Superman is the ultimate good guy, right? The beacon of hope, the symbol of truth and justice, the dude who always does the right thing. But what if I told you that even the Man of Steel has had his fair share of dark moments? Yep, the boy scout isn’t always so squeaky clean. Over the decades, Superman has done some pretty messed-up stuff, from outright murder to becoming a dictator. Whether it was due to mind control, desperation, or just poor writing choices, these moments prove that even the greatest superhero can sometimes cross the line. Let’s take a look at some of the worst things Superman has ever done. Buckle up—it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
1. Killing General Zod and His Crew (Superman #22, 1988)
Superman doesn’t kill. It’s like his golden rule. Except… yeah, he totally does when pushed to the limit. One of his darkest moments came in Superman #22 when he straight-up executed General Zod, Quex-Ul, and Zaora. These weren’t just regular villains; they were Kryptonians from a pocket universe who had already wiped out that world’s Earth. Superman, realizing there was no prison strong enough to hold them and fearing they’d do the same to his Earth, decided to take matters into his own hands.
How? By exposing them to Kryptonite, knowing it would kill them. It wasn’t a heat-of-the-moment thing either—he consciously made the choice. This moment haunted him so much that he exiled himself into space, questioning if he was even worthy of being Earth’s protector anymore. While the story tried to show the emotional weight of his decision, it was still shocking to see Superman act as judge, jury, and executioner. For someone who always finds another way, this was a rare and brutal moment where he didn’t.
2. Destroying an Entire Universe (Action Comics #591, 1987)
Superman is supposed to be the protector of life, but there was a time when his actions led to the destruction of an entire universe. This happened in the post-Crisis continuity when DC decided to clean up its multiverse. In Action Comics #591, Superman encountered the Superboy of a pocket universe, a smaller alternate reality that existed outside the main DC universe.
Things got bad when a group of villains from that universe, including General Zod, threatened Superman’s Earth. In the battle that followed, the pocket universe’s Earth was completely destroyed. Even though Superman wasn’t directly the cause, he was involved in the events leading up to the disaster. Worse, instead of trying to save those left behind, he made a tough decision to end Zod and his allies using Kryptonite.
This was a brutal moment that went against everything Superman stood for. The weight of what he did haunted him for a long time. He even considered whether he was still a hero after making such a choice.
3. Becoming a Dictator in Injustice (Injustice: Gods Among Us, 2013-2016)
Superman has always been about hope and justice, but the Injustice storyline showed what would happen if he completely lost himself. It all started when the Joker tricked Superman into killing Lois Lane, who was pregnant with his child. On top of that, a nuclear bomb went off in Metropolis as part of the Joker’s plan. The loss broke Superman.
Instead of grieving and finding a way to move forward, he snapped. He killed the Joker by punching through his chest and then decided that humanity needed to be controlled. He formed a totalitarian regime, forcing peace through fear. If any hero disagreed with him, he dealt with them harshly. He killed Shazam, fought against Batman, and even tried to force Wonder Woman into supporting him.
This was one of the darkest versions of Superman ever written. It showed that even he could become the villain if pushed too far.
4. Mind-Wiping Batman (Identity Crisis, 2004)
One of the most questionable things Superman ever did was standing by while Batman’s mind was wiped. In Identity Crisis, the Justice League discovered that Dr. Light had done something terrible to Sue Dibny, the wife of Elongated Man. To make sure he wouldn’t do it again, Zatanna erased parts of his memory.
Batman walked in on this happening and immediately tried to stop them. The League decided the best way to handle it was to wipe Batman’s memory too. Superman was there and, instead of stopping it, he let it happen. This was a huge betrayal because Batman trusted Superman more than anyone.
Superman’s excuse was that he was torn between his morals and what the League decided as a group. But for someone who always stands up for what is right, he completely failed in this moment. Letting his best friend’s mind be erased was one of his most questionable decisions ever.
5. Killing Dr. Light in Cold Blood (The Darkness Within, 1992)
Superman is known for holding back his strength, but in this story, he completely lost control. During a battle, he faced off against Dr. Light, a villain who could manipulate light energy. Normally, Superman would find a way to stop his enemies without going too far. But this time, he didn't.
In the heat of the fight, Superman unleashed his full heat vision, completely incinerating Dr. Light. This wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t self-defense. It was a brutal execution. After realizing what he had done, Superman was overwhelmed with guilt. He had broken his most important rule: never take a life.
The story tried to show how powerful Superman’s emotions can be and how dangerous he could become if he ever lost control. But it also showed that even the greatest hero isn’t perfect. This moment remains one of his biggest failures.
6. Superman Red and Superman Blue Disaster (Superman Red/Superman Blue, 1998)
In the late 90s, DC decided to shake things up by giving Superman a strange new power. Instead of his usual abilities, he transformed into a being made of pure energy. If that wasn’t weird enough, he soon split into two versions of himself: Superman Red and Superman Blue.
Superman Red was more aggressive and emotional, while Superman Blue was calm and logical. The idea was to show two sides of his personality, but the execution was a mess. The two Supermen bickered like children, made ridiculous decisions, and completely confused readers. The storyline dragged on for months, frustrating fans who just wanted the classic Superman back.
