WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for Man of Steel #4 by Brian Michael Bendis, Kevin Maguire, Jason Fabok, and Alex Sinclair, in stores now.


Man of Steel has pitted Superman against the out of control, genocidal alien powerhouse Rogol Zaar as he seeks to wipe out the last remaining Kryptonians in the universe. He is getting close to fulfilling his goal after destroying the city of Kandor and taking the fight to both Superman and Supergirl in the streets of Metropolis. However, in Man of Steel #4, Rogol Zaar turns his attention to a new target: Jonathan Kent.

Following their epic battle, Superman and the alien warlord meet in the ruins of the Fortress of Solitude, and Rogol Zaar asks him if he has any children. If this villain is to truly "cleanse" the cosmos of Krypton, his attention will have to eventually turn to the child Superboy, but it appears someone has decided to intercede. Earlier in the issue, we see this persons finally step out of the shadows to reveal they're none other than Jor-El, Superman's father, and he's come to take his grandson, presumably to safety.

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A Father Returns for the Son

Mr-Oz-Superman-Action-Comics-Jor-El

The main feature in Man of Steel may focus on Superman's conflict with this new villain, with the bulk of each issue drawn by a different artist, but a second story has been unfolding at the same time. Each issue contains a two-page sequence drawn by Jason Fabok regarding the arrival of a mysterious presence. Lois Lane and Superboy are secretly missing, but what exactly happened to them has been slowly unfolding over the last few weeks. In the fourth issue of the series, it is revealed that Jor-El paid the Kents a visit, and he is hoping to take possession of Jon.

The Kryptonian grandfather has, of course, recently shown up in various Superman stories. During Dan Jurgen's run on Action Comics it was revealed that Jor-El had been plucked from time at the exact moment of Krypton's destruction. Doctor Manhattan is believe to have spared him and sent him to Earth for some as-yet unraveled reason, where he experienced the very worst humanity had to offer before ultimately determining that Superman must abandon the human race. Jor-El was mysteriously pulled away again and has not been seen since.

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His reemergence just as Rogol Zaar is coming for the last remaining Kryptonians should not be considered a coincidence. The alien warlord revealed that he knew Jor-El well before the planet's destruction. If Superman's father is back, here and now, it is because he knows what his son is up against, and he is here to help. As misguided as Jor-El previously was, he always meant to do what was in the best interest of his grandson.

What we might soon learn is that Jor-El came to his son in order to keep his family safe from harm before Rogol Zaar had a chance to hurt them. It has been hinted that Lois and Jon have not been seen in public for quite some time, and people are getting curious. Kal-El—as both Superman and Clark Kent—seems to have no knowledge of their location, though memories continue to flood back from time to time. It's why that part of the plot has been so slow to be revealed: Superman doesn't remember. It is possible that Jor-El hid them from danger, and also made sure that Superman knows nothing about their location.

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The Redemption of a Superman

Back in the days of the New 52, a mysterious figure by the name of Mr. Oz was spotted watching over the actions of Superman. He finally made his move in the Rebirth era of Superman comics, leading the way to the reunification of Superman stories, and the manipulation of certain key events within the DC Universe. He kidnapped Tim Drake, imprisoned Mr. Mxyzptlk, abducted Doomsday, and it was all a setup for the coming threat that the long unseen Doctor Manhattan imposed over the universe.

Mr. Oz was revealed to be Superman's own father, saved from the destruction of Krypton in order to manipulate Kal-El and make him question his place in the world. It was a very personal and powerful attack on the Man of Steel, but it was also an effective one. Not only did it hurt Superman, but Jor-El himself as well. Sent to Earth, he was placed in the absolute worst place in the world, and saw the horrors that humanity is capable of committing upon each other. It hardened him, until he no longer believed in everything his son had come to represent.

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Instead of truth and justice, Jor-El believed in isolation and determined that violence for violence was the only way to deal with humanity. He created a cell of terrorists that worked to topple civilization and sow the seeds of distrust in whole populations in an effort to prove to Superman how unworthy they were of his protection. The once heroic and iconic figure that Jor-El represented, the parent who sacrificed everything in the hopes his child might have a chance to live, was dead. In his place was a warped and confused monster.

If Brian Michael Bendis has chosen to bring Jor-El back, it's for a very specific reason. All the evidence points to a redemption arc that will see him fix his relationship with his family and finally coming to understand how great his son has become, and how important his message is to humanity. They can explain it away any way they want. Kryptonite poisoning was previously used to dismiss Supergirl's erratic behavior in the past. Considering Jor-El has a big wound in his head filled with Kryptonite, it's a fairly simple way to fix everything that came before.

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Man of Steel has mainly focused on the coming of Rogol Zaar, but it is starting to look like Bendis also planned the book to be Jor-El's redemption story. Bringing Superman's father out of the past was a very controversial decision to make, and it was made worse by the questionable handling of the character, and everything he has come to represent. If this series can work to undo some of the damage done previously, maybe we can finally see Jor-El rest in peace once more, and return to the respectability he once held.