Superman has become the worst member of the Justice League in the latest issue of DC: MECH.. In a world where weaponized mech suits have become the predominant power in the face of the war machines of Apokolips, this new Justice League based in the Pacific Rim has yet to become a squadron of pilots, except for Kal-El who has just arrived on planet Earth. Believing himself to be humanity’s hero without having spent much time on his own world, this new series has demonstrated how crucial Superman’s upbringing as Clark Kent is to his main character in the DCU.
Previously in Kenny Porter and Baldemar Rivas’ DC: MECH, Darkseid’s forces arrived on Earth at the end of World War II, destroying the Justice League of America and ending the Age of Heroes. Instead, the raw power was transformed into mech suits designed to defend against a future attack that was arguably far more devastating than the first. However, Kal-El arrived on Earth in a Kryptonian mech suit, offering his aid to Earth’s greatest aeronauts and confirming that his parents sent him to Krypton to ensure that Darkseid could not destroy another world as he had done to theirs.
Considering that Kal-El was greeted with a mix of open arms and suspicion depending on the pilot, the Kryptonian doesn’t do himself any favors in the new DC: MECH 3. In the new issue, Kal-El and Batman were supposed to share leadership of their new team, consisting of Princess Diana and Barry Allen, as well as Hal Jordan and Jon Stewart, who co-pilot the Immature Lantern robot. However, Superman is incredibly careless. Believing that only he can prevent Earth from suffering the same fate as his homeland. As a result, his teammates are less than enthusiastic about their efforts, and they are nearly killed while causing massive damage.
Unfortunately, the spontaneous intervention doesn’t do much to change this alternate Superman’s tactics, as he almost immediately goes off on his own to save Steve Trevor’s forces who are losing their battle in space against Kalibak, one of Darkseid’s generals. Not wanting to lose anyone else, Kal-El believes he is the only one who can save Earth, putting not only his team but himself in danger. In short, it’s a personality flaw for Superman, which gives the new version of Kal-El a flaw that’s quite unique to him. However, his defeat at the hands of one of Darkseid’s long-range Omega Beams results in his mechanical destruction by none other than Smallville, saving John and Martha Kent.
Kal-El looks like he’ll be returning to his Clark Kent roots to some extent in the upcoming issues, albeit in a somewhat old-school approach where he’s already fighting as a hero. Hopefully, the human duo will be able to show Kal-El some love if he helps him understand that he can’t save the world alone. Either way, that’s what this new Superman must understand to become a true member of this alternate Justice League.
The latest issue of DC: MECH is on sale.
