'Young Justice' season 4 could see Superboy play a major role in creating the Legion of Super-Heroes
'Young Justice: Outsiders' dropped a lot of bombs in its last three episodes including Geo-Force/Brion Markov's turn to the dark side and Black Lightning/Jefferson Pierce being made the leader of all Earth's heroes. But the biggest tease of all came in a short scene at the very end of the 26th episode, 'Nevermore'.
In the episode's final sequence, a waitress is seen pouring Superboy/Conner Kent a cup of coffee while he rests with family and friends in a diner, celebrating their recent victory over the Light. Just when you think it's just a throw-away sequence, we're given a closer shot of the waitress' hand and the Legion of Super-Heroes Flight Ring on her finger, teasing that the Legion will be making their way to 'Young Justice' in the next season.
For those who don't know, the Legion of Super-Heroes is a team of heroes who hail from the 30th century. Their members include Brainiac 5, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl and many others. The Legion has appeared in various DC properties including The CW's 'Supergirl' TV series.
Traditionally, the Legion was formed because they were inspired by the example of Superman, who has occasionally made trips to the future and helped them out as an honorary member. That said, there's a fair chance this time they may have come to the past for another member of the Super-family.
This time around, it looks like the Boy of Steel may be the one who ties together the present and future of the world. Superboy has had a remarkable growth arc through the seasons. Since the very beginning of the show, Conner is the one who provides the moral backbone of the Team.
When it is revealed that the leaders of the Team and League have been manipulating the other heroes, he steps up in a big way and takes charge of the situation, reprimanding his friends for their deceit. The relationship Conner shares with Dick Grayson/Nightwing closely parallels the one between Superman and Batman, in that they both respect each other but are ready to point out each other's mistakes as well.
While he has proven time and again he is truly a hero, Superboy's highest moment comes in 'Nevermore' when he reveals himself to be a Genomorph clone created by Cadmus. By doing so, he risks facing the hatred of an increasingly xenophobic public but he does it anyway because it is the right thing to do, something that would undoubtedly make Superman proud.
The fact that the Legion appears right after he has delivered this speech suggests his coming out into the public spotlight may be more significant than we first realized. This may actually be the point where the future of the Legion is created, with Superboy, not Superman, serving as their inspiration.
If we're right and Superboy was the one responsible for this version of the Legion forming, then he will most certainly have a major role to play in whatever brought them to the past, perhaps even following them to the future. With the threat of Darkseid looming on the horizon, the Legion could be invaluable allies for the team and Superboy may be the link to bring them into this epic cosmic war.
All episodes of 'Young Justice: Outsiders' are currently available for streaming only on DC Universe. The title and release date for 'Young Justice' season 4 have not yet been revealed.