Why Did Superman Kill Shazam? Explained
Two of the strongest powerhouses in DC’s Justice League are Superman and Shazam, who are equal in their strength and powers. While we know that Superman has always been the more iconic hero of the two, we also know that he doesn’t stoop so low as to kill any person, no matter the circumstance. But we also know that Superman has also killed Shazam on one occasion. So, why did Superman kill Shazam?
Superman killed Shazam because the latter opposed his plan of destroying Gotham City to set an example to Batman and the other heroes that fought him in the Injustice storyline. When Superman got tired of Shazam’s opposition, he swiftly killed him by freezing his mouth and using heat vision.
While we know that Shazam is a powerful hero who can stand up to Superman, we also know that the Injustice version of Superman is an unhinged person who no longer cares about morals. That was why it was so easy for him to kill Shazam, who we know is usually capable of taking on the Man of Steel but was no match for him in that instance.
Did Superman Kill Shazam?
There are many iconic heroes in the world of DC, but we know that these heroes are not going to stoop down to the level of a villain by killing. No matter how evil a person may be, these heroes are likely to find a way to stop a villain without killing them. And Superman is one of those characters, as he has always been someone who would never kill anyone, no matter the circumstances.
However, things changed in the Injustice storyline, where Superman became an entirely different person due to a traumatic incident. Injustice is a video game with a comic book version, and it takes place in an alternate world that’s not so different from the mainline DC universe.
But in this universe, the Joker found a way to trick Superman into killing Lois Lane as he used Scarecrow’s fear toxin to make him kill his wife, who was pregnant then. Lois Lane’s death also led to Metropolis’s destruction as her heart had a detonator to a nuclear weapon. In that regard, Superman lost the love of his life and his city in one quick instance.
This led him to kill the Joker, and he went on to become a tyrant who ruled the entire world with an iron fist to prevent any similar instance from happening to anyone. However, while he had intentions that were somewhat good, he used evil and immoral means as he did not care about who he had to kill to make sure the world was at peace. And he had help from the other members of the Justice League as well, as Shazam was one of the heroes that went on to join Superman’s reign of terror.
Of course, Bruce Wayne and a few other heroes and villains opposed Superman’s tyrannical rule in the Injustice comics and games. Batman was one of the few people who tried his best to keep Superman in line but couldn’t do so without the help of Superman from the mainline DC universe.
But because Batman was getting on the nerves of the evil and corrupt Superman, the Man of Steel had no choice but to set an example to the rest of the world. He decided to destroy the entire city of Gotham, just like how the Joker destroyed Metropolis, to keep Batman in line and make him feel what he felt when he lost Metropolis. While killing villains was something the other heroes did not care about, destroying an entire city was already too low for the other heroes.
Of course, as mentioned, Shazam was one of the heroes that joined Superman’s rule. But the thing is that, while he was one of the strongest characters that joined Superman’s reign of terror, he also had a legitimate chance of opposing the Man of Steel. This eventually led to his death in the Injustice game and comics.
Why Did Superman Kill Shazam?
As mentioned, a corrupt Superman had become so unhinged that he was willing to destroy Gotham to set an example to the rest of the world. That was when Shazam spoke his mind to oppose Superman’s plans, as he believed that killing innocent people to keep Batman and the rest of the world in line was no longer something they needed to do to keep the peace.
Superman, of course, didn’t want any of his men to question his motives and actions. He tried to talk Shazam into shutting up. But when Billy Batson did not stop talking, Superman got annoyed.
The Man of Steel suddenly grabbed Shazam by the neck. Usually, Shazam would have been able to oppose Superman because he is just as strong and has magic on his side. And Superman knows that Shazam’s magic can hurt him.
That was when Superman promptly froze Shazam’s mouth using his breath so that the human lightning bolt could not utter “Shazam” to use his magical thunderbolt against him. After that, Superman used his heat vision to slowly and steadily burn through Shazam’s face until Billy Batson died.
Even though Shazam did indeed die in Injustice, he did so with the pride of a true hero as he was one of the characters that finally saw the error in Superman’s ways. Shazam’s death also prompted some of the other heroes to realize that Superman’s methods were downright brutal and evil, leading to the eventual downfall of the oppressive Man of Steel in the Injustice storyline.
