2022, having recently served as Lead Anime Editor for ComicBook.com. His favorite moments in media coverage include reviewing the series premieres of Zom 100 and Bleach: TYBW Part 2 back-to-back and briefly meeting Junji Ito at a VIZ gallery event in 2023. Sign in to your ScreenRant account The days may be dwindling for DC Comics' hot superhero summer, but that hasn't stopped multiple thrilling arcs from setting off a chain reaction to be felt for months to come. On top of the main Trinity of the Absolute Universe reaching milestone events with Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman having climactic showdowns with everything from monstrous nemeses to literal gods, the super side of DC is going bananas with the Kingdom of Zod crossover's latest twist. In a reckless-yet-classic misadventure into the worlds of the past, the battle to stop Zod has landed Supergirl and Superboy in truly dangerous territory. But along with entertaining the readers with their adventures, the past's Clark Kent left an incredible legacy felt 1,000 years later, as anybody who's a fan of the Legion of Super-Heroes knows all too well. Legion of Super-Heroes #1 featuring the creative team of writer Joshua Williamson, artist Hayden Sherman, and colorist Tamra Bonvillain carries this legend into its most modern iteration, while conspicuously treating Superboy as just that: a legend who inspired DC's strongest team of the future. Yet, Superboy's latest disappearance through time opens up hypothetical possibilities for a brand-new adventure in the near (or far) future. Superboy's Latest Time Displacement Could Set Up Future Team-Up While Williamson certainly delivered on the promise of a team inspired by Superboy with Legion of Super-Heroes #1, there's nothing wrong with a little audacious hope that Superboy himself could find himself in their era. After all, the use of Booster Gold's time machine to go back to Krypton is a dangerous move by the resurrected Ursa, and the Kingdom of Zod storyline will need lasting consequences to keep its imminent ending from staging a perfectly happy ending. But more than merely being a convenient end goal in an attempt to predict the ending of Kingdom of Zod, Legion of Super-Heroes is reasonably setting up a spot for Superboy in its central team, at least, in theory. After all, the comic's early Silver Age-era ties explain the Legion's reiterated primary influence as Superboy, given that was how Clark met and joined them in 1958. From Garth Ranzz, aka Lightning Lad's Superboy shrine, worshiping a superhero whose existence is taboo and considered in doubt, to the first pages showcasing memories of "a young man who chose to help people", the idea of Superboy joining the team after it's fully assembled would make sense. After all, his sudden vanishing, without nearly as much focus on Superman, who has since returned to the present day, would add depth to Ayla Ranzz's skepticism about him even existing, beyond the current regime's laws against superheroics, and the deadly Persuaders enforcing them. It may not merely be censorship: Superboy may have been missing in time. But for now, it'll be an affair for several months ahead, as details about the second and third issues clearly indicate initial rough encounters between Lightning Lad and the likes of Brainiac 1 of 5 and Matter-Eater Lad, as well as a reckoning with his brother's true nature. Early Legion Members' Fantasies Will Soon Collide With Reality Regardless of whether Legion of Super-Heroes indeed incorporates Superboy as a full-circle nod to its foundations as a comic, its central characters are embarking on a collision course rather than a pure hero's journey. The Legion is not yet formed, with its members scattered for now. Lightning Lad believes his older brother, Mekt Ranzz aka Lightning Lord, is the superhero idol in whose footsteps he must follow, not realizing he's the culprit behind the murder of R.J. Brande, the comic's initial central mystery. Upcoming issue previews also indicate he'll soon clash with those investigating said murder as Lightning Lad must reckon with the truth surrounding his brother's actions and motives. For Lightning Lad in particular, fantasy is what has driven him to this point. The adventures of superheroes from the past are chronicled as if as banned fiction in the form of classic comic books, down to him notably looking at a copy of Absolute Wonder Woman #300, the picture of a world not without hope, indeed. He wants more than anything to be a superhero, despite the law and his familial connections complicating what it'll mean for him in his era. Metropolis · Daily Planet Edition SupermanTrivia Challenge 🌏OriginsLast son ☠VillainsKneel! ⚡PowersInvincible 🎥FilmsBelieve 💫LegacyHope UP, UP AND AWAY! → 01 Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet? AThanagar BKrypton CApokolips DOa ✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story. NEXT → 02 Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she? ADiana Prince BLana Lang CLois Lane DCat Grant ✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner. NEXT → 03 Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called? AKryptonite BVibranium CNth Metal DRed Sun Ore ✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness. NEXT → 04 In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor? AHenry Cavill BBrandon Routh CTom Welling DChristopher Reeve ✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman. NEXT → 05 Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he? ABrainiac BLex Luthor CDarkseid DDoomsday ✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror. NEXT → 06 After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up? AGotham City BMetropolis CSmallville, Kansas DCoast City ✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm. NEXT → 07 As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper? ADaily Planet BDaily Bugle CMetropolis Star DGotham Gazette ✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home. NEXT → 08 This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain? ABizarro BParasite CMetallo DGeneral Zod ✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013). ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories. REVEAL MY SCORE → Mission Complete Your Kryptonian Record / 8 Are you the Man of Steel — or still stuck in a phone booth? ↻ FLY AGAIN It seems perfectly clear that this arc of Legion of Super-Heroes isn't intended merely to point the spotlight at a more generically familiar legacy character, but win readers both new and old over by honoring the comic's history. It means seeing how Lightning Lad aligns himself and grows as a hero, and how Cosmic Boy fits into the coming events, while Saturn Girl's premonitions tease a far greater threat, where Brainiac One Million sends Cyborg Superman to snuff out their hopes of uniting. In terms of hope and reassuring them that their symbol isn't profaned by a supervillain clone, Superboy, whether sent to the future after thwarting total timeline destruction on Krypton, or by other means, would be a sight for sore eyes for the Legion of Super-Heroes. Legion of Super Heroes Release Date 2006 - 2008-00-00 Network The CW Directors Brandon Vietti, Tim Maltby, Lauren Montgomery Writers J. M. DeMatteis, Matt Wayne, Michael Jelenic, Amy Wolfram, Stan Berkowitz, Steven Melching, David Slack, Eddie Guzelian, Greg Weisman, Marty Isenberg, Keith Damron Cast Bumper Robinson Star Boy (voice) Janice Kawaye Young Lightning Lord (voice) Space Warrior / Ma Kent (voice)