Comic Vine News

116 Comments

Off My Mind: Can Superman Defeat Doomsday Once Again?

by on

Will the Reign of Doomsday result in the Death of all the SUPER-characters?

When Doomsday first arrived on Earth, things didn't go too well for Superman. Doomsday is programed with a hatred for Kryptonians due to his roots. He was the product of Kryptonian engineering and was subjected to test after test in trying to create a way to adapt to any danger. As Doomsday experienced death after death and was cloned time and time again, he retained a memory of everything that happened in his genetic code. As each clone became stronger, he gained the ability to adapt to his environment. It only made sense that when he and Superman died as a result of their epic first encounter he would find a way to return.  
 
And Doomsday has returned a several times actually. After his last death, he was seen in the hands of General Sam Lane, who was determined to improve Doomsday. When he recently encountered Steel, Doomsday was clearly different.  
 
If Superman barely defeated Doomsday before and it ended up costing him his life, how could he possibly defeat him now? 
   == TEASER ==   
Going back to Doomsday's fight with Steel, I thought it was odd that this major battle was going down in Metropolis and Superman was no where to be seen. He has been busy doing his walk across America in trying to find himself and establish a connection with civilians. Regardless, word would've made it to Superman and he could've been there in moments. Because it cost Superman his life in defeating Doomsday before, it's going to take more than his super-smack down to put a stop to him. If Doomsday can evolve, Superman's strength won't really matter to him. 
 
The Doomsday seen fighting Steel could evolve at an alarming rate. He recognized who Steel was and even used the tactic of threatening innocents to draw Steel towards him for another blow. Doomsday could develop body armor and somehow gained the ability to fly. With Steel out of the way, Doomsday will be setting his sites on the Eradicator in the pages of The Outsiders #37, Cyborg Superman in Justice League of America #55 and Superboy in issue #6. Why is he targeting these individuals from Reign of the Supermen? Also where and why did Doomsday take Steel's body after beating him?
 
When Superman finally faces Doomsday in Action Comics #900, he's going to need some help and a really good plan. It's safe to say that we won't be seeing the Death of Superman once again but there's no way Superman can take him out on his own. How do you stop an unstoppable force with immense strength and new powers developing during battles? The idea of sending Doomsday to the Phantom Zone crossed my mind but what would that mean for the Kryptonian criminals (along with Chris Kent and Mon-El)? Superman already tried banishing Doomsday to the end of time and that didn't work.  
 
Even though General Lane is gone, if the current evolution of Doomsday is due to the government agency that gained possession of his corpse, I can't imagine they wouldn't have some sort of kill switch installed. With the way Doomsday suddenly appeared to take on Steel, it makes more sense that he was released rather than escaped from some sort of lab or prison. It's going to be up to Superman to figure out how to activate this kill switch otherwise his return to the pages of Action Comics is going to be very short lived.
Filed under:
Superboy
Superman
Steel
Supergirl
Eradicator
Doomsday
Cyborg Superman
116 Comments
  • 116 results
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
Posted by GrandSymbiote94

it's gonna take all the supermen and women to beat him know after jumped on by like what 20 kryptonians i can't even imagine how strong he is now
Posted by G-Man
@GrandSymbiote94:
Yeah it took all the New Kryptonians to deal with him last time. 

Staff Online
Posted by GrandSymbiote94
@G-Man said:
" @GrandSymbiote94:
Yeah it took all the New Kryptonians to deal with him last time. 

 
"

Those 2 in the front seem to kno better lol
Edited by Catman9

I figure the nanonytes in Doomsday's body will be the key to defeating him. Also possibly Lex gaining control of him.

Posted by RYU/BATMAN

Just put him in the Phantom Zone

Posted by TDK_1997

It will be an interesting story.

Posted by Chris2KLee

Ehh, never liked Doomsday. He seemed like a knee jerk reaction to the Image comics of the time, a big dumb savage looking character with little depth. He's become a villain I expect Superman to best every time out, and a still just as dull as ever.

Posted by BloodyFlix

Well if I remember right, Wonder Woman took on an enhanced version of Doomsday, although I'm sure not on this level, and won by using the Gauntlets of Atlas which multiplied her power ten fold.  
 
I don't see why that wouldn't work for Superman, but if he can't use the gauntlets, then maybe some help from a gauntlet wielding Wonder Woman would be useful. Then again, I haven't been keeping up with her story, but from what I gather, she isn't the same Wonder Woman at the moment. In any case,  I believe the gauntlets are still at the museum Wonder Girl's mom works at.  
 
Just a thought...
Posted by Mighty Thorion

Are we going to see the death of more Super characters? I sincerely hope not - killing off heroes just to bring them back in ever increasingly contrived ways has become borrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrinnngggg!!!!!!!  zzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Posted by perry_411

Superman using Black Lantern ring to end him, or Batman with a green lantern ring. Or the universe will change again. Would be much more fun if they killed Superman and left him dead.

Posted by AFArtist1973

Man, the fact that Doomsday is back seems a bit of a reach nowadays.  Doomsday can only be relevant if the impact and consequences of his return stick.  No revolving door of heroes dying and returning.  That's the only way it'll work.   
 
