DC Characters Killed By Superman In The Comics
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There is no superhero quite like DC Comics‘ Superman. The character is practically the blueprint of a hero and the archetype of what a superhero is capable of. Superman shows audiences that despite his incredible and ultimate power, it is his human compassion that remains the strongest of all powers.
Despite his great power, and his patented heroism and goodness, Superman has been shown to kill a few times in the comics. Whether it was those deserving, or not. Superman has killed in the mainline continuity, as well as Elseworld stories, showing that even the best of us can fall.
Updated on October 16, 2023, by Jeremy Brown: There are plenty of more times Superman has been forced to kill. While it’s not usually his first choice, some villains leave him no option. Some villains force him into a situation where he accidentally kills him. And sometimes he’s turned evil, usually by kryptonite, which puts him on a very dangerous path for anyone standing in his way. It’s clear when Superman is not careful, he is a threat to anyone whether they be friend or foe. Superman may not want to kill, but the character will always do what the situation calls for.
16 General Zod, Quex-Ul And Zalora
Superman is forced to kill three fellow Kryptonians to save countless other lives. When the Time Trapper forces Superman to meet the younger version of himself and other Kryptonians including General Zod, Quex-Ul, and Zalora. The villainous trio went on a destructive rampage throughout the timeline leaving Superman no choice but to kill them.
Superman used a combination of gold and green Kryptonite since the meteor rocks had no effect on him because they weren’t from his prime universe. The pocket universe he went to was spared thanks to his actions.
15 Imperiex & Brainiac 13
This epic crossover event ushered in many new changes for the DC Universe, most notably, the formation of the Superman Revenge Squad. This god-like being Imperiex sought to remake the universe how he saw fit leading to the deaths of several heroes and uneasy alliances between Superman and some villains.
Brainiac 13 took advantage of the massive battle to absorb Imperiex’s abilities for himself. This team-up forced Superman to increase his power and push the duo to a moment right before the Big Bang, killing them both in the process.
14 Mister MXYZPTLK
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Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?
In the final story of the Silver Age Superman, Alan Moore pits the Man of Steel toe to toe with Mister MXYZPTLK. Superman realizes the fifth dimension being is the one who orchestrated a series of attacks that resulted in the deaths of Jimmy Olsen, Lana Lang, and Krypto the Superdog. The comic shows what happens when Mister MXYZPTLK gets tired of being annoying and tries to be evil.
Mister MXYZPTLK abandons his normal cartoonish appearance and instead transforms into a frightening creature that attacks and tries to overpower Superman. When Superman tries to subdue him with a Phantom Zone project, MXYZPTLK says his own name backward tearing his body into two separate directions and killing him instantly.
13 Joe Chill
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Elseworlds: Speeding Bullets
While Joe Chill is known as the mugger who killed Bruce Wayne’s parents, the Elseworlds comics told one-off stories from a different perspective. In the Speeding Bullets story, the Waynes found baby Kal-El rather than the Kents. This version of Superman is named Bruce and is raised to be compassionate until Joe Chill still guns down the Waynes right in front of their adoptive son.
In this comic, the young Bruce version of Superboy loses control of his powers when Chill tries to shoot him as well. In this fit of rage, this version of Superboy melts the killer’s face with his heat vision.
12 Doomsday
As a mindless and rampaging monster, Doomsday is not only a great threat to Earth, but to Superman himself. This monster knows only destruction and arrived on Earth hell-bent on destroying anything in a blind fury. Luckily for the world, Superman was there to save the day.
Superman and Doomsday had a battle that raged on for what seemed like hours. The destruction left in their wake could be felt across the world. Ultimately, Superman knew that the only way to beat Doomsday was to fight to the death, a fight that resulted in Doomsday and Superman killing each other.
11 Cyborg Superman
After dying at the hands of Doomsday, Superman remained dead for a time which saw four new versions of Superman trying to take over the reins as the Man of Steel. Steel, Kon-El, Cyborg Superman, and the Eradicator are fighting to take up the mantle until it’s revealed Cyborg Superman is actually a villain who once destroyed Coast City.
Eventually, the true Clark Kent version of Superman is revived, but it takes a while for him to retake the Superman mantle. When he does, the first thing he does is punch a hole in Cyborg Superman’s chest and vibrate his arm fast enough to shatter the impostor.
10 Mogo, The Living Planet
There are so many deaths in the Injustice comics, including many that fans revile. The Injustice universe never ceases to go beyond what is seen as gritty in this corrupted timeline. The only thing worse than an evil Superman is an evil Superman with a yellow lantern ring. This version of Superman utilized his new Sinestro Corps ring for great rage.
Superman crashed into Mogo the Living Planet, a world that in itself is a Green Lantern. From here, he pushed Mogo directly into a sun, alongside one of the Green Lantern Oans, Ganthet. Superman’s murder of an innocent Green Lantern planet has been one of his most evil kills in the comic books.
