TITLE: Superman vol. 1, issue 262
YEAR: March 1973
WRITTEN BY: Elliot Maggin
ART: Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson
EDITOR: Julius Schwartz
Did Superman ever kill anyone?
I suppose it depends on who you ask but issue 262 is rather interesting and unfortunately, I have to spoil this short story. So, a brief warning before reading.
As Clark Kent is to interview billionaire Peter Demeos who is building a highly technological Demeos Building, while Demeos is looking outside, a chair comes charging at him, making him fall from the building, to get rescued by Superman.
As Clark tries to get answers, Demeos doesn’t say much, but while in the building, Clark Kent notices strange things are occuring inside the building, including an earthquake.
As Demeos tries to explain that he is a man who came from a poor upbringing and studied hard to earn his wealth (even creating a room to replicate his poor upbringing, as he uses it as a room to create his ideas), another earthquake happens and the window cleaners fall from the scaffolding, to be saved by Superman again.
After certain mishaps, Demeos reveals who has possessed him and it happens to be an alien known as a Ninukab. Space travelers who are spiritlike creatures who are from a dead, alien race of sorcerers who feed off life energy.
But as the Ninukab plans to kill Superman and Demeos, Superman decides to end it, he must destroy the building, which will kill the Ninukab.
Now, to answer the question, “Has Superman killed anyone?”, the answer is “yes”. Numerous times. Especially in different timelines. Now does the Ninukab’s death count? I would say yes…for the greater good of humanity, he has to make a decision. Granted, the Doomsday battle, he fought as hardest as he could and literally nearly died from it. But for Ninukab, there was no pause in Superman’s decision, to kill that alien, he had to destroy the sole thing that kept it alive… a building.
There is a second storyline involving the Marigold Twins who have a special telepathic ability which is now about to leave them as they grow older. Clark must interview them but as Clark’s media crew are recording, but he notices a problem on the balcony the media is on and to prevent him from revealing he is Superman, he hoeps he can utilize the twins to prevent their deaths by making their final telepathic experience.
For the most part, a basic supplement story but for the most part, an interesting issue overall.