DC Just Declared Superman an Enemy of Democracy... And I Don't Think They Realize It

Warning! Preview pages ahead for Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor #2!That's right, when it comes to Superman, he's not always going to with the will of the people. The Man of Steel has wrestled with a lot of moral quandaries, but the most recent one he's found himself in has the whole world stumped.

In case you forgot, in Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor, Superman's oldest and most bitter enemy is dying from radiation sickness and Lex challenged the Man of Steel to fix him in front of the entire world. Despite the protests of the world, Clark agreed, and now Lois Lane is diving into why DC's greatest hero would make the one choice that everyone seems to hate.

Lois Confirms Superman Isn't Guided By the Popular Vote

Clark Relies on His Own Moral Compass for Decisions Like This

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In a preview for Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor #2 by Mark Waid, Bryan Hitch, Kevin Nowland, David Baron, Richard Starkings, and Tyler Smith, Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane are at the Daily Planet office where the paper is conducting a poll. The survey asked readers if Superman should save Lex Luthor, with the vast majority responding 'No'. Jimmy asks Lois if she thinks that Superman is watching the poll and Lois hopes that he isn't, telling her co-worker that even if he did see it, Superman doesn't make calls like this based on voting.

... what's to stop him from killing anyone and everyone that the public wants him to?

After taking another look at the survey, Jimmy struggles to see Lois' side, asking if she believes the world would be a better place without Lex. Once she admits she does, Jimmy asks why Superman shouldn't make it so that Lex can't hurt anyone ever again. Lois retorts that Superman doesn't kill because if he does, what's to stop him from killing anyone and everyone that the public wants him to? Jimmy, of course, says Luthor's a special case, but Lois responds that for someone with Superman's powers, he can't just flagrantly use them to kill anyone.

Little do Lois and Jimmy know, Superman has been observing their conversation the whole time and the hero quietly thanks Lois. As Lex bellyaches, Superman tells Lex that they still have options left that could give the villain the cure he needs. Clark pulls out a Legion of Super-Heroes flight ring, confusing Lex, since Superman can already fly. But the ring actually acts as a homing device and before Lex knows what's happening, Superman is traveling through the timestream, taking them into the future to seek out a particular Legionnaire's help.

It's True, Superman Can't Let His Power Be Determined by Popularity

I Trust Superman Way More Than Most People, Anyway

I think we all know Superman is objectively one of the most powerful heroes to ever exist and no one is more aware of how strong he is than Clark himself. While Superman is a good person through and through and doesn't really need a reason not to kill, he's also incredibly keyed into the fact that it'd be incredibly easy for him to annihilate anyone who gave him trouble. Of course, the issue here isn't whether Superman should kill Lex, but rather, should he save him. But either way, Superman knows he can't let such decisions be made by the will of the people.

Look, I've read a bunch of Superman comics and if there's one thing I know, it's that Clark has an impeccable sense of judgment. No matter what difficulties he faces or what decision he finds himself grappling with, Clark always makes the right call. But people, by and large, don't always make the right decisions. Democracy is a fine and valued thing, but frankly, the world doesn't always know the right answer for tough situations. Superman does, and he knows that he can't or shouldn't base his actions off what the people of the world want him to do.

He's rarely, if ever, made the wrong call or done something to make people doubt him.

Some may think that, as humanity's greatest champion, Superman should reflect what the people want and act thusly. But Clark has shown time and time again that he's better off going with his gut. He's rarely, if ever, made the wrong call or done something to make people doubt him. As much as some may balk at the idea of Superman making unilateral decisions, at the end of the day, he's in charge of what decisions he makes. If his preferences make Superman incompatible with democracy, well, so be it.

Superman Does Just Fine Letting His Own Morality Guide Him

He Can Be There For the People Even If He Doesn't Listen to Them

At the end of the day, Superman is a private citizen and he's not under the obligation to follow what the majority of people want him to do. Honestly, it's for the better because, again, Superman's moral compass is one of the best in the DC Universe. He might not always do what humanity wants him to do, but Superman always makes damn sure to do what's in their best interest.

Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor #1 is available on March 19th from DC Comics.