My headcanon of Jon developing DID (specifically OSDD-1a) from disassociating in the volcano.
Before we start, let me run you through a short explaination of what DID/OSDD-1a is:
-DID or disassociated identity disorder (formally known as Multiple personality disorder) is a trauma-based disassociative disorder that is characterized by two or more distinct personality states.
-While OSDD-1a is a subtype that describes individuals who have dissociative parts that are not sufficiently differentiated to qualify as alters, more like different versions of the same person, though still experiencing dissociative amnesia.
So, Jonathan Kent has OSDD-1a, but why?
1. The differences in his pre and post-age up’s personalities
-While I was discussing about Jon’s personality with another user on here, they pointed out the difference trauma responses that the two has, and that even if the same person has changed a lot, their trauma responses would stay the same.
-In my headcanon, Jon, who was stuck in the volcano for 6 years would obviously disassociates a lot since he has nothing else to do. In that time in the volcano, he started day-dreaming and gradually developed an identity of himself being out of the Volcano, and the perfect kid/Superboy that his parents had wished for him.
-But this other “Jon” remains vague and dormant until he escaped the volcano, becoming the Host.
2. Jon seemingly being fine despite all the trauma that had happened to him
-I often hear a lot of people complain about Jon seemingly just not remembering his past trauma (DC’s faults really). But, what if he really DOESN’T remember??
-Host alters is the host that most commonly uses the body, other wise known as alters who frequently “front” by taking control of the body and front/conscious part of the mind. And in my head, host!Jon is the current Jon we see post-aged up.
-Jon has almost none or only blurry memories of his time in the volcano; seemingly unaffected by it, leading life as if he’s been there the whole time, unaware that he’s a system. While the original/core!Jon stays inside as the trauma holder now that he’s no longer in active danger.
-But that doesn’t feel like enough for Jon in my mind, so I made it so that he has a 3rd alter. Which is kid!Jon! Often called “littles” aka kid alters that holds the childhood innocence. In my mind he’s more of a fragment with the specific job of being an emotional protector/conscience to core!Jon.
3. The actual brainrots that I want to use this concept for (Supersons heavy)
-Most of my headcanons for Jon essentially boils down to wanting for him to heal and kinda cross the bridge between his kid and adult selves. So in my mind, host!Jon has NO CLUE that he’s a system (a lot of system usually keep their existence away from the host until they get diagnosed). There are subtle irregularities with him compared to kid!Jon that people might notice, but chalk it up to Jon just being grown up and changing.
-Until one day, after losing control of his powers in a high stress situation, Jon crashes tf out and lost consciousness for a few moments. When Damian saw Jon standing in the middle of dust and rubble a few moments later, Jon takes notice of him and just stares at him with wide eyes then he looks down covering his face with his own hands while heavily (unsteadily) breathing, like trying to control something. When Damian pushed through all the concrete and got to him however, Jon blinked and opened his eyes slowly as if he had just woken up and looked at Damian with a confused gaze. Tears and snot evident on his face, but it was as if Jon hadn’t remembered crying at all. And at that moment, Damian thought to himself “Ok, that’s definitely not normal.”
-After that event, Damian starts noting down some of the irregularities that Jon started the exhibit. The slight change in behavior and reactions between his 10 and current self, the subtle change in his hobbies and interests, the insignificant “Oh sorry! I just space out like that sometimes. What were you saying?”. Hell! Even their first encounter when Jon came back 3 weeks later being 6 years older than Damian! It was different- and wrong… but it didn’t feel like anyone else, had Jon really changed just like that? How his best friend was ever so slightly more of a different person not just physically anymore…
-Eventually Damian & Jon finds out that he has Osdd-1a (however they might’ve done it, Jon being stubborn over him being fine regardless).
-And that night, Jon had a dream, despite not having one for a very long time now. In that dream, he stood in the volcano again, opposite of him was a younger version of himself doubled over, shaking uncontrollably, in the same tattered clothes the wore when he was imprisoned. Then he looks at him, full of anger as lasers starts shooting out of his eyes without direction, like he just wanted it to stop. For a moment, Jon felt like he was falling, losing grasp of himself — then he woke up. The burn mark on the walls of his room stared back at him. (This being their first encounter as 2 alters in a system)
(my art for reference!)
-He and Damian talks about it, and after a lot of convincing and getting to know core!Jon through kid!Jon essentially being the meditator between them in their dreams, host!Jon convinces core!Jon to see Damian. When core!Jon finally accepted, first thing he did was to brace himself — as the rare times he fronted was for protecting the body physically. But when he opened his eyes, it was Damian staring at him instead of a supervillain; and maybe that would’ve been better because the moment he met the heavy green eyes his own started filling up with tears and he started full on sobbing, not daring to look up again. Damian tensed up at the sight of his friend but went and comfort him the only way he know how at his current state: a hug. After Jon had come down, still holding his best friend tightly, when have I grown so big, had Damian always been this small? Oh god… How much time had I lost… Jon feels the tears building up again then Damian pulled back to look at him in the face
“Jon. Do you know how old you are now?”
“Uhm…14? ish? Sorry, that’s probably not helpful- I stopped counting around then.”
-At that moment, Damian has never felt more of a surge for revenge. Jon’s stupid grandfather Jor-El for bringing him to space, he’ll hatch up a plan and go into space just to give that old man what he deserved himself! Not to mention how STUPID it was that Superman would allow Jon, his 10 yearold son to go on a space trip with practically a stranger! Have all of the adults lost their minds!?
-The truth is. Jon had been somewhat aware that he’s back on earth in his dormant stay inside their system. He could come out and meet his parents, friends & loved ones again. But how could he? When he’s like — this! He was overly burdened by what he experienced in the volcano, feeling less himself than ever, he wanted for the fire to burn itself out first before coming back, but the more he waited, the more things changed, the more he stayed the same. The world was moving on, and Jon “Superboy” Kent was not needed anymore… He kept himself away, no longer looking forward to the days he’s needed for fronting. Now, arms in arms with his best friend in the whole world, he can’t help but feel the guilt and sadness that he’s tried to tuck deep inside himself for long; but with it, relief, happiness, he was so tired of “living” in fear and misery. For now he indulges, to the feeling of cold air on his skin, the firm hold that was daring him to let go, the sound of the on going traffic from outside his windows.
4. What happens next?
-Over time, core!Jon lets himself be more present and open with the internal and external activities of the brain while host!Jon works through his own issues with his identity and actually talking to his parents about it, what’s going on with him and how he doesn’t want to stick to what his parents thinks is best for him. Core!Jon goes from fronting only in distressing times to letting himself be in peaceful moments and working through the trauma too.
-Now, I’ve heard that some systems can heal from alters gradually merging together until they’re the same person again (if this is wrong lmk!!). So I like to imagine at one point, no matter how long it takes in their healing journey, they became similar and safe enough that he becomes just Jon again, a good mix of the both of them.
Thanks for reading!! Lmk what you think ^_^
