WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for Absolute Superman #5!
Supermanhas always been primarily a symbol of hope—but not anymore. In the Absolute Universe, the Man of Steel has just earned a brutal new title, marking a dramatic shift that pushes this version of the hero into far darker territory.
…Jason Aaron firmly anchors this version of Superman in rage…
Jason Aaron, Rafa Sandoval, Ulises Arreola, and Becca Carey’sAbsolute Superman#5picks up right where the previous issue left off, with tensions between the Peacekeepers and the Man of Steel reaching a boiling point. As readers will remember, Peacekeeper Christopher Smith briefly went rogue, gunning down twenty-three innocent people.
Now, in issue #5, Kal-El is on the hunt, tearing through the other Peacekeepers to track him down. In his pursuit,Superman momentarily loses himself to rage, declaring himself“The Fury of Billions”—a chilling departure from the hero who has always embodied hope for billions.
“I Am the Fury of Billions”:Superman Becomes a Symbol of Rage Not Just Hope
Cover D 1:25 Darick Robertson Variant for Absolute Superman #5 (2025)
InAbsolute Superman#5,the Man of Steel is fully immersed in his hunt for Christopher Smith, launching an assault on a Peacekeepersbase in search of answers. As he tears through their ranks, his internal monologue serves as a recap of the situation, recounting the twenty-three lives lost in Orangi Town—gunned down for“the unforgivable crime of laughing at a man with a gun.”Breaking through the barriers that separate him from the Peacekeepers, Superman grimly notes that no one is laughing now. He then systematically works his way through their forces, demanding to know where Smith is.
Amid the chaos, his internal monologue reveals the turmoil raging within him.“Rage floods my guts, like the lava that swallowed the Redlands. I am the fury of billions.”Here,Aaron firmly anchors this version of Superman in rage—a stark contrast to the hope traditionally associated with Earth-Prime’s Man of Steel. This darker characterization was already cemented inAbsolute Superman#4, where a civilian declares, “We pray for the Superman’s rage.”With fury, anger, and vengeance becoming recurring motifs in theAbsolute Supermannarrative, this direction continues to reshape the hero’s identity.
Absolute Superman’s Character-Defining Rage May Be His Greatest Weakness
Main Cover by Rafa Sandoval & Ulises Arreola forAbsolute Superman#5 (2025)
Earth-Prime’s Superman has had his share of angry outbursts, but Aaron takes it to another level with the Kal-El of the Absolute universe, making rage a defining trait. What makes this portrayal particularly unique—and well done—is how readers get the sense that his anger is always simmering just beneath the surface, ready to explode, as seen in his confrontation with the Peacekeepers. And while this will be a core trait of Absolute Superman, it may also prove to be his greatest weakness. When he nearly loses control against the Peacekeepers,Supermanadmits that his own anger scares him, hinting at the potential dangers of his unchecked fury moving forward.
