Ways that Superman could have stopped Zod

So we all have either seen or heard of the controversial scene at the end of MOS. I have heard all these short term solutions, but we need long term, so here are my Ideas, and if you have anything better, you tree huggers better Spit it out.

Lobotomy: Superman could have used heat vision and gone this route but this is not very Superman like.

Amputation: Clark could have removed his limbs with his super strength after knocking Zod unconscious. But he is Superman not Leatherface.

Kryptonian Tech: What Kryptonian tech? Also I am pretty sure the dude actually raised on Krypton knows a little more about Kryptonian tech then the guy raised by farmers.

Freeze Breath: Really? Also did Clark know he could even do that? And again, Ice? Really?

Battlefield Removal: Clark could have knocked him unconscious, and tied him to an Astroid. But wouldn't being removed from our atmosphere turn Zod human, causing him to die in space? Even if not, wouldn't he starve to death? Again not a Superman like thing to do.

We'll those are my options, I dare you to think of something better.

@guardiandevil83:

Might want to put in a spoiler warning at the top.

Just in case.

EDIT: Never mind, there's no real spoilers here. My bad.

The way i see it there was no long term solution, the only one was the phantom zone but it was too late to do that. No earth prison would be able to contain him so that was out of the question. Plus as others said Zod practically wanted supes to kill him. He was going to continue to push him untill one of them was dead, and he would have been okay with either. Zod at that point would only live for vengenance because there was no way to restore kyrpton and so he felt hopeless, so it was either die and be with the rest of his race or kill superman and live for vengenance and Zod wouldnt stop untill either of thosse happened

There was no other way.

@guardiandevil83: The second Clark realises Zod has arrived he goes to his ship in the artic and asks Jor El how to depower him, Jor El explains about Krypton atmosphere taking away there power, Superman then has his big fight chokes out Zod and imprisons him in the ship.

I'm a fan of the neck snapping. It was effective and permanent.

@jonny_anonymous: Zod was a better fighter right? Also would that not remove Clark's powers as we'll?

@guardiandevil83: He was but it still ended with him in a headlock. It would but it's also full of robots controlled by Jor El to stop Zod from doing anything

@jonny_anonymous: Good point. But the dude escaped the Phantom Zone.

@jonny_anonymous: The ship was destroyed when Zod was flying it back towards Metropolis. That was the one that got Lasered out of the sky with Superman's heat vision. I had this pointed out to me earlier today as well, since I said he could've put Zod in stasis, since that was the entire purpose of said ship. Also, Jor-el was deleted.

@guardiandevil83: I'm just not a fan of that single situation. Superman could've just leaned back and saved that family. He clearly could've just moved Zod's head back the other way since he snapped his neck. He could've blocked the lasers with his hand. There were just so many other ways. I would've preferred it were almost accidental, or if the situation actually necessitated he kill Zod. For instance, Zod broke free when superman stopped him. Zod attempts to kill them anyways, superman charges him, and kills him in the process. There were just so many other ways to end it, rather than just a straight up, "FINISH HIM! FATALITY" style of Mortal Kombat ending.

@dratini1331: See the problem is we know he could have stopped Zod at that moment. But then what? They would either fight until they drop, or Zod would have eventually killed Clark due to being a superior fighter, far more ruthless, and also the fact that he was growing in power. They also would have killed even more people with their battle.

@dratini1331: Yea he was deleted from that ship but he was uploaded in to the other one so he should still be "alive" anyway if Superman had half a brain he would have had that ship defend it's self or at least depowered Zod the second he entered

@guardiandevil83: No, see you're misunderstanding me. I'm just saying he does in an actual moment of desperation rather than just straight murdering the guy. It's the difference between the dark knight ending the way it did and batman just walking up and shooting Dent or the joker. It doesn't make sense the way they did it in MoS

Unless the freaking Green Lantern corps came out of nowhere and took Zod, Zod in the long run would have killed Superman.

Read an interesting piece on the net, apparently Nolan wasn't initially happy with Zod dying and they were going to push him into the Phantom Zone like the others, but they thought about "why doesn't Superman Kill" and "where does that originate from", so they decided he would kill Zod and the pain of it would be so bad he never kills again. Works for me!

@dratini1331: Aah I get ya. I just didn't see many options that would not be worse then death.

dont care. not my problem to make the movie logic work. there are paid people that do that. superman doesnt kill. deal with it or get someone that can.

