Have you all ever wondered that we keep getting more and more stories of evil Superman? I mean is it just a coincidence that at one point we had

Injustice Superman subjugating the Injustice universe with a skewed sense of Justice showing us his gripping turn to evil.

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While we have the hero formerly known as Earth 2 Superman, destroying Earth 2 in the name of Darkseid being totally and utterly evil.

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While we have in the main DCnU, in the Forever Evil storyline we get Ultraman from Earth 3, and evil version of the Justice League who managed to take down the Justice League. He's so bad that he snorts Kryptonite.

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And you thought I'd be done once I got to Forever Evil. Well while Forever Evil was being published, in the Superman books we had Zod attacking our paradoxical Last Son of Krypton. Did I mention he was also a son of two scientists and saved by Jor-El...only he wants to destroy earth.

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At the same time we end up having two Superboys who both had evil in them, and the more evil one ended up being the victor and our current representative Superboy.

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While his female compatriot hulks out with a group that is typically known for its bad streak. You can even ask the Green Lantern Corps..

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Ha and I'm not finished.

In order I present to you:

He'l: Created by Jor'El, backward S scar, evil Superman the threat they had before Forever Evil.

Superdoom: Yep, after He'l, Zod, and Forever Evil, even DCnU Earth Superman starts turning evil. Doomsday kinda looks like him.

Xa-Du: Another Kryptonian, who is evil and not the Last Son of Krypton.

Metallo: Anti-Superman, nuff said

Bizarro: I said Anti-Superman, nuff said!

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That's not to mention other stuff out there that is also either currently published (Justice League 3000), was published (pre-DCnU depictions), or in other media like movies or shows. We get more evil Kryptonians, morally void Supermen, mind-controlled Supermen, copycat Anti-Supermen, and alternate dimension universe shattering versions of Superman.

So why so many evil Supermen? You'd think we'd get tired of this story.

My answer: It is the only story that makes sense.

When you have a character that is virtually the most powerful creature on the planet, you run into two main problems. First you can't give him many (easy to write) threats. You typically end up with a villain that is way too weak to fight Superman, so for the sake of the story Superman is significantly weakened, or you have world destroying force. What's another thing that can take on Superman? Well, Superman of course!

Here is another way to put it. We know Superman isn't perfect, but he isn't far, he's one step under perfect. So as far as threats go, you can't send an infinite power against him, cause that's perfect. So you at best can send, one under perfect, someone like Superman.

The next reason why Superman is so commonly depicted with the negative, way more so than other hero's, is because we love seeing what happens when good becomes corrupted, when innocence is no more. NAAUGHT!

The reason why that logic simply doesn't work is because that is the case with almost all our heroes, or at least the non-anti-heroes. But Superman still gets the brunt of it. And we can reason with it saying that he is the most powerful and the ultimate symbol for good, but I just can't by it, and I'll say why in a second.

Before that let me say what the real second reason is. It's because it is the only one that makes sense. We have an alien raised in the United States taught mid-western southern values, who grew up to protect the world. And although there are many positive attributes to southern values, that isn't enough to say Superman turned out the way he did because of that. This guy is the world's strongest guy, doesn't feel physical pain, eats out of habit, gets energy from the Sun, doesn't need a job but has one anyway that pays better than most Americans actually make, let alone the world, has his own fortress, prison, and zoo, and managed to woo Wonder Woman while having Lois Lane benched for when it doesn't work out, is the last of his kind...conveniently with others of his kind. His life was so good that when they rebooted his story, they killed off the Kents because they needed Superman to feel some kind of pain. So, how can this guy really empathize with the struggles of humanity. We are literally ants to him.

So that guy that I just described, now has miraculously decided to protect us. Now under what standards? He can use the morals that his family taught him, but what if they go against the law? I mean, I hardly doubt he has a search warrant for his X-Ray vision, nor is imprisonment or death sentence without trial also legal.

We can have a Superman that follows American law. However if the law doesn't protect the people, is he just idly going to stand down because it is the law? No, we know he doesn't because he dabbles in this stuff all the time and at his own fancy. Plus the law isn't perfect, it's constantly changing to better improve and serve our society (at least I hope...). So you see, the next logical step because of those blurred lines always being crossed, is that Superman goes bad (if he is to continue crime fighting that is). Any other story really asks the reader to temporarily turn off any logical part of their mind to believe it, which we can only do to some degree. If you don't believe me, try reading Ann Nocenti's Catwoman.

Here is the kicker that should rightfully tick off any Superman fans who think it still somehow possible that an objectively good Superman is possible. There is always a foil to this evil Superman. And let me give you a hint, if Superman is essentially perfection, then what isn't he. He isn't human. However there is a hero out there that is human. One that worked hard to get all his abilities, instead of being born with them. One that really know suffering, instead of being too young to remember it. One that pushes himself every day, instead of tanning in the sun. Remember that ultimate symbol for good that I mentioned earlier?!?! Oh ya, you know where I am going to with this....na na na na na na....

Batman is the yin to Superman's yang. So while it is easy to see Superman go down a bad path, (and if you can't see that, pick up any comic about Superman, you have a high chance of of witnessing it yourself), you hardly see what if Batman was bad stories. And in a weird twist in fate, in almost all the bad Superman stories, it is Batman is who is fighting to oppose him. Even when we got the Crime Syndicate, Ultraman was pure evil while Owlman had some human in him trying to save Nightwing. You'd think these two best friends wouldn't butt head so often...

With that said, I am curious to see where Geoff Johns takes us with Ulysses. Will he be a good Superman, or will he follow the trend and be yet another bad version of Superman?

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And let's not forget that Cyborg Superman/Zor-El is probably coming back with a vengeance.

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Remember this movie is also coming out. A sequel to a movie where Pa Kent's values are seemingly off, Superman destroys Metropolis, and kills in his first public outing. No wonder they brought in Batman...and WW and everyone else...

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While this Superman saves the world in a terrorizing way ultimately leading him to work for Brother Eye in the Future's End...dun dun dun!!! Though Lois Lane (his not girlfriend) suspects him to not be Clark.

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Future's End also promises us a fight between Apollo and Superman...one that Apollo supposedly wins. Though don't worry about him losing control though. We've seen him attack Stormwatch, and yes his Batman-esque boyfriend, Midnighter, was the one to stop him.

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A thing born of hate attacks Batman, and oh look, Superman is carrying the car. *Robot Voice* Oh my, I am shocked. *End Robot Voice* Ya, I'm betting mind control...

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But if you don't care for the future, why don't you read about Wraith, an alien who was raised by the government in the 30's instead of by the Kents. Coincidence he rivals Superman and his colors are also blue and red?!?!?!

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Though to leave things on a positive note; yeah sure, it totally makes sense that Superman is easier depicted as bad than good. But there are some good bittersweet depictions! We have the objectified female superman, Power Girl, and the black pacifist superman, Val-Zod, who are currently fighting...evil Superman, on a different Earth...

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OK how about you read Justice League where Superman is...not defending the world...and Lex Luthor is...

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You know what! I think we all get the picture. So here are some more not so good Supermen.

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But if you really need your fix, of the rare good Superman. Morrison is sure to make many good versions of Superman in his Multiversity...or will he? ;-P