WARNING! Spoilers for Absolute Superman #6Superman has undergone many major lore changes in the Absolute Universe, but the most heartbreaking yet has been the alteration to his backstory. The destruction of Krypton is much sadder than ever before, and a new glimpse at Kal-El's trip to Earth from the remnants of Krypton proves how nightmarish his past was in this continuity.

In the preview for Absolute Superman #6 by Jason Aaron and Carmine Di Giandomenico, Superman's escape from an exploding Krypton continues as he's sent alone in a pod that's controlled by the Sol AI. However, as time es, Sol fails to locate a habitable world to land on. After seventeen months, Kal-El finally gives up hope and requests to be ejected from the pod.

Superman's backstory in the Absolute Universe has been harsh already, but this moment proves just how hopeless Kal-El's situation is as opposed to his normal journey to Earth. Rather than being an infant, he's fully conscious of his loneliness and loss, deepening Superman's tragedy.

Absolute Superman Redefines Kal-El's Tragic Backstory in a Devastating Way

Kal-El Nearly Ends His Own Life After Losing Krypton and His Parents

In DC's original continuity, as many know, Superman is sent off-world as an infant when his parents fear the imminent destruction of Krypton. He then gets discovered by Martha and Jonathan Kent, who take him in and raise him as their own. Therefore, although Superman does mourn the loss of his fellow Kryptonians, he does not recall what he lost as a baby. Meanwhile, in the Absolute Universe, Kal-El spends his childhood on Krypton and views it as his home. Thus, when Krypton is destroyed, he experiences the loss of his home firsthand rather than hearing of it later on.

In Absolute Superman #5, events take an even more devastating turn when each individual Kryptonian is shipped away from the exploding planet via separate pods. Kal-El is forced to leave his parents behind, confronting the possibility of his parents' deaths at a young age. To make matters worse, as he flies off into space with no one but an AI to give him company, he's unable to find a world that can sustain life. Thus, Superman believes that the universe is empty beyond Krypton, and that he may as well die in the vacuum of space instead of enduring more of the isolation he feels.

Superman's Trip to Earth Makes Him More of an Outsider Than Ever Before

The Absolute Universe Has Intensified Superman's Loneliness

Despite Superman being DC's flagship hero, there's a deep loneliness to his character that has always given him an air of tragedy. He may have been raised on Earth, but he must live with the knowledge that his home and people are long gone. The Absolute Universe has now amplified the heartbreaking nature of Superman by forcing him to experience the death of everything he has ever known, and the side of Kal-El seen in this story has never been explored to this extent. Superman has lost his home, his family, and even his will to live, turning him into a true outsider.

Absolute Superman #6 will be available on April 2nd, 2025 from DC Comics!