Warning! This artcile contains spoilers for Superman & Lois season 3.
Doomsday is one of the most powerful rivals ever to face off against Superman, and the rivalry has played out across various TV shows and films. Doomsday was first created in the comics in 1992.The character’s history meant that he was an ancient kind of Kryptonian.Created by a maniacal inventor who wanted to breed the most powerful creature ever made, he repeatedly had the young Doomsday creature sent to the planet’s surface, where it would quickly be killed by the dangerous wildlife. Then, after harvesting the remains, they would clone the creature and make it more powerful in order to withstand whatever killed it previously.
This was repeated countless times over decades, turning Doomsday into an ever evolving monster who was bred to hate and kill all forms of life, especially Kryptonians. In comics and other media, Doomsday has appeared several timesready to fight Superman, and many of these battles have been incredibly dangerous, or even fatal for the Man of Steel.However, they were also some of the most intense and interesting battles from any DC show or movie to date.
8Justice Lord’s Versus Doomsday
Justice League (2003)
One of the first on-screen appearances for Doomsday came a little over 10 years after the character debuted in comics.Doomsday appeared in the second season of the animated TV show,Justice League. During this season, an alternative version of the Justice League are seen living on a different world to the original heroes.
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This super group is known as the Justice Lords, but while they formulate plans to take over the Justice League’s world, they meet a new rival who is incredibly dangerous, Doomsday.The battle that takes place between the Justice Lord Superman and Doomsday is pretty brief, and the reason for that is that the Justice Lord Superman chooses not to hold back his powers.
Justice League
Cast
Justice League is an animated TV series where DC superheroes, including Batman and Superman, form a team to protect Earth from a variety of threats. Featuring voice talents like Kevin Conroy as Batman and George Newbern as Superman, the series explores themes of teamwork and heroism across its action-packed episodes. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network starting in 2001.
When Doomsday has Superman trapped in a powerful grip, this version of the “hero” decides to shoot his heat-ray vision directly into the brain of Doomsday for several seconds.As Doomsday is delivering a villain’s monologue, his speech becomes slurred, and it’s clear that this brutal Superman has just lobotomized Doomsday.
7Doomsday Is Exiled To The Phantom Zone
Justice League Unlimited (2005)
Justice League Unlimitedserves as a sequel to the originalJustice Leagueshow. And a year into the show, the same Doomsday who fought the Justice Lord Superman returns to seek revenge against anotherversion of Superman. The stakes for the fight appear much higher, and the setting in the middle of a volcano makes everything more tense. as they battle, Doomsday speaks about losing the previous fight, which Superman clarifies was not him, but Doomsday doesn’t care as long as he can fight Superman.
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is the culmination of the DC Animated Universe, reuniting characters introduced in previous shows such as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman and introducing new JLA members like Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Booster Gold. The series' three seasons aired from 2004 to 2006.
The pair exchange thunderous blows, but just as Superman appears to be losing, he delivers the same heat vision shot as his predecessor. However, Doomsday’s ability to evolve and improve means this is now futile. Instead of giving up, Superman doubles down on his attacks, punishing Doomsday, before throwing him into the belly of the volcano. This fight is clearly more exciting than the 2003 version, but there is still room to improve.
6Superman Versus An Army Of Doomsdays
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010)
Next up, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and an army of warriors from Themyscira fight against an unbeatable army of Doomsdays.This takes place inSuperman/Batman: Apocalypsewhen the big three are preparing to fight Darkseid. Somehow, Darkseif figured out how to clone Doomsday countless times, and they present an incredible threat to Superman and company. After a grueling battle with considerable losses for the Themyscirans, Superman manages to deliver a devastating blow.
10 Most Impressive DC Villain Entrances In Movies & TV
Over the long history of movie and TV adaptations of DC Comics, there have been several villain entrances that stand out as especially noteworthy.
With the rest of the heroes pulling back, Superman flies into the air, and unleashes a heat ray that envelopes the entire Doomsday army, obliterating the clones. Of course,Superman being a hero and an optimist, he grieves briefly after this victory, affected by his own brutal actions.
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is an animated superhero film that follows Superman as he attempts to protect his cousin Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, from the villainous Darkseid, who seeks to use her Kryptonian powers for his own purposes.
However, Wonder Woman helps to lift his spirits and reassures him that they were mindless clones with no blood.Despite any moral quandaries, Superman must go on regardless in order to stop Darkseid’s evil plans.
5Smallville’s Own Clark Kent Versus Doomsday
Smallville, Season 8, Episode 22, “Doomsday” (2009)
Smallville’sDoomsday fight was underwhelmingin some ways, but airing in 2009, it earns its spot as the first live-action brawl between Clark Kent and Doomsday. In the season 8 finale, Clark is living and working in Metropolis, and he already has close ties to other heroes like Oliver Queen’s Green Arrow. However, Clark has yet to adopt the identity of Superman, and he is finding his feet. However, when the powerful monster Doomsday appears, Clark is forced to make a choice.
Smallville
Smallville chronicles the journey of Clark Kent, portraying his origins from Krypton to his teenage years on Earth. The series explores his challenges and development leading towards his destiny as the iconic hero, Superman, set against the backdrop of Smallville, Kansas.