@guardiandevil83: I can;t see it without that ship he had, or without some changes to the screenplay in general. They could've changed it, just not from that point.

@thetimestreamer: Your always a pleasure. Lol

@cap10nate: THIS!!!

@guardiandevil83: smoke em if you got em.

but....he has killed, on several occasions.

@cattlebattle: this is the start of a franchise. or at least that's what WB is hoping for. they need to establish superman doesnt kill. his strength of character. what did they establish in this? he kills for some stupid tourists that wont freaking move a little.

Lol, very true. They also didn't do a very good job of showing what he did resonate with him...he just screamed and then was like "eh, oh well"

Yea cause dragging a Super powered lunatic to the arctic would be so easy, its not like he might wake up or anything and restart the fight causing a few more thousand deaths.

@thetimestreamer: We'll I no longer smoke squares, but if you burn trees holla at ya boy!

Supposing he did wake up Superman could be at the arctic is seconds so they would at least have been aways from the civvys

I came up with options in my head but they are so cruel. Superman could have beaten Zod to the point that he was a vegetable, but that is not Superman. He could have shattered his spine, but again, cruel.

I agree. Superman did the right thing.

@jonny_anonymous: So basically you're saying that a better option would have been having to unstoppable gods fighting forever and just hope they don't make it back to a populated area, would that really be better than Superman ending the threat in a method he has used at least twice before on Zod in the comics?

@joshmightbe: No, I'v already explained the better option and I wish you would stop bringing up "he's killed in the comics" like that makes it better. Spider-Man has killed in the comics and I still don't wan't him to suffocate the Green Goblin with his web shooters next film.

@jonny_anonymous: Your option was unrealistic even by the standards set in a movie about a flying alien god with laser eyes.

May I remind you that superman throws zod over a cliff in superman 2

Yes, but Zod is just as fast as Superman, so while he's flying to the arctic (and what if he's fighting Mongul or something when this happens?) Zod can wave to him as he zips past him to Metropolis. I really think people are forgetting who Superman was up against in this film. As super-villains go, I cannot think of any villain as powerful/as mad/as determined as Zod was.

@joshmightbe: no it's really not

What really bugged me at the end of man of steel wasn't even that superman kills zod and I get that he couldn't just fly him up into the air and away from that family because he had no energy left but if he had enough energy to snap his neck why couldn't he just knock him out with some super strength, fly in front of the laser vision or just block it with his hand or use his own laser vision on him. And if he could move zods head to snap his neck why didn't he just move it away from the family. He could be able to move his head while using his super strength without snapping it...

@superbatspiderclops: Not just Zod. Mala and the large guy as well. They were also human at that point, and Clark killed them gleefully. Same movie where he sought out a man who punked him earlier, and basically tortured the dude.

@14nc3: Supes was probably trying to do that, but Zod didn't want to be moved.

supes was trying to do what?

@14nc3: But that doesnt solve the problem of a practically unstoppable sun-god hellbent on killing everyone on earth

@14nc3: He could have stopped Zod. That is neither here nor there. I want to know, as we'll as those who saw no other option, what was Superman going to do with Zod when he awakens?

@stormbox:

send him to the phantom zone like he did to the other kryptonians. Though I missed out on how he sent the other kryptonians to the phantom zone at the end of the film. What did happen to them?

Another reason I am in favor of the neck snap is it allows the no-killing stance to be explored more in the second movie. I was reading an interview with the creators, and they said that was part of their intent. They didn't think it would make sense for him to have a no-killing policy without justifying why he feels that way. By killing in his first fight, he has to confront those demons that will propel him to be a better hero in the future.

@14nc3: A few died and the Phantom Zone projector was destroyed.

I guess Superman could have tickled Zod. But seriously, are people still complaining about Zod's death?

These guys must not know very much about Superman then. Superman doesnt kill because of the values instilled into him by his parents, not because he's guilty.

Okay thanks

This thread is amuses me.

You forget to mention that he de-powered Zod, then threw Zod over a cliff. Truly a heroic way to stop a villain.

@14nc3: Glad I could help

The ending is fine as it is.

Exactly

The Phantom Zone Projector (Kal-El baby ship) wasn't destroyed, it was on that airplane that crashed into the kryptonian ship and then it sent everyone to the Phantom Zone expect Lois and Zod. It was also the only way to send them to the Phantom Zone.