Why are there so many evil Superman now?

[Tonatiuh]

It's seems like it has become a trope now in DC. From Injustice to Earth 2 it seems DC can't have enough of evil Superman.

Maybe because of cultural tendencies?? Maybe for DC business is more profitable an Evil Superman than a Good Superman.
All DC characters have changed very abruptly since the New 52. Maybe creating big twists in characters mean more sales for DC. Or not... :P

[Tonatiuh]

I've found myself asking this question a number of times as well. And I think it's largely due to the growth and success of anti-heroes. Heroes like Iron Man, Wolverine, Batman, Hulk, and Black Widow are not heroic in their persona. They all have serious issues and would probably need a lot of therapy if they existed in real life. I think starting in the early 2000s with books like The Ultimates (which is basically just the Avengers if they were all unrepentant jerks), everything superhero suddenly had to be an anti-hero. And that meant heroes like Superman fell to the wayside. Now I enjoy anti-heroes as much as they next guy, but it's gotten to a point where it's hard to really admire or respect them. I think Marvel and DC have really overdone it with the anti-heroes. That's why I think characters like Superman and Captain America (especially the movie version) are becoming more relevant. There's this myth, and it is a myth, that fans don't respect a character that just does the right thing because it's the right thing. There is a place for heroes like that and right now, the anti-hero movement has gone way overboard.

I think is also the idea that has been promoted in TV and the media that Good people is stupid or something. I remember the frustation on watching Smallvile Clark in the TV show and he always looking kinda foolish, or maybe thats just me :P

[RobinFan4880]

I loved the Superman Animated show where Darkseid corrupted Superman and turned him into his greatest soldier.

It is fun to see the exact opposite of a character personality wise, especially when they are paragons of virtue.

[Xero Kaiser]

I always thought of it as a power level thing. Superman is so powerful that they make him the favorite to win in practically any conflict

That's really all it is. I remember when Injustice came out, one of my friends asked, "What's the point? Can't Superman can just kick everyone's ass?".

You can't make a big deal out of Green Arrow or Robin turning evil, because people are just going to wonder why they don't get their head slapped off by Superman.

[jaybay]

the story of earth 1 superman comics is the definitive story of superman, all the other versions are simply derivatives. and clearly your not reading doomed based on the bolded. he is not becoming evil, he is losing his sanity and free will thanks to the doomsday virus. your using the term way too loosely here

Doomed is yet another story about Superman causing untold destruction and death. What will you think will happen when he loses his sanity and free will? He'll become evil. Again. And before that even happened he ripped Doomsday apart with his bare hands like the Sentry would. So if you don't want to call him evil let's just say he's not an good guy. Again.

[R0NIN]

Doomed is yet another story about Superman causing untold destruction and death. What will you think will happen when he loses his sanity and free will? He'll become evil. Again. And before that even happened he ripped Doomsday apart with his bare hands like the Sentry would. So if you don't want to call him evil let's just say he's not an good guy. Again.

Thank you!!!! I feel like the mayor of crazy town saying the obvious over and over again.

[Sacred Knight]

You do realize you're basically thanking a post that managed to get almost every conceivable fact of the story as thus far been told wrong. The only thing he got right is that he ripped Doomsday in half, but put a patently false negative context to it that the story does not support.

In the crazy event actual facts are wanted:

Thus far he's killed no one.
Thus far he's destroyed nothing except his apartment.
Thus far he's saved countless lives and stopped untold destruction by stopping Doomsday the way he did.
Superman's not turning evil, he's being taken over from the inside out by an evil being. Not the same thing. He's no more evil than Lois is currently evil because she's being controlled by Brainiac.

[jaybay]

Superman's not turning evil, he's being taken over from the inside out by an evil being. Not the same thing. He's no more evil than Lois is currently evil because she's being controlled by Brainiac.

I was unclear but I was foreshadowing. To be honest I can't muster the energy to care about this event because it's all under the same umbrella of Superman being mind controlled/evil/weak willed/etc. From what I've picked at there was an big Superman/Doomsday fight ranging throughout the whole freaking solar system, Superman will be cutting loose in this event, and sacrifice his morals for the sake of the greater good. The last two hinted at in Pak's tumblr so poke at it whatever way you want but he's not an good guy. Maybe there's light at the end of this particular tunnel but as you've said all this stuff has yet to happen and the draw here is Superman being under some evil influence. Again. Point being it's saturating all of Superman's media dressed in different hats and it's deeply exhausting and indicative that his owners feel there is little merit to Superman as a character.

