Superman & Lois Stories and Villians We'd Like to See Adapted in This Show

[flickchick85]

As we know, Superman & Lois is a different kind of Supes show, in that it features a Superman who is at least 15 years into his Supes career and has faced off with most of his most famous foes already. Yes, any of them can come back or be "rebooted" thanks to Crisis, but this also presents an opportunity to bring in some lesser known villains/arcs. OF COURSE I want to see Brainiac ASAP. That's a given. And Lex is a constant part of Superman's life. Would never expect any different here.

But what villains could be adapted to this show that would best-utilize this set of characters (eg, Supes' whole family) and unique setting? A few that first come to mind for me...

Ruin

From Greg Rucka's highly underrated Adventures of Superman run, Ruin was one of those villains who shows up on the scene and immediately knows EVERYTHING about our hero. He knows who he really is, who his loved ones are, knows all of his physical weaknesses (and wearing a suit that utilizes those weaknesses) and battle strategies. He gets at him through his family and friends. So the mystery of "Who IS Ruin?" played out for several issues, to the point that it was highly suspected at one time to be one of Clark's oldest friends (and then-President), Pete Ross, who'd fallen out with Clark in recent times.

But it turned out not to be Pete, after all. Dr. Emil Hamilton, who spent YEARS as one of Superman's closest allies, had been through the ringer at that point, due to his associations with Superman - he'd lost an arm. He got possessed by Brainiac-13, which left him mentally unstable. He fell in with a "cyber cult." And then after he got side-lined as Supes' go-to "science guy" by John Henry Irons, he dropped off the map for years. And upon his recent discovery that Superman and his fellow Kryptonians were draining the sun's radiation to the point of shaving billions of years off its life-span, he became Ruin, to preserve the Earth for future generations and prevent our friendship with Kryptonians from bringing ruin upon us as he feels it did him. This is a story that could only be done right with a Superman who's been around for years, which makes him a great candidate for this show, imo.


The Eradicator

Let's be real, at least one of Superman's sons in this show has got to get powers at some point, right? So anyone who knows Tomasi's Rebirth will recall the first arc in which the Eradicator - whose directive is preserve the "purity" of Krypton - shows up to take Superman's half-human, half-Kryptonian son, and "eradicate" the human half. This one's a no-brainer, imo. That arc was a ton of fun and had Clark eventually attempting to get his family to safety by getting them off the the planet - to Batman's moon base, where Lois went full mama bear wielding pieces of Batman's Apokolips armor to protect her kid. Who wouldn't want to see that?!


Manchester Black

No, I'm not looking for an adaptation of "What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way?" In my mind, that story probably happened in this continuity many years ago. Nah, instead, I want its spiritual sequel. Again from Tomasi's Rebirth, his "Black Dawn" storyline is an IDEAL concept for a long-term arc on this show, imo. Basically, following his defeat by Superman, Manchester Black traveled to other dimensions to regain his power and gathered up a group of other inter-dimensional outcasts he called the "Super-Elite." They then covertly infiltrated the small farm town Clark and his family were now calling home (Hamilton in the comics, Smallville here). Turns out, they were people Clark and Lois knew. Neighbors, co-workers, even the recently-elected mayor of their little town. Manchester's plan? To groom Superman's super son Jon into the type of "hero" he always thought Superman should've been, showing him everything "wrong" with the way Superman does things (including eventually making him believe Lois got gravely injured as a result of Supes' "half-measures"), slowly turning Jon against his father without him knowing it. Of course it culminates in a big battle with Manchester, Jon and the Super-Elite that's basically a battle for Jon's soul. I think that could be a great basis for a season-long arc on Superman & Lois. Bonus points if they give us the coda with cow!Manchester :

Anyone else have some others that would work well for a long-established Supes and his family?

 

[SupermanFan]

The Eradictator would be incredible, I really think he should have been the villain of Smallville S10.

The most obvious one for me is Brainiac, maybe they could even just get the guy from Krypton, surely they have that suit in storage somewhere.

 

[Herolee10]

Just to name a few that haven't been mentioned already.

CONDUIT

Given the character's backstory with Superman and this show's setting taking place in Smallville, I feel like he'd be one of the easiest to naturally adapt onto this show.


MONGUL

One of the few major villains from Superman's gallery that hasn't been adapted for live action as as of yet. If I'm not mistaken, Tyler's Superman had once mentioned traveling to Warworld in the Pre-Crisis timeline.


GOG

Although he's traditionally viewed as a villain to Kingdom Come Superman, I feel like the writers could easily find a way to adapt him with the established continuity for this show. Plus, I feel like you could create a great and suspenseful mystery by having him constantly rewinding time again to kill Superman in a "Edge of Tomorrow" scenario.

