History Main / BewareTheSuperman

* [[{{Reconstruction}} Reconstructed]] in the Teen Titans fanfic [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6263444/1/Transition Transition]]. Out of four metahumans affected by the SwirlyEnergyThingy, only Beast Boy plays it straight when his attempts to find Raven result in him SlowlySlippingIntoEvil. By contrast, Terra starts blaming herself for Raven's disappearance and becomes suicidal, but ultimately stays good, while Raven and Jinx develop EnlightenmentSuperpowers (which was what the SwirlyEnergyThingy was supposed to do) but people's paranoia that they'll play it straight (mostly the police and Batman) inadvertently cause them to wreak havoc before the situation is cleared up and they can fix everything.

** [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil Because of the crimes of their Earth-7 counterparts]], many women fear Aquaman due to The Deep's actions (although [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech Arthur calling him out in front of a group of the Deep's victims/would-be victims helps them get over their fear of the King of the Seas]]). The same thing happens when Becca meets Superman, as she worries that he's no better than Homelander (although he quickly proves that he's ''nothing'' like him).
** When Batman manages to uncover the video footage of Homelander's actions on Flight 37, he and Commissioner Gordon are shocked/appalled, and make a note that they're ''so'' lucky that their Superman was raised right.
* ''Fanfic/ThereWasOnceAnAvengerFromKrypton'': Discussed by Tony and Professor Xavier in Chapter 4 of ''That Which Drives Nerds to Change the World'', the latter pointing out that the only force capable of policing enhanced individuals is ''other'' enhanced individuals, and that governments are worried at the possibility of this sort of scenario happening. Tony even mentally lampshades that just by himself he could take over half the planet in a ''week'', assuming that the other Avengers aren't helping.

{{Superhero}} settings, like any other setting, end up somewhere on the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism. On the more idealistic end, you have settings like mainstream comic books, where there's a sense of wonder and basic decency about the superhuman. While there are villains, they will usually get caught or their plans will be thwarted, and while [[MediaNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks the setting may take dark turns]], it will inevitably right itself. Somewhere in the middle, you have settings that look at superpowers a bit more realistically. While the government may have supers, so will despotic regimes, organized crime, and terrorist groups. The good guys may win, but [[EarnYourHappyEnding victories will be hard fought and likely to have their share of losses,]] and then you have ''these'' settings. The world's not better for having superhumans. ''[[CrapsackWorld It's worse]]''. The government has no safety net to deal with rogue supers, and it seems like there ain't ''nothing'' but rogue supers [[GoodPowersBadPeople terrorizing]] {{Muggles}} or [[PsychoForHire freaks on leashes]]. And that's just the so-called heroes, who are usually [[NominalHero anything but]], being all-too-aware of their [[PunyEarthlings superiority over the rest of the human race]] and [[TheSocialDarwinist are a little too keen]] on [[SmugSuper arrogantly flaunting it]]. Maybe the crisis hasn't happened yet, but the way that supers seem to be developing, it's only a matter of time until one of them [[ComicBook/TheNewUniverse blows up Pittsburgh]] and the rest go absolutely nuts. Not that they're exactly [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity mentally-stable to begin with]]; many will gleefully [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveSupernaturalPowers screw the rules with their powers]], but it's almost guaranteed that at least one of them will become a full-fledged SuperSupremacist and develop a [[AGodAmI God-complex]] as a result of their powers, and that they're only one bad day away from trying to [[TakeOverTheWorld enslave]] or [[KillAllHumans wipe out]] all of humanity (which they could [[PersonOfMassDestruction easily do within an afternoon]]). Any hope for even a HopeSpot in such a dire scenario may involve calling the CapeBusters, but even then, that's not a guarantee.

