7 WTF Moments In Classic Superman Comics We Still Can't Get Over

He might be a big boy scout, but even Superman isn’t immune to controversy. I know we all like to think of the Man of Steel as someone with a spotless record, and for the most part, he is. But no hero is perfect, and the truth is, with nearly a hundred years under his iconic yellow belt, Superman has some pretty spotty moments in his history. None to truly damage his character, of course, but definitely a few moments in his stories that are enough to raise eyebrows among even Superman’s biggest fans.

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Believe me, I am a huge Superman stan, and I can have my blinders on when it comes to Clark Kent. But even I’ll admit that some moments stand out in his history, whether it was that wild period he and Wonder Woman were hooking up or him sending Supergirl to live in an orphanage. But for better or worse, these moments happened, and it’s high time we explored some of the more unbelievable moments in his mythos. Read on to see 7 of the truly most baffling pieces of Superman’s history.

7. Superman and Wonder Woman Becoming a Power Couple

I don’t think I’m being out of line when I say I have no idea what the deal was here. The New 52 shook up a lot, including erasing Superman and Lois Lane’s relationship and having Superman date Wonder Woman for a few years. Okay, technically, the New 52 Superman wasn’t exactly the one we knew, but still. Trading in one of the most iconic comic book romances for a relationship that, at the end of the day, didn’t really make sense? I don’t mind Clark and Diana being close, but dating? Absolutely not!

6. Lois Lane’s Makeover

This is a bonkers pull, but it definitely gives WTF when you see the cover. Superman’s Girlfriend, Lois Lane #106 has Lois take a page out of Black Like Me to see what like is like for Black Americans. So Superman uses a transformation machine to temporarily turn Lois Black. I get that this was coming from a good place to try and discuss race relations at the time, but it is wild that this story exists. And you’d think Superman would at least try to talk Lois into approaching her story in some other way.

5. Superman Gives Up His Citizenship

Fans of the hero all know that for years, Superman stood for truth, justice, and the American way. But in a world that was growing more connected, Clark felt he couldn’t properly do his job and remained tied to just one part of it, so in Action Comics #900, he announced that he was renouncing his United States citizenship. It’s understandable, but despite the big proclamation, it didn’t even end up mattering due to the New 52 coming in almost instantly after it. Still, I don’t think anyone saw Superman giving up that.

4. Superman Executing General Zod

You thought Superman snapping General Zod’s neck in Man of Steel was bad? That was nothing compared to the time he actually executed Zod and a few other rogue Kryptonians in Superman #22. The trio of criminals had killed off billions of innocent lives in a pocket dimension, and with no other way to permanently deal with them, Superman exposed Zod and the two other Kryptonians to kryptonite until the radiation killed them. None of us like seeing Superman kill, and this moment was hard for a lot of people to swallow.

3. Superman Sending Supergirl to the Orphanage

Supergirl may be close with Superman now, but when he first met his cousin, he didn’t take her in with open arms. In Action Comics #252, Clark created a new identity for Kara and had her stay at the Midvale Orphanage until she was adopted by the Danvers family. What makes this particular moment worse is that while it was ignored for years, the recent Supergirl series brought it back into canon. So it looks like Superman’s not getting off the hook for his treatment of Supergirl anytime soon.

2. Superman and Big Barda’s Smut Film

No, I am not joking. Superman once nearly made a porno with Big Barda in a two-part story starting in Action Comics #592. Both heroes had fallen under the mind control of a villain named Sleez, who wanted to make a dirty movie starring the film so that he could use the profits to fund an army to overthrow Darkseid (again, not joking). Aside from a couple of smooches, Superman and Big Barda didn’t do anything, but this is one of those moments from history that’s better off forgotten.

1. Superman Letting Jon Kent Leave

This one isn’t just WTF worthy. This is something that draws fans’ ire to this day. Man of Steel #6 saw Superman’s Kryptonian father, Jor-El, return to take Jon into space to teach him his Kryptonian heritage. Lois and Superman were a hard ‘no’; the two actually acquiesced. And as Superman fans know, that led to Jon being aged up, an issue that bothers fans to this day. It’s really hard looking back on this moment, knowing what’s going to happen to Jon and, worse, knowing how much Superman regrets not putting his foot down and saying ‘no’.

What do you think is the most WTF moment in Superman history? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!