Superman is the most important superhero of all. He represents truth, justice, and a better tomorrow better than any other superhero out there. He inspires all of us to be better and to do good for the sake of goodness. He’s a true hero who has saved reality more times than anyone can count, and always makes sure to look out for the little guy, even when he’s light-years away. In the superhero community, Superman is the ultimate symbol of what they all strive to emulate. Of course, not every version of Superman is as idealistic and beloved. Some variants are mean, cynical, and downright evil. And no Superman variant has caused more damage than Superboy-Prime.
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Of course, Prime isn’t content to be remembered as the villain that everyone knows him as. He’s dedicated himself to becoming a hero. When Superman disappeared from reality at the end of DC K.O., Prime took up the torch to defend Metropolis and show everyone that he can be redeemed. Now, with Superman (2023) #40 released, the five-part “Prime Time” storyline is over. Not only did this deliver on setting Prime on the path to redemption, but it did it in the best way for his character, giving us a perfect redemption that’s in-character for the boisterous, comic-loving Prime.
A Misguided Man Who Tries His Best
Superboy-Prime has been trying to prove to everyone that he can be just like his number one hero, Superman. Of course, he has a lot of evidence to suggest the contrary, given the litany of bodies he’s left in his wake, many of which are currently-alive DC heroes who are not keen on giving him a second chance. Prime didn’t let that stop him, though. He did everything he could think of to prove himself, even getting a job and a civilian identity to show that he was taking this seriously. His dedication was tested when the ghost of Manchester Black appeared and manipulated Prime into punching reality, reviving him.
Black turned Prime’s own insecurities against him, trying to break him so he could use Prime’s unlimited power to retcon reality to his liking. Prime had to literally and metaphorically fight his demons, coming to terms with the fact that the death he caused still mattered, even if the heroes came back to life. In the end, he accepted that he wasn’t like Superman, he was never going to be Superman, but in doing so, still saved the day and showed us all exactly what Superman means.
Heroes are meant to inspire us, and nobody has cornered that market like the Man of Tomorrow. Prime knew that he wasn’t perfect, that he still had a long way to go before he could call himself redeemed, but he wanted to try anyway. Even if he could never be Superman, Superman would still want him to help people. Prime comes from a world where Superman is just a comic book character, but he shows that even plots of ink on a page can truly mean something to us. We admire Superman in spite of our own imperfections because he shows us how to be better, and nobody exemplifies that better than Superboy-Prime. He chose to save the day like only he could, just like Superman always does.
The Prime Time For Redemption Is Now
When Prime started his adventures as the fill-in Man of Steel, he directly told the audience that he wanted this to be a fun, feel-good adventure where everyone had fun. I’d say that he more than achieved that dream, but he also did something else entirely. Prime might not have become the Superman of his dreams, but he started down the road to becoming the best hero that he can be. This is far from the end of his superheroic career, too. There’s still plenty of stories to tell with Prime being a part of the Superman family, but given how absurdly powerful and unique he is, I’d wager that he’s most likely going to disappear from the mainline comics for a while following “Kingdom of Zod.”
There was even a hint of this in issue #40, when Manchester Black asked Prime why he wasn’t back in his own world, being the Superman that they didn’t have. Coupled with how Prime admitted to missing his home, it’s almost guaranteed that he will return to his home dimension pretty soon, but that doesn’t have to be the end of his arc. Superboy-Prime’s arc, from insane villain to a man who desperately wants to be a hero, captures the ideals that Superman inspires to a T. If and when he returns to his own world, he can show everyone what a true hero looks like, or at the very least, what it looks like to emulate a true hero.
Prime has done horrible things in his time, but currently, he’s positioned to become the ultimate showing of redemption. Superheroes are all about saving people, even their worst enemies, and Prime has been saved by his favorite hero. Now, he can fly home and show them all the healing power of kindness and superheroics, and in doing so, inspire them the same way he was inspired. Is Prime perfect? No, but he’s trying, and that’s all any of us can do. Prime isn’t the Superman he loves, but he is a Superman that we can all relate to on that front, and that’s something to be celebrated. Even though this is the perfect note to close this chapter, I’m definitely going to miss Prime Time.
Superman #40 is on sale now!
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