10 Comics Superman Haters MUST Read

10. The Spectre: Wrath Of God

This isn’t even much a Superman story, but his appearance towards the end sells it as a prime example of what makes him great.

In The Spectre: Wrath of God, Superman (rocking a sweet mullet) must take down the godlike supernatural entity known as The Spectre. To do so, he is given the Spear of Destiny, the only weapon capable of harming him. Though while the weapon can defeat The Spectre, it comes at a price. The longer one wields it, the more they become corrupted, turning them into a power hungry monster.

Superman is all but consumed by the influence of the spear by the time he confronts The Spectre. It then appears that he kills the entity and goes on a bloody rampage across the world. However, this is revealed to be nothing more than a vision given to him by the entity. He mercifully provides Superman the choice between becoming the ultimate power or dropping the spear.

His whole purpose in the narrative is to provide a catalyst for furthering The Spectre's character arc. He shows him that while absolute power may corrupt absolutely, it doesn't have to. Take note, because this theme will get some expanding on later.