What villain would you choose for Superman: Legacy?

[The World]

Yeah what they really don't need to do is use Superman #775 in any capacity beyond bringing up the Manchester Black. That's story really doesn't have any value to Superman and is the ultimate Superman insecurity piece, not really known for anything other than Superman flexing and wagging his finger with those same meaningless platitudes he was known for Post-Crisis because at the time his character was devoid of substance and best described as "a naive farmboy".

[manwhohaseverything]

You could have them be allies before Manchester goes his own way.

That would work for a young Superman story.

It'd be more tragic when the conflict occurs.. it's likd kevin 11 and ben 10.You know these two are gonna be at odds and at each others throats.But,then you know they begrudgingly see each other's point and somewhat sympathises.

Crazy to think sort off did this brother v brother dynamic with clark and tal rho.But, with lesser depth and less fun way in my opinion

[bat39]

A crazy thought,I kinda think manchester could be superman's first sidekick that actually compliments him..like dick did to batman.

Not sure I'd want to see this as part of a big-budget Superman movie, but it'd make a hell of a Black Label/Elseworld story.

In fact...how about this? Manchester Black travels across time and space and ends up in a version of 1938, meeting the Siegal/Shuster Superman, whom he's shocked to discover is a lot more like him than his Earth 0 counterpart!

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

It'd be more tragic when the conflict occurs.. it's likd kevin 11 and ben 10.You know these two are gonna be at odds and at each others throats.But,then you know they begrudgingly see each other's point and somewhat sympathises.

Crazy to think sort off did this brother v brother dynamic with clark and tal rho.But, with lesser depth and less fun way in my opinion

Plus it makes Manchester a foil for the Justice League. Clark is looking for companions and he found a better fit in the League than the Elite.

[Ascended]

Voted for Brainiac. We know this film is supposed to be about Clark finding a balance between his heritage and his upbringing right? Well, Brainiac-as-Kryptonian-AI or Brainiac-as-destroyer-of-Krypton fits that perfectly. In that context I feel like Brainiac is practically the only villain you *can* use!

Also, waiting on the big threats for a second or third film is, I think, a mistake. Given the state of DC and the damage they've done to their brand, given the chaos behind the scenes, Gunn needs to throw everything he can at this movie or we might not make it to a sequel. No point in saving Brainiac or some other big name villain for the next movie when the next movie might not happen at all.

But all that said, Brainiac actually isn't the villain I want to see. We've had Superman fight alien invaders in MoS and JL...and BvS if you wanna count zombie/Doomsday Zod. I'd like to see a different kind of threat, like Parasite or Metallo, instead of yet another alien. Plus I want stories where Clark deals with real problems (even if on a heightened, whimsical level) instead of another fictional threat with no real connection to actual issues real people deal with. But for a movie about "Kryptonian nature vs. human nurture" Brainiac is arguably the strongest/only choice.

Ideally, I'd like to see a Golden Age/t-shirt style movie with Ultra-Humanite as the Big Bad. Something equal parts "Golden Age Archive volume 1" "Morrison Action" and the Fleischer "Mechanical Monsters" short...or maybe just adapt Smashes the Klan. But I don't think Gunn is going to give us that kind of Superman, even though I think he'd enjoy that version of Clark a lot.

[The World]

Tbh if they really wanted do a story about Superman dealing with human and kryptonian heritage they should adapt that Bronze Age story where the Supergirl and the Government try to gaslight Superman into believing he's a science experiment created on Earth and everything he believed about his life at that point was a giant work of fiction. Of course that would require the Kents to be dead though.

[Vordan]

It’s funny to me that the guy who currently is the most likely choice for Gunn (Lobo), doesn’t have any votes at the moment lol. Although King originally planned for WoT to be a Supergirl/Lobo story so maybe that’s where he will actually show up. If it is Brainiac I hope the take on him uses the Morrison/Venditti take that he considers himself a “savior”. He’s bottling cities from doomed worlds in an effort to preserve some remnant of doomed species. That would differentiate him from what we’ve seen before with Lex and Zod. And with regards to Superman balancing his dual legacy:




Yeah I’ve reconsidered, I think Brainiac could be perfect for forcing Clark to grapple with nature vs. nurture. I still would start with Metallo and then lead into Brainiac myself, but I see how it could work.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

It’s funny to me that the guy who currently is the most likely choice for Gunn (Lobo), doesn’t have any votes at the moment lol. Although King originally planned for WoT to be a Supergirl/Lobo story so maybe that’s where he will actually show up. If it is Brainiac I hope the take on him uses the Morrison/Venditti take that he considers himself a “savior”. He’s bottling cities from doomed worlds in an effort to preserve some remnant of doomed species. That would differentiate him from what we’ve seen before with Lex and Zod. And with regards to Superman balancing his dual legacy:




Yeah I’ve reconsidered, I think Brainiac could be perfect for forcing Clark to grapple with nature vs. nurture. I still would start with Metallo and then lead into Brainiac myself, but I see how it could work.

