Here Are 8 Times Superman Has Been a Villain (& I Still Can’t Believe It)

Superman is one of the first superheroes to come to mind for most people, and with good reason. The Man of Steel embodies justice, protection, and safety. Superman first graced the pages of Action Comics #1 in 1938, and he’s been working hard to save the day ever since. While he’s undeniably one of the most iconic heroes ever, comic creators and fans have long been fascinated by another side of Superman, a much darker side. Over the years, Superman has had several occasions to turn to the side of evil, either willingly or unwillingly. Each time, these stories have broken ground and forced readers to look at the universe in a new light. As such, they’ve also tended to break sales records.

Even casual comic readers can probably cite one of the most popular instances of Superman becoming a villain. There’s just something oddly compelling about putting an iconic character in a new light. For these stories to work, the creators involved have to be very careful, crafting a believable reason for Superman to choose a different side in his battles. In doing so, they can break expectations and establish new adventures for beloved characters.

Batman Beyond “The Call”

Interestingly, Superman’s tendency to become a villain isn’t exclusive to the comic book industry, as there are at least two animated instances of it. The first occurred in the Batman Beyond animated series, which is set in a futuristic timeline. While Bruce Wayne has handed the reigns over to a new hero, the Justice League is still going strong. Well, mostly. This episode portrays a team needing some outside help, as there’s a traitor among them. Terry McGinnis and Bruce Wayne step in to investigate and, in the process, uncover the shock of a lifetime. The person behind it all is Superman himself. Well, it’s Superman being controlled by Starro, which explains a lot.

Batman Beyond is available to stream on Max and Hulu.

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Justice League “A Better World”

The second animated instance happened a few years later in Justice League: “A Better World.” The whole story takes place in an alternate reality, opening the door for creative twists and turns. For example, Superman, as part of the Justice Lords, decides to put a stop to Lex Luthor once and for all. Superman killed Lex Luthor, even though Luthor was President of this universe. Naturally, Superman stepped in to fill the now-vacant role, starting a series of events that couldn’t be stopped. He would later become Lord Superman, ruler of the world.

The Justice League animated series is currently available to stream on Netflix.

Batman: Hush

Batman: Hush is considered a must-read for fans, and with good reason. The comic pits Batman against an unlikely set of villains and scenarios. One such villain is Poison Ivy, who has once again perfected her mind-control spores, adding a dash of Kyprotnite to ensure complete control over her new target – Superman. With Superman under her control, Poison Ivy could have taken over the world. Thankfully, Batman and Catwoman teamed up to handle this threat, though Lois Lane may not have appreciated her involvement in the plot.

Batman: Hush was written by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by Scott Williams and Jim Lee.

Superman: Sacrifice

DC loves a good crossover event, and this particular event combined multiple characters with the evil Superman theme. Superman: Sacrifice begins with a new plotline by Maxwell Lord, who decides that the best way to achieve his goals is to get into Superman’s head. The scheme worked terrifyingly well. Maxwell went for more subtle changes than Ivy, tricking Superman into seeing Brainiac whenever he looked at Batman and Doomsday when he looked at Wonder Woman. The dangerous situation forced Wonder Woman to step up and hit Superman with everything she had.

Superman: Sacrifice was created by Greg Rucka, Mark Verheiden, Gail Simone, Ed Benes, John Byrne, Karl Kerschl, Rags Morales, and Tony S. Daniel.

Superman: Red Son

Thus far, most instances of Superman turning evil have involved some mind control. So, Superman: Red Son will feel refreshingly different as it asks what it would have been like if he had landed somewhere else. It begins with Superman’s crash landing in the middle of the Soviet Union, where he quickly became a weapon of the state. Ironically, Superman’s push to hand the world to the Soviets forces an iconic villain to step up and resist for the sake of the United States—Lex Luthor. It’s so perfect and so strange at the same time.

Mark Miller created Superman: Red Son, which was illustrated by Andrew Robinson, Kilian Plunkett, Walden Wong, and Dave Johnson.