Eventually, DC realized this was a bad idea and brought the original Superman back. The Red and Blue versions merged again, and the whole thing was mostly forgotten. But for a while, Superman was almost unrecognizable, and it remains one of his most bizarre and worst storylines.
7. Supporting a Dictatorship in a Dream World (For the Man Who Has Everything, 1985)
Superman always fights for freedom, but in For the Man Who Has Everything, he unknowingly supported a totalitarian regime. In this famous story, Superman was trapped by a parasite called the Black Mercy. The parasite put him in a dream world where Krypton never exploded. At first, the dream seemed perfect. He had a family, and his home planet was still alive.
But things took a dark turn. This version of Krypton was ruled by a brutal dictatorship. Instead of fighting against it, Superman’s dream-self went along with it. He even tried to convince himself that the government was necessary. When he finally snapped out of the dream, he was devastated by what he had seen.
This story showed that even Superman could fall victim to illusion and weakness. Deep down, he wanted to believe in a perfect life on Krypton, even if it meant ignoring the suffering of others. It was a heartbreaking moment that proved he wasn’t as invincible as he seemed.
8. Leaving a Villain to Die in Space (Superman #215, 2005)
Superman is all about saving people, even his worst enemies. But in Superman #215, he did something completely out of character—he let someone die when he could have saved them.
During a brutal fight with Mongul Jr., the son of the original Mongul, Superman got the upper hand. Instead of capturing him or finding another way to stop him, Superman left him stranded in deep space. With no way to escape, Mongul Jr. was doomed to float through the void until he eventually died.
This was shocking because Superman always tries to do the right thing, even when dealing with villains. He has saved Lex Luthor countless times, even when he had every reason to let him fall. But here, he just let Mongul Jr. drift away, knowing it was a death sentence.
Some fans argue that Mongul Jr. deserved it, but that’s not the point. Superman’s whole thing is that he is better than that. He always finds another way. Except this time, he didn’t.
9. Causing Mass Death in Kingdom Come (Kingdom Come, 1996)
Superman doesn’t always make the right calls, and Kingdom Come is proof of that. This story is set in a dark future where superheroes have lost their way, and Superman comes out of retirement to fix things. Instead of working towards peace, he forms a new Justice League and starts enforcing his own version of justice.
Things get worse when a massive battle breaks out between Superman’s team and a group of violent heroes. The fight escalates until the U.S. government decides to drop a nuclear bomb to stop them all. Even though Superman tries to stop it, he fails, and the explosion wipes out thousands of people.
Superman’s mistake was thinking he could force peace by controlling other heroes. His actions directly led to the chaos that caused the mass destruction. After the explosion, he is left devastated, realizing that his approach made things worse instead of better.
This story is one of the best Superman comics ever, but it also shows one of his biggest failures. Even with all his power, he couldn’t stop a disaster he helped create.
10. Letting Jonathan Kent Die (Man of Steel, 2013)
Superman’s greatest strength isn’t just his powers—it’s his heart. He was raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent to be the best version of himself. But in the Man of Steel movie, he makes a choice that goes against everything Superman stands for.
During a flashback, a tornado strikes Smallville. Clark, still young and hiding his abilities, wants to save his father. But Jonathan stops him, signaling that he should stay put. Clark listens, and his father is swept away and killed.
This moment was meant to show that Jonathan wanted to protect Clark’s secret, but it felt completely out of character. The Superman we know and love would have never just stood there. He would have found a way to save his father without exposing himself.
Many fans hated this scene because it removed the emotional weight of Jonathan Kent’s usual death—a moment that traditionally teaches Superman the value of human life. Instead of inspiring him, this version of Jonathan’s death just made Clark seem hesitant and lost.
11. Abandoning Earth in "Grounded" (Superman: Grounded, 2010)
Superman is supposed to be Earth’s protector, but in Superman: Grounded, he completely loses his way. After the death of Jonathan Kent (again), Superman starts questioning if he really understands humanity. Instead of helping people, he decides to… walk. Literally.
The entire storyline follows Superman as he walks across America, trying to “reconnect” with people. While that sounds deep, the execution was terrible. Instead of being inspiring, he comes off as moody and disconnected. He ignores major disasters, barely helps anyone, and spends most of the time doubting himself.
Fans were frustrated because this wasn’t the Superman they knew. He doesn’t need to “find himself”—he already knows who he is. The idea of Superman walking instead of flying made him seem weak and directionless. Even Batman, the king of brooding, would have handled grief better than this. Luckily, DC moved on from this version of Superman quickly, and the story was mostly forgotten.
Conclusion
Superman is often seen as the perfect hero, but as these moments prove, even he has his dark and questionable decisions. From killing villains to letting his own father die, he has made mistakes that go against his core values. Some of these were due to bad writing choices, while others were deliberate attempts to show Superman’s flaws. What makes Superman great isn’t that he’s perfect it’s that he always tries to be better. Even when he messes up, he learns from his failures and keeps pushing forward. At the end of the day, that’s what makes him the true Man of Steel
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