 

[flickchick85]

Just to name a few that haven't been mentioned already.

CONDUIT

Given the character's backstory with Superman and this show's setting taking place in Smallville, I feel like he'd be one of the easiest to naturally adapt onto this show.

He could be a nice nod/throwback to Smallville's "meteor freak" days, lol.

MONGUL

One of the few major villains from Superman's gallery that hasn't been adapted for live action as as of yet. If I'm not mistaken, Tyler's Superman had once mentioned traveling to Warworld in the Pre-Crisis timeline.

Yes, Pre-Crisis, Clark did mention he spent some time on Warworld. Said he learned some "moves" during his stay there. If Mongul's brought in here, I'd like to think they'll already have a history. Actually, now that I think about it, this show would be a GREAT opportunity to re-imagine "For the Man Who Has Everything" since Clark now HAS the family he basically dreamed about in that story. It would be interesting to see what his "dream life" would look like now, at this point in his life, imo.

 

[SupermanFan]

I’d love Mongul, I just wonder how they’d do him. Heavy makeup or CGI. He’d maybe be better off as a season arc villain who works BTS for most of the season then reveals himself for a big finale.

 

[flickchick85]

Yeah Mongul would be...difficult to pull off well in any kind of long-term capacity (that is, more than an episode) on a TV budget, I'd imagine. In my hypothetical dream Supes show, I did have a multi-episode arc that was basically a space adventure - "The Trial of Superman" storyline from the 90's combined with the Mongul/Warworld portion of "Exile" - but that dream show would have a proper HBO/blockbuster budget. On this show, I'd imagine Supes will have had his Warworld adventure in the past, so if Mongul shows up here, it would be for a relatively brief appearance in an attempt at revenge. If they don't want to do a new take on the classic Black Mercy story, they could borrow from Mongul's GL Corps history, where he got a hold of a Yellow Ring and used it on the Black Mercy planet to modify the Mercy plants to trap people in their greatest fears instead of their greatest desires and then sent the seeds out to planets all over the galaxy. Or maybe he wants to force Superman to help him get Warworld back from Brainiac. I think that was a thing once, too.

I dunno, I think if they're gonna do an intergalactic conqueror pulling the strings BTS for a season long arc, Darkseid makes a little more sense than Mongul. He's got more minions, more omens/harbingers, and manipulative powers to work with to build an arc like that. Or, of course, Brainiac, who has all sorts of methods for a "stealth invasion" before the main event.

 

[SupermanFan]

Yeah Mongul would be...difficult to pull off well in any kind of long-term capacity (that is, more than an episode) on a TV budget, I'd imagine. In my hypothetical dream Supes show, I did have a multi-episode arc that was basically a space adventure - "The Trial of Superman" storyline from the 90's combined with the Mongul/Warworld portion of "Exile" - but that dream show would have a proper HBO/blockbuster budget. On this show, I'd imagine Supes will have had his Warworld adventure in the past, so if Mongul shows up here, it would be for a relatively brief appearance in an attempt at revenge. If they don't want to do a new take on the classic Black Mercy story, they could borrow from Mongul's GL Corps history, where he got a hold of a Yellow Ring and used it on the Black Mercy planet to modify the Mercy plants to trap people in their greatest fears instead of their greatest desires and then sent the seeds out to planets all over the galaxy. Or maybe he wants to force Superman to help him get Warworld back from Brainiac. I think that was a thing once, too.

I dunno, I think if they're gonna do an intergalactic conqueror pulling the strings BTS for a season long arc, Darkseid makes a little more sense than Mongul. He's got more minions, more omens/harbingers, and manipulative powers to work with to build an arc like that. Or, of course, Brainiac, who has all sorts of methods for a "stealth invasion" before the main event.

Yeha that would be expensive haha although maybe they can still attempt a version of it.

Yeah good point on the Invaders, guess it depends on what stories they’re looking to adapt.

Makes me think if they’re connecting everything via the multiverse could there be potential for the movies to share CGI renderings & costumes (with tweaks) with the TV shows? It would be a way to get around certain things budget wise.

 

[LifesEnd]

get the versions of Brainiac and Zod from Krypton.Combine Krypton Doomsday with Smallville idea too.

Would love a mini arc like 3 episodes on Warworld later down the line tbh.

Manchester black and The Elite. Bring back David Ajala but give him better writing.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Mongul could be done if they thought it through...hire the guy who played The Mountain on GoT

And paint him up

 

[ChrisLyne]

Not in the first season or so but if the show gets a longer run I'd like to see them tackle Truth at some point. I don't want a direct adaptation of the surrounding arcs, but the actual issue of the secret reveal was one of Bendis' best and the idea could really open up a lot of possibilities for a series to explore it more than the comics really did.

