#where Lana and Lex are both competing for Clark's heart

[lorbanery]

Everyone's always obsessed with a Reverse Hallmark Movie where the small town person goes to the big city and falls in love with the hot shot business person and the fast-paced city life

But might I propose: The Antithesis Hallmark Movie

Where the hot shot business person reluctantly goes to the small town, falls in love with a local, but are met with such open hostility right from the start and their efforts to charm the local they fall in love with go so catastrophically bad that eventually that love turns into passionate hatred and a lifelong mission to destroy the local and everything they love

[thevindicativevordan]

My Superfamily Set-Up

By and large I’m fairly happy with the upcoming Infinite Frontier status quo for the Superfamily. Granted that’s in part because I’m still convinced Kara will get an ongoing or mini in 2021, probably to coincide with her show returning, and PKJ hinted at plans for Steel on Twitter. But Kon has escaped the Titans dumpsterfire for a little while, and I’ve heard good things about Thompson as a writer as well. Kenan is popping back up in a one shot written by Yang that will hopefully herald more appearances in Batman/Superman. Jon is still co-protagonist with Clark in the main books, Tanya is in the Future State Shazam book and also a candidate for the FS Justice League book, so hopefully she’ll be in Titans Academy, and Lois is poised to be a big player in the upcoming Checkmate mini by Bendis. So fingers crossed, all the core members of the Superfamily will be in stuff come end of 2021.

Now that said, were DC to suddenly realize that I alone can save Superman, and asked me what kind of status quo I would like (whether for a mainline or Elseworld book makes no difference to me), this is the basic set up that I would go with:

Superman - I’d do a traditional status quo. Superman is disguised as Clark Kent, mild mannered reporter, married to Lois Lane, etc. I’d have Ma and Pa go back to being dead since I still am not a fan of them being alive. Note that this isn’t a reaction against Bendis, I loved Bendis’ run, but I do want to play with the traditional status quo a little bit before diving into something different. Especially since so many Superman writers have traditionally completely wasted the potential of Superman’s status quo.

Lois Lane - Similar to Superman I’d go with a more traditional status quo at the start. She works at the Daily Planet, she and Clark are married, she’s the best reporter in town, etc. I would eventually have her take over as editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet from Perry, I thought that was a great idea the New 52 wasted, and I love the idea of her and Cat Grant being rivals with the Daily Planet and Catco competing. 

Jon Kent - I’d restore kid Jon and toss him back to the Super Sons, not because I think what’s been done with him has been bad, but mostly because I don’t want to write him as Superman, I want to write Clark. Jon seems to be being set up to be co-Superman, and I just don’t have any interest in writing that. To restore kid Jon without destroying Bendis’ run which I enjoyed, I’d explain that teen Jon is actually the “evil” Jon we saw from the Super Sons of Tomorrow future. He went back in time and rescued his kid self from Earth 3, and explained to him that he wanted to prevent that future from coming to pass, but that he needed to take his younger self’s place to do so. Kid Jon agreed, after all he was terrified of becoming evil in both Tomasi’s Super Sons of Tomorrow and Bendis The Man of Steel, and has basically been in hiding watching the events and also studying Hypertime so he can learn how to avoid ending up evil. 

Clark and Lois would blow up at the Jons for the lie when Teen Jon judges he’s changed things enough for his kid self to return, but both Jons could point out that both Clark and Lois have kept secrets when they deemed it necessary from each other and Jon. That would be a neat conversation to have, and a way to continue the untraditional family dynamic that Bendis set up. You could keep teen Jon as a time anomaly until Hypertime catches up with him and restores him to his timeline, with him continuing to be Superman as penance, while kid Jon goes and pals around with Damian in Williamson’s Robin or whatever.

