Did you know Superman once had a sidekick?
At least, he did in a story placed retroactively in his earlier continuity by September's upcoming Batman/Superman: World's Finest #7.
DC has given Newsarama readers a first look at the cover and solicitation information for Batman/Superman: World's Finest #7 ahead of their full September solicits, promising a story that will put a unique twist on the relationship between Superman, Batman, and Batman's sidekick Robin, who has also played a central role in the title so far.
In World's Finest #7 from writer Mark Waid and artist Dan Mora, Superman will apparently take on a sidekick, named in the solicit text as 'Boy Thunder' (anyone else noticing that sounds quite a bit like 'Boy Wonder,' Robin's nickname?)
Though the solicit doesn't reveal the identity of 'Boy Thunder', his costume seems based on the style of Silver Age Kryptonian fashion, specifically the costume once worn by Superman while using the codename The Nova.
"The untold story of Superman's short-lived sidekick is at last revealed, but what secret connection to one of DC's most timeless tales does this story foreshadow?" asks the solicit. "Only time will tell (that's a clue, folks)."
Could that clue be hinting at a connection between Boy Thunder, and the story of Superman's son, Jon Kent, who was prematurely aged into adulthood by a journey through time and space alongside his grandfather Jor-El?
Or could the story have a connection to the classic World's Finest tale of Power Man, a crime-fighting android who once teamed up with Superman and Batman way back in the '50s?
Though we don't know the identity of the Boy Thunder, his costume itself invokes the classic story of 1968's World's Finest #178, in which Superman temporarily loses his powers, relying on a costume with a special cape to continue fighting crime as The Nova.
As DC says, "time will tell."
Batman/Superman: World's Finest #7 is due out September 20.
Will Boy Thunder develop a connection to the Teen Titans, who top the list of the best teen superhero teams of all time?
