We all know who Superman is. Yet it is surprising how many people, even on this site, fail to truly understand him. Don't get me wrong, I'm no expert on Superman and his comic book story lines, but I do believe I understand him as a character better than most people I have spoken to. Now I'm sure all of you reading this is thinking the same thing, "what's the point of this article? It's obvious who his archenemy is!" And you all have the same name in your mind. Well, yes he is in this article. But no, it's not as obvious as you may first think. Superman has many enemies. Some, in the grand scheme of things, have been little more than an annoyance for the Man Of Steel. There have been plenty of villains who have given him a challenge. But then there are others who have truly tested The Last Son Of Krypton and pushed him to his limits. So it is in this handful of evil characters that we search for Superman's true nemesis.
DOOMSDAY
Doomsday was a helpless humanoid child born in a lab and taken to prehistoric Krypton by the scientist, Bertron. The child soon died due to the harsh planetary environment. Bertron found the childs remains and cloned him. This was done thousands of times over to force evolutionary changes. Eventually the child began evolving with a resistance to whatever it was that had just killed him and then the ability to do this without Bertron's assistance. Growing ever stronger and more resilient over thousands of years, the child once known as "The Ultimate" became "Doomsday" and his hatred for all life brought him to Earth. It was here he found life he hated above all, Kryptonian life.
So why does Doomsday pose such a threat to Superman? His strength, resistance and unwavering hatred for life has actually lead to him achieving the unthinkable, he "killed" Superman! But is this enough to grant him "nemesis" status? I think not. There have been numerous villains who have given Superman a good beating, albeit falling short of a fatal blow. So what places Doomsday higher than the likes of Metallo, other than that last lethal step?
Doomsday comes from the same planet as Superman. That has to stir emotions in our hero. He is desperate for Earth to welcome him as their own. Just when he has won the trust of many humans, a creature of destruction from his own planet arrives like a slap in the face. Doomsday represents the evil of Krypton. A force Superman must lay to rest for the human population to fully trust who he is and where he comes from. You could argue that General Zod also represents this and I would agree with you. However, Zod is the same as Superman. He has the same strengths and more importantly, the same weaknesses. Superman knows how to beat him. It might mean his own death, but Kal El knows exactly how to finish Zod. This brings me nicely to my next point.
Superman has always been willing to sacrifice his own life for the safety of Earth but for the first time, Doomsday forced Superman to defy his own morals and take a life for the planets safety. It is this conflict that places Doomsday as a possible nemesis of Superman.
BRAINIAC
There are many versions of Brainiac in both comics and animation with various origins. His most popular form is that of an android and with either origin, he is seen as a being who travels the universe in search of knowledge. Once a planets entire history has been cataloged it is usually destroyed. His more popular back stories see Brainiac as the product of a Kryptonian A.I. computer programme responsible for the demise of the planets population by betraying Superman's biological father, Jor El. The other popular version sees Brainiac herald from Colu. This origin tells of Brainiac visiting Krypton and stealing the capital city of Kandor. Either incarnation of this character has a strong tie with Krypton and therefore a hold over Superman.
Before learning Brainiacs true nature, Kal El very nearly joined him. With the promise of knowledge regarding his home planet, Brainiac seemingly offered an olive branch of opportunity to Superman. The desire to know more about his heritage was enough to cloud Superman's judgement for a short time. Brainiac's main goal has been to upload himself into Superman's body. His desire to constantly evolve has seen him reach his android limits and the next step is a living body. Superman's body is the only one suitable in Brainiacs mind. Well, if your set on being the most powerful being in the universe there are worse choices of body out there!
So what makes Brainiac a nemesis rather than just a villain? Well it differs slightly depending on which Brainiac we talk about. Both hold the key to Superman finding who he is, where he came from and who his parents were. Both have Krypton's entire history cataloged and just out of Superman's reach. Yes, Superman has managed to get his hands on bits and pieces over the years, but not the complete picture. One Brainiac incarnation actually has a piece of Krypton. The entire capital city held captive, the last hope Superman has of truly knowing his people. The other version is much more personal. Not only is this Brainiac responsible for Superman growing up on Earth with no idea of who he really is. And not only is he responsible for the death of the entire Kryptonian race (apart from those few we know of) but he did it by disgracing his fathers reputation. He covered and altered all of Jor El's findings, making sure the Kryptonian council laughed off his claims of the world dying.
Either Brainiac incarnation has enough of a hold over Superman to make him stop and think, to plant that seed of doubt in his mind about what he is doing with his life. That is what makes Brainiac more than just a villain to Superman.
LEX LUTHOR
Yes, here he is. No list of Superman nemesis's(?), nemsi(?), would be complete without Lex Luthor. His background has varied slightly over the years but one thing is for sure, the guys cold calculating heart is matched only by his almost superhuman intellect. His more popular incarnations saw him as a childhood or college friend of Clark's, only to dismiss all knowledge of these events. Lex has a goal in life, to be the most influential man on the planet, with complete control. He doesn't care if people fear him or admire him, as long as they look up to him and obey him as their superior. He was on his way to achieving this when a certain red and blue fly landed in his soup. How could Lex achieve the status of the most powerful, influential man on Earth if Superman was out there doing what he does best? The answer was simple. Destroy Superman. Not necessarily kill Superman, but to destroy what he stands for and leave his reputation in tatters. If death was to come as a result then so be it but death was to come at Lex's hand.
