Spoilers for Batman/Superman: World's Finest #7!
DC has introduced a brand-new sidekick for Superman, but the new character actually has a more tragic origin than the Man of Steel himself. In Batman/Superman: World's Finest #7, a young man named David Sikela from an alternate reality crash lands on Earth. However, the hero who is about to become Superman's new sidekick has not only lost his family, but in the main DC Comics universe, they lost him.
Fresh off the defeat of the Devil Nezha, Batman and Superman's next adventure sees them meet Boy Thunder, a new hero to the DC Universe. While The Dark Knight has had plenty of sidekicks over the years, including Tim Drake, Jason Todd, and Dick Grayson's Robin, Superman, who usually operates without a young hero by his side, is about to get a new sidekick in the pages of DC Comics. But, before David Sikela suits up, readers learn about his tragic origin, which is somehow even sadder than Superman's.
In Batman/Superman: World's Finest #7 by Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Tamra Bonvillain, and Steve Wands from DC Comics, Batman and Superman monitor a strange breach in the sky as a small alien ship comes through it. After Superman catches the craft and safely places it down, they find a young man inside named David Sikela. David tells the heroes that he was placed inside the pod by his parents, as much like Superman's home Krypton, his tragic origin featured his home planet (an alternate Earth) dying as he was sent away. Superman agrees to help the displaced hero, getting him his own costume. However, when David demands to see his parents on their Earth, he learns that he died, leading to a tragic encounter with them as they tell him their son died at the age of three.
The issue ends with Superman and Batman introducing the Boy Thunder to the Teen Titans, as they struggle with what to do with the hero. However, future teases for the next issue suggest Superman will struggle to mentor his new sidekick, who has freshly experienced his tragic origin, as they face a villain who will cause major problems in the Man of Steel's life.
Batman and Superman are doing their best to ensure that Boy Thunder is safe and looked after he crash-landed on Earth. With his tragic origin paralleling Superman's, the Man of Steel understands the pain he's been through and how confusing it can be to be an outsider in a new world. As a result, Superman will make a great mentor, as it seems he's about to take on a new sidekick. Will Boy Thunder accept the role, or is he about to go down a more villainous path? Only time will tell.