{{Superhero}} settings, like any other setting, end up somewhere on the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism. On the more idealistic end, you have settings like mainstream comic books, where there's a sense of wonder and basic decency about the superhuman. While there are villains, they will usually get caught or their plans will be thwarted, and while [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks the setting may take dark turns]], it will inevitably right itself. Somewhere in the middle, you have settings that look at superpowers a bit more realistically. While the government may have supers, so will despotic regimes, organized crime, and terrorist groups. The good guys may win, but [[EarnYourHappyEnding victories will be hard fought and likely to have their share of losses,]] and then you have ''these'' settings. The world's not better for having superhumans. ''[[CrapsackWorld It's worse]]''. The government has no safety net to deal with rogue supers, and it seems like there ain't ''nothing'' but rogue supers [[GoodPowersBadPeople terrorizing]] {{Muggles}} or [[PsychoForHire freaks on leashes]]. And that's just the so-called heroes, who are usually [[NominalHero anything but]], being all-too-aware of their [[PunyEarthlings superiority over the rest of the human race]] and [[TheSocialDarwinist are a little too keen]] on [[SmugSuper arrogantly flaunting it]]. Maybe the crisis hasn't happened yet, but the way that supers seem to be developing, it's only a matter of time until one of them [[ComicBook/TheNewUniverse blows up Pittsburgh]] and the rest go absolutely nuts. Not that they're exactly [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity mentally-stable to begin with]]; many will gleefully [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveSupernaturalPowers screw the rules with their powers]], but it's almost guaranteed that at least one of them will become a full-fledged SuperSupremacist and develop a [[AGodAmI God-complex]] as a result of their powers, and that they're only one bad day away from trying to [[TakeOverTheWorld enslave]] or [[KillAllHumans wipe out]] all of humanity (which they could [[PersonOfMassDestruction easily do within an afternoon]]). Any hope for even a HopeSpot in such a dire scenario may involve calling the CapeBusters, but even then, that's not a guarantee.

* Done jokingly on ''WebSite/{{Superdickery}}'', which takes out-of-context images (mostly from UsefulNotes/{{the Silver Age|OfComicBooks}}) and uses them to paint genuine heroes and heroines like Superman as complete and utter dicks.

* In ''Webcomic/StrongFemaleProtagonist'', the heroine lives in a world where superheroes cause more harm than good. She retired from (full-time) superheroics as a teenager when she realized this and instead enrolled in college so she can better find non-violent solutions to the world's problems. She struggles with trying to make the world a better place while accepting that she can't just use her incredible powers to force systemic change lest she become this trope.

[[caption-width-right:350:Fighting for [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans his truth]], [[KnightTemplar his justice]], and [[{{Ubermensch}} his way]].]]

* ''Fanfic/ThereWasOnceAnAvengerFromKrypton'': Discussed by Tony and Professor Xavier in Chapter 4 of "That Which Drives Nerds to Change the World", the latter pointing out that the only force capable of policing enhanced individuals is ''other'' enhanced individuals, and that governments are worried at the possibility of this sort of scenario happening. Tony even mentally lampshades that just by himself he could take over half the planet in a ''week'', assuming that the other Avengers aren't helping.

* InUniverse in ''FanFic/ServiceWithASmile'', there is a bit of a social barrier between [[{{Muggles}} civilians]] and Huntsmen. As Jaune's business gains popularity among Huntsmen, many of his civilian customers start abandoning it. As Roman points out, Hunstmen have super strength and can cause accidents without meaning too.

{{Superhero}} settings, like any other setting, end up somewhere on the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism. On the more idealistic end, you have settings like mainstream comic books, where there's a sense of wonder and basic decency about the superhuman. While there are villains, they will usually get caught or their plans will be thwarted, and while [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks the setting may take dark turns]], it will inevitably right itself. Somewhere in the middle, you have settings that look at superpowers a bit more realistically. While the government may have supers, so will despotic regimes, organized crime, and terrorist groups. The good guys may win, but [[EarnYourHappyEnding victories will be hard fought and likely to have their share of losses.]]

