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As one ofDC Comics ’ most fecund poor boy , Supermanis no secret to dual identities . His secret identicalness as Clark Kent is as famous as he is , but it ’s not the only persona that the Last Son of Krypton has adopted in his 80 + years . And one such persona - the Gangbuster - had quite the deadly boundary .
The Man of Steel is also one of comics ’ most moralistic wedge , andSuperman ’s no - killing policyis as strong as he is . Though there have been myriad alternate universes and reboots where Clark took lives , these are ordinarily outliers stand for to point out how horrific it would be if Superman ever cut across that line . That path rarely forge out well for anyone , let alone Superman himself , and his time as Gangbuster was no different .
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After travel to an alternate dimension and executing that existence ’s General Zod for offence against human beings inSuperman # 22by John Byrne , John Constanza , and Pete Scotese , the Clark Kent that returns home is subtly traumatized by his actions . This injury is further compounded by the military action of Brainiac in later issues as the exotic menace puzzle out to draw out the Man of Steel ’s moody side . Unfortunately , Superman ’s foe bring home the bacon , but not in the style anyone expects . Surviving his encounter with Brainiac , Clark Kent run low about his even life as Superman remain nowhere to be find . But in Superman ’s property comes the Gangbuster , a more street - grade hoagie with much more trigger-happy methods than the Man of Steel .
The Gangbuster indistinguishability initially belong to Metropolis citizen Jose Delgado , an urban vigilante who protects Suicide Slums until a spinal wound claim him out of the fight . But the identity of this iteration remains a secret to all - including a disheveled Clark Kent - untilAdventures of Superman # 450by Jerry Ordway and Dennis Janke when the heroic Guardian confronts the crimefighter only to discovera Superman as shocked as he is . It ’s presently divulge that the shattered soul of the Man of Steel subconsciously takes up this mantle , using a more human identity to violently exorcise the demons haunting him ever since Zod ’s execution . And this unsettling realisation drives Superman into interstellar exile .
In many means , it makes full sense that there ’s a part of Superman that ’s uncoerced - if not wanting - to kill or at least severely hurt his opponents . After all , as some of the most powerful beings in the DC Universe , fighter like he and his cousin-german Supergirl have to live their lives practicing the utmost ego - control , both physically and morally . While it would be well-heeled for him to cut loose and take out bad guys in a more permanent manner than fan are used to seeing , crossing that linewould alter and traumatize Superman forever , and his split personality as Gangbuster reinforce that whim . This is one construct that rooter have seen play out clip and clip again in plot line likeInjustice . Anytime Superman volitionally take aim a life , it tends to lead him down an incredibly ego - destructive path from which he seldom recovers . And in that regard , it seems his no - toss off insurance policy is as much about protecting inexperienced person as it is about protecting himself from becoming everything he stands against .
Overall , Superman ’s meter as Gangbuster is comparatively obscure . Even so , this lesser - known alternative identity operator had a endure impact on the Man of Steel as a eccentric and showed just how firmly taking a life can hit Clark Kent . The scoundrel of the DC Comics universe should be thankful thatSupermanis more forgivingthan Gangbuster .
Next : Conner Kent Earned the Superman Mantle Long Before Jonathan Kent
