DC’s Nazi Superman Just Got a Shocking New Origin

Warning: spoilers ahead for Justice League Infinity #2!

In Justice League Infinity #2, DC’s Nazi Superman just got a brand new origin. As was just proved by the recent Crime Syndicate series, even in those alternate universes where DC’s heroes instead became terrifying villains, there’s still a story behind what turned them rotten. This is the case with Overman – a version of Superman who became a fascist enforcer.

In Justice League Infinity #2, Overman finds himself mysteriously transported to the Earth of the animated Justice League. Lois Lane is shocked to see this evil version of her husband suddenly appear out of nowhere, pulling a Kryptonite gun that Clark gave her in case he ever went bad. Despite Lois’ attack, Overman hesitates to kill her, suggesting some kind of prior relationship in his reality. Fans have met Overman before, even in the DCAU, but not this version. The character’s core concept is that he’s a version of Superman whose rocket landed in Nazi Germany rather than rural Kansas, but as Justice League Infinity #2 shows, there are many ways for this scenario to play out.

In Justice League Infinity #2 by J.M. DeMatteis, James Tucker, and Ethen Beavers, Overman’s origin is revealed. This happens as Overman fights the Justice League. But the fighting is halted as Martian Manhunter jumps into Overman’s mind, where he sees exactly how Overman became who he is today. Just like Superman, he was sent to Earth from Krypton. But when he landed, the Earth was in terrible shape as they were in the midst of a fascist regime resided over by immortal villain Vandal Savage, who set about raising Kal-El as his personal enforcer.

It’s clear that Vandal Savage saw an opportunity to raise a killing machine when he discovered Overman’s rocket. He was raised as a servant of his adoptive father, carrying out any deed he wished. Naturally, with Overman’s incredible power set, Savage used him to cement his hold over society. And if anyone fought against his regime, they died. Where previous versions of Overman have seen him raised under the Nazi regime, Justice League Infinity #2 adds the specific detail of Savage acting as his father, moving his origin a little further away from real-world figures while keeping iconography that makes it clear these aren’t just generic bad guys. Overman is often depicted as ultimately at odds with how he’s been raised, feeling incredible guilt, and this is echoed in Justice League Infinity #2, which focuses his regret on a relationship with freedom fighter Lois Lane.

Lois was hanged by Overman when her affiliations were discovered, and he was subsequently consumed by grief. Savage’s scientists somehow buried this love in the very depths of Overman’s psyche, so that he could be valuable once more. Overman has long acted as an examination of nature versus nurture, and how even Superman might be different if raised by people far lesser than the Kents, but Justice League Infinity #2 changes this in some crucial ways. The issue emphasizes the very specific ways in which Overman was shaped by one villain’s hand, and makes his break from Savage’s rhetoric one that speaks to individual love rather than a rejection of fascism.

The issue treats Overman’s new origin as the backstory of a “broken man” rather than an indictment of Nazi values, which end up obscured by the individual evil of Vandal Savage. It’s a change that softens Overman somewhat while holding true to Justice League Infinity‘s theme of radical compassion, as exemplified in the Martian Manhunter, who regrets his psychic attack almost instantly. Where the series takes this Nazi Superman next will be fascinating to see, especially in how it continues to depict the world of his origin – one in which the heroic Kal-El is now trapped.

About The Author

Ben Rolph
(344 Articles Published)

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Ben Rolph is a Comics features writer for Screen Rant. Based out of London, United Kingdom, Ben owns and runs an Arrowverse YouTube channel called ‘TheDCTVshow’, as well as being a film critic at DiscussingFilm. He is also a Tomatometer-approved critic and studies film at the University of Westminster.

Ben has a passion for the Arrowverse shows, especially The Flash and Supergirl, which he has watched and analysed for years.

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