[R0NIN]

I was unclear but I was foreshadowing. To be honest I can't muster the energy to care about this event because it's all under the same umbrella of Superman being mind controlled/evil/weak willed/etc. From what I've picked at there was an big Superman/Doomsday fight ranging throughout the whole freaking solar system, Superman will be cutting loose in this event, and sacrifice his morals for the sake of the greater good. The last two hinted at in Pak's tumblr so poke at it whatever way you want but he's not an good guy. Maybe there's light at the end of this particular tunnel but as you've said all this stuff has yet to happen and the draw here is Superman being under some evil influence. Again. Point being it's saturating all of Superman's media dressed in different hats and it's deeply exhausting and indicative that his owners feel there is little merit to Superman as a character.

This is what you're not getting, and you're trying to dismiss all the various forms of media that portray this as miminal despite the fact that it is quite literally happening in virtually all Superman comics at the moment.

*I have to amend my previous post where I said in every Universe published by DC with a Superman in it. I forgot about Smallville and I can't speak to what is happening in that because I'm not reading it.

[kidstandout]

Doomed is yet another story about Superman causing untold destruction and death. What will you think will happen when he loses his sanity and free will? He'll become evil. Again. And before that even happened he ripped Doomsday apart with his bare hands like the Sentry would. So if you don't want to call him evil let's just say he's not an good guy. Again.

again choosing to be evil=/= having your sanity and free will taken from you. it's really not that hard to get

[kidstandout]

You do realize you're basically thanking a post that managed to get almost every conceivable fact of the story as thus far been told wrong. The only thing he got right is that he ripped Doomsday in half, but put a patently false negative context to it that the story does not support.

In the crazy event actual facts are wanted:

Thus far he's killed no one.
Thus far he's destroyed nothing except his apartment.
Thus far he's saved countless lives and stopped untold destruction by stopping Doomsday the way he did.
Superman's not turning evil, he's being taken over from the inside out by an evil being. Not the same thing. He's no more evil than Lois is currently evil because she's being controlled by Brainiac.

there may be hope for this forum yet

[Sacred Knight]

And hey for the record I totally understand if all that is still not the individual's cup of tea. I'm certainly not trying to shove down anyone's throat that they must like this story or else. I just think it does a disservice to those crafting the story to throw it into the same pile as Injustice when the circumstances are so entirely different.

[Blacksun]

I was unclear but I was foreshadowing. To be honest I can't muster the energy to care about this event because it's all under the same umbrella of Superman being mind controlled/evil/weak willed/etc. From what I've picked at there was an big Superman/Doomsday fight ranging throughout the whole freaking solar system, Superman will be cutting loose in this event, and sacrifice his morals for the sake of the greater good. The last two hinted at in Pak's tumblr so poke at it whatever way you want but he's not an good guy. Maybe there's light at the end of this particular tunnel but as you've said all this stuff has yet to happen and the draw here is Superman being under some evil influence. Again. Point being it's saturating all of Superman's media dressed in different hats and it's deeply exhausting and indicative that his owners feel there is little merit to Superman as a character.

well I think is a lack of creativity use another story in that Superman is the villain even if he is not "himself". I really don't understand this need to superman do bad things

[Mister BoMan]

I've found myself asking this question a number of times as well. And I think it's largely due to the growth and success of anti-heroes. Heroes like Iron Man, Wolverine, Batman, Hulk, and Black Widow are not heroic in their persona. They all have serious issues and would probably need a lot of therapy if they existed in real life. I think starting in the early 2000s with books like The Ultimates (which is basically just the Avengers if they were all unrepentant jerks), everything superhero suddenly had to be an anti-hero. And that meant heroes like Superman fell to the wayside. Now I enjoy anti-heroes as much as they next guy, but it's gotten to a point where it's hard to really admire or respect them. I think Marvel and DC have really overdone it with the anti-heroes. That's why I think characters like Superman and Captain America (especially the movie version) are becoming more relevant. There's this myth, and it is a myth, that fans don't respect a character that just does the right thing because it's the right thing. There is a place for heroes like that and right now, the anti-hero movement has gone way overboard.

I totally agree!

[Kurosawa]

It really all goes back to DC having no use for Superman as a character or as an idea. It also sets him up perfectly to be beaten by the Batgod.