10 Most Inappropriate Superman Storylines

10. Superman Spanked

World’s Finest #201 is one of those Silver Age stories that started out with a simple enough premise but somewhere along the line, it takes a hard turn into the strange. And the fact that it was written by the astonishingly talented Denny O’Neil proves that even legends can have an off day. The story starred Superman and Green Lantern, with a guest appearance by Doctor Fate.

Clark and Hal got into an argument on how to save a plane. One of the Guardians of the Universe appeared and suggested that the pair settle their argument on a more cosmic scale. Soliciting the help of Doctor Fate, the first to reach an enchanted purple dragon wins. However, the pair must face their greatest fear. For Kal-El, that is the disapproval of his father, Jor-El.

The psychological angst is a powerful story point but the sight of a grown Superman being spanked by his gigantic father, wailing and screaming “Punish me, Daddy! I deserve it!” is extremely unsettling. And then to turn on a dime and realize that it is all an illusion and that Fate is a disguised Felix Faust not only bends credibility but breaks a few of its bones.