Superwoman/Kara Zor-El - I like the idea of Kara “graduating” to the Superwoman name. It’s open right now given Lana’s retirement, and I think it would suit Kara. I would keep Kara in National, it’s her own little corner to play in, but I would keep that development from (I believe it was) Andrea Shea, where Kara gets fired from Catco because she’s a terrible intern due to always running off to be a heroine. She and Kal talk, Kara admits she doesn’t really want to be a journalist, and so she goes and interns at STAR Labs. I hate how DC keeps turning all the members of the Superfamily into Clark clones. It’s goddamn stupid and I want them to please STOP. Why the hell would Kara want to go into journalism anyway? We’ve never even seen a damn journalist on Krypton! It’s a stupid thing they did on the TV show because they wanted to swipe Clark’s stuff. Let Kara be the scientist of the Els, the one who carries on the family tradition. What form that takes is something I’m open too, I liked Venditti making her interested in history in his annual, maybe make Kara an anthropologist? That would be hilarious. 

Also give Lena to Supergirl, they can be best friends, enemies, lovers, I don’t care. But Lena is wasting away in a vault under Lexcorp last we saw, and that’s a damn shame considering how popular CW Lena is. I’d also add Natasha Irons (who I’d rename Mastersmith) and Tanya Spears (Powerhouse) to Supergirl’s supporting cast, they could play off each other as three supergenuis women).

Kon-El/Conner Kent/Scion - I’m really excited to see what Thompson is going to do with Kon on the Suicide Squad, but here’s what I would do with him. Kon would finally be able to shake off the Superboy moniker and leave that to Jon. Instead he’d take the name “Scion” as a reflection of his origins, and a tie-in to his new status quo. In the wake of Death Metal, Lex Luthor would abruptly step down as head of Lexcorp, stating that he needs time to redefine himself in the wake of his latest attempt to justify himself as the true hero by serving Perpetua, ending up with him needing Superman to save the day again. While he is away, he’s turned over complete control of Lexcorp to his sole heir: Conner. Conner is now head of one of the evilest megacorps in existence, and is one of the wealthiest men alive. Conner knows this is just another maneuver by Lex in his neverending crusade against Superman, but he’s determined to not just be another pawn. He accepts control, renames Lexcorp Superman, Inc. His mission will be to transform the megacorp into the force for good it pretends to be. Conner will have to take on not only Lex loyalists and traitorous underlings who would love to be CEO themselves within Lexcorp, but new megacorps who have flocked to Metropolis in hope of establishing themselves, now that the former Master of Metropolis has abdicated his throne. Threats within and threats without, but armed with the powers/morals of Superman and the charm/brains of Lex Luthor, Kon is just cocky enough to think he can handle it.

John Henry Irons/Steel - It will be a big year for John Henry Irons. His private company Steelworks is about to go public and make him a billionaire. Lana Lang has accepted his marriage proposal and they’re due to be wed. His niece Natasha has left the nest and is off working at STAR Labs. Irons is posed to finally resurrect the decrepit Suicide Slum and allow it to catch up to the rest of the City of Tomorrow. However there are problems: new megacorps are moving into the city in the wake of Lex Luthor leaving, people are disappearing from Suicide Slum with dark rumors are spreading about the reasons why, and the people of Suicide Slum are accusing Irons of planning to gentrify the borough. Making matters worse, weapons that Irons designed as a young man are appearing on the streets of Metropolis, attracting negative attention from the media and putting Steelworks at risk. Irons is going to have to suit up and take up the fight all over Metropolis, from the darkest levels of the Undercity, to the bright deceptive board rooms at the top of skyscrapers in the city’s heart. Irons will have to reckon with his past to secure his future, and confront the evil Metropolis would rather pretend doesn’t exist.

Kenan Kong/New Super-Man - Look just give Yang a damn Kenan book and let him go wild. Right now is either the best or worst time to give Kenan a book given the situation with Hong Kong, but if anyone is equipped to deal with it, it’s Yang. I’ll just add that I would love to see Kenan on a Global Guardians team, but I’d also love to see Justice League of China as a spinoff book of the main Justice League. Kenan is as close as DC has come to their own Spider-Man/Invincible take on Superman, Jon sadly hasn’t really differentiated himself from his dad while Kenan is VERY different. I would love to see Kenan pushed more and would buy a new book in a heartbeat. Also put out a damn New Super-Man omnibus Jim Lee, for God’s sake can’t you abuse your power to push the character you wanted created and is actually good unlike most of Wildstorm? You’re shoving Grifter back into everything but not Kenan? Christ.

