‘My Adventures With Superman’ has never shied away from taking a fresh look at classic DC characters, and Season 3 could have just provided them with the most interesting take yet.
While Clark Kent is still the centerpiece of the animated series, the new episodes feature a new threat that could threaten all that Clark stands for: Hank Henshaw’s mutation into Cyborg Superman.
‘My Adventures With Superman’ Finally Unleashes Cyborg Superman
The reveal comes in the closing moments of Season 3, Episode 2, and it is both unexpected and fitting. Henshaw’s sad backstory is well known to fans of DC Comics. However, the series is going in a different direction, while retaining the elements that made him such a compelling villain.
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Hank Henshaw’s comeback is no ordinary one. The former STAR Labs employee shows up after seemingly dying during Brainiac’s invasion in Season 2 with a new body and a cool new outfit. The costume looks very similar to Superman’s iconic costume.
However, there is one very important difference: the presence of an “L” emblem that represents his affiliation with Lex Luthor. The meaning of the symbolism is clear. Instead of making a weapon to kill Superman, Lex seems to be making a replacement.
And instead of an alien hero, it’s a human being that the people of Earth can unite behind. It’s a clever twist on the classic Cyborg Superman story. Henshaw’s animosity toward Superman was based on a tragic accident that resulted in him becoming a cybernetic being in the comics.
In this one, it appears that Lex is speeding up that process and making Henshaw into a living experiment to match Clark Kent’s power. There’s a human tragedy at its heart, too. Henshaw is more than just a villain; he’s a man whose life has been remade by someone else’s agenda.
A New Take On A Classic Superman Story
The best part of the development is how it fits into the overall story of the show. Season 3 is quietly building up several characters related to DC’s famous “Reign of the Supermen” storyline. The series has already introduced Bizarro, along with Cyborg Superman. Superboy is also making his debut.
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Steel remains part of the growing roster, and echoes of the Eradicator storyline continue to linger from previous seasons. The outcome is an intriguing blend of heroes, clones, rivals, and impostors revolving around Clark Kent. Superman may still be alive and well.
However, ‘My Adventures With Superman’ is building its own version of a world of competing visions of what Superman should be. And if Clark’s arrival at the end of the day is any sign, he may have the toughest challenge of defeating a villain; he may have to prove why the real Superman still matters.
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