Analysis: Why The Killing Of General Zod Made Superman Superhero In Man Of Steel
1258 Words6 Pages
Vicky Hsu
Ingrao
HUMA 1301.007
November 19, 2014
A20:
Why the Killing of General Zod Made Superman Superhero In Man of Steel (Snyder, 2013), the conclusion finds Superman killing General Zod to save a family. This is a direct contrast from the Superman superhero character as portrayed in Waid and Ross’s Kingdom Come, in which Superman retires from saving humans on Earth because of the acquittal of a Superhero named Magog. Magog’s killing of the villainous Joker angered Superman, who then wanted Magog to stand trial for killing many people, including Lois Lane, Superman’s wife. In order for Superman to be relatable to the humans he’s trying to protect, one must question how to reconcile the two Superman characters. One must also pose the question of what makes a true superhero in comparison to a hero. In Snyder’s story arc, Superman kills General Zod to save a family. Yet in Ross’s story arc, even when his wife was killed, he did not seek revenge, but rather justice for the murder of the man who killed her. Would a true hero not seek justice for his own family first? After Superman retires, the metahumans, under the lead of Magog (Strange Visitor, 1996), have created chaos among the Earth by adopting the mentality that killing was justifiable and right. It seems ironic that the destruction of Superman’s original hometown on Earth,…show more content… At the beginning of this essay, it was hypothesized as to how Superman could reconcile killing General Zod in the Man of Steel, but then adopting a “no kill” policy for villains in Kingdom Come. The answer is, he can’t. He can’t have two doctrines. One for beings of lesser powers in one aspect, and then in his fit of rage, threaten to destroy them because they tried to destroy metahumans who were threatening to destroy their planet with their civil war. This makes Superman more of a human with super powers than a