The 2024 Jonathan and Martha Kent Fictional Parent of the Year Award

It’s the last day of the year, so we present to you, live from the Multiversal Nexus Ballroom, the winner of the 2024 Jonathan and Martha Kent Fictional Parent of the Year Award.

While I have been awarding the Darth Vader Parenthood Award for Outstandingly Horrible Fictional Parents for 44 years now, the Jonathan and Martha Kent Fictional Parent of the Year Award is a new prize that I only introduced in 2020 as a companion piece to the Darth Vader Parenthood Award. The 2020 winner may be found here, the 2021 winner here, the 2022 winner here and the 2023 winner here.

As for why I felt the need to introduce a companion award, depictions of parenthood in popular culture have been undergoing a paradigm shift in the past few years with more positive portrayals of supportive and loving parents and fewer utterly terrible parents. Personally, I believe that this shift is a very good thing, because the reason that I started the Darth Vader Parenthood Award in the first place is because I was annoyed by all the terrible parents in pop culture. For while most real world parents may not be perfect, at least they do their best. Maybe, the conditions that gave rise to the Darth Vader Parenthood Award will eventually cease to exist and we can permanently retire the award.

The bar is open for the adults, the play area and ball pit are open for the kids, and the kitchen is serving up delicacies from around Multiverse as well as the greatest selection of pastries and sweets found anywhere in any universe, so without further ado, let’s get started.

Warning: Spoilers for lots of things behind the cut!

So let’s give a big hand to all the good parents in pop culture that we have seen this year. As in the last four years, there were plenty of viable candidates and selecting the winner was a difficult choice.

So let’s have a brief rundown of the candidates who did not quite make it, but still deserve an honourable mention:

The Star Wars Universe has been a reliable source of parent figures both good and bad over the years. In 2024, Star Wars gave us two or rather three positive parents figures. The Acolyte may have fallen victim to the Culture Wars and while the usual suspects claimed to hate everything about it up to visible explosions in space (even though explosions in space in Star Wars have only been a thing since 1977) and an obscure Jedi council member being older than previously assumed, the one thing that really got them railed up was the existence of a coven of lesbian witches of colour manipulating the Force to make babies, cause manipulating the Force to make babies should only be reserved for white men like Senator and future Emperor Palpatine. But whether you like The Acolyte or not, one cannot argue that Mothers Aniseya and Koril do love their twin daughters Mae and Osha. They’re certainly better parents than the Jedi who come to take the force sensitive girls away, but then the Jedi are pretty terrible at raising kids as shown by the number of Jedi going off the rails and over to the Dark Side.

Meanwhile, Skeleton Crew, the most child-friendly Star Wars show since the nigh forgotten Ewok movies of the 1980s, not only seems to delight pretty much everybody, but also gave us a great reluctant father figure in Jod Na Nawood (played by Jude Law), who may be a Jedi or may be a pirate or may be both and unexpectedly finds himself in charge of the four runaway kids Wim, Fern, KB and Neel. However, Skeleton Crew is still airing and Jod Na Nawood’s story isn’t over, so he’s probably a better potential candidate for 2025.

The animated movie The Wild Robot seemed to come out of nowhere, at least to me (it’s apparently based on a popular children’s book, for which I’m not the target audience)  and gave us Rozzum Robot Unit 7134 a.k.a. Roz (clever name choice) who goes rogue and becomes the loving adoptive mother of a gosling named Brightbill.

The anime series Spy x Family has been delighting audiences around the world for a few years now and in 2024 even received a movie version called Spy x Family: Code White. And while Loid Forger a.k.a. the master spy codenamed “Twilight” and his pretend wife Yor a.k.a. the assassin “Thorn Princess” certainly never plan to become good parents for the telepathic orphan Anya, whom Loid adopts to get close to his target via an exclusive school, they nonetheless are. Suggested by Juan Sanmiguel.

