WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 1 of Jupiter's Legacy, streaming now on Netflix.
Netflix's Jupiter's Legacy spends most of Season 1 dealing with the Code that the Utopian/Sheldon (Josh Duhamel) created for the Union since inception in the 1920s. He doesn't want them interfering with world politics to become gods amongst men, and more so, he doesn't want them ever killing, even in self-defense. This last principle leads to a lot of moral, ethical and philosophical debates, and in the process, the show addresses a crucial aspect of the generational superhero trope.
In the battle early on against a cloned Blackstar, Utopian's son, Brandon, punches through the tyrant's head, killing him. Sheldon berates him for this, punishing Brandon throughout the season for not sticking rigidly to the Code. But as the eight episodes progress, many others begin to understand why the Code has to be broken and the no-kill policy is obsolete. It literally puts them in danger as Blackstar would have killed Sheldon, plus Baryon also killed a couple other heroes, including Janna, later on.
Even Sheldon's wife, Grace, wants the Code to be amended as Janna died in her arms, causing grave concern as many youngsters are at risk. And it has to do with something most superheroes don't address: villain evolution. When Sheldon and Co. first got their powers, they were the only ones with these abilities, so they didn't need to kill or worry about lethal threats, other than themselves.
But as the decades progressed, modernization, science and technological advancements have created literal monsters who can go toe-to-toe with the seniors, much less the juniors. Baryon, for example, can shoot energy beams, while Blackstar has an antimatter heart that can generate deadly blasts and pulses, to the point that it takes teams to go after just one of them.
The show never reveals how the other metahumans, like the matter-manipulating Barnabas Wolfe, came about, but again, it all reiterates that the times have changed and heroes should too. If their enemies are becoming weapons of mass destruction and killing the new breed easily, they simply need to readjust their strategies and tactics.
It's a grey line the Avengers or Justice League walk on film or in comics, as they seem to kill when convenient, and it's something Sheldon should have considered to keep the peace. It's not surprising he ignores this, as he doesn't even remember people's names -- just their superhero code names -- which creates an arcane foundation that can no longer apply. Even Jack Hobbs tells Sheldon in therapy that the cost of killing might have mattered years ago, but now that has to adjust in the interest of self-preservation, which is why Brandon, the second Flare, and Co. are seemingly ready to turn on the leader.
Netflix's Jupiter's Legacy stars Josh Duhamel as The Utopian, Ben Daniels as Brainwave, Leslie Bibb as Lady Liberty, Elena Kampouris as Chloe Sampson, Andrew Horton as Brandon Sampson, Mike Wade as The Flare, Anna Akana as Raikou and Matt Lanter as Skyfox. Season 1 is available on Netflix now.