As more marketing rolls out for Season 2 of Superman & Lois, fans are anxious to see how Kal-El (Tyler Hoechlin) will be tested. Previews indicate he'll be clashing with Lt. Mitch Anderson, a new and more tunnel-visioned version of Sam Lane. And given some pretty incriminating photos, it does seem like Anderson will be corrupting the Man of Steel's symbol and be bringing about the apocalypse.
In the photos, Anderson is flanked by two soldiers wearing the House of El sigil. Now, it could be they're just fanboys, but one has to wonder why the military would wear such emblems. And given that Anderson will be pushing the America first initiative and comes from an egotistical place that could see him thinking America's soldiers are Supermen compared to the rest of the world, it could be him forming a take on DC's Supermen of America.
The group first appeared in 1999 from creator Stuart Immonen as Lex Luthor's answer to the Man of Steel. He empowered his own legion, where Anderson had magnetic powers and was known as Outburst, but they soon ran afoul of Kal-El due to differing ideologies. He didn't like how they corrupted his symbol, being more aggressive in the field, and now, it feels like this will be subverted on The CW to have Anderson in charge of similar soldiers.
In Season 1, seeing as the army had Superman's evil brother, Tal-Rho, under green kryptonite, it shouldn't come as a shock if some sinister scientists, maybe even under the eye of Lex Luthor, harnessed his DNA secretly and are now splicing into soldiers to give America the next evolution of superhumans. It would fit the experimental aspect of the show, as Season 1 had Tal using humans as Kryptonian vessels, and prove to Superman his sibling was right all along in that mankind couldn't be trusted.
But there's also another apocalypse to factor in -- the one John Irons and Natasha saw in their reality. There, Kal-El rose up with his Kryptonians and razed America, killing that Earth's Lois in the process, which could be repeated if the good Superman tries to bring Kryptonians back to even the odds.
Should he and Jon need allies, they could reconfigure tech from the Fortress of Solitude or remnants of the Eradicator from Tal-Rho's cave and push them to become what Zod was -- a defender conditioned out of desperation. The rise of this army could then send John and Nat into a panic because they think history is doomed to repeat itself, with Superman's new army ready to reboot this reality based on how far Anderson pushes them. Either way, loyalties will be tested and Kal-El's character will come into play more than ever because, as much as he tries to prevent collateral damage, if Lois or the boys are harmed, he may break his code to teach Anderson, America and any other opposition a harsh lesson.
To see if Anderson brings about the apocalypse, Superman & Lois Season 2 premieres Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.