Superman's Radical Redesign Introduces Powerful New Weapons for the Last Son of Krypton

DC Comics has revealed a shocking new costume for Superman, and the Man of Steel's new redesign comes with two extremely powerful weapons to match. The latest issue of Absolute Superman sees DC's iconic hero amping up his power in order to take down the powerful Black Adam.

DC promised that the issue would see "Absolute Superman's Greatest Battle Yet!" in its solicits, and the drama that unfolded lived up to the promise. The issue saw Superman more than ready to undergo some upgrades in order to take down King Shazam / Black Adam. Kal-El joins forces with Hawkman and John Henry Irons/Steel to prevent Black Adam from unleashing chaos, and it forces Superman to wield some unlikely weapons.

Superman Harnesses Hawkman and Steel's Power in Shocking Fight Against Black Adam

As the fight rages on, the three heroes struggle to match Black Adam's might, and it leads to an internal conflict, too. Superman manages to keep a level head and firm grasp on his values, insisting that the three work together to keep Black Adam alive, though Hawkman believes killing him will be the only way to put a stop to him.

Unfortunately, Black Adam doesn't give the heroes much of a choice, and he eventually lands a powerful blow that leaves Superman terribly injured while Hawkman and Steel appear to be on the brink of death. Only Superman can fight on, but even his allies warn him against the idea. "Kid, you can't win. He's been stewing in those powers for three millennia. He's too damn strong."

Naturally, Superman remains optimistic even in the face of a near-certain death. "I have to. I'll find a way..." he protests, prompting Hawkman to tell him: "Take the mace. It's Thanagarian Nth metal. In your hands, it'll be strong enough to smash a planet. Or just maybe his skull."

"Don't know about Nth metal, but I made Viola here out of pure Promethium," Steel offers. "Powered by a miniaturized Neutron Star in its head. The way I see it...you wanna survive in this world...sometimes you gotta swing the hammer."

With that, Superman emerges in a transformed costume, one that pays homage to his alien heritage and features a fully covered face mask, too. At the end of the issue, Superman can be seen wielding both Hawkman's and Steel's weapons, giving him arguably his most powerful redesign in the series. It's not over yet, though, with DC teasing Absolute Superman #21 as the 'inevitable finale of Reign of the Superman.'

Superman Hunts Down Brainiac in Upcoming Absolute Universe Arc

It appears that Superman's adapted suit redesign and the power of Hawkman and Steel's weapons should be enough to help him overtake Black Adam and restore order to the world, but fans will find out the truth when Absolute Superman #21 goes on sale July 22. After it, the Man of Steel is set to take on another, more familiar villain as a new arc begins in August.

Absolute Superman #22 teases the beginning of the "Get Brainiac" arc, which will see Superman stopping at nothing to bring the iconic villain to justice. It won't be an easy feat, though, with DC's solicit teasing: "But before he can get his hands on Brainiac, Superman will have to go through Metallo, a man with Kryptonite in his veins. Get Brainiac begins here, kicking off the march to a game-changing blockbuster issue #25!"

Absolute Superman #20 is available now from DC Comics.