Issue 38 of Superman will close the book’s current story arc and debut a “dangerous” new power that will have “consequences” for the Man of Steel going forward.
Update: DC has revealed that Superman’s new power will be called “Super Flare.” While the publisher still hasn’t confirmed exactly what it will be, the “flare” portion of the name could definitely point to it being similar to a solar flare. This makes even more sense when you consider that Superman’s powers are powered by solar radiation.
Original Story: Issue 38 of Superman will release tomorrow and, with it, the comic’s current storyline, The Men of Tomorrow, will be coming to an end. Rather than letting the arc fizzle out however, writer Geoff Johns and artist John Romita Jr. intend to finish it with a very literal bang. According to reports that surfaced yesterday, the latest entry in DC’s New 52 take on the Man of Steel will see the character receive a new, potentially “negative” power.
“It’s definitely the most destructive power Superman has. And he’s not exactly excited about it because it is so dangerous and there are consequences,” said Johns. “It’s not going to be suddenly he can levitate things. It’s something that is going to be very unstable and something that Superman’s going to have to deal with for quite a while.” The new ability, showcased in a piece of preview art, appears to involve Superman emitting an explosive force that’s so powerful it can be seen from outer space.
The power in question will surface during the character’s climactic battle with Ulysses, a new opponent that debuted during the current arc. The other man in The Men of Tomorrow, Ulysses has been portrayed largely as a mirror of Superman, sharing a similar origin story and power set. The end of issue 37 brought the two, quite dramatically, into conflict.
Issue 38 won’t just introduce a new power either. The comic will apparently also end with Superman adopting a new costume closer in appearance to the one worn by Henry Cavill in Man of Steel. It will also feature the first appearance of Batman as drawn by Romita. All in all, it looks like it will be an eventful close to what has been a supremely solid storyline.
Source: USA Today
