Originally Posted by
Agent Z
Doesn't do much good for the hero's rogues gallery if they're mostly using cast offs. There is a reason Spider-Man's rogues gallery is more popular than, say, She-Hulk's whose had largely borrowed villains in one of her defining runs.
Again, that is what supporting cast is for.
Iron Man, Hulk, Spider-Man and Captain America. That's just off the top of my head. Evil clones of the hero are a staple of the superhero genre and anyway you're shifting the goal posts. Those types of villains do not make up the majority of Superman's villains.
Yes, they are good foils. Arguably better than ones than a character created completely separate from Superman. It's like saying Xena is a better foil for Buffy than Faith.
Lex Luthor and Lois Lane have been doing this for decades.
If you go past that, you have The Batman which had not only Superman but Green Arrow, Hawkman, Martian Manhunter, the Flash and Green Lantern. Beware The Batman had Katana, Metamorpho and a pre-Mr Terrific Michael Holt.
If a hero needs to rely on guest stars to serve as an interesting contrast, the writers are doing something wrong.