DCeased Proves Why Superboy Is the DC Universe’s Gohan | CBR – CBR – Comic Book Resources

DCeased: Dead Planet reveals that one unique aspect of Jon Kent, Superman's son, makes him the DC equivalent to Dragon Ball Z's Gohan, Goku's son.

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for DCeased: Dead Planet #4 by Tom Taylor, Trevor Hairsine, Gigi Baldassini, Rain Beredo, and Saida Temonfonte

Two of the most powerful figures in modern fiction -- Superman of the DC Universe and Gohan of theDragon Ball franchise -- both have sons in their core continuities. Both of these sons have proven to be honorable in their own way, but they have a second similarity that could see them fully overtake their father's absurd power levels.

In DCeased: Dead Planet #4, Jon Kent of theDCeased universe just proved to be getting stronger than his father because of his half-human genetics -- giving him the same natural advantage Gohan had inDragon Ball Z.

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Jon Kent is the son of Superman and Lois Lane. This means Jon actually has the genetics of both a human and a Kryptonian. This allows him to absorb solar energy like his father, increasing his power over time as he grows older. If he were to follow in his father's specific footsteps, he could eventually develop enough strength to rival his father. There was some question of whether or not his half-human status would complicate that at all, or if he would be weaker as a result.

But it turns out, at least in theDCeased reality, that isn't the case. Damian Wayne, the current Batman,hypothesizes that Jonwouldn't be weaker than his father. Instead, his half-human/half-Kryptonian status means he's actually becoming more powerful than his father -- which tracks with aspects from the core DC Universe hinting that Jon could even prove to be stronger than Superman's upper limits when he reaches his prime, as he shows when he knocks out Orion with one punch.

This is surprisingly similar to a concept also introduced inDragon Ball Z. While theDragon Ball franchise as a whole focuses largely on Goku,Dragon Ball Z specifically charts Gohan's growth from Goku's young son to his capable and powerful successor. As the series progresses, Gohan's half-Saiyan status comes up multiple times.

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Like his father, Gohan's Saiyan biology grants him certain perks, such as a tail at birth and the ability to come back from life-threatening injuries even stronger than before. But on top of this, Gohan's half-human/half-Saiyan status means he actually has more potential than Goku ever did. He has his true potential unlocked multiple times, and his ultimate transformation at the conclusion of the Cell Saga into the Super Saiyan 2 form proved he could take his father's place as Earth's defender.

This means that Gohan and Jon Kent have the same advantage in combat, allowing them to deal with almost any threat, even more than their fathers. While both Goku and Superman have new forms that could see their power levels increased exponentially beyond their sons (such as Goku reaching the Super Saiyan Blue form or Superman absorbing enough solar energy to enter his Golden Superman form), their natural forms might not ever reach the full limits of their sons. While Gohan might have not have reached the same levels of power as Goku's most recent forms, Gohan has proven powerful enough to counter Kelfa, a Saiyan fusion from Universe 6 that was strong enough to fight back against Goku even when he was in his Super Saiyan Blue form.

It's a promising future for Jon, and gives him a unique similarity with his anime counterpart. Even if this DC Universe is a deeply broken place filled with death and despair, Jon's considerable power levels are something of a silver lining.

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DCeased Proves Why Superboy Is the DC Universe's Gohan | CBR - CBR - Comic Book Resources