Absolute Superman #1 (2024)

SUPERSTARS JASON AARON AND RAFA SANDOVAL UNLEASH A SHOCKING NEW TAKE ON THE LAST SON OF KRYPTON! Without the fortress… without the family… without a home… what’s left is the Absolute Man of Steel!

Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval present a shocking new vision of the Last Son of Krypton. Without the Fortress, without the family, without a home—what remains is the Absolute Man of Steel. The new Absolute DC Universe is a world that offers us entirely original stories and a completely fresh interpretation of the mythology of our well-known heroes: Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman.

We begin Absolute Superman #1.

Nine million light-years from planet Earth lies Krypton—a metropolis, a paradise above the ground, a vast, vibrant city. The planet was ruled by sprawling hubs of highly advanced science alongside ancient laws and traditions, like the city of Kandor. Kandor was filled with gardens grown in laboratories and powered by energy harnessed from volcanic magma reactors.

Krypton was governed by a rigid caste system, where Kryptonians wore the symbols of their class on their chests, while the Science Guild dominated all.

Among them, we find Lara in the Red Districts—Krypton's great farmlands—working beneath an ancient tractor, trying to repair it for the farmer. The old man sighs, standing and gazing at the sky, his chest marked with the “S” symbol of the working class.

“They’ve taxed me for the early rains,” he grumbles, “yet I haven’t seen a single drop of water.”

The farmer sighs again. Lara, still under the tractor, drifts into thought before answering:

“You know how the Science Guild is—everything takes time and comes late, especially when it concerns the Red Districts.”

She crawls out from beneath the tractor, patting it down. The farmer smiles as the engine shudders and comes to life.

“You’re the only mechanic around who can keep this old girl running,” he tells her.

The farmer nods as the tractor rumbles off to finish its work. Lara grins, saying, “It’s a classic piece—back when things were built by human hands.” She shrugs lightly.

Above them, drones buzz across the farmlands. “Looks like the rain has finally come,” Lara says, pointing upward.

The drones release their payloads, and rain begins to pour heavily, drenching both farmer and fields.

“Finally! Let’s head inside before we drown,” the farmer says.

But Lara doesn’t move. Instead, she stretches her arms wide, tilts her face to the sky, and lets the precious water fall over her as it nourishes the dry Red District soil.

“I paid dearly for this rain. Don’t you want to get your money’s worth?” she teases.

There was a time when Lara was on the fast track to join the Science Guild. But as a young child, she wrote a report criticizing Krypton’s lack of funding for interstellar exploration. She was branded a troublemaker and banned from ever applying to the Guild. She was only nine years old.

At that very moment, Jor-El was deep in Krypton’s mines, where the radiant Sun Crystals shimmered around him as he moved among the workers directing their light.

Alarm sirens kept blaring, warning of the need to evacuate the mine. Jor-El stopped, looking around.

“I don’t see anything at all,” he said. “No stress fractures, no buckling, nothing that looks like the start of a collapse.”

He sighed and turned to the foreman.

“Were your diggers absolutely sure they heard the sound?” Jor-El asked.

The man nodded firmly. “The miners swore it was the loudest noise they’d ever heard.”

Jor-El crouched and placed his hand on the warm crystals surrounding them.

“There’s no danger here—just miners who’ve lost their nerve. We need to reopen this site.”

One of the overseers spoke up:

“But you’re the chief engineer. The decision is yours.”

Jor-El paused, considering, when suddenly a voice cried from behind them.

“What’s the meaning of this? Why are my workers standing idle instead of digging?” A man shoved his way forward, the emblem of the Middle Caste emblazoned on his chest.

The miners tried to explain, but Jor-El sighed.

“I stopped the work. I’m with the Geology Engineering Division, and I have concerns about this mine’s stability. The site will remain closed until I can deploy the drilling sensors to confirm it’s safe.”

The overseer glared at him, pointing to his chest.

“Look closely at this symbol, then look at yours. Now go tell those wretched, worthless diggers that the Middle Caste orders them back to work—now!”

But Jor-El ignored him, stepping away.

“I’ll release the drill sensors myself.”

“You must be the stupidest laborer to crawl out of the Red District’s refuse!” the overseer shouted angrily.

Then, suddenly, the cavern began to quake violently beneath their feet. The Sun Crystals split and cracked.

Jor-El spun around, shouting for everyone to run for the surface—but it was already too late. The ground beneath them split open, and a surge of searing green acid burst into the chamber.

Jor-El tried to help those behind him, but the corrosive liquid had already seeped through their protective suits. Agonizing screams filled the cavern as the miners burned alive.

Krypton was dying.

Present Day — Planet Earth, Brazil.

Miners stood at the entrance of a diamond mine. For the past few days, the air had been filled with a haze of asbestos dust from the digging, poisoning the very air they breathed. But suddenly—everything stopped.

João, the foreman, looked up at the sky and said to his companions,

“No snow today. That must be a good sign, right?”

Peacekeepers employed by Lazarus Corporation motioned for the workers to head inside. Lazarus had promised them a bonus if they could finish the job in the mine that day.

To the miners’ shock, the diamonds had already been extracted and placed neatly in transport carts, waiting for them.

“What the hell…?” one of them whispered in disbelief, lifting his lantern. The light shimmered across the precious stones.

Others glanced around and realized the diamonds had already been crushed, and there was no trace of asbestos in the air. It had simply vanished.

“Impossible…” another muttered.

João turned to his fellow miners.

“Don’t worry about this stroke of luck. Just take it.”

He grabbed one of the carts and began pushing it toward the entrance with a grin.