With messengers from the future, his best friend Chloe turning her back on him in favor of another guy who is linked to the Doomsday monster, and Clark being told his death is imminent, he has a lot on his plate.However, in true Superman fashion, he doesn’t run away from the fight.
However, in the incredibly short fight scene that lasts just less than one minute of actual fighting between the pair, Clark is able to get the advantage.
Clark engages Doomsday in a battle on the streets of Metropolis, and initially looks as though he may lose. However, in the incredibly short fight scene that lasts just less than one minute of actual fighting between the pair, Clark is able to get the advantage, grab Doomsday, and leap with the monster into a huge fire that presumably destroys the creature.
4Superman Pays The Ultimate Price To Put Down Doomsday
Superman: Doomsday (2007)
Continuing the trend of making most new Doomsday entries more exciting and higher stakes than the last, the 2007 DC animated film,Superman: Doomsdaydelivers a harrowing story that features Superman’s death early on.When Doomsday is unleashed on the city of Metropolis, he wreaks havoc everywhere he goes.Of course, Superman arrives on the scene to put a stop to the deadly villain, but Doomsday is just too powerful for Superman to fight. After giving his all, Doomsday delivers brutal shots to Superman’s stomach, setting off a chain of events that will see the hero die.
However, with one last heroic push, Superman gathers all of his remaining energy to stop Doomsday from injuring a passerby.He grabs the villain, and flies high into the atmosphere with him restrained in his arms. Then, he flies at full speed toward the ground, sending Doomsday like a meteor onto the Earth’s surface. Shortly after, he passes away. The rest of the movie does provide some twists and turns, but this battle was one of the most brutal and intense for Supes, laying down his own life to save the world.
3Superman Puts His Life On The Line For Love
The Death of Superman (2018)
In 2018,Superman and Doomsday have their most exhilarating battleup to that point. In the movie,The Death of Superman, the hero engages in a brutal battle that lasts nearly 15 minutes.The pair exchange blows, destroy buildings and prove why the Kryptonians are some of the most powerful aliens in the galaxy.
The Death Of Superman
The Death of Superman depicts a formidable extraterrestrial creature wreaking havoc on Earth, prompting a response from the Justice League. As the situation escalates, Superman emerges as the planet’s sole defender capable of confronting the destructive force.
Aside from putting countless people at risk, they almost caused a bridge to collapse which would have cut off vital transport links to the city of Metropolis.However, things get even darker when Doomsday threatens the life of Lois Lane, Superman’s beloved.
Superman gets increasingly bloody and scarred as the battle goes on, but in the moments when Lois' life is at risk, he throws all his weight and power into the fight.
Just as Doomsday raises a large sharpened bone to Lois, Superman flies full force into the creature, twisting his head on his neck. This is enough to finally put the monster down, but Superman is spent after the fight. In his final moments, he lies peacefully in the arms of Lois Lane, as his death is broadcast to the world by Jimmy Olsen’s camera.
2The Big Three Pull Out All The Stops Against Doomsday
Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)
One of the best Superman and Doomsday battles of all time has to be the epic fight that takes place inBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which closes out the movie.When the heroes finally put aside their differences and work together to stop Lex, they are then faced with an even greater threat in the form of the genetically engineered monster Lex created using his own DNA mixed with General Zod’s. This beast is Doomsday, and while his origins are different to most other versions of the character, the battle between the heroes and this beast is one of the most thrilling.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice features the iconic clash between Gotham’s Dark Knight, played by Ben Affleck, and Metropolis’s Man of Steel, portrayed by Henry Cavill. As these two heroes confront each other, a looming threat endangers humanity, setting the stage for larger challenges ahead in the DC Extended Universe.
One of the clear differences for this version of Doomsday is its ability to shoot heat rays from its eyes, similar to the other Kryptonians like Zod and Superman.This lethal ray does serious damage, and it takes the powers and skills of Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman to properly repel Doomsday. However, it is Superman that delivers the fatal blow after a strong five-minute battle. He flies in with a kryptonite spear, causing himself great pain, and stabs the creature. However, weakened, he also takes a fatal blow from Doomsday, as both of them collapse to the ground, dead.
1Smaller Budget But Bigger Ambition With The Ultimate Superman Versus Doomsday Showdown
Superman & Lois, Season 3, Episode 13, “What Kills You Only Makes You Stronger” (2024)
Superman & Loishas been proving its worthiness as a Superman story since it first aired in 2021.The show follows an older Superman, who now has a family and moves back to his home in Smallville with his wife and two teenage sons. However, at the end of season 3, thebiggest threat to face Smallville or Superman yet appears in the form of Doomsday. The series may have a smaller budget than a blockbuster movie, but aside from some janky special effects, this battle is easily the best and most compelling Superman versus Doomsday brawl to ever appear on-screen.
Superman uses the full range of his powers to fight Doomsday. The pair throw everything they’ve got at each other, and just when it looks like Superman won, Doomsday recovers. Things get even more brutal as they fly through tunnels, where Superman takes what appears to be a fatal hit. However, he also recovers. At this point, the battle moves to the moon, and in an epic slow motion final shot for the season finale, the screen cuts to black. Yes, the fight will carry over into the show’s final season, but the battle already tops the leaderboard forSuperman and Doomsday battleson the big and small screen.
