7 Times Superman Crossed the Line

Known as Superman, Clark Kent is one of the most esteemed superheroes ever, admired for his unwavering compassion and understanding towards others. Nicknamed The Big Blue Boy Scout, he’s praised for everything from saving planets to rescuing pets stuck in trees. Throughout his over 80-year history in publication, even the seemingly infallible Man of Tomorrow has gone too far on occasions and carried out some truly atrocious acts. Unlike stories where he’s controlled by others or evil versions depicted in other realities, these instances happen within the main DC Universe where Superman, of his own accord, acted selfishly. From mistreating his loved ones to causing harm to innocents, these are when Superman failed to uphold his principles of truth and justice.

During the Silver Age of Comics, numerous tales often portray Superman, DC’s most altruistic character, as an unfeeling and reprehensible figure who disregards others’ well-being.

1) Paralyzed and Impersonates a College Football Player

From as early as Superman’s debut in 1939, issue #1 of the comic, the Man of Steel demonstrated a cold-hearted and unethical aspect to his character. In this particular storyline, Superman listened in on a college football coach urging his players to purposely injure their opponents. To thwart the plan, Superman doped, immobilized, and abducted one of the opposing team’s players named Tommy Burke from his own apartment. Disguised as Tommy, Superman effortlessly defeated the corrupt football team on the field. However, it was later revealed that gangsters had placed bets on the crooked team and decided to kidnap the real Tommy to keep him from playing further games. Rather than immediately rescuing Tommy, Superman allowed him to remain a captive of the mob for an entire day so he could win another game while still impersonating him. It wasn’t until after winning a second game that Superman finally chose to save the man whose life he had endangered.

2) Lets Aliens Abduct His Friend’s Son

Generally, Superman is known for going above and beyond to save children. But in the comic book “DC Comics Presents #13,” Superman permits Pete Ross’ son to be enslaved by an evil alien race, the Nyrvnians. This happened while Superman was fighting off the Nyrvnians, who were destroying their entire fleet. However, members of a future superhero group called the Legion of Superheroes warn Superman to halt his attack on the Nyrvinians because although they are evil at present, in the future they become Earth’s saviors. To preserve the timeline, Superman is compelled to let the Nyrvnians carry out their predetermined plan: capturing Pete’s son, Jon, and turning him into a child soldier. Faced with his son being forced to live a life of perpetual warfare and servitude, Pete began to lose his mind. Readers were vocal in their disapproval of this narrative choice, and the writers soon corrected it by having Superman rescue Jon just a few issues down the line.

3) Pretended to Commit Suicide in Front of Lois

Although often perceived as DC’s healthiest pair, Superman and Lois Lane actually experienced a tumultuous, toxic relationship for several years during comic book’s Golden and Silver Ages. This was largely due to sexism in the writing room, where Lois was consistently portrayed as dim-witted and subjected to mistreatment by Superman for humor. One of the most notorious instances of Superman’s poor treatment of Lois is found in the debut issue of “Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane”. In this story, Lois adopts a high society persona to uncover a scoop. To punish her for employing underhanded tactics, Superman concocts a harsh plan. Disguised as Clark Kent, he proposes to the still-disguised Lois. To preserve her cover, Lois turns him down. Later, Lois witnesses Clark apparently attempting suicide by leaping from the Daily Planet building. Superman then arrives, claiming he saved Clark from the fall. This leaves Lois feeling relieved but with deep emotional wounds and trauma that linger.

4) Adopted and Abused Jimmy Olsen

During the Silver Age, there was an abundance of strange and extraordinary tales. In “Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #30,” the Daily Planet reporter, who is an orphan and lacks a father, feels sorrowful. To cheer Jimmy up, Superman, in an unusual decision, adopts him as his son, despite Jimmy being a grown man. However, Superman’s kindness soon turns sour. He begins to lash out at Jimmy for minor errors, prohibits him from entering the Fortress of Solitude again, and even makes Jimmy do his chores. On Father’s Day, when Jimmy presents Superman with a coat as a gift, the hero ridicules it and instantly destroys it with his heat vision. Matters escalate to such an extent that Jimmy initiates legal action to halt the adoption process. Later, Superman reveals that he has been mistreating Jimmy because a futuristic computer predicted that Superman would kill his son to prevent this from happening, he intentionally abused his friend so that Jimmy would no longer want to be his son. The question remains: why didn’t Superman inform Jimmy of the prediction and end the adoption process himself?

5) Forced Supergirl to Live in an Orphanage

Kara Zor-El, also known as Supergirl, is one of the last surviving Kryptonians and Superman’s biological cousin. However, in the initial stages of Supergirl’s life on Earth, Superman was less than kind to her. Instead of welcoming her into his home, he deposited her at an orphanage, forbidding her from utilizing her powers without his explicit approval. He also told her that she would never be allowed to have a family. This treatment wasn’t about shielding her from danger; it was about keeping her hidden and alone so he could utilize her as a secret weapon in the future. To cast aside your newly found, only living relative, treating them as nothing more than a tool for your own gain isn’t just cruel – it’s malicious.

6) Made Lois Think That She Killed a Dog

In the comic “Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #30”, Lois Lane, known for her daring reporting, finds herself in a perilous situation when she’s thrown out a window by mobsters she was investigating. Superman, after rescuing her, scolds Lois for her recklessness. To teach her a lesson about responsibility, he devises a plan. The next day, while Lois is purchasing ice cream to trail a mobster, a dog suddenly snatches the ice cream and collapses, leading Lois to believe she had inadvertently consumed poisoned ice cream and killed the dog. In reality, the dog was actually Superman’s pet Krypto, painted black and feigning death. This method of teaching someone a lesson by making them think they have indirectly caused harm and narrowly escaped danger themselves is both cruel and unsettling.

7) Destroyed a Town

In “Action Comics #8”, Superman was initially designed to stand up for the downtrodden, but instead, he chose to raze an impoverished neighborhood, deeming it criminal. Within this narrative, a youth is accused of assault and battery, a crime he openly admits to committing. The offender’s mother defends him, stating that his descent into crime was due to growing up in the slums, surrounded by crime and violence. Misguidedly believing this was the solution, Superman embarked on a destructive spree through the slums, leaving a trail of flattened buildings and homes behind. The residents narrowly escaped, but were left homeless. Upon arrival of the National Guard to halt Superman’s rampage, he fled, content with the havoc he had wreaked. Once the slums were destroyed, gleaming new apartment complexes were erected – housing beyond the means of the families who had previously lived there. Essentially, Superman demolished a neighborhood, facilitating gentrification, leaving many innocent people displaced and homeless.

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2025-09-08 15:14