So yeah that’s the Superfamily status quo I’d establish. Keeping my Clark and Lois ideas close to my chest for now, but I might go into more detail later.

[aion-rsa]

Manslaughter of Steel: 15 Times Superman Killed Someone

Just a few years after writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster created the character, Superman became an American icon. Largely credited as being the first superhero, Superman’s immense popularity helped to establish the archetype of the superhero that’s dominated American comics throughout the bulk of the medium’s history.

RELATED: The 15 Best (and Worst) Superman Costumes

Today, people the world over immediately recognize Superman as a selfless hero with an unwavering moral code. We think of The Man of Tomorrow as a protector of the innocent, a symbol to aspire to, and as a person who embodies values like righteousness, honor, and virtue. However, Superman wasn’t (and isn’t) always portrayed as a perfect hero. Whether it was due to mind control, in an alternate reality, or when his back was simply up against the wall, there have been multiple times that The Man of Steel took a life.

SUPERMAN KILLS SOUTH AMERICAN SOLDIERS

It wasn’t until the 1940s when Editor Whitney Ellsworth instituted a code of conduct required for every character at National Allied Publications (DC’s name at the time) that Superman started to take on the humanitarian persona he’s known for today. In Siegel and Shuster’s early Superman stories, the character was portrayed as being far more aggressive and at times even ruthless. While he still used his powers to protect the innocent, he rarely seemed concerned with the lives of the criminals he dealt with or the collateral damage that his powers often caused.

In a story called “War in San Monte” from issue #2 of “Action Comics”, Clark Kent is sent on an assignment to the war-torn South American country of San Monte. While there, he finds a man torturing prisoners, and throws him like a javelin over a forest clearing, seemingly to his death. Later that same issue, a San Monte army camp is under attack by an enemy aircraft, so Superman jumps into the propeller of the plane, causing it to crash without the pilot being able to escape by parachute.

SUPERMAN WATCHES A MAN CHOKE TO DEATH

Thanks to Superman’s popularity, “Action Comics” was an immediate hit and, in 1939, just one year after the character’s debut, Superman was given his own solo book (something unheard of at the time) called “Superman” published monthly alongside “Action Comics.”

In a story called “Superman Champions Universal Peace!” featured in “Superman” #2, also by Siegel and Shuster, Superman is trying to track down a deadly poison that’s been stolen so it can be sold to a man named Lubane. After arriving at Lubane’s hideout, Superman crashes through the ceiling and demands Lubane hand over the formula. Unfortunately, his scientists have already had enough time to develop the deadly toxin, so Lubane threatens to drop a vial of it, killing them both if Superman doesn’t leave. When Superman advances, Lubane is startled and drops the vial. As the poison fills his lungs, he pleads for help and wonders aloud why Superman is unaffected. Meanwhile, Superman explains with a grin that the gas has no effect on his physical structure as he watches the man die.

SUPERMAN SLAYS A KRYPTONIAN DRAGON

In “Superman” Vol. 3 #13, Clark has just recently quit his job at the Daily Planet after a confrontation with his boss, Morgan Edge, about the direction of the publication. Clark gives a rousing speech about journalistic integrity hoping to inspire his coworkers to follow him, but we then see Clark out to lunch with his friend Cat Grant, the only other person to walk out with him.

During their lunch, Clark hears something massive that’s fast approaching them. A moment later, we see a giant dragon-like creature known as a Tripedial Curosiananiun soar through the skyscrapers. Despite not wanting to hurt the creature, Clark recognizes that with the amount of destruction it’s already caused, he has no choice but to stop it quickly and for good. He hits it with “a blow that could topple a small mountain,” knocking out its head, before realizing its paws are also sentient. They land a blow that sends him flying all the way to a mining plant in Ireland before with the creature following close behind. When it arrives at the plant, Superman uses his heat vision to set the oil being mined ablaze, incinerating the dragon.

