The Future is Here
It is easy to recognize the significance of life’s events in hindsight, but there are moments wherein we understand an important experience as it happens. In these moments, we know quite clearly, “This will define me, for good or ill, for years to come.” In other words, we perceive the threads of time. We see the future, and we watch it approach. For the past three episodes of My Adventures With Superman, Lois Lane (Alice Lee) has dreaded the ways in which the future may redefine her. In Episode 3.4: Guess Who’s Slammin’ to Dinner? by Saric Cooper, that future, and all that it entails, arrives. Let’s recap.
No Super-Business
For all her worry about the future, Lois is exasperated by the present as well. Kara (Kiana Madeira) has worn her down with dating questions and potential suitors, while Jimmy (Ishmel Sahid), undeterred by his treatment at Giganta’s hands, has returned to W.O.R.M.S. to try again at the dating game. She also fears that she offended Clark (Jack Quaid) by admitting her fears, but Clark reassures her. Even better, he wants to treat her to brunch at her favorite eatery, Poundcake Palace. No Super-Business, he promises.
Alas, he is not the only Super with business.
As Clark and Lois sit down to eat, and before they can, their poundcake fare is pilfered by a Superman-like blur. Superman-like, indeed, for as they look to the ceiling, they see Superboy, cross-legged and upside-down.
Superboy
Enter Superboy (Darren Criss). He is their son from the future, and he is absolutely delighted to be here. Enter Kara and Jimmy thereafter, and so are they. Jimmy is ecstatic to be considered an uncle, and Kara is overjoyed that their Kryptonian heritage endures. As conversations overlap, and with Superboy’s astounding claim to address, Lois decides she needs a change of scenery.
Henshaw is No Hero
A mark of My Adventures With Superman’s understanding of its villains is their shared entitlement. They believe that the world owes them what they desire, and their choices are not evil, but correct and just responses to their being denied it. To them, Superman is not a hero to heed, but an obstacle to be overcome.
Kara suggests the mall, and so we return thereto. We are spared another musical number, but we do get a fun montage wherein Superboy gets his iconic jacket. He is wearing it when he saves somebody from an apparent earthquake, revealing his existence by an act of heroism, just like Superman did. Lois notes the similarity, and she wonders why Superboy has come to this time.
In other words, good villains think themselves miscast, for they are not villains at all in their own narratives, but heroes even worthier than Superman. Lex Luthor (Max Mittelman) certainly thinks so. As does Hank Henshaw (also Max Mittelman).
The tragedy of Henshaw is that before his near-death at Brainiac’s hands, he very well may have been. Only a short time ago, his mission was to lead humanity to a brighter tomorrow. He was beloved of STAR Labs, hailed as an American hero, and respected by the media. Now, Lois Lane reports on-air that whatever is left of him is to be pitied or feared, because the Cyborg Superman is no hero at all.
Even more humiliating is Luthor’s continued control over him. That becomes Henshaw’s priority, and he discovers that he can remotely hack Luthor’s technology. Reminding Luthor of the food chain, he disables Luthor’s control switch and activates robots to capture him. Despite Luthor’s pleas and offers, Henshaw decides that they are no longer partners, if they ever were.
“The Future is Ours to Shape”
The earthquake at the mall was not an accident. The Subtyrannosaurae, underground-dwelling dinosaurs led by Prince Tyranko, emerge to exact their vengeance upon the surface world. As Superman and Superboy intervene, Superboy is more confused than concerned. In the future, the Subtyrannosaurae are humanity’s allies, not their enemies. He explains this to Prince Tyranko, which sets in motion peace talks and the formation of that very alliance. Superboy supposes that he grew up with that knowledge in the future because he was here in the past making it happen, a thought that further enforces a point he makes to Lois: “The future is ours to shape.”
At the Kent Family Farm, Superboy finally explains that in the future, Clark and Lois are dead. He also explains that he came back to stop that dark future from happening, and he explains it as that dark future begins.
On live television, Hank Henshaw attacks the city of Metropolis. He challenges Superman to defend it. Once and for all, they will determine who is stronger, and who is better. Henshaw will destroy the future unless Superboy can reshape it.
We the audience are left to wonder whether he can.