 

[LifesEnd]

Not in the first season or so but if the show gets a longer run I'd like to see them tackle Truth at some point. I don't want a direct adaptation of the surrounding arcs, but the actual issue of the secret reveal was one of Bendis' best and the idea could really open up a lot of possibilities for a series to explore it more than the comics really did.

best thing about adapting such a story is that unlike comics its more likely to stick.

 

[SupermanFan]

Hell no, I don’t think Superman should ever reveal his secret ID. Superman Neverending Battle showed why he never should and also Clark had a great line in Elseworld’s when he spoke to Kara about his important their secret identities are and how they protect the ones they love.

 

[Herolee10]

It's still funny to think that in this new Post-Crisis timeline, Tyler's Superman has technically never had conflict with Cryer's Lex.

 

[vantheman77]

I would like to see adapt Future State and the House of Kent from Action Comics.

 

[SupermanFan]

It's still funny to think that in this new Post-Crisis timeline, Tyler's Superman has technically never had conflict with Cryer's Lex.

We could still get that, that’s the only crossover from Supergirl I think is likely

 

[Gu3ree]

I don't know about Brainiac. Many different versions. Don't like any version better than James Marsters though. But a standardized villain with only a goal of collecting knowledge is boring. I like James Marsters' performance because he wasn't just a machine, he had a hatred for humans and he was evil.

Evil Superman...like Ultraman played by Tyler Hoechiln. I just can't picture Bizarro happening.

I have to admit, Jon Cryer was the second to last person I ever expected to play Lex Luthor (after Eisenberg) but I have to admit, he part was well-written, but this version of Luthor was like a combination of Hackman and CEO Luthor. Evil and insane. His performance was enjoyable but over-the-top at the same time. Sometimes downright laughable. You could see the performance, which was the issue for me. Other versions of Luthor show that Luthor has at least a little bit of good in him, or he has some humanity, but he isn't just completely evil for the sake of being evil. But Cryer' portrayal is just flat-out evil with no empathy at all. It just feels a bit silly. I liked Cryer's performance to a certain extent, but his version seemed a little too extreme. Cold, heartless. I'd be open to seeing Cryer return as Lex though.

I can't think of any villains we haven't already seen before, but may Zod would be cool. I do miss the more menacing and evil Zod with the British accent, and his classic catchphrase. Albeit a more grounded version of his performance would be better.

One villain that hasn't been done in live action though--Mongul. Would they use CGI motion capture? I'd hope so as they seemingly have a big budget. The Flash used motion capture for Grodd.

I wouldn't mind seeing Mr. Mxyzptlk...showcasing him bothering Superman and creating illusions...oh wait...they did that on Supergirl didn't they? Sigh. I don't know then.

Oh...wonder if they could ever get to Darkseid at some point? I guess we need to see some new villains. Crazy idea but...what if they used the Joker?

 

[SupermanFan]

The best version of Brainiac imo was on Krypton, that was a literal perfect adaptation from the comics. Superman vs Brainiac need to happens either in this show or on the big screen. It’s Long overdue.

 

[flickchick85]

Ok time to throw some female villains in the ring. Supes can't just fight dudes, lol. First candidates that come to mind for me:

Ursa

Now, in pre-Crisis Arrowverse continuity, it was already established that Zod was dead. Of course they could change that in this one, but I say, why not leave him dead? We've seen enough Zod to last 2 lifetimes. Going with Ursa instead gives them an opportunity to do a variation of Geoff Johns' Last Son story that's potentially far more interesting with Zod's surviving wife and child. Clark and Lois encounter a kid escaped from the Phantom Zone, turns out to be Zod's son. They give the kid a sense of normalcy and family and a different worldview he never had. Then Mama Bear comes looking for him. And you can draw a parallel storyline with Lois, put her in some position forcing her to choose between her duty/crusade and what's best for her kid. Ursa can be in the same position - choosing to continue her mission and honor her fallen husband's legacy, or choosing what's best for her son. Of course the two mothers would eventually choose different paths, likely resulting in tragedy. Or not. But I think there's potential for a good story to be told there, and potential for Ursa to be more than just Zod's right hand woman for once. And if you still wanna see Zod, he could still be used in flashbacks.


Maxima

Warrior queen of the planet Almerac, wants to make Kal-El her mate, y'all know her deal. Yes, Supergirl had her cameo at the end of S1, but even that show acts like their S1 didn't exist, so...I'm sure S&L can do better by Maxima here.


