Top 20 Times Superman Went Beast Mode
#20: Stopping President Luthor
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“Superman/Batman: Public Enemies” (2009) While the evil genius isn’t usually a physical match for the man of steel, the antagonist was able to even the odds with the help of kryptonite and a powerful suit. Lex initially overwhelms Superman in a direct fight. But when the villain’s plans seemingly lead to Batman’s demise, the rage filled Kryptonian lashes out. Superman completely disregards Kryptonite enhanced lasers so he can break Luthor’s suit. When the villain was at a vulnerable position, Superman gave his foe an express ticket to the ground and disabled the suit. None of Lex’s considerable brainpower could save him from the hero’s beast mode beatdown.
#19: Wrecking One Final Robot
“My Adventures with Superman” (2023-) Before Clark started saving everyone as a world famous hero, he was just another Daily Planet intern that wanted to be normal. When his coworkers Lois and Jimmy get targeted by a big robot during an investigation, the Kryptonian leaned into his super heritage to save them. Clark got off to a great start by dispatching a mechanical monstrosity with strength and smarts. Unfortunately, he got hurt when multiple robots were sent after him at once. Once Clark saw Lois was in grave danger, he pushed past his wounds and limits and reached an entirely new level of power. His final punch even sent the robot towards the stratosphere! This victory served as an early sign that this version of Clark was a powerhouse.
#18: Lifting An Island
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“Superman Returns” (2006) A twisted scheme from Lex Luthor resulted in the creation of a huge island that was made out of constantly growing crystals and kryptonite. In order to stop the landmass from permanently damaging the earth, Superman decided to pick it up and put it down in space. The fact that he was able to lift something island-sized is impressive on its own. But what makes this feat more impressive is the knowledge that his greatest weakness was expanding within the andmass too. Although Superman should’ve been too weak to even think about lifting, he defied expectations and didn't stop until the terrible island had been sent into the vacuum of space. His unbreakable willpower showed everyone why he was nicknamed the man of steel.
#17: Beating Bizarro
“Superman & Lois” (2021-) During this superhero series, we’re introduced to a Bizarro man of steel that has all the strengths of Superman with slightly different powers and weaknesses. He inevitably found himself trading blows with a traditional version of the Krytponian. The classic Superman punched Bizzarro through buildings and unleashed tons of abilities. When powers alone didn’t do the trick, the good Clark took advantage of his enemy’s weakness to a substance called X-kryptonite. Superman decided to hold two of the crystals in his hand and to not stop punching until Bizarro was unconscious. Clark’s vicious tactics kept his enemy from committing more acts of violence.
#16: Crushing Captain Marvel [AKA Shazam]
“Justice League: Unlimited” (2004-06) After Lex Luthor built a mysterious device underneath a city, Superman was unwilling to let it operate freely. But when the Kryptonian tried to stop it, Captain Marvel defended the villain’s invention. It didn’t take long before a verbal disagreement turned into an all out brawl between the godlike heroes. Although Captain Marvel’s combination of formidable strength and magical powers was a problem, Superman kept overwhelming his foe at every turn. The fight led to the savage moment where the man of steel forced Shazam to get hit by magical lightning. We understand exactly why Captain Marvel resigned from the Justice League after this brutal clash.
#15: Reversing The Earth’s Rotation
“Superman” (1978) There was a moment where it appeared that Christopher Reeves’ Superman had lost Lois Lane due to a tragic accident. After holding her in his arms, the man of steel realized that he couldn’t accept her death. Overcome with emotion, Superman flew into space and moved so fast that he reversed the rotation of the earth. His beast mode actions broke the natural laws of physics and allowed him to reverse time. Once Superman went back far enough, he casually started moving forward in time and returned to find that Lois was alive again. Although the science of how any of that worked was questionable, his speedy time travel made for an undeniably iconic sequence.
#14: Making Mongul Pay
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“Justice League: Unlimited” (2004-06) The villainous Mongul thought he could trap Superman in a fantasy world and get away with it. But as soon as the hero was freed from the villain’s trap, the extremely angry Clark flew to get revenge. Superman mercilessly smacked Mongul around with truly vicious hits. The hero also inflicted pain with his heat vision. At one point, Superman pummeled Mongul so hard that the villain’s face was literally bent out of shape. Clark’s friends eventually stepped in and trapped the antagonist in a twisted fantasy. But if Superman’s battle had continued, he might not have shown Mongul any mercy.
