Is Superman Going To Be A Killer?

When DC Comics relaunched, one of the biggest sources of controversy revolved around the changes that they made to the Man of Steel. For most of his existence Superman has been portrayed as an overgrown boy scout, but the relaunched Superman was a tad more reckless in his endeavors. In Action Comics, Superman dangled white collar criminals from rooftops and didn't hesitate to work outside the law. While many pointed out this hearkened back to the way Superman was originally portrayed back in thirties, it was not the Superman with which most readers were familiar. Still, even this relaunched Superman had his boundaries, and he was not a killer. Now, DC Comics seems to be hinting that they are going to take the final step and give the world a much darker Superman, who might very well be willing to take a life or two. On Earth 2, Superman has apparently had it rough. His beloved Lois Lane is dead, which has put a sadness in his heart. On DC Comics Source blog, Earth 2 editor Pat McCallum teases, "What would you have to do to teach Superman to kill?" The insinuation is that Superman of Earth 2 has been pushed beyond his breaking point, so the use of deadly force might not be out of the question for him. Now, granted this is a Superman from an alternate Earth, but it's still the sort of thing that feels designed to make news. When Marvel Comics announced that the new Spider-Man of the Ultimate Universe would be half-black and half-hispanic, it became a major news story even though it was not the main Marvel Universe Spider-Man. How long before we see an Earth 2 preview of Superman snapping someone's neck in USA Today? In many ways, what DC Comics hints that they are doing to the Earth 2 Superman is a much bigger shocker than Marvel's change with Ultimate Spider-Man. Because Superman is considered an American icon, people are quick to react whenever changes are made. If people freaked out over Superman losing his red trunks, then just think of the reaction that will happen if Superman is shown as a killer. It's the one boundary that most would think that they would never see Superman crossing, even on an alternate Earth.