Lashina

Leader of the Female Furies after Big Barda left. If they DO attempt some sort of Apokolips story (and there is one from the comics they could do without necessarily doing Darkseid - Rebirth's "Imperious Lex"), she is a must.


The Insect Queen

There have been several versions of this villain throughout the years, but the one I'm thinking of was an alien queen looking to expand her "hive" to Earth. She first infected Lana Lang, then cloned her DNA and "became" her so we had an evil Lana for a bit. Since Lana's a regular on this show, this could give her something fun to do for a while.


Lady Blaze

I'm not big into the supernatural villains tbh, but Supes does have a particular weakness to magic, so a villain like this is probably inevitable. She steals souls, and Supes has to literally fight for those souls...and she created another prominent female villain in Silver Banshee, so there's that. Also she has an alter-ego that runs a nightclub, so she could be a multi-episode presence.

 

[LifesEnd]

I was hoping one of the sons could be Chris Kent not likely now. But yea Zod family is a show in because the kids need antagonists too. Hopefully they copy Krypton effects for brainiac or bring him over full on.

Despite me not liking Man of Steel..Faora/ursa would be really cool. Im wondering exactly how multiverse/cosmic this show will get.Budget is still a concern at the end of the day tbf. But Granny Goodness and Desaad. Do something similar to Young Justice to tie into Journalism/investigation aspect.

 

[SV Fan]

The Prankster

 

[Frodo]

Ok time to throw some female villains in the ring. Supes can't just fight dudes, lol. First candidates that come to mind for me:

Ursa

Now, in pre-Crisis Arrowverse continuity, it was already established that Zod was dead. Of course they could change that in this one, but I say, why not leave him dead? We've seen enough Zod to last 2 lifetimes. Going with Ursa instead gives them an opportunity to do a variation of Geoff Johns' Last Son story that's potentially far more interesting with Zod's surviving wife and child. Clark and Lois encounter a kid escaped from the Phantom Zone, turns out to be Zod's son. They give the kid a sense of normalcy and family and a different worldview he never had. Then Mama Bear comes looking for him. And you can draw a parallel storyline with Lois, put her in some position forcing her to choose between her duty/crusade and what's best for her kid. Ursa can be in the same position - choosing to continue her mission and honor her fallen husband's legacy, or choosing what's best for her son. Of course the two mothers would eventually choose different paths, likely resulting in tragedy. Or not. But I think there's potential for a good story to be told there, and potential for Ursa to be more than just Zod's right hand woman for once. And if you still wanna see Zod, he could still be used in flashbacks.


Maxima

Warrior queen of the planet Almerac, wants to make Kal-El her mate, y'all know her deal. Yes, Supergirl had her cameo at the end of S1, but even that show acts like their S1 didn't exist, so...I'm sure S&L can do better by Maxima here.


Lashina

Leader of the Female Furies after Big Barda left. If they DO attempt some sort of Apokolips story (and there is one from the comics they could do without necessarily doing Darkseid - Rebirth's "Imperious Lex"), she is a must.


The Insect Queen

There have been several versions of this villain throughout the years, but the one I'm thinking of was an alien queen looking to expand her "hive" to Earth. She first infected Lana Lang, then cloned her DNA and "became" her so we had an evil Lana for a bit. Since Lana's a regular on this show, this could give her something fun to do for a while.


Lady Blaze

I'm not big into the supernatural villains tbh, but Supes does have a particular weakness to magic, so a villain like this is probably inevitable. She steals souls, and Supes has to literally fight for those souls...and she created another prominent female villain in Silver Banshee, so there's that. Also she has an alter-ego that runs a nightclub, so she could be a multi-episode presence.

I would definitely like to see more of Superman's female rogue gallery not just on tv but in the films as well. I'd love to see a film in which the female villain is the lead villain for a change instead of just Lex Luthor practically all the time.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Would love to see the Eradicator, but only if they do his whole redemption arc from Death of Superman. I wouldn’t want to see him as a one-off villain because I grew attached to that character during the whole Reign of the Superman series. Steel was okay, Cyborg was a decent villain and Superboy was annoying as hell but the Eradicator was the s***.

 

[SupermanFan]

I would love the Eradicator, I’d especially love it if they made him look like he did in the Death & Return arc. The animated film adapted him perfectly

 

[flickchick85]

I kinda dig the all-black look for the Eradicator, tbh. I mean, if they're not looking to have him be an impostor Superman, obviously.

Looks more alien and menacing, imo.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Either design is rad but he better have the “S.” I hated that crappy look they gave him after the Reign arc where he just had the blue and black suit and his face looked like it had been run over by a car, lol.