Seems like D is turning out to be the knight in Monty Python's The Holy Grail.  No matter how much you hurt him, he keeps coming back for more.  Too much of a joke, and no substance. 
 
My two cents... Jim

Posted by The Sadhu

Just a thought... has DC gone the way of Marvel here...??? 
 
General Ross becoming Red Hulk to beat Banner/Hulk 
 
maybe in some way... 
 
General Lane has some how imprinted his memory into Doomsday...??? 
 
Just a thought?!?!
Posted by IronSpidy-Rooney

Isn't cyborg superman dead??

Posted by Birthright

He's Superman. He will find a way.
Posted by Doctor!!!!!

Of course he can, it may take longer though, maybe a story-arc longer.
Posted by NightFang

I don't think beating Doomsday down or putting him in the Phantom Zone would do so good well for the heroes and i'm very interested in seeing what this 'new' Doomsday has planed.

Posted by Xenozoic Shaman

As Abraham Lincoln suggested, the best way to defeat your enemy is to make him your friend.  Often followed by a song and dance number, which defeats everyone else.

Posted by ryanwh

Seems like the only way he'd actually be formidable is if they made him more intelligent, and it seems like if they did that he'd have better things to do than get himself killed. I suspect it'll be a boring fight but I'd love to be surprised. Maybe Superman dies and the population of earth, ever jaded to the deus ex machinas of their world, just sit around and wait for the explaination as to why he's not really dead. And it never comes, and Superman's gone and DC uses his absence to expand the Batman brand.

Posted by goldenshot80
@The Sadhu said:
" Just a thought... has DC gone the way of Marvel here...???  General Ross becoming Red Hulk to beat Banner/Hulk  maybe in some way...  General Lane has some how imprinted his memory into Doomsday...???  Just a thought?!?! "
a EVEN STRONGER doomsday?? .....
Posted by Vitality

You mean..."can a writer make superman win again?". 
 
Yes, of course.
Posted by Theblackness

I would like to see an Army of Doomsdays. If one would be hard to defeat imagine 100 or even 1000
Posted by Billy Batson
@perry_411 said:
" Would be much more fun if they killed Superman and left him dead. "
NO, JUST NO.
Posted by Axdemon
@Vitality said:
" You mean..."can a writer make superman win again?".  Yes, of course. "
Exatly, I love these off-my-minds where they try to establish some kind of debate that obviously doesn't exist. Are domino masks effective? No, of course not, but we suspend our disbelief. Could Jor-El have built a bigger spaceship to carry more than just his son? Probably, but that goes in the face of everything Superman is about. Can Superman defeat Doomsday? DUH. It's Action Comics nine-freakin'-hundred. I don't know the exact plot details but I knew that Superman was going to win this fight as soon as Action Comics became a hit series. 
Posted by tensor

well this is one series i do not know the out come at all the kill switch sounds nice way for it to end but i feel it is either going to come down to some power up or some gizmo to stop him

Posted by tensor

now this is a good time to bring back prime lol he an doomsday could fight it out

Posted by TheCrowbar

Supergirl dies an embarassing dishonorable death while Dick Grayson defeats Doomsday in a boxing ring?
 
Or is that just my fantasy?

Posted by SuperXAsh

*prefers the old Doomsday personally* Especially after Hunter/Prey. 
 
The new look they gave him is just... silly

Online
Posted by ImperiousRix

TECHNICALLY, Superman shouldn't be able to defeat Doomsday this time, but I'm going to be he goes down easier than ever.  I just don't think you can make him a believable threat anymore with the same old schtick of him being this big powerhouse...

Posted by DEGRAAF
@tensor said:
"now this is a good time to bring back prime lol he an doomsday could fight it out "

I agree. I wold like to see that fight. 
 
@Theblackness said:
"I would like to see an Army of Doomsdays. If one would be hard to defeat imagine 100 or even 1000 "

That was done before i thought. All the doomsday clones.

 

I sure hope that it isnt General Lane inside Doomsday. I would hate Lane taking over Doomsday's body. I like Doomsday and i like that he seems to have gained intelligence. The last time he gained intelligence he became a joke. Gaining intelligence shouldnt have made him scared. He shold have been smart enough to know he would come back to life stronger.  
 
I didn't think that Doomsday was able to fly in the issue of Steel, also i didnt think he automatically evolved to have the armor, he showed up with it. 
 
If Doomsday is General Lane now then i would say his identity will be what stops the fight, Lois will stop the fight trying to talk reason with her dad. I want to know what Lane ment in the scan above. and What is on Doomsday that is green? 
 
