Summary
Superman’s killing of General Zod in “Man of Steel” divided viewers, and the same is true for DC comic book writers.
Some supporters of the movie cite how Superman has killed before in other media or how Zod’s death raised the emotional stakes for Superman.
Those who disagree think Man of Steel didn’t make the situation feel un-winnable enough without killing or simply don’t like the idea of Superman taking a life so early in the DCEU (or at all).
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Superman’s controversial killing of General Zod at the end of Man of Steel divided not only DCEU viewers and longtime readers of Superman comics, but also comic creators themselves. The recently-concluded DC Extended Universe began on a divisive note with 2013’s Man of Steel. Starring Henry Cavill as Superman and directed by Zack Snyder, Man of Steel was an emotional retelling of Superman’s iconic origin story, placing Superman in a world that was far from welcoming to him at first and pitting him against a far more complex and vicious iteration of General Zod than viewers had seen before.
In Man of Steel’s action-packed finale, General Zod vows to destroy all of humanity, having lost his life’s purpose when Superman thwarted his attempt to terraform Earth and build a Kryptonian colony in its place. At the end of their destructive melee, Superman watches in horror as Zod attempts to murder a family with his heat vision, choosing to break Zod’s neck out of desperation to save them. The decision, which haunted Superman, led him to adopt his familiar no-kill rule that he strictly adheres to in DC’s comics. DC’s comic writers themselves have varying opinions about Zod’s death.
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10 Dan Jurgens Felt That Superman Killing Zod Was In-Character
Known For Writing The Death of Superman
Man of Steel
Release Date June 14, 2013
Cast Kevin Costner , Laurence Fishburne , Richard Schiff , Amy Adams , Harry Lennix , Antje Traue , Michael Shannon , Henry Cavill , Christopher Meloni , Diane Lane , Russell Crowe
Dan Jurgens is famous for his work on Superman comics, particularly the “Death of Superman” story arc in the early 1990s, which would be partially adapted by 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Jurgens, who took issue with Superman executing an alternate universe version of Zod in the John Byrne Superman run, felt that Superman would only break his no-kill rule if it was the only way to protect innocents from imminent death. According to Jurgens, “
“I always thought that if Superman was going to be put in that position, that it had to be a more immediate threat.”
9 Mark Waid’s Biggest Man of Steel Criticism Was Superman Killing Zod
Known For Writing Superman Birthright
Mark Waid’s 2003/2004 miniseries Superman: Birthright was a major source of inspiration for Man of Steel, and its depiction of Lex Luthor appears to have partially inspired his Dawn of Justice counterpart as well. Ironically, Waid is highly critical of Man of Steel, taking issue with the film’s destructive action scenes while praising other elements like its portrayals of Krypton and Jonathan Kent. Waid took issue with Superman killing General Zod more than anything, however, writing in his review:
“And after the neck-snapping, even though I stuck it out, I didn’t give a damn about the rest of the movie.”
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8 Kevin Smith Defends Zod’s Death, Recalls Other Times Superman Has Killed Zod
Known For Writing Green Arrow & Batman
Kevin Smith, who has not only written for DC Comics but also worked on the script for the unreleased film Superman Lives, has also made his fair share of criticisms of Man of Steel. When it comes to Superman’s killing of General Zod, however, Smith defends the moment, citing a previous instance of Superman killing the General like Dan Jurgens.
“His Superman very controversially snapped General Zod’s neck, which I didn’t quite understand was controversial because in Superman II, General Zod is also killed in the Fortress of Solitude. They just presumably leave his body.”
7 Neal Adams Felt That There Were Alternatives To Killing Zod
Known For Writing Superman & World’s Finest Comics
On Kevin Smith’s own podcast, the late Neal Adams voiced his opinion that killing Zod was not Superman’s only option to save the family. Particularly, he seemed confused as to why someone nearly indestructible like Superman couldn’t simply block Zod’s eye beams. Given Superman was standing right behind Zod, it’s a reasonable suggestion.
