Absolute Superman’s Iconic Villains Are Finally Here — and They’re Exactly What This Story Needed

The Absolute Universe is DC’s biggest success story in decades. The dark, reinvented version of DC’s classic setting has been blowing fans and critics out of the park for nearly two years now. Instead of leaning towards hope and goodness, Darkseid’s influence has caused this universe to veer towards evil and cruelty. The heroes are small rebellions against corrupt systems and vile tyrants, but just like before, they stand up for what’s right no matter what. Even in this much grimmer universe, Superman continues to be a bastion of unending kindness. He’s the ultimate force of good in DC, and not even this darker reality could smother that.

That doesn’t mean that Darkseid hasn’t tried. For the entirety of Absolute Superman thus far, his acolytes have attempted to destroy Superman in mind and body. The al Ghuls nearly broke his spirit, and King Shazam, created by the Father Box, almost killed him. Neither could, but in their attempts, they’ve helped Absolute Superman garner a reputation for not having many Superman villains. Besides Brainiac and Parasyte, although he’s reformed now, the Man of Tomorrow has battled other heroes’ villains. As of issue #22, that’s all changed. Superman is finally getting his own villains, and they bring out the best in him.

Hearts and Toys Dedicated to Superman’s Death

Everything started at the end of the previous issue, which teased an entire planet of Doomsdays, but our real topic for today is the “Get Brainiac” arc. Superman has decided that Brainiac is the real mastermind behind everything that’s happened so far, and wants to bring him down. In looking for the horrific alien scientist, Superman found one of Brainiac’s newest creations, Metallo. Christopher Smith, the Peacemaker who gave Superman so much heartache, was reborn as the man with the Kryptonite heart, driven insane by Brainiac and let loose on Superman.

Chris has been around for a while now as a servant of Ra’s al Ghul, but he only served as Peacemaker before this. Now, he’s a genuine Superman villain, and his transformation is genuinely irreversible. We’re definitely going to see more of him in the future. He’s not the only Super-villain in town, either, as next issue promises to introduce the Absolute Toyman. Superman previously intimidated Winslow Schott to dissuade him from exploitative business practices, but now he’s going to jump in as a true villain. Between all of this and Lex Luthor’s slow fall into evil following his confrontation with Brainiac, Superman is set to battle a whole array of his most iconic villains. What’s great isn’t just that they’re here, but what they do for Superman.

Villains Who Bring Out Superman’s Heroism

Superman’s fight against Metallo was more than physical. While the villain was trying to kill Superman, our hero spent the entire issue trying to remind the broken man of who he was. There are few people who have caused Superman more grief than Chris. Superman even considered killing him in earlier issues, but here, he took every blow he needed to make Chris remember that he wasn’t Brainiac’s servant. Even though Metallo’s very existence was poisonous to Superman, he still wrapped him in a hug. Superman was endlessly, unconditionally kind, even to his worst enemy, and that’s exactly what a superhero should be.

Superman always works best when he’s given the chance to show everyone what heroism means in the face of adversity. All too often, people allow fear or anger to cloud their judgement, but Superman overcomes those emotions to show us that these ideals matter just as much, if not more, when our backs are against the wall. Metallo is a tragedy that Superman struggles to save, but while I bet Toyman will have deeply human elements, I bet he’ll be very different. Schott is already established as a corrupt millionaire, and this Superman especially stands against that system. Toyman will very likely serve as a window into a corrupt businessman’s mentality, giving Superman the chance to tear it down.

Absolute Superman #22 is on sale now!

Overall, these villains are the perfect additions to Superman’s mythos. A villain who brings out Superman’s endless kindness and one who brings out his righteous rage while never forgetting his humanity are exactly the types that make him shine the most. I cannot wait to see even more of these villains and others in future arcs.

5 Marvel Superman Copycats As Powerful As DC Comic’s Man of Steel