Jupiter’s Legacy: How Utopian Vs Paragon Ended In The Original Comics

Jupiter’s Legacy leaves the conflict between The Utopian and Paragon unresolved, but the original comics reveal how it ended. It’s been only a month since season 1 of Jupiter’s Legacy debuted on Netflix, but the powers that be at the streaming service have decided to move in a different direction, releasing the cast from their contracts and effectively canceling the superhero show. However, considering the season (now series) finale left off on a major cliffhanger, here’s how season 2 might have played out based on the source material. 

There was a lot of tension between The Utopian (aka, Sheldon Sampson) and Paragon (aka, Brandon Sampson). The father-son duo didn’t see eye-to-eye about a lot of things and when Brandon does the unthinkable and kills the villain Blackstar, breaking the Union of Justice’s long-held code, it pushes them even further apart. By the end of Jupiter’s Legacy season 1, Brandon starts to question whether his father would have actually saved his life since Sheldon hesitates to deliver the final blow despite Blackstar threatening his son’s life. 

In the comics, however, Brandon is far more lethal than his television counterpart. While the live-action version is trying his best to live up to The Utopian’s expectations, the Paragon of the comics is more of a jerk on a power trip who deeply hates that Sheldon wasn’t there for him growing up and works through that rage differently than on the show. A big part of the reason why the final scene between Sheldon and Walter is so sinister is because it seems to foreshadow a comics storyline that sees the latter convincing Brandon to kill Sheldon so they can finally take control of the U.S. instead of being held back by the Union’s moral code. Suffice it to say that Paragon murders The Utopian in cold blood, blasting through his dad’s flesh with the power of his laser eyes. It’s gruesome and disturbing because the superhero is pretty pleased with himself about it. Brandon doesn’t stop there, he also kills his mom, Lady Liberty, and attempts to off his sister Chloe as well (though she escapes). 

The Brandon in Netflix’s Jupiter’s Legacy seems to have more of a conscience, so it’s doubtful that he would have tried to kill his dad as ruthlessly as his comics counterpart does. There’s a lot of tension there, though, and it’s possible that Jupiter’s Legacy season 2 would have seen Walter at least grooming Brandon in a bid to kill The Utopian and get him out of the way once and for all. Season 1 spent a lot of time building up the strife between them, but considering Brandon aimed to please his father, there was a bit more hope for resolution there despite the end. While the series drew from its source material, it wasn’t married to every detail and changed a lot of things for the TV adaptation. It seems more likely that Walter would be the one to have killed his brother, especially considering his hatred for him, rather than have Brandon do it. 

The Utopian ultimately grounded the show and the story focused a lot more on him than it did the other members of the Union of Justice. His death would have likely altered the fabric of the show entirely. Plus, the series was more entrenched in the past than it was in the present (or future), so even if the writers decided Brandon should kill his father, it probably wouldn’t have happened as soon as the show’s second season. Season 2 of Jupiter’s Legacy had a lot of ground to cover as well, with the reveal that Walter is up to no good and Skyfox’s location being a mystery, so Brandon’s story may have taken a backseat. Either way, fans have only the comics to look to now.

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Mae Abdulbaki
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Mae Abdulbaki is a movie reviews editor with Screen Rant. She previously wrote about a variety of movies and TV shows for Inverse, CinemaBlend, Pajiba, and The Young Folks, where she wrote reviews, features, news pieces. Her other work can be found at The Mary Sue, Film School Rejects, UPROXX, Heroic Hollywood, Looper, The List, and Bam Smack Pow, among others. Mae has also appeared on television segments, podcasts, and panels to discuss all things entertainment.

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