Best Comics When Superman Used His Powers For Evil

Superman may be the moral compass of DC, but he's committed his fair share of evil acts while mind-controlled and in alternate universes.

Superman is possibly the most powerful being in DC Comics. A popular, superpowered hero with high morals and strict rules that he follows religiously... for the most part. While Superman has a strong moral compass, the Man of Steel turning villainous is quite a popular trope.

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DC TV series and movies frequently depict Superman as a villain, and he has also used his incredible powers for evil many times in the comics. Thanks to mind control or alternate universes, readers have seen Superman use his powers immorally, from conquering worlds to brutally murdering villains like the Joker.

Superman: Red Son is an award-winning three part Elseworld comic created by Mark Millar. Superman lands in the USSR instead of the USA as a baby, grows up in Soviet Russia, and fights for Stalin to help in the Cold War.

Superman's morals are still very prominent in Superman: Red Son, and he often shows kindness and fights for justice. Until he gradually walks the line of evil when he becomes leader after Stalin's death and becomes a "Big Brother" type villain, brainwashing people and allowing no form of freedom. While not necessarily outright villainous, Red Son's Superman definitely slips into using his powers for evil.

Batman and Superman are raised by members of the Legion of Super-Villains in this DC storyline, and grow up to become powerful and nigh-unstoppable dictators.

Superman/Batman: Absolute Power depicts both the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight committing horrific acts. Superman overpowers and murders Wonder Woman with her own lasso, and incinerates Green Arrow with his heat vision, before order is restored to their timeline. Absolute Power is one of the best comics in terms of showing a morally corrupt and evil Superman using his powers for bad.

Injustice: Gods Among Us depicts Superman at his worst. This comic series is a prequel to the popular game of the same name, spanning multiple issues and published from 2013 to 2016, with graphic and horrific acts committed by fan-favorite Superman.

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In the second issue of Gods Among Us, Superman brutally murders the Joker. After finding out Lois Lane died at his hand as a result of a plan by the Joker, Superman flies to the Clown Prince of Crime and kills him by putting his whole arm straight through his chest. This evil act of revenge put Superman on the path to dictatorship.

In another DC Elseworld comic that shows Superman raised somewhere else, Kal-El lands on Apokolips instead, ruled by the New God Darkseid. Of course Superman is taken under Darkseid's wing, and his powers are used for everything evil that Darkseid needs and wants.

As a loyal follower of Darkseid in Superman: The Dark Side, it is no surprise that the Man of Steel commits acts of evil left, right and center in Darkseid's name. Eventually Superman's morals that were buried deep down come to the surface, and he turns against the New God, but not until after he uses his powers for evil.

Batman: Hush is a storyline that spans 12 parts. In Batman #612, fans see Superman under the control of Poison Ivy, using her powerful mind control to hold Superman hostage and have him protect her while she continues her evil plans.

While Superman isn't technically using his powers for evil in a sound-of-mind sense, considering he is being mind-controlled, his powers were still very much used for villainy. The Man of Steel came head-to-head with his ally Batman while protecting Poison Ivy, and was only overpowered her mind control when he saw Lois Lane in danger.

The Trinity War was a crossover event for DC's New 52 starring the Justice League, as well as their other factions, the Justice League of America and Justice League Dark. Superman slowly turns evil, apparently as a result of coming into contact with Pandora's Box.

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Superman succumbs to the evil, and when Doctor Light knocks Wonder Woman accidentally, Superman vaporizes him with his heat vision in an evil rage. The plot gets all the more intricate, and Superman is haunted by his actions.

Superman slips further and further away from his once strong morals, delving deeper into the evil that was triggered by the Joker. While he once believed killing and harming others was wrong, he now commits these acts of evil in abundance. Nobody is safe from his wrath in the Injustice universe.

In Gods Among Us #11, Superman discovers that Green Arrow was also behind all the plans to stop him, and confronts him. When Green Arrow tries to defend himself and accidentally shoots an arrow at Jonathan Kent, Superman uses his super strength to overpower and beat Green Arrow to death.

Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? is a collection of pre-Crisis Superman issues, published in 1986. This collection contains a rare act of evil committed by Superman while he was sound of mind against the mischievous Mister Mxyzptlk.

Superman uses the Phantom Zone device, and threatens Mister Mxyzptlk to send him there.Mister Mxyzptlk says his own name backwards, so he can go back to his home in the fifth dimension, and Superman activates the Phantom Zone portal at the same time, ripping the villain in half. He dies screaming, and Superman punishes himself for committing the evil and cruel act of killing Mister Mxyzptlk.

Tales From the Dark Multiverse: Dark Nights Metal #1 is a one-shot that shows Barbatos, the dark god, and his invasion of the multiverse. The Justice League intended to stop him, but only helped his endeavor by falling into a trap involving corrupted Element X armor.

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All the Justice League were turned into horrifying monsters, and Superman became Kryptothrax, a large, terrifying beast. He helped commit atrocities in this form under Barbatos’ command, waging wars, and thanked the hero that killed him as he died, finally free from the evil.

Unfortunately, Superman's evil acts do not end in Gods Among Us: Year One, and the Man of Steel continues to wreak havoc across the galaxy. This time, the Green Lantern Corps are the ones suffering at the hands of Kal-El.

Superman forms an unlikely alliance with Sinestro and the Sinestro Corps in Gods Among Us: Year Two, gaining a yellow power ring as a result and becoming more powerful than ever. He kills Green Lantern members, crashing them into suns to kill them. Superman will go to no end, using every power he has to kill and commit atrocities to maintain his rule in this universe.

Next: 10 Reimagined Versions Of Superman (Who Aren't Evil)

Chloe is a freelance writer from Scotland who loves all things comic, music, art, and animals. Chloe graduated in 2019 with a degree in Creative Writing and Journalism with English Literature, and has worked for CBR since 2022.