DC’s New Superman Release Rewrites Clark Kent’s Powers
Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for My Adventures With Superman season 3, episode 5
DC Studios has rewritten Clark Kent’s Kryptonian powers in a pretty fascinating way, thanks to its newest Superman release. As seen in My Adventures with Superman season 3, the show continues to lean into its major anime inspirations, allowing the Man of Steel to “level up” his abilities to even greater heights in moments of great need.
Since the beginning of the animated HBO Max series, the show has embraced these bioelectric surges of power for Superman, allowing him to become even stronger than normal when those he cares about are threatened. It’s an incredibly unique power, one that might also be specific to Kal-El, as previous episodes in the series have even seen Supergirl surprised by her cousin’s impressive ability.
That being said, the new My Adventures With Superman season 3, episode 5 has changed Jack Quaid’s version of Superman more dramatically than ever before. While Superman has never been more powerful in this animated continuity, it seems to have come at a pretty high cost in the aftermath.
Superman Just Put His Kryptonian Powers Into Overdrive (Overcoming Kryptonite Itself)
Superman’s major battle against Hank Henshaw’s rogue Cyborg Superman is easily one of the biggest showcases of power we’ve seen yet in My Adventures with Superman.
Taking on Kal-El, Kara, and even Superman’s future son Jon Kent, Henshaw’s unleashed a series of brutal kryptonite attacks that left Clark severely incapacitated by his classic weakness, and every strike saw the deadly green rock growing and crystallizing out from his wounds (even from one of his eyes). While it initially seemed as though Clark was powerless to stop Henshaw from killing his loved one, Superman is shown tapping into the reserves of his power like he never has before.
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?
✓ 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.
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?
✓ 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.
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?
✓ 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.
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?
✓ 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.
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?
✓ 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.
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?
✓ 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.
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?
✓ 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.
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?
✓ 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.
Mission Complete Your Kryptonian Record
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Are you the Man of Steel — or still stuck in a phone booth?
Crackling and covered with blue electricity, Superman’s eyes glow blue as the kryptonite literally explodes out from his body as he’s restored beyond his regular power levels. Now able to shrug off Henshaw’s ongoing kryptonite attacks, Superman ultimately brings the Cyborg Superman’s devastation to an end.
All in all, the sequence felt heavily inspired by modern anime themes and tropes, emphasizing Kal-El’s heightened determination and emotions as a major catalyst for even greater power, pushing him into absolute overdrive with his Kryptonian abilities and overcoming his primary weakness. That said, the bio-electricity still feels rooted in the original comics, particularly arcs from the 1990’s that similarly experimented with new Superman powers. However, this major victory doesn’t come without consequences. After all, My Adventures With Superman season 3, episode 5 is titled “The Death of Superman” for a reason.
Did Superman Just Burn Out His Powers For Good?
Although Kal-El survived and won his battle with Cyborg Superman, the aftermath quickly confirms that something is wrong with his powers. Clark can no longer fly, use his heat vision, or use any of his usual abilities as Superman. As he tells Lois, Kal-El thinks he used too much of his power at once, and now his abilities have effectively burned out. By all accounts, Superman seems to be no more, hence the episode title. All that remains is Clark Kent.
Now, My Adventures With Superman season 3 is in a position to have Kal-El truly experience what it means to be human. While that will be an interesting arc in its own right, it’s still likely that Superman and his friends will eventually find a way to get his powers back at some point, either through major solar exposure, new Kryptonian technology, or something else entirely.
Until then, though, all we’ve got is Clark Kent, which may prove problematic in the long run, seeing how threats from the future remain, as teased at the very end of this new episode. At any rate, it should be pretty fun to see Clark Kent having to adjust to his new status quo as a regular human in the episodes to come.
New episodes of My Adventures With Superman season 3 release Saturday nights on Adult Swim and streaming next day on HBO Max.