The so-called “Arrowverse” of DC superhero shows airing on the US TV network The CW not only consistently blew the DC superhero movies out of the water, but also gave us plenty of great and loving parent figures. Alas, The CW is being retooled into a channel for shitty reality programs courtesy of Warner Bros Discovery‘s CEO and real-life supervillain David Zaslav, and all the superhero shows have been cancelled along with everything else. The last one standing, Superman & Lois, ended its run a few weeks ago and went where Superman adaptations rarely go and showed up Clark Kent and Lois Lane as a happily married couple and loving parents of teenaged twins Jonathan and Jordan Kent. Clark and Lois would certainly have been great candidates for the Jonathan and Martha Kent Fictional Parent of the Year Award, except that they actually get to enjoy Martha Kent’s famous apple pie, whenever they want to, so let’s give someone else a chance.

Talking of Jonathan and Martha Kent, they also continue to be great parents to Clark over in My Adventures with Superman. In season 2, we also got a glimpse of Clark’s birth father Jor-El doing his best to be a good father, even if he’s only a hologram, and also delved into Lois’ troubled relationship with her father General Sam Lane, who falls into the “gray parent, who’s neither good nor bad, but tries their best” category.

Our 2021 winner, Duncan a.k.a. Man-at-Arms returned in Masters of the Universe: Revolution. Though now promoted to Lord Duncan and Man-of-War, he nonetheless continued to be a supporting father figure for Adam, who really needed one, having just lost his own father, as well as for Teela, Andra, Orko, Cringer and Gwildor. Duncan would have been a most worthy winner this year as well, except that he already got a bite of pie (quite literally), so it’s time to honour someone else.

To remain on Eternia for a moment, King Randor narrowly scraped past winning the Darth Vader Parenthood Award in 2021 due to his treatment of his son Adam. He does redeem himself somewhat in Masters of the Universe: Revolution and tells Adam on his death bed that he loves him and is proud of him. Of course, Randor also tells Adam that he must give up being He-Man when he becomes king, which leads to a whole lot of problems down the line, but he at least tries to be a better father in his final weeks/months than in the roughly twenty-five to thirty years before.

What is more, the Masters of the Revolution cartoon gave us a few glimpses of the childhood of Randor and his older brother Keldor and the prequel comics gave us even more insight into their childhood, from which we learn that even though Randor wasn’t always a great father, he was a much better parent and king than either his father Miro or his grandfather Rannen. Because Randor seems determined not to repeat his father’s mistakes and thus breaks through the intergenerational cycle of abuse in which his father was trapped and which completely consumed his brother Keldor. It’s not enough to win Randor the Jonathan and Martha Kent Fictional Parent of the Year Award, but we should recognise that he at least tries to do better.

While we’re at it, we should also give a shout-out to Queen Marlena, who – unlike her husband – always was a loving and supportive mother to Adam. And after Randor succumbs to a mysterious illness in the first episode of Masters of the Universe Revolution, Marlena – though in mourning herself – continues to support her son who has to deal with the dual responsibility of being He-Man and King of Eternia, while mourning his father, and then has to deal with his long-lost uncle showing up as well.

There’s a scene where Skeletor throws Adam, Cringer and Marlena into the royal dungeon. In this moment, Adam is at his lowest point. He has been cut off from the Power of Grayskull and doesn’t have his sword, he’s been thrown into his own dungeon, Skeletor is on the throne, his people have been turned into cyborg slaves and the Horde has occupied Eternia and Castle Grayskull. Adam blames himself for everything – not without reason. This is when Marlena gives him a pep talk and tells him that he doesn’t need the sword or the Power of Grayskull to be hero, that Adam and his enormous courage are enough.

Queen Marlena would surely be a most worthy winner of the Jonathan and Martha Kent Fictional Parent of the Year Award and she may well win one day, but not today, if only because she doesn’t have a lot of screentime in Masters of the Universe Revolution and there’s another viable candidate who has been deserving of this award for a long time now. Nonetheless, let’s give a big hand to Queen Marlena of Eternia.

Applause erupts around the auditorium. Queen Marlena, who is sitting in the front row, clad in an elegant black gown with gold embroidery – she’s still in mourning, after all – graciously waves like the queen that she is. Duncan is sitting next to her, still clad in his shiny Man-of-War armour. Lyn is sitting on Duncan’s other side, also still clad in the striking blue and purple gown she wore yesterday, and we can’t help but notice that she and Duncan are very cozy with each other. Marlena noticed this as well and smiles to herself, but then she’s always been a very perceptive woman.

Now we’ve got the honourable mentions out of the way, it’s time to get to the main event, namely the winner of the 2024 Jonathan and Martha Kent Fictional Parent of the Year Award.