#13: An Unjust Superman Stops Holding Back
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“Injustice” (2021) Once it becomes clear a murderous variant of Superman won’t stop killing, a good version of the man of steel is brought from another dimension. After words fail to reach the corrupt Kryptonian, the two trade blows and lasers. The good Clark gets the upper hand at first. But when the twisted Superman gets backed into a corner, he stops holding back. The unjust Kryptonian tosses his opponent around the world. Not only does this twisted Superman uppercut his opponent into space, but he also smacks the good Clark’s down into the Earth. It takes a surprise visit from a variant of Lois Lane to calm this corrupted hero down. We’re honestly unsure if the good Superman could’ve stopped his relentless and unjust counterpart.
#12: Stomping Out Steppenwolf
“Zack Snyder's Justice League” (2021) From the moment Superman arrived to confront Steppenwolf, it was abundantly clear who would come out on top. Although the villain had killed Amazons and Atlanteans with his axe, the weapon was an utter joke to the man of steel. Superman continued to embarrass Steppenwolf by outspeeding and overpowering the antagonist with virtually no effort. And to add insult to injury, Superman deliberately lasers off one of the villain’s horns. We almost felt bad that Steppenwolf ended up on the wrong side of this absolute slaughter. But he should’ve known better to mess with earth when this incredible Superman was around.
#11: Thrashing Darkseid
“Justice League Dark: Apokolips War” (2020) In this grim tale, Darkseid rendered Superman powerless before dumping the hero on a dying Earth. When the man of steel got his abilities back, he harnessed all his pent up rage to deliver a harsh beating. Superman unleashed a flurry of devastating blows and even punched Darkseid while the villain wad down. When the antagonist tried to use his famous Omega beams, Clark attempted to perform some impromptu eye surgery to stop the villain. Superman’s righteous rampage was only interrupted when the sinister Trigon tagged himself into the battle. Darkseid was lucky that a fellow villain spared him from Superman’s immeasurable wrath.
#10: Supercharging Himself With Solar Power
“Superman & Lois” (2021-) Ally Alston aimed to become all powerful by merging two worlds together. To make matters worse, she drained Superman of all his powers. With two earths hanging in the balance, Clark volunteered to be thrown into the sun to get his abilities back. Superman withstands the power of the star and emerges more formidable than he ever was before. He’s so mighty that he actually encourages Ally to try and absorb the immense power he held within his body. After it becomes too much for her to handle, he defeats two versions of the villain and captures them. For his victory lap, Clark flies around two earths and unleashes the solar energy within him. The supercharged Superman’s actions shone brighter than the sun itself.
#9: Killing Brainiac
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“Smallville” (2001-11) When you’re a teenager, it can be tough to manage your emotions. But add to that superpowers and a psychotic supervillain, and you’ve got a recipe for some serious mayhem. As Brainiac is cornered by teenage Superman, the maniac teases him, knowing that whatever he does, he’ll have the last laugh. In a fit of rage, Clark sends him flying into an electrical grid. He then shoves cables through his chest, frying the villain from the inside out. He didn’t just want to finish Brainiac, he wanted him to suffer.
#8: Cranky Superman
“Batman: The Brave and the Bold” (2008-11) Kryptonite can’t only remove the Man of Steel’s powers. With a color change, this material can wreak arguably worse havoc. During “Battle of the Super-Heroes!”, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen are tricked by Lex Luthor into exposing Superman to Red Kryptonite. This drastically changes his personality to that of a sadistic, heartless, grade-A meanie. He tries to kill Toyman, disowns Krypto the Superdog, and becomes the self-proclaimed King of Metropolis. He completely disregards and actively seeks to kill his friends, but Batman manages to stop him before he can do too much damage.
