Should Eradicator be a Superman Family member or a villain?

[Will Evans]

While in the 90s he represented Krypton culture and Kryptonians in the purest form for the SuperFam. But since the mid-2000s we’ve had Kara Zor-El back who lived most of her life on Krypton, so Eradicator was no longer needed for that aspect. At least in the SuperFam.

Should he/it continue to be a villain now, or return to the SuperFam and be an anti-heroic Superman?

[Vordan]

He adds nothing to the Superfamily and we’re already currently at the limit of how many people we can have in said family. He should be a villain but not one for Clark, Zod already fills that role. Instead he should be a villain for Kara, he could be the one trying to tempt her with the resurrection of her old home.

[Kuwagaton]

They seem to have a lot of difficulty maintaining "him" as a villain... I suppose because there were a few particular story arcs and it's hard to redefine now that those are resolved. But I think we need more villains and less hangers-on y'know?

[CosmeticSkull]

Why would he ever be in the Superfamily? Are you forgetting he tried to kill Jon?

[daBronzeBomma]

100% Villain.

The SuperFam is already big enough and no Kryptonian knowledge he/it provides can't be matched by Kara and/or Kelex.

All you have to do is differentiate the Eradicator's motivation from General Zod.

[Vordan]

100% Villain.

The SuperFam is already big enough and no Kryptonian knowledge he/it provides can't be matched by Kara and/or Kelex.

All you have to do is differentiate the Eradicator's motivation from General Zod.

Since I like Zod as more sympathetic, maybe you could have him as the guy who wants to transform Earth into a New Krypton, but is also willing to basically “annex” humanity into his new empire whereas the Eradicator wants to live up to his name and wipe humanity out? Still say he should be a Kara villain.

[Last Son of Krypton]

Villain or maybe anti-hero. Just not make him Superman's secret lost brother.

[Frontier]

You can play him as both depending on the interpretation.

[exile001]

Superman needs villains, and with actual name value.

I'm still waiting for something to be done with Zod. This holding pattern has been years now.

[Riv86672]

we’re already currently at the limit of how many people we can have in said family.

^^^Theres a limit?

Anyway, w. no other option (villainous family member/heroic villain) I’ll vote villain.

[Ascended]

I'm still waiting for something to be done with Zod. This holding pattern has been years now.

Didn't PKJ say he had plans for Zod, but it would be a while?

Zod's off on New Krypton, trying to build a new homeworld for his people. Seems as good a place for him as any until a writer wants him. And I like him as this political frenemy now, where he could be an ally or foe depending on circumstance. Much more interesting role, and it allows writers to delve into the oft-ignored political side of Superman by using aliens and the United Planets instead of anything real-world.

Eradicator, I voted for "villain" but I can easily see some situations where his goals align with Clark's. But if Zod is going to be the more sympathetic rogue, the Eradicator should be unknowable and inscrutable. Just a jumble of Kryptonian logic circuits, utterly uncaring about anything but the objective.

Which sounds more than a little like Brainiac, maybe, but different goals and methods should be enough to keep overlap at a minimum.

[Vordan]

^^^Theres a limit?

Anyway, w. no other option (villainous family member/heroic villain) I’ll vote villain.

There should be. Look at how unwieldy these “families” can get where you have a bunch of useless additions whose only purpose is eating up panel space. There’s way too many human Lanterns, most of the Flash family is pointless, the Batfamily has expanded past the point of parody, and so on and so forth. How many “Family” members are actually crucial? How many are unique enough to stand out?

If Eradicator joined the Family what does he bring that’s unique? Memories of Krypton and a pro Krypton perspective? Kara has that. Being Superman’s robotic ally? Already have Kelex (and boy does Kelex need some fleshing out himself beyond “generic robot helper”). Superman wouldn’t tolerate someone wearing the s-shield and killing, and at that point, Eradicator is just a Superman Robot.

Didn't PKJ say he had plans for Zod, but it would be a while?

Indeed, the way he talked about it made it sound like Zod would be involved in the endgame for his run. It’s a shame that Shannon is giving us such a great Zod and none of the Superman writers are doing anything with him right now. Had hoped Waid would be using Zod for his BL book and maybe he will, but it’s primarily Lex again.

[Riv86672]

There should be.

^^^Agreed, which is why I asked, cuz someone at DC hasn’t gotten the memo!

[Jon Clark]

I liked the Eradicator from Reign of the Supermen and if we didn't already have Kenan as a human who became super, I'd love to see the Eradicator as a human being merged with Kryptonian tech to contrast Clark/Kal as a Kryptonian who "poses" as human.

But since we sort of have a character filling that role, I like the idea of the Eradicator less as a weapon and more as a programmed inttelligence that simply sees the preservation of Krypton taking precedence over Earth. Think Brainiac but instead of as a conqueror, as a prophet/cult-leader trying to remake Earth into New Krypton. Imagine a third world country (or it's leaders at least) willing to give the Eradicator carte blanche in excahange for gaining Kryptonian tech and becoming a race of supermen. Sure it won't work that way- but the country doesn't know that the Eradicator isn't something they can negotiate with or subvert. Or picture a group 180 degrees opposite of Blue Earth who are willing to give up their humanity to become part of "something greater"- that greater being neo-Kryptonians.

I don't want to see the Eradicator as something that exists simply to punch it out with Superman or the Superfam. But if we downplay the bit about killing Jon, what if the Eradicator became the sort of devil on Jon's shoulder counter-balancing Clark's angel and pushing Jon down a darker path of reshaping humanity into Krypton. Things like Jon taking a more hands-on approach to international politics. Maybre like Clark in Kingdom Come Jon decides on having metas govern metas is a good idea. Or supporting a council of "intelligent moral intellectuals" in replacing a military junta in some country- an Earthly Science Council like on Krypton. And in each case Jon would be either overtly or covertly be influenced by the Eradicator's advice.

[Thor-Ul]

Voted evil, buI would prefered more in a grey zone. Not antihero, but oppositor. And not necessarily allied to XZod either. Zon could had an idea about what Krypton must be, but maybe the Eradicator have other ideas.