This year’s winner is another character who probably should have won long ago, except that a) there was no Jonathan and Martha Kent Fictional Parent of the Year Award until 2020, and b) I wasn’t aware of this character at the time when he would have been a suitable winner. And indeed, this year’s winner was the first character a third party ever suggested to me (or rather demanded to know why this character had never won). Well, as I said before, I can’t award a character, if I don’t know they exist. However, sometimes a new season, a sequel or – as in this case – a remake give me the chance to honour a character who was originally overlooked.

Therefore, I am thrilled to announce that the winner of the 2024 Jonathan and Martha Kent Fictional Parent of the Year Award is none other then…

Drumroll

General Iroh of the Fire Nation

Voiced by Mako and Greg Baldwin in the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender and played by Paul Sun-Hyung Lee in the live action remake (which is what made him eligible for the award), Iroh is the firstborn son of Fire Lord Azulon and heir apparent to the throne. He is a skilled firebender and brilliant miitary strategist. As General of the Fire Nation’s forces, he distinguished himself by claiming to have killed the last dragon in the world (spoiler alert: he didn’t), which earned him the nickname “the Dragon of the West”, and also besieged Ba Sing Se, the capital of the Earth Kingdom for one hundred days, because he believed he was destined to conquer the city (he was, though not in the way he thought).

Even though his military campaigns took him away from home a lot, Iroh was a loving father to his only son Lu Ten and also had a close relationship with the children of his younger brother Ozai, Zuko and Azula. Tragedy struck, when Lu Ten was killed in action during the siege of Ba Sing Se. Though he’s never been as war-hungry as his grandfather, father and brother, Iroh was a changed man after the loss of his son, becoming more philosophical and contemplative. He did not contest his brother’s ascendance to the throne of the Fire Lord, but instead focussed on being a supportive mentor and father figure to his hot-headed nephew Zuko. When Fire Lord Ozai banished his own son Zuko and forbade him from returning until he had captured the Avatar, a task considered impossible, since the Avatar had vanished after an unfortunate encounter with an ice berg one hundred years before, Iroh followed Zuko into exile and continued to mentor and support his nephew.

Iroh is the one person who is responsible for Zuko not following in the genocidal footsteps of his great-grandfather, grandfather and father, but finding his own path, a better path. Iroh also served as a mentor to the young Avatar Aang and his motley collection of friends Katara, Sokka, Toph and Suki. Later, after his ascendance into the Spirit World, Iroh even mentored young Korra*, Aang’s successor as Avatar.

Iroh is the supportive uncle we all wish we had and therefore we name him a most worthy winner of the 2024 Jonathan and Martha Kent Fictional Parent of the Year Award.

Applause

Applause erupts around the auditorium. Iroh hugs Zuko, who’s sitting next to him and munching on a skewer of chicken satay, and then ascends to the stage, clad in his customery plain brown robes and still holding the ugly vase that his brother Ozai received in absentia as winner of the 2024 Retro Darth Vader Parenthood Award the night before.

General Iroh accepts his award. This time around, the pie is a dollhouse miniature.

Iroh bowed and held the following speech:

Thank you. Thank you for this great honour.

Honour is very important to my people, the Fire Nation. However, we view honour almost entirely in terms of military honour and valour. This is wrong, for there are many kinds of honour that have nothing to do with war.

One of the greatest honours a person can have is to raise and mentor the next generation. For our children are our greatest wealth, greater than all the treasures of Ba Sing Se.

A single tea runs down Iroh’s cheek.

I had a son once, Lu Ten. He was the sweetest, gentlest boy you can imagine. As he grew older, he wanted to follow in my footsteps and became a soldier just like me. But war has a way is taking away all that makes life worth living and so the Siege of Ba Sing Se took my son and also all the light from my life.

However, life gave me a second chance and so I did my best to be the father and mentor to my nephew Zuko that my brother Ozai couldn’t be and to show him that his father’s path, the path of war and destruction, isn’t the only path. Over time, my nephew Zuko grew into a fine young man and the first Fire Lord of true honour in four generations.

Iroh looks straight at Zuko.

I’m proud of you, boy. You found your own path and have displayed true wisdom and honour.

But life also placed other young people in need of guidance into my path. The young Avatar Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Suki. Lovely young people one and all. It has been an honour to mentor them.

