# Superman's most flagrant disregard for public safety? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [June 9, 2022, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-most-flagrant-disregard-for-public-safety/965937 "2022-06-09T21:39:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2022, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-most-flagrant-disregard-for-public-safety/965937/1 "2022-06-09T21:39:43Z")
I was watching a DC animated film a few days ago. In it, Superman is fighting a bad guy in downtown metropolis. Building are falling, and cars are flying with pedestrians all around. At this point, it’s all fairly typical. But then, in a last effort to beat the bad guy, Superman flies the guy all the way up into space and then dives back down to Earth to body slam the guy. But instead of flying him back down to Earth in a desolate place where no one could get hurt, Superman decides it would be best to slam him down in the middle of Metropolis leaving a huge creator. Which I thought was hilarious. Just currious of other examples. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2022, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-most-flagrant-disregard-for-public-safety/965937/2 "2022-06-09T22:02:02Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Superman decides it would be best to slam him down in the middle of Metropolis leaving a huge creator. - Next film “Attack Of The Fifty Foot Creator” ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2022, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-most-flagrant-disregard-for-public-safety/965937/3 "2022-06-09T23:11:41Z")
When Superman throws cars or other vehicles at bad guys during fights. Even if there’s nobody in them, that’s somebody’s car! What you can’t just pick up a piece of concrete and throw it at them? ---
**Author:** ![Roger\_That](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roger_that/32/8505_2.png) [@Roger\_That](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roger_That)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-most-flagrant-disregard-for-public-safety/965937/4 "2022-06-10T00:09:22Z")
That’s somebody’s concrete!!! ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-most-flagrant-disregard-for-public-safety/965937/5 "2022-06-10T00:53:32Z")
Breaking news! Comics aren’t realistic! Animation at 11:00! ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-most-flagrant-disregard-for-public-safety/965937/6 "2022-06-10T00:58:56Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > Even if there’s nobody in them, that’s somebody’s car! What you can’t just pick up a piece of concrete and throw it at them? Superman is involved in insurance scams, certainly. I doubt his part time reporter salary pays all the bills. He’s clearly getting kickbacks under the table. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-most-flagrant-disregard-for-public-safety/965937/7 "2022-06-10T01:06:44Z")
@Atamasama Nah, no kickbacks. When he needs money, he simply picks up a hunk o’ coal and squeezes it into a diamond! Watch out, deBeers! ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-most-flagrant-disregard-for-public-safety/965937/8 "2022-06-10T01:10:55Z")
I seem to recall (my memory’s _mostly_ OK, these days) in a “Birds of Prey” comic, a few years ago, the Birds took on a rookie superhero, kind of a hothead, who did something stupid (and against orders) on a mission, that directly resulted in some innocent people getting accidentally blown up. I think in Metropolis, at that. Rookie lived. And Supes’ response was to…fly to the Birds’ HQ, coldly tell them he’d be “keeping an eye on them” from now on, and leave. 'Didn’t tell them to hand over the Rookie to face trial for manslaughter, or stay out of his city from now on, or even just to keep the Rookie on a tighter leash until she got her head on straight and some better training. He just chose the option that both sounded sanctimonious, AND was completely reckless from an operational standpoint. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2022, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-most-flagrant-disregard-for-public-safety/965937/9 "2022-06-10T02:17:25Z")
In _The Death of Superman_ (don’t worry, he got better) Doomsday wiped out the Justice League in Ohio, destroyed a LexOil refinery, annihilated a rural police force, knocked a couple of National Guard helicopters out of the sky, trashed a LexMart in Midvale, and punched Supergirl into a pile of protoplasmic goo. All the while he fended off Superman’s punches until they battled their way into the heart of Metropolis. At that point, Superman told Doomsday, “Metropolis is where I hold the line.” Well, thanks, I guess. But couldn’t you have held the line back over that lake or in the mountains where there would have been a lot less collateral damage? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2026, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-most-flagrant-disregard-for-public-safety/965937/10 "2026-04-12T17:37:40Z")
I saw an old episode of the George Reeves _Superman_ series on MeTV last night. (I had seen it before, but forgot about it.) A couple of crooks (man and woman) find out Superman’s secret identity. So he flies them up to an isolated cabin on top of a frozen mountain peak and leave them behind with firewood and food. (Did he intend to leave them there for the rest of their lives?) They try to climb down and plummet to their deaths. But rather than showing remorse for definitely being the cause of the deaths of two people he was all “Oh well, problem solved!”. > **[Homepage - Superman Homepage](https://www.supermanhomepage.com/tv/tv.php?topic=reviews%2Faos-ep013)** ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2026, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-most-flagrant-disregard-for-public-safety/965937/11 "2026-04-12T18:52:55Z")
But they were BAD people! And if they’d revealed his secret identity, he would have had to, I dunno, create a new secret identity. And that would be a hassle, what with moving and buying new glasses and everything. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2026, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-most-flagrant-disregard-for-public-safety/965937/12 "2026-04-12T19:29:05Z")
How much is a security deposit in Metropolis anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2026, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-most-flagrant-disregard-for-public-safety/965937/13 "2026-04-12T19:38:23Z")
Metro bucks ain’t what they used to be, ya know? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2026, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-most-flagrant-disregard-for-public-safety/965937/14 "2026-04-12T19:39:52Z")
I mean, flying home to the Arctic every evening is a hell of a commute. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2026, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-most-flagrant-disregard-for-public-safety/965937/15 "2026-04-12T19:41:38Z")
Not at the speed of light. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2026, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-most-flagrant-disregard-for-public-safety/965937/16 "2026-04-12T19:42:42Z")
But,… but then he never gets home. 😄 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2026, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-most-flagrant-disregard-for-public-safety/965937/17 "2026-04-12T19:44:19Z")
What if he makes the earth rotate backwards to time travel? He gets home before he ever left. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2026, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-most-flagrant-disregard-for-public-safety/965937/18 "2026-04-12T19:45:10Z")
Damn, he’s crafty. He should be running this joint! ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2026, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-most-flagrant-disregard-for-public-safety/965937/19 "2026-04-12T20:02:23Z")
Every minute he spends lolling around at the Daily Planet pretending to be a reporter or making goo-goo eyes at Lois Lane, thousands of people are dying in accidents all around the world. And how can he sleep at night, hearing the cries of all the people dying for those 8 hours? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2026, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-most-flagrant-disregard-for-public-safety/965937/20 "2026-04-12T20:05:03Z")
His pal, the Caped Crusader, probably whipped up some Bat Ear Plugs for him. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermans-most-flagrant-disregard-for-public-safety/965937.md?page=2)