SUPERMAN KILLS MISTER MXYZPTLK

In September, 1986, legendary comic writer Alan Moore collaborated with long-time Superman artist Curt Swan to create the two-part story “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?” Moore wrote the story as the final chapter for the Silver Age Superman, whose story had been rebooted after the DC Comics event “Crisis On Infinite Earths.”

In part two of the story, featured in “Action Comics” #583, Superman finds himself going toe to toe with Mister MXYZPTLK after realizing he’s been the one behind a recent strings of attacks against Superman that led to the deaths of several of his close friends, including Jimmy Olsen, Lana Lang, and his dog, Krypto. Superman says his name backwards to summon him and Mister MXYZPTLK appears revealing that he’s grown bored of merely annoying Superman, and has decided to see what it’s like to be truly evil.

Transforming from his normal cartoonish appearance to a frightening creature, he attacks, attempting to overpower Superman and kill him. Superman attempts to subdue him with a Phantom Zone projector, but MXYZPTLK reacts by saying his name backward in order to escape to his home dimension, but this tears his body in two separate directions and kills him.

SUPERMAN EXECUTES ZOD AND HIS KRYPTONIAN ALLIES

Without question, one of Superman’s greatest nemeses is the Kryptonian General Zod. While he’s never quite matched up to Lex Luthor as a foil for The Man of Steel, he does have the special honor of being one of the few characters Superman has had to kill on multiple occasions.

In “Superman” Vol. 2 #22 written and illustrated by John Byrne, the Post-Crisis Superman finds himself in a Pocket Dimension where Zod, and his associates Quex-UI and Zaora, have escaped from that universe’s Phantom Zone and killed almost every human being on that universe’s Earth. The only survivors included Lex Luthor, a small rebellion force and that universe’s Supergirl. Superman joins forces with Lex’s rebellion and, using Gold Kryptonite (that he’s immune to since it’s from another dimension), he is able to depower Zod and his companions.

After the remaining humans are wiped out and Lex is mortally wounded, Luthor makes Superman promise to never let what happened to his Earth happen to that of the Man of Steel’s. Left with no alternative, Superman (with a heavy heart) sentences the genocidal Kryptonians to death by exposing them to Green Kryptonite.

SUPERMAN MELTS JOE CHILL

DC’s “Elseworlds” books tell stories of familiar DC heroes set in alternate, non-cannon stories and universes. One such story, “Speeding Bullets,” written by J.M. DeMatteis and drawn by Eduardo Barret, examines what it would be like if Dr. Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne had been the ones to find baby Kal-El instead of the Kents. The Waynes name him Bruce and raise him to be a compassionate person who should use his incredible gifts to aspire to be something greater.

Superman has a happy and normal childhood with the Wayne family for many years until, after an evening out on the town, he lives his own version of Batman’s origin and sees his parents gunned down right in front of him by Joe Chill. When Chill takes a shot at Bruce, the young boy loses control of his powers and, in a fit of rage, melts his assailant’s face with his heat vision, killing him. Bruce is found the next morning by the police “eyes wide and unseeing,” muttering the words “the bullets” to himself over and over.

SUPERMAN KILLS DOOMSDAY

Much like Zod, the ultimate killing machine, Doomsday has been taken out by Superman multiple times since his debut in 1992 (only to come back stronger each time). However, no clash between the two titans could ever be as iconic as their original “final” battle, the conclusion of the “Death of Superman” arc (in “Superman” Vol. 2 #75 by writer/artist Dan Jurgens and artist Brett Breeding). Doomsday had made a path of destruction devastating cities all across America, so Superman pledged that the carnage would stop in his home city of Metropolis one way or another. After getting one last kiss from Lois and telling her he’ll always love her, Superman rushed back into battle.

The army tried to assist Superman to no avail, as the two fought to the death in front of the Daily Planet. They traded blows until Superman finally managed to break Doomsday’s neck, but not before taking a fatal blow himself. The issue closes with reactions from Superman’s friends and family as Lois cradles his dead body in her arms, begging him to hold on for an ambulance.

