10 Comics Superman Haters MUST Read
5. For The Man Who Has Everything
When Batman, Robin, and Wonder Woman arrive at The Fortress of Solitude for Superman's birthday, they find him attached to a strange alien plant placed on him by the villain Mongul. The plant, known as Black Mercy, traps its victim in a dreamlike state where they experience their most desired fantasy.
In his Matrix-esque dream-world, Krypton never exploded and Superman is now Kal-El. He gets married, has a kid, and lives a relatively normal life. By all accounts, it's paradise. Though nothing gold can stay, and soon things take a turn for the worst.
Jor-El, Superman's father, the one who came up with the doomsday theory, is shunned by the people of Krypton for being an insane crackpot. This social rejection causes him to form a Kryptonian nationalist movement with the goal of returning the planet back to days of old. Seeing the tragic results of his dad's hateful fear campaign is enough to break Supes from Black Mercy's spell, sending him into a vengeful fury.
Through putting Superman in such a personal, agonizing situation Moore and artist Dave Gibbons dismantle the myth that there is little more going on with the character underneath his muscles and a do-good attitude.