Warning: contains spoilers forThe Question: All Along the Watchtower#2!
DC is wasting one ofSuperman’sbest villains–and it is time for them to take him more seriously. The Man of Steel’s rogues gallery runs deep, but seemingly only a small handful of villains get the spotlight: Lex Luthor, Metallo, Parasite, etc. This leaves a number of also deserving villains wanting, and inThe Question: All Along the Watchtower#2, one of them makes the case for more time in the spotlight.
The Eradicator first appeared, as a probe, in 1989’sAction Comics Annual#2.
The Question: All Along the Watchtower#2 is written by Alex Segura and drawn by Cian Tormey.As the Question investigates a murder mystery aboard the Justice League’s new Watchtower, the Eradicator attacks.Thought dead by the rest of the DC Universe, the Eradicator reveals he was brought back to life by a “benefactor” who has sent him to steal Malvolio’s Ring. After stealing it and dispatching the Bulleteer, Batwoman and the Question engage the Eradicator. The Eradicator nearly defeats them, but Blue Beetle and a recovering (and angry) Bulleteer intervene, using a Kryptonite ring against him.
Who is the Eradicator? Superman’s Kryptonian Nemesis, Explained
The Eradicator Was One of Superman’s Last Links to Krypton
The Eradicator has one purpose: to protect the people of Krypton by any means necessary.
While the Eradicator was not operating at 100 percent in this issue, it was still nevertheless an excellent display of his powers and cold, calculating nature. The character has had a few different incarnations, ranging from a genocidal space probe to Superman’s replacement. The Eradicator has one purpose: to protect the people of Krypton by any means necessary. Superman first encountered the Eradicator while on an exile in space. Seeing the Eradicator as a direct link to his home world, Superman brought it to Earth. In the end, this would prove to be both a mistake and a blessing.
Superman would fight a humanoid Eradicator in 1991’sSuperman: The Man of Steel#1.
After its arrival on Earth, the Eradicator begins making moves to restore Kryptonian society. He took over Superman’s mind, reorienting Clark into an emotionless and cold individual. Superman, under the Eradicator’s control, would shun his normal, iconic outfit, instead wearing traditional Kryptonian garb. The Eradicator caused Superman to drift further from his human friends, ultimately forgetting himself. Superman was able to reassert his identity, and threw the Eradicator into the sun. The Eradicator was not dead, however, and would return to fight Superman one more time, this instanceperishing at the Fortress of Solitude.
The Eradicator Helped Bring Superman Back from the Dead
Since Superman’s Return, He and the Eradicator Have Shared a Very Tense Relationship
While these fights would already guarantee the Eradicator’s place in Superman’s mythos, it would be what he did after Clark died that endeared him to fans.Reconstituting himself at the Fortress shortly after Superman’s death, the Eradicator travels to Metropolis, stealing Superman’s dead body. Taking it back to the Fortress, the Eradicator began the process of bringing the Last Son of Krypton back to life. While Kal-El healed, the Eradicator took his place as Metropolis’ champion, right as three others descended on the city, each laying a claim to Superman’s mantle. The Eradicator dispensed cold, Kryptonian justice to criminals.
After the real Superman returned to full power, he and the Eradicator shared a tense relationship.The Man of Steel was forced to acknowledge that one of his most powerful foes actually played a role in saving him. Yet the Eradicator was too dangerous and too much of a loose cannon to be left roaming, putting Superman in an awkward position about what to do with it. In the past, the Eradicator had wiped out entire planets, and to leave him unattended only invites more death and sorrow–but at the same time, the potential for good existed in him.
It was a heart-breaking, poignant moment that brought the character’s arc full circle, letting the Eradicator die as a hero.
The Eradicator was given an out in the form of Doctor David Connor, of STAR Labs. After Superman’s death, the Eradicator’s body is taken to a STAR facility to be studied, under Connor’s supervision. A freak accident causes Connor’s personality to be implanted in the Eradicator, finally giving him a link to humanity. After a stint as the leader of the Outsiders, this incarnation of the Eradicator would sacrifice himself to save Superman once again. It was a heart-breaking, poignant moment that brought the character’s arc full circle, letting the Eradicator die as a hero.
Superman Is Finally Reconnecting To One of His Best Powers That Nobody Talks About
After the release of a new comic, I’ve realized I’ve been overlooking one of the Man of Steel’s most regularly used and overpowered abilities.
The Eradicator would not return to prominence in the DC Universe untilDC Rebirth, where he had resumed his villainous ways. Doctor Connor’s personality is seemingly all but gone, the Eradicator’s mission stays the same: protect the Kryptonian way of life, and Krypton’s Last Son, no matter the cost. Krypton, for all of its grand scientific accomplishments, was a cold and sterile society, particularly duringThe Man of Steelera that gave rise to the Eradicator. While later depictions softened Krypton and its people, the arrogance stayed the same.
So Much of What Makes Superman Great is Missing from the Eradicator–Which Makes Him Very Deadly
The Eradicator Is a Distorted Image of Superman
The Kryptonians' haughty nature, combined with their great strength and abilities, make them a grave threat to the rest of the universe, and the Eradicator demonstrates why.While the Kryptonians have massive physical strength, their intellects are greater. Kryptonians see themselves as “above” most other life in the universe, and the Eradicator embodies this philosophy. In the pursuit of its distinctly Kryptonian mission, the Eradicator has been responsible for genocide, a crime that will likely never be punished. The Eradicator’s brief stint as a hero was over and there would be no going back.
In this context, then, the Eradicator isa tragic reflection of Superman himself.Both are from Krypton, but Kal-El grew up in a human household, internalizing the values of his adopted parents. Ma and Pa Kent instilled in Superman a moral code that has been responsible for saving countless lives. On the other hand, the Eradicator is what Superman might have been if Krypton had never exploded. Superman’s powers would become instruments of oppression as he brutally enforced Krypton’s strict and regressive policies.Every good villain is a twisted version of the hero they fight, and the Eradicator is no exception.
The Time Has Come for the Eradicator To Take His Place In Superman’s Rogue’s Gallery
Will Fans See More of the Eradicator In the Future?
Despite beingthe perfect foil for Superman,the Eradicator is often overlooked in discussions of the Man of Steel’s best villains.The Eradicator’s presence is tragic: it reminds Superman of his heritage, and not all of it good. The Eradicator forces Superman to confront Krypton’s failures as a people and a society, and this gives the villain an even more insidious edge. That he resembles Superman, and wears a modified version of the outfit, complete with “S-Shield,” gets under Clark’s skin even further. Taken together, the Eradicator is one of Superman’s most underrated villains.
Making the Eradicator a mercenary distinguishes him further from Superman.
The Question: All Along the Watchtower#2 sets the Eradicator up for bigger and better things. He makes it clear someone revived him, and he is in their employ. Making the Eradicator a mercenary distinguishes him further from Superman. The Eradicator’s power levels were not up to their usual levels, but he still managed to infiltrate the Watchtower and temporarily put the Bulleteer out of commission. When the Eradicator is back to full strength, his new purpose will make him one ofSuperman’smost dangerous villains.
The Question: All Along the Watchtower#2 is on sale now from DC Comics!