How does a human stand a chance against The Man Of Steel? Well, if knowledge is power then Lex is in no way helpless. And if it's not what you know but who you know that counts, then Lex has the connections to get things done. He studies Superman more than any other villain in the universe. He knows every weakness and that doesn't stop at physical threats. He knows how to pull Superman's strings. He knows the heroes compassion for all life and his strong set of morals, and he pushes them to their limits.
And so a rivalry like no other is born. There isn't a day that goes by that Superman couldn't kill Lex in a heartbeat, they both know this. Part of Lex wants it. If he is to die then what better way to go than to take the respect and moral values of your enemy with you? He would die with his life's ambition fulfilled. But Lex knows it won't happen, and he relishes pushing Superman to that limit so he can watch Kal El retreat with a sense of pride inside. For a number of years Lex had managed to avoid prison. Jumping through every legal loophole he could find. This only added to the tension between hero and villain as Superman was unable to remove the Lex Luthor threat (in his way at least). Once the world finally saw Lex for who he was, he arguably became a much larger threat to Superman. With no pretence to uphold he could devote his time to bringing down The Man Of Steel without the need to cover his tracks. Lex has used and even created several villains to help remove the Superman stain on his world. He has also created a battle suit so he can go blow for blow with Superman.
The previous nemesis contenders have had ties to Superman's past, Lex is placed firmly in his present. Luthor has all the trademarks of an archenemy for Superman. He is able to toy with Superman's emotions whilst dealing a very serious physical threat. He doesn't want to just kill Superman, he wants to ruin his legacy and bring him to his knees first. It's frustrating for Superman as he could easily kill Lex if it wasn't for his own morales. But not only that, he is desperate for Lex to use his gifts for the benefit of mankind rather than personal gain. One thing is for sure, if either of them were gone, they would leave a massive void in the others life.
DARKSEID
Darkseid is one of the most powerful beings in the DC universe, unquestionable ruler of Apokolipse and master of the Omega Effect. On his own planet he is seen as a god, and it's easy to see why. The Omega Effect he wields is capable of just about anything, a beam from his eyes can bend and twist at his will and even pass through matter to reach his target. Once hit, he can teleport that target, kill it, transform it or even erase it's entire existence. His strength and durability are befitting of a god and he has defeated Superman through strength alone. His goal is to rule over the universe and eradicate free will. To do this, he seeks "the anti-life equation", a formula said to remove free will from any sentient life form. Darkseid believes fragments of this equation can be found in the human mind and he is prepared to tear open each person on the planet until he has pieced it together. And this is where he inevitably clashes with Superman.
So what makes Darkseid more than just a major physical threat to Superman? Well, everything the other three villains mentioned here have done or have tried to do, Darkseid has taken one step further. His ruthless, unwavering drive to break the universe and rebuild it in his image has seen him cause trouble for Superman on a scale the others have only dreamt of. So how has he done this?
The first thing Darkseid managed was to succeed where Brainiac failed. He brainwashed Superman and took control of The Man Of Steel, using him as a weapon of destruction on Earth. On regaining his senses, Superman looked in horror at the devastation he had caused, the lives he had destroyed and the countless he had no doubt killed. Darkseid had succeeded where Lex had failed as the world no longer trusted him and he no longer trusted himself. Superman was forced to question his own existence in a way he had never done so before. If that wasn't enough, Darkseid also did the same thing with Superman cousin, Supergirl! These acts, along with the countless worlds he has destroyed has pushed Superman over the edge. When Doomsday came, Kal El was forced to defend himself and the planet with lethal force. Darkseid has taken this a major step forwards as for the first time in history, on meeting Darkseid again, Superman actually engaged in battle and was prepared to not only take a life in defence but to murder Darkseid. You cannot imagine what this means for the Superhero who's power, self control and moralistic views make him the hero all other heroes look up to.
When facing Darkseid, it is unclear whether having Superman with you is a good idea or a terrible mistake. You would never want to tackle a man of Darkseid's power without someone as powerful as Superman backing you up. But the emotional turmoil Superman is thrown into in Darkseid's presence makes him a vary large liability. He has succeeded in so many areas where others have failed, he has ruined Superman's reputation, forced him to kill and driven him to throw aside everything he stands for. That is why Darkseid is a nemesis of Superman.
CONCLUSION
I think you will all agree that Lex Luthor is the true archenemy of Superman. But maybe now you will see that it's not as clear cut as you first think. Others have a legitimate claim to that title, the closest of which I would say is Darkseid. He has driven Superman to lengths no other villain has managed. But no one has devoted so much time into researching and bringing down Superman as Lex Luthor. And like I said before, if either of them were gone, there would be a void in the others life, so much so that whoever's left may feel lost and in Lex Luthor's case, without purpose. You can't make that claim about the other villains. That is why Lex Luthor is Superman's archenemy.
So what do you think? Is there anyone I've forgotten who is worthy of a shout out? Have I overinflated the worth of any of these villains? Does this shirt make me look gay?
I have a few people in mind for part 2 but if you have any suggestions you know where to post them.