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DC’s ‘Injustice’: Superman with a Heartbreaking Twist

DC’s new animated film based on the ‘Injustice: Gods Among Us’ video games and comics feature a tragic and brutal take on the Man of Steel. With the destruction of everything Superman holds dear, he turns into a nearly unrecognizable monster. The lines between hero and villain quickly blur.
by Andrew Addessi
Published on
2 min read

Crashing onto consoles in 2013, DC’s Injustice: Gods Among Us introduced a new take on the Man of Steel. The Injustice Superman started a rampage with one goal in mind: world domination. The new Injustice: Gods Among Us movie follows a desperate Batman as he fights the unhinged Superman’s rise to power.

Henry Cavill at the European Premiere of 'Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice'
Henry Cavill | Mike Marsland/WireImage

Jumping from video game to comic to film

The 2013 fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us focused very little on Superman’s world domination. The opening cutscene provided some context for the universe players would explore, but not the whole story.

However, the tie-in comics explored the Injustice Superman rampage over the course of six years (in comic time).

Starting with Year Zero, the arc begins with the Joker’s inspiration to drive Superman over the edge.

The villain needs little more motivation than the fact that he revels in chaos. However, Joker’s self-imposed ‘challenge’ leads to the death of Lois Lane and the destruction of Metropolis.

And Lois Lane was pregnant with Superman’s child at the time.

Joker succeeds in breaking Superman, and the mourning Man of Steel quickly shifts his attitude. Then, breaking through the wall of Joker’s interrogation room, Superman wasted no time in killing the clown prince of crime.

With the release of DC’s Injustice movie trailer, the animated film looks to follow the events of the comics more than the games.

The broken and brutal ‘Injustice’ Superman

The Joker tricked Superman into killing Lois Lane by detonating a nuclear weapon in Metropolis. Batman took the Joker into custody, but Superman no longer sought justice.

He just wanted revenge.

Adopting an attitude of taking out any who opposed him, the Justice League then split into two camps, Superman leading one and Batman leading the other.

With the Injustice Superman, the Regime took control of Earth. On Batman’s side, the Insurgency gathered heroes, villains, and anyone willing to fight against Superman.

Year Two, Year Three, and Year Four all see Superman’s Regime fighting different oppositions, while Batman’s Insurgency readjusts their plans to stop the Man of Steel finally.

One by one, different orders fall to the Regime: the Green Lantern Corps, the world of magic users, and the Greek Gods and Amazons.

Then, with heavy tolls, Batman concocts a plan to contact the Justice League from another universe by Year Five.

The dictatorship of the ‘Injustice’ Superman

By the events of the video game, Wonder Woman had become Superman’s new lover. Determined to wipe out Batman and his Insurgency, the Injustice Superman stops at nothing.

Threatening executions, shows of force, and intimidation, DC’s Injustice storyline offers a glimpse into how easily Superman can twist into a terrifying entity.

With nigh-invulnerability, strength beyond heroes known for their strength, and a powerset that can freeze and burn virtually anything, Superman remains nearly unstoppable.

Overcome by grief and anger, this twisted Man of Steel became a great basis for expanded stories.

With the animated film releasing on October 19, who knows where else DC’s Injustice universe might expand to next.

RELATED: ‘Man of Steel 2’: How DC Can Save Superman

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