WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Future State: Superman of Metropolis #2 by Sean Lewis, John Timms, Gabe Eltaeb & Dave Sharpe, on sale now.
With his father exiled from planet Earth following some mysterious and undisclosed event, Jon Kent has been forced to step up and carry on the ideals of Superman for the Earth of Future State. But just because he has the powers doesn't mean he's earned the title, after all, it takes more than super strength and invulnerability to be Superman.
In Future State: Superman of Metropolis #2, Jon Kent just defeated Brain Cells and helped restore Metropolis, but it's what he does after that finally defines him as a fitting inheritor to the role of Superman.
Jon Kent may have inherited the powers and title of Superman from his father, but his battle with Brain Cells -- the new variant of Brainiac -- has proven that he's still growing into the role. Brain Cells accuses him of being too weak to protect Metropolis and too driven by fear to be an effective hero like his father. Jon seems to agree on some level, as he spends part of the issue dealing with his own doubts over his potential effectiveness -- a point hammered home by duplicates of Superman that berate and belittle Jon's efforts. But with the bottled Metropolis at risk, Jon is able to overcome his doubts and -- with some last-minute help from Superwoman -- fight back against Brain Cells to save the city.
Jon and Kara spare Brain Cells and force him to help them reverse the shrinking technology used on Metropolis, allowing Jon to restore the city to its proper size. Jon decides he owes Metropolis for all the fear and trouble he's caused. He helps repair the unintentional damage he caused to Metropolis. He also confronts his own fears of failure, and even opens up about them with the public, giving a heartfelt speech to the people of Metropolis where he promises to always serve them. While his father may have been the Superman of the world, Jon will dedicate himself to protecting the city and truly becomes the Superman of Metropolis.
This is a powerful moment for Jon, with the young new hero finally seeming to find his own drive to be a hero. While he may still carry on his father's legacy, his mission to protect Metropolis gives him his own personal drive and cause. It's a perfect step for Jon to make towards becoming his own man. This moment shows how Jon becomes the more comfortable and assured Superman who appears in Future State: Justice League and Future State: Superman/Wonder Woman. With Jon already confirmed to become a legendary figure in the future cosmology of the DC Universe, it's exciting to see how he truly embraces his role and proves himself worthy of the title.
And it's clear that Metropolis agrees. Even after all the chaos caused by his shrinking of the city, the populace is more than happy to greet Jon and even celebrate him after he makes the announcement. It's a huge step forward for the hero to make, and it sets Jon up to be the next great defender of the world.