#7: Superman Awakens
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“Zack Snyder's Justice League” (2021) In perhaps the most anticipated moment in the Justice League movie, Aquaman, Wonderwoman, Flash, Cyborg and Batman all join forces to resurrect a dead Kal-El to prepare for SteppenWolf’s invasion. But as he wakes up, he’s got a little more than the morning krankies. Completely turning against his allies, Superman pummels everyone in the team, dropping them one by one, completely outmatching their abilities. With Batman being the last left standing, Sups drops him down to size with some devastating heat vision which not even the Bat’s gauntlet can fully absorb. It’s only when Lois Lane arrives that he’s able to snap out of his raging state. Otherwise, things might have gotten a bit out of hand.
#6: Clark Kent vs. Evil Superman
“Superman III” (1983) Superman breaks bad AGAIN! After being exposed to synthetic Kryptonite, Superman gets drunk and starts wreaking havoc. When the good-natured Clark Kent splits from him, things start to get serious. The two duke it out, dealing savage superpowered blows to each other. What’s particularly notable about this moment is that while we expect Evil Superman to get savage, his good side doesn’t hold back either, tossing his dark counterpart into a pool of acid! Eventually, Kent gets the upper hand and chokes out his other self, allowing the two to fuse and become whole again.
#5: Superman Takes Down Doomsday
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“Death of Superman” (2018) Every time the blue boy scout takes one of the universe’s deadliest aliens, we know we’re in for an awesome scene. Seeing Supe pick up a kryptonite spear and beat Doomsday after being impaled was pretty fantastic. (*xref) However, Clark gets an even more impressive moment in the animated movie. After Doomsday defeats all of the Justice League, Superman becomes Earth's last stand against the beastly Doomsday. The Kryptonian eventually gives everything in his body to attack the villain one last time. Superman’s final blow breaks his foe’s neck instantly. Although Clark doesn’t survive the battle, he won the war against Doomsday in an absolutely beastly way.
#4: Killing General Zod
“Man of Steel” (2013) Many stories about this invincible hero tend to be more about moral choices than overcoming the odds. As a result, going beast mode in this entry didn’t mean losing his temper, but breaking the one rule that separates him from his enemies. Kal-El gets General Zod in a headlock, but Zod is about to kill a trapped family and Superman faces a difficult decision. In a move that proved controversial, Superman crosses a line that he never thought he would. He gives in and savagely breaks his fellow Kryptonian’s neck, leaving him lifeless on the floor. Superman may have saved lives, but he had to dig into a dark place to do it.
#3: Superman Overwhelms the Kryptonians
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“Superman II” (1980) Christopher Reeve’s portrayal of the hero was more optimistic and less edgy than more recent interpretations. This is why Superman taking down his enemies when they’re helpless seems so darkly out of character. After cornering him in the Fortress of Solitude, Zod orders Superman into a crystal chamber, hoping to expose him to Red Sunlight and remove his powers. However, Superman planned for this. He reversed the process, exposing his enemies while keeping himself safe, leaving them entirely powerless. He crushes Zod’s hand with an iron grip and sends him falling into an endless pit, his posse joining him shortly after. Afterward, Kent can’t help but smirk as it all came together.
#2: Superman vs. Darkseid
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“Justice League Unlimited” (2004-06) Since Superman is so powerful, it can be hard to know if he’s using his full capabilities. That wasn’t in question during the acclaimed animated series “Justice League Unlimited” when Kal-El comes face to face with the Lord of Apokolips. Lecturing him about how delicate his world is, the Dark God starts to realize what he’s gotten himself into as our red and blue protector sends shockwaves across the city. Here we as the audience get a glimpse of what a pissed-off Superman looks like!
#1: Superman Loses It
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“Superman vs. The Elite” (2012) Ever wonder what would happen if Superman lost it? Enter Manchester Black and his team: The Elite. This superhuman gang thinks that killing is the best way to deliver justice and keep the peace. Our boy-scout disagrees and the two come to blows. Superman is sent into a seizure by Black’s psychic abilities and then blasted into oblivion… Or so it seems. He takes out the team one by one, declaring that killing IS the answer after all. He even burns out part of Black’s brain. Fortunately, it was all a trick to isolate and remove their powers. Well, except Black’s lobotomy; that was real. And now we know that if Superman gave in to his darker instincts, no one would stand a chance.
