A tie-in novel set before Superman applies specific, canon-violating language to the Man of Steel.
Clark Kent has long been known to draw his incredible powers from the rays of Earth's yellow sun. These abilities, like flight, superspeed, and near-imperviousness, enable him to protect his home planet as Superman.
Is Superman a Metahuman in the DCU?
The official synopsis for a Superman prequel novel called Superman: Welcome to Metropolis surfaced online. As the title indicates, the junior-level book, aimed at younger readers, chronicles Clark Kent's adventures when he first arrives in Metropolis' gleaming cityscape.
The full story description can be read below:
"Clark Kent is a fresh face to Metropolis, trying to balance his new job at The Daily Planet, and his secret identity as Superman, a powerful metahuman, while uncovering a dangerous mystery that seems to tie back to the infamous Lex Luthor. Discover how the world's first super hero found his place in his new home in this original prequel novel based on the film."
The book should prove an exciting tale for young fans eager to step into the world of the new Superman movie (read more about Superman: Welcome to Metropolis here).
But one word in the synopsis should set off alarm bells for DC die-hards: "Metahuman."
In comic book parlance, a metahuman is a human with superpowers. Clark Kent may have superpowers, but he is certainly not human. Categorizing him as a metahuman is a significant break from decades-old DC canon.
Superman hails from the ill-fated planet Krypton, and his fantastical abilities result from Earth's yellow sun interacting with his Kryptonian physiology.
Moreover, many, but not all, of DC's metahumans were unpowered individuals who gained genetic enhancements through extraordinary circumstances. Barry Allen was a simple lab tech before getting struck by lightning and crashing into a shelf of chemicals. After that, he became The Flash, the fastest man alive.
Clark's unparalleled physical strength, heat vision, ice-cold Super-Breath, and every other ability in his repertoire come from inside of him, not from a freak scientific accident, an injection of super-serum, or any other means (such as exposure to radiation from a meteorite, like Anthony Carrigan's Metamorpho).
So, it is confusing that an official piece of DCU merchandise would label David Corenswet's Superman as a metahuman.
Perhaps this was an oversight. It's also possible that he's been classified as a metahuman for an in-story reason. After all, in the new Superman movie, the big, blue boy scout is reportedly still fairly new to the scene.
In most incarnations of the character, the world doesn't know that Superman is an alien until he tells them. It might be that since Clark is still a rookie in the world-saving game, he hasn't gotten around to publicly revealing his otherworldly heritage. And so, everyone assumes that he's a human with powers.
Fans will need to wait until July 11, when Superman soars into theaters, to get a clearer picture of the DCU's view of him. A second Superman trailer is confirmed, but per DC Studios CEO James Gunn, it won't arrive in the short term.
