Jonathan Kent's Powers Setup Superman's Biggest Arrowverse Challenge

Warning! Spoilers for Superman & Lois Season 2, Episode 5

With Superman's son Jonathan Kent finally exhibiting Kryptonian powers, Superman & Lois sets up a major thematic challenge in how he acquires them. Tyler Hoechlin's Man of Steel grapples with many challenges on Superman & Lois, and far more than just those involving villains and super-powered opponents. Happily married to Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch), Clark Kent is the father of two teenage sons, Jordan (Alex Garfin) and Jonathan (Jordan Elsass), with the family moving back to Clark's hometown of Smallville.

Raising teenagers is hard enough on its own, but Clark has the added complication of Jordan inheriting his powers from the Kryptonian side of his heritage. This makes navigating high school and social life much harder for Jordan as he and Clark work to harness his powers to their fullest. While Jonathan's genetics initially seemed to have not granted him any Kryptonian abilities, Superman & Lois season 2, in addition to other twists involving Bizarro, has shown that's no longer the case.

Jonathan having powers as Superman's son obviously has precedent in the comics, but Superman & Lois has taken a very scenic route towards getting him there. Additionally, Jonathan's powers seem to have finally been brought to the surface by his drug use, specifically by the X-Kryptonite in the drugs he's been taking. While it's exciting for fans to see Jonathan finally develop the powers he's known to have, the way he's made them finally happen is nothing Superman would ever condone. This creates a unique challenge for Superman & Lois to potentially evolve Jonathan into Superboy while also teaching him an important lesson he must learn.

Jordan & Jonathan Develop Their Powers Differently

With Jordan and Jonathan being fraternal twins, the development of their powers comes about quite differently. For Jordan, he simply begins manifesting Kryptonian abilities, possibly with X-Kryptonite as a catalyst, and at a lower-level than those of his father. With the same not happening for Jonathan, the Kent family isn't able to put their finger on exactly why other than simply a fluke of birth. Whatever the reason may be, that starts to change in season 2.

Jonathan comes to realize that other players on the Smallville High football team are using performance-enhancing drugs. With that and Jordan having Kryptonian powers himself, Jonathan persuades his girlfriend Candice Pergande (Samantha Di Francesco) to sell him some of the X-Kryptonite drug she's peddling. In "Girl... You'll Be A Woman, Soon", Jonathan reveals to Jordan that he too is now exhibiting Kryptonian powers such as heat vision, putting a new spin on Arrowverse drug stories. With Jordan and Jonathan both being half-human, Jonathan might simply have been more of a late-bloomer in developing his. It's also possible that the X-Kryptonite might've given a jumpstart to his powers with the human half of his genes being jolted. It should go without saying that both sons of Superman having powers foretells big changes for Superman & Lois.

How Jordan & Jonathan Are Both Hinted To Becoming Superboy

Jordan being the Kent brother to have powers for the longest, the show has progressively hinted towards him becoming its version of Superboy. Season 2 has even doubled down on this with Jordan undergoing training with his grandfather Sam Lane (Dylan Walsh). The retired General even specifically mentions that Jordan might be called upon to use his powers at some point, potentially against Rya Kihlstedt's Ally Alston as Parasite. Jonathan's powers developing so late in the game has kept the show itself from actively hinting at him becoming Superboy until very recently. Still, there's another big clue about this outside of the show's story.

Set photos from the making of Superman & Lois season 2 have shown Jordan Elsass in a leather jacket with a black T-shirt bearing the Superman S-shield. This has drawn a lot of attention, as this is essentially the same suit worn by Conner Kent as Superboy in his comic book debut. While both Jordan and Jonathan are hinted at becoming Superboy, Jonathan's rise to becoming a metahuman is more complicated, story-wise, than that of his brother.

Jonathan's Powers Will Be A Big Challenge For Superman

While Jordan's transition to becoming Superboy is largely natural, Jonathan's comes about through circumstances that the Man of Steel would surely frown upon. Season 2's theme of the meaning of Superman's S-shield also adds more complexity to Jonathan's drug story. Jonathan's entire motivation is predicated on envy of both his brother and his football competitor Timmy Ryan (Zane Clifford). Surely, Jonathan can hardly be faulted for experiencing such a very basic human emotion, especially as an adolescent. Nonetheless, his path to becoming Superboy has, at least partially, been set in motion by his use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Obviously, it's only a matter of time before Clark finds out that Jonathan's Kryptonian powers are finally developing, but the reaction by the Kent family is bound to be mixed. Jonathan may finally be empowered with super-strength, heat vision, and other Kryptonian abilities, but how that's happening is going to matter to them just as much. What's more, the particular drug use Jonathan is engaging in could have more side effects than a normal human would experience.

The X-Kryptonite drug might've given Jonathan's body the shock it needed for his powers to finally appear. However, as a half-Kryptonian, he's still ingesting a substance that, by it's nature, is harmful to him. Superman & Lois might end up showing that Jonathan's Superboy path has a few twists and turns, with the X-Kryptonite making things worse before they get better. Though Jonathan may join Jordan and Clark as metahumans defending the world in season 2, he still has an important lesson to learn about the dangers of drug use. Superman learning just how Jonathan has come into his powers could also give him two lessons to teach his son simultaneously. Not only must Superman help Jonathan to control and strengthen his powers alongside Jordan, he must also teach Jonathan that using drugs to develop superpowers isn't the way to go.

With a universal hero Superman as his father, Jonathan has the best guide he could ask for both to properly channel his powers and use them for the good of everyone. At the same time, however exciting a development Jonathan's powers are, his drug use to get to that point cannot be overlooked. Superman & Lois has a tricky needle to thread in bringing Jonathan's powers up to speed with those of his father and brother while also admonishing him that drug use is never the answer. To truly become Superboy, both lessons will be of equal importance to Jonathan Kent.

NEXT: Superman & Lois Proves How The Flash Has Been Misusing Superspeed