And then you have ''these'' settings. The world's not better for having superhumans. ''[[CrapsackWorld It's worse]]''. The government has no safety net to deal with rogue supers, and it seems like there ain't ''nothing'' but rogue supers [[GoodPowersBadPeople terrorizing]] {{Muggles}} or [[PsychoForHire freaks on leashes]]. And that's just the so-called heroes, who are usually [[NominalHero anything but]], being all-too-aware of their [[PunyEarthlings superiority over the rest of the human race]] and [[TheSocialDarwinist are a little too keen]] on [[SmugSuper arrogantly flaunting it]]. Maybe the crisis hasn't happened yet, but the way that supers seem to be developing, it's only a matter of time until one of them [[ComicBook/TheNewUniverse blows up Pittsburgh]] and the rest go absolutely nuts. Not that they're exactly [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity mentally-stable to begin with]]; many will gleefully [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveSupernaturalPowers screw the rules with their powers]], but it's almost guaranteed that at least one of them will become a full-fledged SuperSupremacist and develop a [[AGodAmI God-complex]] as a result of their powers, and that they're only one bad day away from trying to [[TakeOverTheWorld enslave]] or [[KillAllHumans wipe out]] all of humanity (which they could [[PersonOfMassDestruction easily do within an afternoon]]). Any hope for even a HopeSpot in such a dire scenario may involve calling the CapeBusters, but even then, that's not a guarantee.

** [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil Because of the crimes of their Earth-7 counterparts, many women fear Aquaman due to The Deep's actions (although [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech Arthur calling him out in front of a group of the Deep's victims/would-be victims helps them get over their fear of the King of the Seas]]). The same thing happens when Becca meets Superman, as she worries that he's no better than Homelander (although he quickly proves that he's ''nothing'' like him).

These are often DarkerAndEdgier versions of more traditional SuperHero fare, and often use {{Take That}}s against popular characters like Franchise/{{Superman}} or Franchise/SpiderMan (or [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation that particular writer's]] [[ShallowParody perception of them]]). If based on those existing characters, it is a CorruptedCharacterCopy. Other times, these are stories or articles involving TheSingularity and forth the idea that in RealLife, [[{{Transhuman}} enhanced humans]] may cause this situation.

* In ''Fanfic/AForceOfFour'' Franchise/{{Superman}} was the Earth's protector for forty-seven years and ComicBook/PowerGirl is his heiress. The two of them are decent people. Badra, Mala, Kizo and U-Ban… are not. They’re confident that their powers allow them to get away with anything: Killing, raping, destroying…

* {{Discussed}} in the WebAnimation/OverlySarcasticProductions video "Satirizing Superman." Red and Blue generally don't like this trope, in part because it's actually the obvious answer to what a Nietzschean Ubermensch would be like--[[UnbuiltTrope superheroes are a subversion of that idea]], not the other way around. As a result, "in real life Superman would be evil" isn't a clever observation unless you add something more thoughtful to the story.

* In ''WebVideo/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog'', Doctor Horrible's nemesis Captain Hammer is an anti-intellectual ass who shoves the people he rescues into garbage and whose only use for women is sex. A prequel comic has Dr. Horrible get a sample of Hammer's DNA to create a SuperSerum to give himself Hammer's SuperStrength, claiming that his superior intellect will give him an edge. Unfortunately, a side effect of the serum is that Horrible's intellect drops to Hammer's level, turning the fight into a slugfest without a clear winner.

** The obvious example is [[spoiler:Scion. Considered the saviour of humanity, he's a strange golden man with powers beyond any parahuman who almost never speaks but instead flies around Earth endlessly helping people. It's later revealed that he's an alien who lost his purpose for living and only helped people because he thought it would fill the emptiness inside him. When he's convinced to start destroying things instead, he finds he likes the feeling, and goes with that instead.]]

** What's worse is that it's heavily implied that the Emperor planned to destroy Primarchs and Space Marines once they had outlived their usefulness.