Posted by Xaviersx

I never hated Doomsday, but the claims to his survival have always led me to believe DC should not have created/labeled him so.  A terrible powerhouse  that can continue to evolve past the means used to 'kill' him ultimately would wear out its welcome to readers who can't find the logic in heroes confronting it and taking away just one more way to stop it for the moment.  I did like the idea of sending him out of the current time to its end, but that didn't stick.   Maybe to deal with Doomsday:
 
1. Someone could time travel to point of origin and try to impact the creation/history . . . but who'd wreck history.  
2. Nullify his body, not just beat it up but deconstruct at the atomic level, either with science or magic.  
3. Go to opposite universe and get the good Doomsday . . . maybe just touching each other cancels them out or creates mild manner Jimmy Olsen.
4. Give up and admit the evolution of an angry god . . . . but then again, those future people seem to be alive and well . . . 
 
A. Forget the Phantom Zone. If it's possible to escape the phantom zone, then you're just delaying the return, no better than a trip to the end of time.

Posted by FrischDVH

Lobo, Captain Marvel, Despero, Da'Kath, Amazo, and the Shaggy Man. That is what it would take to defeat him.
Posted by AskaniSon295

totally would be interesting if dc killed Superman and left him dead for a signiifigant amount of time, though even now the 4 replacement supermen are old so they would still have to come up with something fresh. Like a Kryptonian Blue Lantern superman or something.

Posted by entropy_aegis

Would'nt at all be suprised if it turns out general lane is doomday,rulk ftw. 
and phantom zone that idiot.
Posted by speedlgt

this may sound crazy but in many ways I feel that doomsday defines the modern superman or at least defines him in total. WHY  
 
 
well because out of all the luthors and darkseed and all the other villans None can have or most likely will ever defeat superman. Doomsday is the only thing that has ever beaten the man of steel. 
 
why doesn it define superman? well in very much the same way the kryptonite defines him. Doomsday the one thing that can kill superman the only thing that can beat superman was defeated by superman. 
 
so all in all it one of supermans most defingin characteristics that even his "doom" lost to his superman ness despite the fact that he died to do it. 
 
 
thus superman has to beat doomsday yet again
Posted by The Impersonator

Doomsday can be sent to a parallel universe where no one exists. 

Posted by JonesDeini
@Chris2KLee:  
Indeed
Posted by Risky

Biggest problem will be the (sub)conscious fear Supes has of Doomsday. That beast killed him once and that left scars. Doomsday has a psychological advantage over Superman and it won't be that easy to get rid of that.

Posted by Valtot
@Risky:
he fought doomsday like 5 times after that and he hasnt shown much of a fear of him
Posted by MrFantastic

I think Superman is about due to die again.  It has been a while ...

Posted by G-Man
@Axdemon: It's more about questioning the logical. Yes Superman will win. Should he win so easily just because it's his book? No. We, as readers, shouldn't just accept things because they're written. I like to try to put some logic into the topics even if it seems silly to question a comic book idea. But that's why we're here, to discuss comic book topics. Superman should not easily defeat Doomsday. That's what this article is about. Past articles, like Superman's ship, is about exploring the history and the changes that have been made over the years. Just because a comic book writer says that's the way it is, doesn't make it a valid argument. 
Staff Online
Posted by Reaper_bat

doomsday can kill superman because is always evolving one day or the other he is going to evolve into a perfect superman killing machine and since lanes father enhanced is special abilities superman he doesn´t have a chance!

Posted by JimmyKudo09
@DEGRAAF:
That green stuff on doomsday is his blood I believe
Posted by Ridge111

@G-Man:
I'm sort of new to comics and I don't really read much superhero stuff. I'm more interested in stuff like Witchblade, The Darkness, Hack & Slash, The Boys and Scott Pilgrim. 
 
Anyway, looking at Doomsday, I can already tell he's violent and destructive, but how destructive?
When Doomsday comes around, is everything gonna hit the fan? Innocents die and cities get torn apart beyond repair? Do you think this is going to be eventful and have Superman getting hit hard, or is it just gonna be over before Y'know it with everything going back to normal afterwards?

Posted by DEGRAAF

I really really really really hope Doomsday doesnt turn out to be General Lane. I cant think of anything i would hate more. He would then know who Clark Kent really is and im curious how his motives change if he no longer is just out to kill Kryptonians. Yea, he will still want the Kryptonians dead but he will no doubt have other plans as well. Plus, hasnt Lex Luthor and/or Brainiac tried to place their conciousness in to Doomsday before?
Posted by Valtot
@DEGRAAF:
brainiac did
Posted by InfinityOmelette

Doomsday will kill off everyone except Sups, and then force Sups to live with it.

Edited by CrimsonAvenger

I don't know if he has it in him anymore especially now that Doomsday has grown stronger.

Posted by Out_of_Space

Superman will win again but the story it's gonna be stupid. I'm bored of Superman always winning.

Posted by Caligula

I think it's going to come down to a moral choice for Superman, Save the World by putting Doomy in the Phantom Zone, or Have Mercy on those in the Phantom Zone by letting Doomsday win. I also Think Doomsday is stealing the corpses for General Lane, who is building an army of Supermen.
 
I think it would make for a great Moral/Ethics code moment for Superman having to choose between to evils. Having a no easy way out moment, if the writers are willing to take him there.

Posted by Comiclove5
@Birthright said:
" He's Superman. He will find a way. "
I agree.
  • 116 results
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3

Use your keyboard!

  • ESC