SUPERMAN SHATTERS THE CYBORG SUPERMAN

Following our last entry, Superman remained dead for about half of an arc known as “Reign of the Supermen” which established the superheroes Steel and the Kon-El incarnation of Superboy. The storyline showed both Steel and Superboy, as well as the Cyborg Superman and The Last Son of Krypton (better known as the Eradicator) competing for the mantle of Superman in the aftermath of Clark Kent’s death. It’s revealed over the course of the arc that Cyborg Superman is actually the villainous Henry Henshaw, and along with the alien warlord Mongul, he destroyed Coast City, the home of Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern.

We eventually see the true Superman return in “Action Comics” #689 (although without powers) before we see him fully retake the mantle in “Superman” Vol. 2 #82, written and drawn by Dan Jurgens. Upon returning to his normal self, the very first thing Superman does is take his cape back from Cyborg Superman, punch him through the chest and vibrate his arm fast enough to shatter Henshaw’s entire body into pieces.

SUPERMAN STRANDS IMPERIEX AND BRAINIAC AT THE BEGINNING OF TIME

In the 2001 crossover event, “Our Worlds At War,” Imperiex, the living embodiment of entropy, has detected imperfections in the fabric of the Universe following the events of “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” As a result, he targets New Earth (the center point which holds the new universe together) to destroy it and cause a new big bang, allowing him to create a new, perfect universe.

While making his way to Earth, he annihilates countless planets and even entire galaxies, posing such a great threat that Earth’s heroes strike up an uneasy alliance with Darkseid and a legion of other villains. One such villain uniting against Imperiex is Brainiac 13, who, after a successful attack on Imperiex, betrays the coalition and absorbs Imperiex’s energy for himself with the plan of using it to take over the universe.

In “Action Comics” #782, written by Joe Kelly and drawn by Kano, Earth’s collective forces make one final desperate attempt to save the universe from the combined power of Imperiex and Brainiac. Using their combined efforts, they’re able to give Superman a chance to push them through a temporal boom tube, abandoning the pair at the exact moment of the Big Bang, where they are destroyed.

SUPERMAN VAPOPRIZES GREEN ARROW

In an arc known as “Superman/Batman: Absolute Power,” the 31st Century’s Legion of Super-Villains’ members Lightning Lord, Saturn Queen, and Cosmic King go back in time and eliminate key members of the Justice League. That’s excluding a young Superman and Bruce Wayne, whom they raise as their sons.

In the arc’s first issue, “Superman/Batman” #14 by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Carlos Pacheco, we see that by present day, Superman and Batman have been conditioned to become the undisputed dictators of the world by manipulating the economy and killing all of their opposition. In that same issue, we see firsthand that, as a gift for Superman’s birthday, Batman has tracked down one of the few remaining vigilantes, the Green Arrow. The pair arrive in Star City and hunt down the Green Arrow, who thanks to a well-placed Kyrptonite arrow, is initially able to hold his own. However, after landing one too many good shots on Batman, the fun is over and he is vaporized by Superman’s heat vision.

SUPERMAN STRANGLES WONDER WOMAN WITH HER LASSO

Later that same arc, in “Superman/Batman” #15, Wonder Woman has tracked down Uncle Sam in hopes of saving the “Age of Heroes” that the Amazonian “fates” have described. After recovering the Green Lantern’s Power Ring so Sam can take up the mantle, the two find surviving members of Sam’s team the Freedom Fighters including Phantom Lady, The Ray, Doll Man, and The Human Bomb who are living civilian lives and plan their attack.

During their assault on one of Superman and Batman’s strongholds, Wonder Woman does her best to reason with Batman, explaining that in the unaltered timeline, Batman and Superman were counted among humanity’s greatest protectors. However, her words fall on deaf ears. When it’s apparent there’s no talking to him, Wonder Woman makes the decision to cut him down. Enraged by the loss of his brother, Superman viciously attacks her before choking her to death with her Lasso of Truth.

SUPERMAN VAPORIZED DR. LIGHT

Tensions were running high in “Justice League” Vol. 2 #22 by writer Geoff Johns and artist Ivan Reis. Shazam had traveled to the war-torn region of Kahndaq to spread the ashes of his enemy Black Adam despite their government warning Americans not to travel there. When the urn is destroyed by members of the military firing on him, he loses control, preparing to attack the soldiers. He’s intercepted by Superman and the Justice League who demand to know why Shazam is here. Before they get an answer, they’re interrupted by the government-organized JLA, who inform the Justice League they are there to escort them out of the country since Kahndaq believes it is being invaded.

