If you’ve been following DC’s narratives for the last 15 years or so, then the evil Lois Lane of Earth-3 being pregnant and giving birth to a baby boy will likely sound familiar. This previously took place during DC’s New 52 era.
However, this new pregnancy does not occur in that era, meaning DC appears to be giving Superwoman’s pregnancy a do-over that will likely end very differently than before. The new reveal that Superwoman is pregnant takes place in Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #49 by Mark Waid, Mark Russell, and Marcus To.
DC Officially Reveals Superwoman Is Pregnant with Ultraman’s Baby
Comic Page Comes from Mark Waid & Mark Russell’s Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #49 (2026) – Art by Marcus To
The first thing to know about Waid’s Batman/Superman: World’s Finest series is that it is part of DC’s main continuity but takes place in the past, when Dick Grayson is still Robin. Issue #49 specifically picks up from the previous issue, with Batman and Superman attempting to return to their universe after waking up on Earth-3.
However, the Crime Syndicate’s Superwoman, Ultraman, and Owlman obviously have other plans and attempt to thwart the heroes’ escape. This leads to a confrontation in which Superman battles the trio of villains, but he stops short of striking Superwoman when she drops the bombshell that she’s pregnant.
Right before Superman is about to punch her, she says, “What kind of white knight would you be to hit a pregnant woman?” This immediately stops Clark in his tracks and gives Ultraman, who is revealed to be the child’s father, the opening to attack Superman. Eventually, Bruce and Clark manage to escape back to their Earth, leaving fans to digest the shocking reveal that Superwoman is now carrying a baby villain.
Superwoman’s Pregnancy Ends on a Major Cliffhanger, But We Guarantee There’s More to Come
Comic Page Comes from Mark Waid & Mark Russell’s Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #49 (2026) – Art by Marcus To
The pregnancy reveal is left as a major cliffhanger, with the synopsis for the next issue confirming that Waid is moving on from Earth-3 and the pregnancy reveal, at least for now. However, Waid is known for planting plot seeds like this and returning to them in later issues or even entirely different series, making it likely that Superwoman’s pregnancy will receive a future payoff.
That payoff will most likely take place in the World’s Finest series or Waid’s ongoing Justice League Unlimited. If it happens in World’s Finest, Waid will likely revisit the plot in a future storyline, much like he did with his Super-Bat character, who has appeared multiple times since debuting in the series.
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However, Waid is also known for connecting events between World’s Finest and Justice League Unlimited, such as his time-traveling We Are Yesterday storyline, which took place across both titles. Justice League Unlimited takes place in present-day continuity. If Waid revisits the Superwoman pregnancy there, the child could debut as a teenage villain, given that many years have passed between the World’s Finest reveal and the present timeline in JLU.
DC’s Next-Generation of Supervillains Begins Here
Comic Page Comes from Geoff Johns’s Justice League #49 (2016) – Art by Jason Fabok
The debut of Superwoman and Ultraman’s child in Justice League Unlimited would be exceptionally impactful, as Waid would essentially introduce a next-generation villain into DC’s continuity, likely around the same age as Damian Wayne. DC has already been laying the groundwork for the next generation of heroes with characters like Damian, Jon Kent, and Wonder Woman’s newly introduced daughter, Lizzie.
Because of this, it makes sense for DC to begin planting seeds for the next generation of villains as well. This is something we are already seeing in Tom King’s Wonder Woman run. That storyline, set roughly two decades in the future, has already introduced The Matriarch, a powerful new Amazon antagonist who grew up alongside Lizzie on Themyscira.
With this in mind, it feels very possible that Waid is heading in a similar direction to Earth-3’s Lois and Clark’s child. The pregnancy reveal is currently a loose end, and it is extremely rare for Waid, the architect behind DC’s recently established continuity in New History of the DC Universe, to leave such a major development unresolved.
How Superwoman’s New Pregnancy Differs From Her Darkseid War Pregnancy
Comic Page Comes from Geoff Johns’s Justice League #49 (2016) – Art by Jason Fabok
Superwoman’s pregnancy reveal in World’s Finest is also a major deviation from her previous pregnancy storyline. For one, the WF pregnancy is taking place much earlier in DC’s timeline than the one in the New 52 era. Secondly, Waid clearly establishes that Ultraman is the child’s father, whereas the New 52 storyline saw Lois juggling affairs with Ultraman and Owlman, telling each of them conflicting stories about the baby’s paternity.
That New 52 storyline ultimately revealed that neither man was the father, with Alexander Luthor (Mazahs) as the true parent. Superwoman later used her baby, Alexander Luthor Jr., during the Darkseid War. That decision backfired when Grail killed Superwoman, took the child, and used him as a vessel to resurrect Darkseid.
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It is highly unlikely that Waid intends to repeat that outcome with Superwoman’s child. For one, the timelines don’t match. Secondly, Ultraman appears to truly be the father this time, which already marks a major departure from the previous storyline. Waid now has an opportunity to avoid repeating DC’s past mistakes and instead introduce a powerful next-generation Justice League villain, and it honestly feels like that is exactly where this story is headed.
Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #49 from DC Comics is now available!