Superman is often celebrated for his stubborn moral compass. As both the Man of Steel and Clark Kent he has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to truth and justice that continues to inspire the innumerable heroes who have followed in his footsteps. But despite his best intentions, he sometimes finds himself in situations that push the boundaries of his ethics. On some occasions, Superman has even committed murder.
In Bob Rozakis, Curt Swan, Don Heck and Frank McLaughlin’s 1987 Superman IV: Movie Special, based on Christopher Reeve’s movie, Lex Luthor and his bumbling nephew use a strand of Superman’s hair to make a clone. Their goal is to create someone they can control who is strong enough to defeat the Man of Steel. Luthor eventually creates the Nuclear Man, but his first attempt is less successful. The first clone is a nameless, Bizaroesque creature with super strength and a childlike understanding of the world around him.
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Luthor sends the clone to a popular Metropolis nightclub to test his appetite for destruction. The early version of the Nuclear Man attracts the attention of a woman who leads him outside. She burns her hands on his skin and screams. Clark Kent, who happens to be at the club for a story he’s writing, hears her cry and changes into his costume on his way out the door. Superman sees a damsel in distress and leaps into action without giving anyone a chance to explain the situation. He and his botched clone duke it out in the alley. The clone proves his strength by hitting Superman with a streetlight, but – as is so often the case- the copy is no match for the original.
Superman throws his opponent into an electrical pole and “the high voltage wires burned him like he was paper.” At first glance, this degree of brutality seems out of character for the Last Son of Krypton. While it certainly isn’t the only time he’s broken his personal rule against killing, it does seem uniquely unprompted. The clone didn’t beg for mercy or make any attempt to stop the fight, but he didn’t really instigate it either. He didn’t mean to burn the woman with his skin. That was due to a design flaw beyond his control. The knock-off Superman really didn’t know any better, but mild-mannered Clark Kent saw fit to execute him with electricity without blinking an eye. The murder of the clone is particularly shocking considering the fact that this was his first encounter with Superman. For all the hero of Metropolis knows, the unfortunate clone could have been another hero or a Kryptonian refugee, but Superman chose to kill first and ask questions later.
On the other hand, it is possible that Superman had no intention of killing his opponent. That much electricity would definitely destroy a human being, but the proto-Nuclear Man had already demonstrated a strength far beyond that of a mortal man. So it may be reasonable to assume that the Man of Steel was simply trying to slow his foe down, not end his life. Either way, it is easy to imagine the situation being resolved more peacefully if Superman had made any attempt to communicate with his combatant.
After Luthor perfects his cloning process, the Nuclear Man is a far more formidable enemy than the first clone, but Superman still prevails as he is wont to do. Superman is the savior of Metropolis and oftentimes the Earth in general. He is a beacon of justice, but the way he killed his clone remains a haunting reminder of his capacity for brutality.
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