"Last Son" Re-Watch: "Prototype" & "The Late Mr. Kent"

 Superman The Animated Series

I may have just watched the best episode of this show. It really took me surprise and it's not something I expected from it. So let's get into things.

Lois Lane: [LexCorp unveils the prototype battle suit] "Trying to put the Man of Steel out of business, Lex?"

Lex Luthor: "I would think, Ms. Lane, that with your knack for getting into trouble, you'd appreciate a few extra rescuers."

[laughter]

Clark Kent: "Touché."

Lois Lane: "Whose side are you on?"

Lex Luthor unveils a high tech suit that will put SCU officers on the same level as Superman. The suit is designed by John Henry Irons, who has strong reservations about the unveiling happening so soon. Cory Mills, the SCU officer in the suit, seems to have a successful team up with Superman but that all changes soon. The suit begins to change Mills, making him more aggressive and when the suit is taken from him, he will go to any lengths to get it back.

Superman as Furiosa.

If you've been reading my "Superman & Lois" season recaps, then you know that John Henry Irons has played an integral part of that series. Irons made his comic book debut during the comic book "Death of Superman" arc and took up the mantle of Steel during "Reign of the Superman." He was an insanely popular character who has maintained popularity through the years. It's not a surprise to see him make an appearance here. He doesn't make a full debut as Steel but the seeds are definitely planted in the final moments of the episode. 

The debut of John Henry is probably the most interesting thing about this episode. I like the idea of introducing something that puts these officers on the level of Superman. And it's no surprise that Lex Luthor is weaponizing the police. If there is anyone who would be in favor of giving the police military grade weapons to patrol the streets, it's him. 

The action sequences in this episode are pretty great. I enjoyed the team up between Superman and Mills that begins the episode. The way that Superman and Mills work together is kind of great and the solutions they come up with to put out the fire and save the people trapped are not things that we've seen so far, which is pretty impressive. While I was watching this episode, I couldn't help but think that the architecture of Metropolis is bananas. Like, they have this crazy off ramps and bridges that are as tall as the midway point of some of these skyscrapers. Like, who designed this, it doesn't even makes sense. It's so dangerous. If I lived in this Metropolis, I'd for sure have agoraphobia.

This episode is really jam packed with action and it's all really well done. The sequence at the junkyard when Mills goes crazy on the chop shop workers is great. I loved the third act battle between Mills and Superman. We rarely get to see Superman knocked around in this show and Mills really gives it to Superman. He blinds him at one point. I enjoyed them showing us the swirling lines that Superman saw and the tinkling piano to orchestrate his disorientation. And we get to see Superman lift a full size shark over his head and toss it back into the tank. 

I think my main issue with this episode is that it doesn't do enough to make you care about Mills. He's pretty one dimensional and generic. It's difficult to care about what he is going through because the writers haven't given us really any reason to. It feels like his poor, put upon wife does most of the leg work with Mills' character arc. Also, who's idea was it to put the failsafe device port in the back of the armor. That seems like a terrible idea. Why not have it actually be remote? And Superman basically electrocuting Mills feels very non Superman. He definitely wasn't worried about whether or not Mills was going to be hurt or killed by that.

Grade: C

[Bowman is sitting in the gas chamber, awaiting execution.]

Detective Kurt Bowman: "How did he survive that car bomb? How?"

[realization sets in]

Detective Kurt Bowman: "He's Superman!"

[executioner releases the gas]

Clark Kent is assigned the task of interviewing death roe inmate, Ernest Walker. He claims that he is going to be executed for a crime that he didn't commit. Clark is moved by Walker's interview and even though he's scoffed at by Lois, Jimmy and the cop that put Walker away, Detective Kurt Bowman, Clark looks into Walker's alibi. He finds proof of Walker's innocence and is targeted by the true killer through a car bomb. With Clark presumed dead, Superman tries to save not only Walker's life, but his secret identity.

This face.

I was so impressed with this episode. Writer Stan Berkowitz really knocks it out of the park. I wasn't expecting something like this from "Superman: The Animated Series." Here's the thing, I have enjoyed "Superman: The Animated Series," but it's difficult not to compare it to "Batman: The Animated Series." This will never live up to the standard that show set. And it really is unfair to try to put them up against each other, but it's so difficult. All that to say, it's episodes like this that really show that it does have a lot of potential.

I feel like with this episode we have to start at that ending. After it's revealed that Kurt Bowman was the real murderer and that he tried to murder Clark, he replaces Walker on death row. As he heads to his execution, he is pondering how it is that Clark Kent could have survived that car bomb. As he's sitting in the gas chamber, it dawns on him. The truth. He connects the dots. He realizes that Superman and Clark Kent are one and the same. And then the executioner flips the switch for the gas. This is some chilling shit for a children's cartoon. I don't think I've ever seen something like this on a non-adult animated series before. It gave me chills. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and I couldn't believe that S: TAS was going there. And I applaud it. The ending of this episode will stick with me for the rest of my life.

You can tell this episode is going to be something special from the start. That opening at Clark Kent's funeral, with Superman looking on, just sets everything up. It's a great device and you're immediately curious about what is going on. 

It's nice to see Clark actually doing some reporting for a change. It feels like Lois is always the one that is diving deep into the stories and looking for dirt while Clark is just there waiting for Superman to be needed. It's great to see that there is a good reason for Clark to work at the Daily Planet. Is it super believable that this pizza place would just give Clark their disks that had all their backed up data? Probably not. But I'm willing to suspend that disbelief. I enjoyed Clark waking Lois up to gloat and rub it in her face that he was going to get this innocent man off of death row, particularly after she hadn't believed in him.

When Clark is presumed dead, it introduces an interesting moral dilemma for Superman. He wants to prove this man's innocence but he also wants to keep his secret identity. I think most of the time this show really gets the essence of what makes Superman Superman. He always feels legit. I mean, there are those few moments where Superman maybe goes a little too hard, but Superman being completely willing and ready to reveal his secret identity to the world if it means that this innocent man goes free. This is a very Superman thing to do.

Another gasp inducing moment is when Superman crashes through the gas chamber, while the gas is being pumped in to save Walker form his execution. I mean, first off, we actually see the gas filling the chamber. We see Walker's terror and desperation. I've said it before and I'll say it again, this is a child's cartoon and they are showing this stuff. It's bonkers but so good. It's so real. And it really is part of the thing that ratchets this up to the next level.

There are a lot of little things I love. I love Superman's noir style narration. I love the cameo by Lana Lang to help provide Clark an alibi and to rib Lois a little bit. I just want you all to go watch this episode. If you haven't watched any other episode, watch this one.

Grade: A

Next time, John Henry Irons and Maxima return.

What do you all think? Happy to see John Henry return? Do you think "The Late Mr. Kent" is a high water mark for this series? Let me know in the comments.