Where your favorite blogs come alive
I find the polar opposite depictions of Jonathan in these stories incredibly fascinating.
MOS Jonathan shields and separates Clark from anything related his heritage, including things like his ship and powers. Encouraging suppresion and caution in Clark.
Actively telling Clark to hide his powers and never use them, scolding him whenever he used them. He is a man terrified of the world taking his son away from him, specially knowing he has no real way of protecting Clark from anything that may seek to harm him. So he encourages him to hide himself and avoid drawing any attention.
He is a more jaded and cynical man, immediately assuming the world would attack and try to kill his son (he ended up being right, which is its own can of worms), would try to rip his miracle child, his star baby away from him.
He only sees a world that would harm the child he so desperately seeks to protect, that child he loves more than anything.
MAWS Jonathan is the complete opposite of his MOS counterpart. He is the one that encouraged Clark to discover himself, to make contact with the ship, to practice his use and control of his powers, even turning that into a game a young Clark could enjoy.
He is aware of the shock Clark´s existence will create but in the end he has faith in humanity seeing Clark for what he truly is, someone who just wants to help others.
He is more optimistic and cheerful, thinking of the best and encouraging other people to do so too.
In MAWS, Martha is the one who is the one who wants to keep Clark away from anything alien, the one that clings to him and wants to keep him hidden.
While Jonathan is cheerful over Clark deciding to go public and help people, Martha is the one that is slightly reluctant (though not to MOS Jonathan´s level, like letting yourself get killed by a tornado because you don´t want your son to expose himself is extreme though somewhat understandable) to let him go, though she eventually gets on board and creates his trunks.
This dicotomy is reflected on Clark´s abilities.
Flight is one of his most characteristic abilities and it often serves as a metaphor for Clark feeling free and accepted, it comes in moments where Clark learns to love and accept himself.
So it is interesting to see how in MAWS it is one of the first he obtains while in MOS it is one of the last ones. Showing the difference in how their settings and enviroments reacted to them.
MAWS is honestly amazing and I am incredibly glad we got this adaptation of the Superman mythos. It is so unique and refreshing. I can´t wait for season 3.
Regardless of its flaws I genuinely love MOS and its depiction of the Kent family. Its different from what we are used to in comics and tv shows, but it offers a unique take on the Kents dealing with Clark´s powers. At the end the day Jonathan is just a father terrified someone will hurt his child and he won´t be able to protect him.
Anyways this ramble has lasted enough, love both pieces of media to bits.