“And then at the end, what did he do? He killed a guy. Can’t put his hand over his eyes? I’m just saying…put your hand over his eyes. That would stop it pretty much. One arm is around the throat, put the other hand in front of his eyes. That’s pretty much it. Take him off to the moon or Saudi Arabia or someplace, and finish the battle there.”
6 Joey Esposito Defends Superman’s Actions
Known For Writing Batman: Urban Legends
DC Comics writer and editor Joey Esposito strongly supports Zod’s death in Man of Steel (per IGN), not only feeling that killing the General was Zod’s only option but also appreciating that the moment was itself an origin for Superman’s no-kill rule in the DCEU and a declaration of Superman’s allegiance to humanity instead of his Kryptonian heritage. Esposito writes:
“In that decision to kill Zod and save not just the humans in immediate danger but also billions of other lives, Superman finally makes his decision and knows where he belongs.”
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5 Mark Millar Felt That Zod’s Death Ruined Superman
Known For Writing Superman: Red Son
While Mark Millar is no stranger to writing superhero comics that delve into darker subject matter, he took issue with Man of Steel depicting Superman as killing an enemy on screen, despite understanding the circumstances that led to his choice. Comparing Superman’s killing of General Zod to Sylvester the Cat killing Speedy Gonzales or Elmer Fudd killing Bugs Bunny, Mark Millar wrote:
“I loved Superman as a kid not because of his edginess or his potential for a fatal solution, but because he could do anything he wanted and still chose to be nice.”
4 Bruce Timm Tried To Write Superman As Capable of Killing
Known For Writing Superman: The Animated Series
Bruce Timm, who co-created the DC Animated Universe, which includes Superman: The Animated Series, is also no stranger to complex and dark Superman stories. Timm approved of Superman killing Zod in Man of Steel, admitting that he had wanted to have Superman kill Doomsday the same way in Superman: Doomsday. In an interview with CBR, Bruce Timm noted:
“I was going to have Superman do exactly the same deed. Doomsday was going to be getting ready to kill some innocent bystanders, and Superman was already mortally wounded, and he was going to use his last bit of strength to break Doomsday’s neck.”
3 Chuck Dixon Argues That Superman Should Never Kill
Known For Writing Batman, Birds of Prey, and Nightwing
DC Comics writer Chuck Dixon has mixed feelings about Superman killing General Zod in Man of Steel. While Dixon understands that, realistically, characters like Superman or Batman may be forced to resort to lethal force under some circumstances, they are, ultimately, wish-fulfillment fantasies, and as such, should not be depicted as killing their enemies. Dixon, whose ideal version of Superman never kills, says:
“Childhood wish-fulfillment characters should never be lethal.”
2 Mike Carlin Agrees With Superman’s Actions
Known For Writing The Death of Superman
The Superman franchise celebrated its 75th Anniversary in 2013, and a panel commemorating the character’s history was held at New York Comic-Con that year. The panel included DC creatives like Mike Carlin, who co-created the “Death of Superman” storyline. Like Dan Jurgens and fellow panel attendee Bruce Timm, Carlin defended Superman killing General Zod (via ComicBookMovie), albeit with a degree of criticism, saying:
“We actually did something similar in the comic books. My only problem with it is that if Superman was going to kill General Zod, why he didn’t do it sooner before a couple city blocks were destroyed.”
1 Max Landis Felt That Superman Vs. Zod Had Too Much Collateral
Known For Writing Superman: American Alien
Max Landis, the writer of Superman: American Alien, is overall quite negative in his assessment of Man of Steel. Landis does not take issue with Superman killing General Zod out of desperation on a conceptual level, but he is quite critical of the event being preceded by countless civilian deaths in Superman and Zod’s melee. Max Landis would have accepted Superman’s choice if the battle had taken place far away from Metropolis, telling IndieWire:
“It shouldn’t be a city-destroying sequence. It should be two guys fighting in space, or on the moon.”
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