WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the story "Warworld Rising: Part One" from Action Comics #1030, by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Daniel Sampere, Adriano Lucas, and Dave Sharpe, on sale now
Superman's status as one of the last Kryptonians in the universe has always made him an especially important figure in the greater DC Universe. But things might be about to change on a serious level thanks to Superman's most recent discovery.
Superman and Superboy just encountered a number of ships from Warworld -- with one, in particular, seeming to contain a number of Kryptonians.
Superman has been adjusting to an ever-changing world and his evolving role in it, ranging from the world knowing his secret identity to working alongside his son Jon aka Superboy (who is poised to replace him as Superman in the coming months or years). Jon fears that day is coming sooner than anyone realizes, revealing that in the future timeline of the Legion of Super-Heroes, he's learned that the original Superman goes missing not long after the modern day. Jon is unsure if this is because the Man of Steel died in some unknown battle, or if he disappeared for other reasons. But despite these portents of disaster, Superman still throws himself into battle to protect the world, especially when a number of extraterrestrial vessels approach Earth.
Identifying them as Warworld ships, Superman and Superboy throw themselves into the fight, targeting numerous gunships. But to Superman's surprise, they aren't aiming at the Man of Steel -- but rather trying to destroy one of their own ships. Confused, Superman realizes that he can hear inside the ship, and recognizes that the crew is speaking Kryptonian. Bursting into the ship, Superman is shocked to find two warriors, defiant but still in chains, who appear to be of Kryptonian descent. This is a potentially massive change to the status quo of the DC Universe, as it appears there are indeed more Kryptonians alive in the universe.
Although only three figures can be seen on the ship as Superman flies into it, there could potentially be even more within the crashing vessel. This could lead to a massive influx in the Kryptonian population, which could be a serious boon (or potential threat) to the world. This turn of events also sets up many of the changes promised for the Man of Steel in Future State. The event, which looked into a potential future for the heroes and villains of the modern DC Universe, revealed that in the coming years Superman is forced to leave Earth after a massive international incident. After he relocated to Warworld and attempted to free the slave legions trapped there, Jon stepped into his father's shoes and became the Earth's new Superman.
This future also included a massive number of Kryptonians, as revealed in Superman: The House of El. In that story, which took place centuries after the present day, an entire heroic lineage descended from Superman works to protect the universe. The fact that these Kryptonian refugees seem to be from Warworld suggests that the day where Superman travels to the galactic gladiatorial world is coming sooner rather than later. The arrival of new Kryptonians also sets up how the House of El could expand and lead to multiple new Kryptonian heroes that could protect the universe centuries into the future.
This could be the beginning of the end for the current era of Superman, setting up an expansive and unexpected future for the Man of Steel and his family. In the process, the Earth might have to adjust to an increased Kryptonian population, which could draw the attention of figures like Zod back to Earth. No matter what happens, given the inherent potential of new Kryptonians on the planet, it can be guaranteed that the arrival of the Kryptonians carries some serious weight going forward.