It’s then that the JLA’s newest recruit, Dr. Light, loses control of his light absorbing powers thanks to Superman’s natural ability to absorb solar energy. After accidentally hitting Wonder Woman (who at the time was Supes’ girlfriend), Dr. Light is grabbed by Superman, who then vaporizes his head with heat vision. We later find out that Superman had Kyrptonite inserted into his optic nerve, so he wasn’t responsible for the murder, but Dr. Light’s death is very much real.

SUPERMAN ACCIDENTALLY KILLS LOIS LANE

“Injustice: Gods Among Us” is the prequel comic to the 2013 video game of the same name, detailing the five years leading up to the events of the game’s story Superman having taken over the world. However, in “Injustice: Gods Among Us” #1 by writer Tom Taylor and artists Axel Giménez, Mike S. Miller and Jheremy Raapack, Superman is still the hero we know and love.

The issue has Jimmy shot by The Joker, who also kidnapped Lois. Superman arrives to find Joker and Harley Quinn wearing gas masks and operating on Lois. Horrified, and also seeing them accompanied by Doomsday, he immediately begins flying the beast up into space to protect Lois and the baby (it’s revealed earlier in the issue that she’s pregnant). After arriving shortly after, Batman is able to piece together that the Joker used Scarecrow’s fear toxin laced with Kryptonite to make Superman hallucinate.

Batman frantically tries to warn him over their communicators, but it’s too late. Superman comes to his senses only to realize he’s killed his wife and unborn child. Things take an even worse turn when the Joker reveals the operation they were performing was turning Lois into a detonator for a nuclear bomb, and as her heart stops beating, Metropolis explodes.

SUPERMAN PUTS HIS FIST THROUGH THE JOKER

Following the events of the previous entry, issue #2 of “Injustice: Gods Among Us,” by writer Tom Taylor and artists Mike S. Miller and Bruno Redondo, picks up with a devastated Superman kneeling in the wreckage of what was once Metropolis as he cradles Lois’ body. Wonder Woman arrives and tries to console him by reassuring Superman that this was the Joker’s fault. Superman then asks her to hold Lois’ body before taking off and telling Wonder Woman that he’ll be back soon.

Green Lantern intercepts him and tries to convince his friend not to face the Joker so as to avoid risking doing something he’ll regret, but he’s unable to stop Superman from getting to the Gotham prison where Batman is interrogating the Joker. Superman bursts through the wall, pushes Batman aside, and places his arm through the Joker’s chest. The Clown Prince of Crime dies with a maniacal grin on his face as Batman looks on in horror.

SUPERMAN KILLS GREEN ARROW (AGAIN)

Several issues later in “Injustice: Gods Among Us” #11, by writer Tom Taylor and artists Tom Derenick, Jheremy Raapack, and Bruno Redondo, Batman has formed an Insurgency with some of the other heroes who refuse to follow Superman. After learning about an experimental super-pill that Lex Luthor has developed in hopes of giving Superman a superhuman army, Batman plans an attack on the Fortress of Solitude in collaboration with the President of the United States, in an effort to steal some of the pills being kept there.

The President violates Superman’s worldwide ceasefire by sending U.S. Naval forces to attack Korea, a diversion giving Batman, Captain Atom, Catwoman, Black Canary, and Green Arrow a chance to break into the Fortress of Solitude. After a clash outside with Captain Atom, Superman returns to the Fortress to deal with the only Insurgency member left inside: Green Arrow. During his fight with Superman, Ollie hits him with an arrow that ricochets off his chest and hits Johnathan Kent in the shoulder. Infuriated that his adoptive father was wounded, we see Superman beat Green Arrow to death from Arrow’s perspective.

Which of Superman’s kills did you find the most shocking? Let us know in the comments!

The post Manslaughter of Steel: 15 Times Superman Killed Someone appeared first on CBR.com.

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