[2] The project was given to Mark Waid with the request to create an origin story for Superman set in the 21st century, a series that new readers can understand without any previous knowledge of the character's mythos.

On a nearby monitor programmed by Jor-El, the screen shows flickering and broken images from the habitable planet for which he has targeted the craft through a time disrupting wormhole.

The scene hard cuts to present day, where mid-20s freelance journalist Clark Kent visits Africa to interview political leader and activist Kobe Asuru, and strikes up a friendship.

He also avoids being detected by everyone present as a superpowered being, with the exception of Asuru's younger sister Abena, who survives the incident and becomes a key figure in the political revolution started by her brother.

Jonathan and Martha agree that if Clark is going to begin performing super powered rescues, he should develop a separate "human identity" to avoid public harassment and possible attempts at criminal retaliation.

They suggest that Clark develops an unassuming and nondescript everyday persona, wearing unremarkable clothes and assuming informal posture, that in itself would be a dramatic contrast to his essentially unavoidable appearance as a powerful and physically imposing figure during his superpowered rescues.

Clark, wearing informal clothes, travels to Metropolis and joins the Daily Planet newspaper, impressing resident star journalist Lois Lane with his reputation and reports from the African battle zones; she is conversely surprised by Kent's midwestern shyness and general social awkwardness.