It's a bird...it's a plane....it's....
....Superman swapping spit with a guy?
Yep. According to DC Comics, the franchise’s latest iteration of Superman, which features the son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, Jonathan, was revealed as bisexual in an announcement made Monday on National “Coming Out” Day.
First introduced over the summer, this new Man of Steel will feature a more progressive version of the iconic superhero, in which the spandex-wearing Kryptonian heir will battle evil villains while also tackling issues of politics and social justice.
And, apparently, locking lips with another dude.
Since coming ou- er, launching his own storyline in July, Jonathan Kent, better known as “Jon” in the new series, has already “combatted wildfires caused by climate change, thwarted a high school shooting and protested the deportation of refugees in Metropolis,” the New York Times gushes.
In one particularly nauseating scene, John confronts his father about not having done more to bring the world together to fight issues like “stupid borders” and global warming.
“It could be a place where every problem could be tackled if only the world would unite,” Jon blathers.
In this latest episode revealed Monday, which happens to be National 'Coming Out' Day (not that you knew or cared), Jon shares a kiss with his purple-haired male friend, Jay.
But even this isn't good enough for the progressive naysayers over at NPR, who argue that if DC Comics had wanted to actually impose progress on the DC Universe, they'd have queerified the original Superman, not the "supporting character" that is his son. Because apparently, demanding that an 80-plus-year-old superhero who boasts a long-established relationship with a woman suddenly reverse course and start jonesing for someone of the XY persuasion wouldn't be stupid at all.
"When you take a step back, the canny strategy DC Comics is employing here comes into sharper focus. They haven't queered their core characters, after all — no, those heavily licensed nuggets of intellectual property resist meaningful change because they must, especially if they're to keep paying out dividends by, among other things, getting printed onto kids' bedsheets," NPR complains.
Proving that in the end, just like a good old fashioned villain, nothing but a total takeover will be good enough for the uber-progressive crowd.