I always saw Lobo as an opening act kinda villian rather than the main event. So I'd pair him up with another villian like Mongul or Terra-man. You could revamp Terra-man as an alien bounty hunter who competes with Lobo or partners up with him. Their goal is take Superman out as the last Kryptonian or burgeoning icon etc. They could compete for the job or work together.

[Johnny Thunders!]

I want a fully formed Superman Universe where he does 50 amazing feats in the first movie, first he stops Toyman and the Prankster, then he distracts Bizarro from helping, and finally he spends the majority of the film saving Earth from Braniac before facing the real big bad, Mxyzptlk!

[bat39]

Voted for Brainiac. We know this film is supposed to be about Clark finding a balance between his heritage and his upbringing right? Well, Brainiac-as-Kryptonian-AI or Brainiac-as-destroyer-of-Krypton fits that perfectly. In that context I feel like Brainiac is practically the only villain you *can* use!

Also, waiting on the big threats for a second or third film is, I think, a mistake. Given the state of DC and the damage they've done to their brand, given the chaos behind the scenes, Gunn needs to throw everything he can at this movie or we might not make it to a sequel. No point in saving Brainiac or some other big name villain for the next movie when the next movie might not happen at all.

But all that said, Brainiac actually isn't the villain I want to see. We've had Superman fight alien invaders in MoS and JL...and BvS if you wanna count zombie/Doomsday Zod. I'd like to see a different kind of threat, like Parasite or Metallo, instead of yet another alien. Plus I want stories where Clark deals with real problems (even if on a heightened, whimsical level) instead of another fictional threat with no real connection to actual issues real people deal with. But for a movie about "Kryptonian nature vs. human nurture" Brainiac is arguably the strongest/only choice.

Ideally, I'd like to see a Golden Age/t-shirt style movie with Ultra-Humanite as the Big Bad. Something equal parts "Golden Age Archive volume 1" "Morrison Action" and the Fleischer "Mechanical Monsters" short...or maybe just adapt Smashes the Klan. But I don't think Gunn is going to give us that kind of Superman, even though I think he'd enjoy that version of Clark a lot.

I think if Gunn borrows from Morrison's New 52 run, you get a bit of that, because the whole point of his arc was the transition from the Golden Age 'Champion of the Oppressed' to the sci-fi oriented Silver Age superhero.

Tbh if they really wanted do a story about Superman dealing with human and kryptonian heritage they should adapt that Bronze Age story where the Supergirl and the Government try to gaslight Superman into believing he's a science experiment created on Earth and everything he believed about his life at that point was a giant work of fiction. Of course that would require the Kents to be dead though.

Damn I remember reading that years ago! It was a trippy story.

Unfortunately, the premise of the story hinged on the very Silver Age/Bronze Age idea that Superman fundamentally identified as a Kryptonian and couldn't relate to humanity at all. Which just isn't in line with most modern depictions of the character, or indeed how I see the character.

[Last Son of Krypton]

I feel next time will see Lex in live action, he'll use his power armor to differentiate him to past incarnations.

Old villain but new package.

[bat39]

I feel next time will see Lex in live action, he'll use his power armor to differentiate him to past incarnations.

Old villain but new package.

I'd love that!

The New 52 generally had a pretty good idea of how to handle Lex - they retained some of the businessman/corporate mogul aspect, but also focused on him being a scientist and a traditional supervillain (later superhero) with the armor.

[phonogram12]

You could have them be allies before Manchester goes his own way.

That would work for a young Superman story.

Kinda similarly to what ls going on in World’s Finest with how they’re showing Magog before he lost his way. I’d be down with this.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Kinda similarly to what ls going on in World’s Finest with how they’re showing Magog before he lost his way. I’d be down with this.

I thought of Boy Thunder too but that's more of a mentor student relationship. Smallville's take on Lex fits more as it's a friendship of equals that fell apart. So it works more for Superman starting out than Boy Thunder does. Although they could use Waid's run on World's Finest for the sequel.

[Last Son of Krypton]

I'd love that!

The New 52 generally had a pretty good idea of how to handle Lex - they retained some of the businessman/corporate mogul aspect, but also focused on him being a scientist and a traditional supervillain (later superhero) with the armor.

Exactly. Even an overused villain like Lex has a side still unexplored in live action.