“We won’t say a word. Our work here is done, brothers and sisters. All that’s left is to haul these diamonds to the surface—and claim our pay.”

As the miners exited the shaft, the Peacekeepers were startled by how quickly the job had been completed.

One of João’s friends walked beside him, whispering,

“João… who do you think really did this?”

It reminded João of the night before—when a new young man had arrived at the camp. Snow had been falling from the sky, lacing the air with poison that seared the lungs of anyone who breathed it in.

The stranger had approached João, his eyes glowing with the most brilliant shade of blue. João had offered him a place to rest and share supper.

“Join us,” he’d said. “You’ll be part of the family.”

But the young man had only shaken his head.

“I’ve seen the wonders of your world—and I’ve seen places like this. Industries built on suffering.”

He spoke softly, turning to leave.

“I must go. There’s more work for me to do. But thank you.”

Then he vanished into the shadows of the favela.

Now, back in the present, a Peacekeeper blocked João’s path. He slammed his boot into João’s jaw, knocking him to the ground.

“You think we’re fools? You didn’t mine these diamonds yourselves. Someone here is breaking the rules of peace. Who was it?”

The soldier drew a knife, pressing it against João’s throat.

But another trooper hurried over with information.

“Sir—headcount complete. All miners reported for duty today… except one.”

Nearby, the strange visitor lay inside his shack, wrapped in pulsing red wires that throbbed with an eerie light.

A voice echoed, warning him of the Peacekeepers’ approach.

The man stirred, groaning, half-conscious.

“Kal-El,” the voice urged, forcing him awake.

Suddenly, Kal-El burst to life. He moved at blinding speed, smashing through the shack wall and hurling Peacekeepers aside before they could fire.

“Open fire!” one shouted.

Gunfire erupted, bullets ripping through the favela. But the strange visitor’s armor absorbed the barrage.

Kal-El’s eyes burned with fury.

“Computer… will they live if I strike back?”

“Yes,” came the reply. “But I don’t recommend it.”

Kal-El ignored the warning. He was already in motion, striking soldiers with crushing force, tossing them aside.

But the Peacekeepers adapted—shifting to heavier-caliber rounds. The relentless fire drove Kal-El backward. He stumbled through the narrow alleys, fear flashing in his eyes—not for himself, but for the miners caught in the crossfire.

Forcing his weakened body to move, he rushed the soldiers, tearing weapons from their hands.

He paused, glancing at João, who stared back in awe.

“If Lazarus won’t pay you… take the diamonds, sell them to someone else. Just get everyone out of here—now.”

Kal-El began to say more, but a sudden **blast of energy** struck him from above. He screamed in pain, collapsing to his knees as military drones unleashed continuous volleys of searing energy.

Overhead, a Lazarus paramilitary transport descended. Inside, the squad leader barked orders:

“Director wants the target alive!”

He turned to one of his finest soldiers.

“What do you see, Agent?”

The soldier—Agent Lynn—lifted her tablet, zooming in on the figure below.

“Sir, his armor… look closely. It’s shifting, changing—like it’s alive. And I swear… it’s speaking to him.”

Meanwhile, Kal-El’s fury was building. His eyes flared with fiery heat, burning like twin suns. He glared at the drones above, and in one devastating surge, unleashed a blast that tore them from the sky.

The victory drained him. His body convulsed, smoke rising from his armor as he crashed to the ground, surrounded by fire and ruin.

The workers had managed to escape, but Lazarus Corporation’s military forces had already arrived. Helicopters thundered overhead, and tanks rumbled forward with crushing power.

Kal struggled to his feet, his body trembling. He watched the soldiers advance and whispered faintly,

“You were right, Sol… this was a bad idea. I don’t feel so good…”

Suddenly, someone lunged at him from the side. A woman hurled herself forward, snapping a restraint onto his wrist.

“This is the target—he’s in our custody!” Agent Lynn shouted. She raised her pistol and aimed it at him.

“Move, and it’ll be your end, Superman.”

Meanwhile, deep beneath the deserts of Nevada, someone else was watching the assault unfold across his monitors. Wires trailed from his head, connecting him to machines. Around him, tiny bottled cities lined the room, faint voices inside screaming in terror.

“Well, what do we have here…?” the man muttered.

“A new toy. I wonder… where did you come from?”

Years earlier, on Krypton.

Jor-El staggered back across the Red Fields toward his home. Lara rushed to him, horrified at the sight of his radiation burns. But Jor-El hardly noticed, mumbling to himself:

“Of course… tests must be done. I have to begin immediately…”

Lara seized her husband, begging him to tell her what was happening. For the first time, Jor-El focused on her and said firmly:

“We can’t tell anyone—not yet. Do you understand? Not until we’re certain. We must be certain before we warn the world.”

Jor-El looked up to see his young son, Kal-El, approaching with the family dog.

“Father, are you okay?” the boy asked softly.

At last, Jor-El calmed, gathering his family into his arms, apologizing for the worry he’d caused. Lara smiled through her concern.

“Whatever this is—we’ll face it the same way we always do. Together.”

But elsewhere, out in the fields, the ground had already begun to crack. Thin fissures split open, leaking deadly green radiation into the air.

Krypton was dying.

And with that, the first epic issue of Absolute Superman comes to a close—a thrilling continuation of this bold new universe that began with Absolute Batman and Absolute Wonder Woman, completing the legendary trinity of the comic book world.

If you’d like me to continue recounting each story and every new issue of this world until the very end, don’t forget to leave a like and subscribe to the channel to encourage me to make more videos and keep you up to date.

See you in the next episode, God willing!