“This is the way,” 2020 winner Din Djarin, who is sitting in the front row, exclaims. Meanwhile, Grogu, who’s sitting on his lap, uses the Force to help himself to some cod roe sushi from a passing waiter’s tray.

My only regret is that I was not able to save my niece Azula from her father’s darkness like I saved Zuko. This is one failure I must live with, just as I most live with losing my son to a senseless war.

You may wonder, honoured audience, why I carry around the ugly vase that Zuko and I were given as a reminder of my brother Ozai’s utter failure as a father and a human being. It is exactly for this reason, to remind myself of how my brother squandered the greatest gifts he was given, his children, that I am keeping this vase and will put it in a place of honour in my tea house in Ba Sing Se.

Because our children are our greatest treasure and raising them to become good, honourable people is the greatest honour of all. Thank you.

Iroh bows and accepts his award, one of Martha Kent’s famous apple pies. “This looks most delicious, my dear lady,” Iroh says politely to Martha, “I am sure it will go perfectly with a nice cup of tea.”

Martha smiles at Iroh. “Well, in Kansas we prefer coffee, but I’m sure my pie will go wonderfully with tea as well.”

Zuko leaps up to the stage and hugs Iroh again. “That was a great speech, Uncle. And you’re a much worthier winner than Father.” Zuko spots the pie and helps himself to a slice. “I’m so hungry and this looks delicious.” He takes a bite. “Yum, it tastes delicious as well.”

Iroh sighs. “Zuko, you can’t possibly still be hungry after everything you ate last night and today.”

Martha smiles. “Oh, these young men are always hungry. Just like my Clark.”

The 2023 winner Master Splinter ascends the stage to congratulate his successor. “You’re human and I don’t like humans,” Splinter says, “But you’re also a father and a martial artist like the Master Jackie Chan and I respect that.”

“I am afraid I am not familiar with this Master Jackie Chan, but I would like to know more.”

“So they don’t have videotapes of Jackie Chan’s exploits where you come from? Inconceivable. You should visit us in our sewer lair and I will show you some tapes.” Splinter look at Zuko, who is stuffing his face with apple pie. “That’s a good boy you have there. I have four myself.”

“Four sons! You truly are blessed.”

Splinter nods. “Here they come.”

At this moment, Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo storm the stage and introduce themselves to Zuko.

“Hey, guys, it’s one of those sweet pizzas again. Those are sooo good.”

Iroh sighs. “I guess I will not get to enjoy my own pie. But maybe I could interest you in a nice cup of tea, Master Splinter. And you of course as well, my dear Mistress Kent.”

“That sounds lovely,” Martha Kent replies, “And just between us, I always bake a spare pie, because I know how hungry young people can be.”

Meanwhile, Din Djarin, carrying Grogu in his arms, has walked over to Duncan, Lyn and Marlena.

“Excuse me, but that armour is most impressive.”

“Thank you,” Duncan replies, “Yours is very impressive as well.”

Din leans forward to examine Duncan’s armour. “Is that Beskar?”

“No, Eternium with some corodite reinforcements.”

“Fascinating.”

While Din and Duncan geek out about their respective armour and are soon comparing stats and designs, Grogu uses the Force to help himself to a deviled egg from passing waiter’s tray.

“Well, aren’t you the sweetest little boy!” Marlena exclaims, “May I hold him?”

Din nods and hands Grogu off to Marlena, who bounces him on her lap, ignoring the fact that Grogu just snagged a smoked salmon canapé.

Lyn leans over and asks, “Are you practicing for grandchildren?”

Marlena sighs. “If only. But Adam and Teela are.. well, they’re a little slow.”

“Tell me about it.”

***

Since everybody is happily chatting and eating, it’s time to conclude our live broadcast of the 2024 Jonathan and Martha Kent Fictional Parent of the Year Award. Who’ll win next year? You’ll find out in this space.

Disclaimer: I don’t own any of these characters, I just gave them an award and wrote acceptance speeches for them. All characters and properties are copyright and trademark their respective owners.

*When spelling out my name, I’ve always had to explain that my first name is “Cora with a C”. However in recent years, I’ve also had to explain that my first name is spelled with only one R, unlike the lead character from Avatar: The Legend of Korra.