10 Messed Up Superman Storylines You Won't Believe Exist

Much of the character Superman is today is based upon his upbringing on Earth. The wholesome guidance of Ma and Pa Kent served young Clark well, and still very clearly influences his moral approach to being a superhero to this day.

This is exactly what makes Superman: The Dark Side so interesting, as it explores a universe in which the rocket ship that dropped Clark off on Earth instead landed on Apocalips, the home of Darkseid.

As you'd expect, Supes ends up notably less heroic in this series, as he's raised personally by the Dark God himself, taught to be totally merciless and entirely brutal. Though the Man of Steel manages to revert to his heroic ways by the end of the series, it's after he's single-handedly destroyed the planet of New Genesis - so it's too little too late for that world's entire population.