I’m exhausted by the evil Superman trope. For years, comic fans and casual moviegoers alike have claimed that the Man of Steel is ‘boring’ and that his brand of kindness is old-fashioned, cliche, and out of vogue.
Everyone is so jaded and cynical that the idea ofa Boy Scout saving squirrelsis too far-fetched, so we twist him into a vengeful God and authoritarian figure who resents humanity — surely, that’s more believable than a selfless do-gooder?
We’re finallymoving on from that paper-thin, overdone trope with James Gunn’s Superman, My Adventures with Superman, and Superman & Lois, embracing Kal-el as the plucky hero with a heart of gold. But where does that leave Injustice?
Regime Superman Has No Place Anymore
The series is one of the last vestiges of the evil Superman trope, built around a Clark Kent pushed to breaking point. After being tricked into killing Lois Lane, he murders the Joker and even later plans to execute Batman.NetherRealm head Ed Boon argued that calling Regime Superman evil is an “oversimplification”because of what he went through, but no amount of trauma can justify his actions — he’s evil through and through.
He revealed Batman’s identity to the world, dropped Atlantis into the desert, beat Green Arrow to death, slaughtered protestors, and even murdered the 15-year-old Shazam.
With Mortal Kombat 1 cut shortandNetherRealm now reportedly developing Injustice 3, there’s no doubt that Regime Superman will return.
Batman’s ending sees him imprisoned in the Phantom Zone, but he warns that it won’t be enough to contain him. Batman’s response? We’ll be ready. The Justice League is reformed, and the timer starts ticking. Superman’s ending, on the other hand, sees the Man of Steel use Braniac’s technology to enslave Batman, continuing his rule over Earth. All while Supergirl remains imprisoned in a Red Sun, waiting to escape and save the day.
Whichever way you cut it, Injustice 2 sets up a rematch with Regime Superman. Unless NetherRealm reboots the series or makes an entirely new DC fighting series, that’s where we’re headed. And sure, maybe it could leave Superman in the Phantom Zone and tell the story of a more heroic Justice League fighting a new villain, but this is the same developer who brought back a dead Joker as a hallucination, because he’s far too popular to leave off the roster. Superman will be there.
And before anyone suggests an alternate universe Superman coming to lend a hand, does anyone actually want to dredge up the multiverseagain? Tired trope A, or tired trope B — take your pick.
I’d love for another NetherRealm DC fighting game; Injustice 2 is easily my favourite of their recent work. But if it means another evil Superman ‘subverting’ expectations for the umpteenth time, count me out. The whole concept wore out its welcome years ago, and going for round three with a Kryptonian dictator that feels more Zod than Kal-el just sounds dull. We deserve better than evil Superman, and after James Gunn’s debut DCU film, I’m not sure I can ever go back.