Superman: Doomed

DC loves to portray a specific scenario in which the hero caves and kills an iconic villain, only to pay the ultimate price in return. It happened in Dark Nights: Metal (The Batman Who Laughs) and again in Superman: Doomed. In the latter, Superman again battles Doomsday, who has escaped from the Phantom Zone. During the battle, Doomsday falls, but more importantly, Superman becomes infected by a virus, ultimately changing him into a Doomsday/Superman hybrid. If you thought Doomsday was dangerous before, the boost he gets from Superman easily makes him one of the most dangerous beings in the known DC Universe.

Scott Lobdell, Greg Pak, Charles Soule, Aaron Kuder, Tony S. Daniel, and Ken Lashley created Superman: Doomed.

Superman/Batman: Absolute Power

The events of Superman/Batman: Absolute Power take place in an alternate timeline, but that doesn’t make them any less concerning. It all began when the Legion of Super-Villains gained access to time travel, popping back in time to stop their biggest enemies from ever becoming a threat. However, instead of killing the likes of Batman and Superman, they raise them, teaching them how to become global dictators instead of the iconic heroes we know them to be. Their story culminates with a battle against Wonder Woman and an adventure through time and space to restore the timeline.

Superman/Batman: Absolute Power was created by Jeph Loeb and Carlos Pacheco.

Blackest Night

Blackest Night was one of the biggest DC events of a generation, pulling in nearly every hero and villain within the universe for one seemingly impossible battle. The Black Lanterns are at the core of this plot and are powered by death. Their side gets stronger the longer the war goes on, as every fallen hero is a potential recruit. Unfortunately, this includes heroes who died before the war, including Superman. Yes, The Man of Steel, who had previously been laid to rest, came back to life to battle on the side of the Black Lanterns. It’s the most terrifying version of Superman, especially considering the zombified looks.

Geoff John and Ivan Reis created Blackest Night, and given its scale, many other creatives worked alongside it.

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Superman: The Dark Side

Superman: The Dark Side is another story in which the creators, John Francis Moore and Kieron Dwyer, decided to have Kal-El’s ship land someplace other than Kent Farm. In this case, he didn’t even land on Earth, instead making his way to Apokolips. It’s probably the worst place for a baby to end up. Feel free to debate what would have been worse: an instant death or being turned into Darkseid’s evil adoptive son. On the bright side, Superman may have been raised to be evil, but there’s still a spark of that hero inside, and it’s more than simple teenage rebellion.

Superman: The Dark Side was popular enough to make its way into Superman: The Animated Series, as portrayed in “Legacy.” They changed the story to fit an episode format (brainwashing instead of being raised by Darkseid), but it still follows the formula created in this story.

Injustice: Gods Among Us

Injustice: Gods Among Us is both a video game and comic series exploring the same concept: Superman flipping sides after the murder of Lois Lane. The first arc of the comics is set years before the events of the game, with the comics exploring the first horrific moment and every ensuing tragedy in more depth. Superman’s transformation into villainy forced heroes and villains alike to draw new lines in the sand, choosing different sides of the battle.

When it comes to tales of Superman becoming a villain, Injustice: Gods Among Us is easily the best-known. It’s also the most hotly debated, as while Superman undeniably became a villain, many readers still felt sympathy in their hearts. After all, the story begins with Joker tricking Superman into killing Lois Lane courtesy of his fear gas. Not only does Superman unintentionally kill the love of his life, but in doing so, he sets off a bomb within Metropolis. In a sense, Kal-El lost everything he cherished that day, including his hope. While fans may feel sympathy for Superman’s descent into villainy, it’s impossible to deny the deaths he caused along the way. Kid Flash, Beast Boy, Nightwing, Martian Manhunter, Mogo, and Detective Chimp’s deaths follow during the ensuing battles.

Injustice: Gods Among Us was developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment. It is available on most platforms. Tom Taylor wrote the comic version.

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