9 Kalibak
As the son of Darkseid, it’s no surprise that Superman would so despise Kalibak. In the Injustice universe, Superman once again shows his new colors, and further reddens his red cape with the spilled blood of his enemies. Kalibak is one of the first to fall to Superman and dies at the hands of his new regime. This death was in the Year One of Injustice, showing how many more will die at his hands.
Kalibak somewhat brought this death upon himself, as he invaded Earth when he saw that it was declared war-free. This big mistake saw Superman kill Kalibak after an easy surrender. Superman wanted Kalibak to fight just so he could kill him, and show the horrors of the universe that Earth is off-limits.
8 The Flash
In an alternate reality for DC Comics’ Earth, there’s a zombie epidemic threatening civilization. One of the first to be infected was The Flash. Left with no choice, and utter sadness for what will come, Superman decides to stop the speedster from infecting the world by colliding with him, exploding The Flash into Superman’s body.
Superman kills the zombified Flash and even apologizes for what has happened. Although, perhaps worst of all, Flash’s fingers are merged into Superman’s skin, thus making him infected too. If a zombie Flash was scary, then the only thing scarier would be a zombie Superman.
7 The Joker
In one of the more controversial Elseworld universes, the Injustice universe begins when Superman kills The Joker. The Clown Prince of Crime has committed his most diabolical act yet. Launching a nuclear attack on Metropolis, and killing countless lives. Superman struck with rage and grief, throws his fist through Joker’s chest and kills him.
Superman’s execution of Joker was deserved, but the beginning of the fall for Superman. The character was never the same since and soon became a tyrant upon Earth. Joker’s death was just the beginning of this alternate universe, and Superman’s kills do not stop there.
6 Wonder Woman
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Superman/Batman: Absolute Power
In the “Absolute Power” storyline, an alternate reality of Batman and Superman was featured. These characters were raised to be dictators of the world and would hold nothing against killing the opposition. Many died thanks to the duo, but none as iconic as Wonder Woman.
Superman uses the Lasso of Truth to strangle and kill Wonder Woman. It’s perhaps the most iconic way to kill the Amazon, considering how the lasso is an important piece of her arsenal. The character’s death is graphic, and at the hands of Superman, it’s terrifyingly upsetting.
5 Green Arrow
Poor Green Arrow was killed twice by Superman. The more infamous event occurs in the pages of the Injustice comic. Green Arrow was the first hero, and friend, that Superman murdered in this universe. After an arrow deflects off of Superman, and into Superman’s father, Johnathan Kent, Superman has no mercy left for his former friend.
The comic pages are upsetting, considering audiences read Oliver Queen’s final thoughts. His apologies to his love, Black Canary, his pretty bird. Audiences see Oliver Queen fade out of consciousness, his mind flashing back to Black Canary one last time before Superman punches him to death.
4 Black Canary
In the second year of the Injustice storyline, Black Canary shoots Superman in the chest with a Kryptonite bullet. She avoided his vital organs, at the request of Batman. Even after having her husband, Green Arrow, murdered by Superman, she remains a hero and unbroken by his evil acts.
Luckily for Superman, a yellow lantern ring comes to his aid to regain his strength. Superman responds by using his heat vision to shoot Black Canary through the stomach, burning her organs. Although she dies, she is soon found by Doctor Fate, who, much to the dismay of Nabu, resurrects Black Canary.
3 Shazam
Continuing from the tyranny of the Injustice universe, Superman’s regime of other heroes does not end with just Wonder Woman. Many have joined his cause, like The Flash and Shazam. As Shazam defies Superman’s rule and mentions his dead wife, Lois, Superman grabs him by his throat and holds him up.
Before Shazam can utter the word that returns him to his child form of Billy Batson, Superman freezes his mouth and watches him squirm underneath his clenched fist. Superman then uses his heat vision to burn through Shazam’s head. A gruesome death to a hero who behind power, was only a child.
2 Batman
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Batman #42
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Dark Nights Metal
In recent years, Batman and Superman have had a tense rivalry that gets in the way of their friendship. The two have clashed multiple times in the comics, but there have been a few instances where Superman has killed The Dark Knight. One such event occurred when Poison Ivy took over Superman, and in a fit of rage, used Superman to punch Batman dead, although she resurrected him for her rage-filled mistake.
The more serious death of Batman at the hands of a willing Superman, was in Dark Nights Metal, in which Superman and Wonder Woman have Batman cornered. Superman, seeing through his deception, punches Batman through the chest. The graphic image is shocking, but the next page reveals that he did not kill Batman, as it was just Clayface in disguise. It shows that Batman always has a trick up his sleeve.
1 Lois Lane
There are perhaps no love stories in comics as true as Superman and Lois Lane. They have a rich history, and their romance is strong. Whether that’s between Clark Kent or Superman, the love shared for Lois is a driving factor in what makes Superman so good and heroic. Until one day, Superman loses Lois.
Not only does Superman lose Lois, but he is her murderer. In the Injustice comics, Joker uses a fear toxin to make Lois appear as Doomsday, and as Superman throws Doomsday into space, he realizes that his pregnant wife, Lois Lane, is dead at his hands.
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