Daniel Mercer
The thrilling conclusion of season three of My Adventures with Superman wrapped up with the episode titled “The Return.” As with previous season finales, this episode featured an epic showdown where our heroes band together to protect the world from imminent threats. A recurring theme was highlighted once again: the importance of family.
In this climactic battle, Jonathan and Lara Lane, the time-traveling offspring of Clark and Lois from a dystopian future, join forces with Kara and ARGUS to confront the formidable Eradicator, an advanced android created by Lex Luthor. As revealed in the previous episode “Vae Victus,” the Eradicator has utilized Jonathan’s watch to traverse time and has returned equipped with a wealth of tactical and combat experience. While the team struggles to fend off the Eradicator, Clark ventures back to the Fortress of Solitude in search of a way to regain his lost powers.
Co-showrunner Jake Wyatt, who penned “Vae,” shared with io9 the challenges the team faced in crafting this season. Initially, they believed they had explored enough of Krypton’s lore and could shift focus to other storylines. Clark’s unintentional loss of powers shifted the narrative towards themes of power. Wyatt noted, “When we pondered the question, ‘How does Clark regain his powers?,’ it became clear we needed to revisit Krypton.”
In “Vae,” Clark encounters a pure, untainted version of Brainiac residing within the Fortress’ steward robots. Brainiac agrees to restore Clark’s powers, but only if he can demonstrate his worthiness through a challenging historical lesson. The narrative delves into the origins of Krypton, revealing that the original Kryptonians, once as powerless as Clark, fought against a group of Coluan refugees—an alien race known for creating Brainiac. This conquest marked the beginning of Kryptonian imperialism, utilizing the defeated Coluans’ technology to build their empire.
During our interview, Wyatt expressed that “Vae” was inspired by his admiration for the 1982 film Conan the Barbarian. In this adventurous narrative, Clark must reclaim his abilities under dire conditions, including the real threat of death in the simulation should he fail. This danger becomes apparent when a Coluan soldier attacks him despite his diplomatic efforts, nearly costing Clark his life.
Rather than succumbing to anger, Clark chooses to spare the soldier’s life, opting instead to return him to his fellow Coluans, only to discover that they are refugees. This transformative experience forces Clark to confront the fundamental principles of his own people and ultimately triumphs by adhering to his ethical standards without resorting to violence. Despite Old Brainiac’s push to eliminate the refugees, Clark successfully upholds his promise, navigating a moral victory. It is revealed that the soldier he spared eventually became Brainiac, whose consciousness was transformed into an artificial intelligence, serving as an “eternal servant of the empire.”
Ultimately, Clark persuades the Steward to restore his powers. Rejuvenated as Superman, he joins forces with Bizarro and the others to confront the Eradicator, who has taken on the guise of General Zod, a notorious adversary of Superman. With five Kryptonian heroes united on screen, My Adventures with Superman showcases its first complete Superfamily, a delightful surprise that was cleverly concealed in the season’s early promotional material.
Selecting the family members featured in the finale was a meticulous process. Wyatt disclosed that the scripts and outlines initially included a broader range of characters before narrowing down the cast. Among those omitted were detailed versions of Power Girl and Conner Kent, the original non-Clark Superboy. The mention of Kon in marketing materials likely contributed to some confusion among fans. In a typical superhero narrative, the consolidation of similar characters is commonplace, leading to the current Jonathan adopting traits from Conner as a solution to include both Superboys in a cohesive manner.
“[Conner and Power Girl] had to be completely removed from the season after the script phase, as we lacked the time to adequately explore all the ideas we had,” Wyatt expressed with regret. “The season could have been twice as long with all the content we considered.”
According to Wyatt and Clogher, this season was an immense undertaking, and they felt the team truly pushed boundaries and explored innovative ideas. As of now, there’s no confirmation regarding a fourth season of My Adventures with Superman, but if it happens, they have “plans” for Steel, another potential Superman successor featured in the “Reign of the Superman” storyline that the series is adapting. The season’s final moments hint at additional storylines yet to unfold.
With the defeat of the Eradicator, Jon and Lara return to their future, while the remaining heroes take a moment to unwind after averting the crisis. At the farm, Lois inquires about how Clark reclaimed his powers. He mentions making a pact with Rau, the living sun within the Fortress. The ominous flashes of him being engulfed in flames and his vague assertion of “no [price] I wasn’t willing to pay” raises questions about the implications of this deal. Could this agreement be linked to the mysterious observations Lex made with his interstellar satellites that prompted him to create the Eradicator?
Answers to these questions will remain elusive until the future of My Adventures with Superman is confirmed. For now, all three seasons are available for streaming on HBO Max.
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Ethan Carter