Trope title is a spin on the famous Nietzsche quote, "Behold the superman" (as in "Behold the {{Ubermensch}}")[[note]][[OlderThanTheyThink which itself is a takeoff]] on ''"Ecce Homo"'' ("Behold the man"), the words [[Literature/TheBible Pilate is said to have spoken]] to the crowds after Jesus was scourged[[/note]]. SuperDickery is a milder version of this trope. See also WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity, CrapsackWorld, TheMagocracy, MugglePower, TranshumanTreachery. Contrast with TallPoppySyndrome, as the two are more-or-less ideological opposites. This is a common feature of stories following the CapePunk model of storytelling.

And then you have ''these'' settings. The world's not better for having superhumans. ''[[CrapsackWorld It's worse]]''. The government has no safety net to deal with rogue supers, and it seems like there ain't ''nothing'' but rogue supers [[GoodPowersBadPeople terrorizing]] {{Muggles}} or [[PsychoForHire freaks on leashes]]. And that's just the so-called heroes, who are usually [[NominalHero anything but]], being all-too-aware of their [[PunyEarthlings superiority over the rest of the human race]] and [[TheSocialDarwinist are a little too keen]] on [[SmugSuper arrogantly flaunting it]]. Maybe the crisis hasn't happened yet, but the way that supers seem to be developing, it's only a matter of time until one of them [[ComicBook/TheNewUniverse blows up Pittsburgh]] and the rest go absolutely nuts. Not that they're exactly [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity mentally-stable to begin with]]; many will gleefully [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveSupernaturalPowers screw the rules with their powers]], but it's almost guaranteed that at least one of them will become a full fledged SuperSupremacist and develop a [[AGodAmI God-complex]] as a result of their powers, and that they're only one bad day away from trying to [[TakeOverTheWorld enslave]] or [[KillAllHumans wipe out]] all of humanity (which they could [[PersonOfMassDestruction easily do within an afternoon]]). Any hope for even a HopeSpot in such a dire scenario may involve calling the CapeBusters, but even then, that's not a guarantee.

* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' is broadly optimistic about heroes who, even if they are sometimes ruthless, keep to the ThouShaltNotKill rule whilst acting as superheroes, fight selflessly and inspire hope. However, there is a consistent thread that there is a ''reason'' to fear the superman. While there are true heroes, there are truly evil beings of immense power - their slugging matches tend to be immensely destructive, and all but the best prepared ordinary people can easily feel that they don't have much control over their own destiny. Even people who ''aren't'' trying to hurt anyone can do immense damage when they're trying to control newly discovered vast powers.
** Harry might finally snap and become this, thanks to multiple {{Trauma Conga Line}}s (''dying'' is a relatively mild example), the vast amount of poorly-controlled power dumped on him, and the fact that he's a potential ApocalypseMaiden via [[spoiler: the Phoenix]]. He veers very close on a couple of occasions, but ends up emerging more heroic than before (eventually). However, even after, a lot of his fellow Hogwarts students consider him to be GoodIsNotNice at best, and live in fear of him snapping again.

* In ''Fanfic/StuporHeroics'', the Loud siblings, minus Lincoln, gain superpowers. The already immature Loud siblings just become incredibly dangerous to be around. Even Lori, [[OnlySaneMan the most responsible of her siblings]], accidentally injures Lincoln and damages his property while trying to help him. Despite Stella being a benign superhero, Lori still tries to get rid of her because of threat she could pose to her younger brother.

** Clark and Bruce are stunned by the incompetence and corruption of the superheroes in the Boys universe.

* The first edition of the superhero RPG ''TabletopGame/{{Aberrant}}'' details the sudden emergence of superpowered humans in 1998; however, ''Aberrant'' came as a prequel to the futuristic sci-fi RPG ''TabletopGame/{{Trinity}}'', which reveals that many of the superhumans (named "aberrants" in the far future) became tainted by their powers, went mad, declared war on Earth, and caused all manners of destruction before taking off for the vast reaches of space. There are some sane "aberrants," but most of them went crazy nuts. Part of the drama of ''Aberrant'' comes from either trying to escape [[BadFuture the fate of the future aberrants]], or [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong making sure it never comes to pass]].

** In practice, this trope gets zigzagged, since it turns out what ultimately provokes the novas into starting the Aberrant War is the reveal that [[MutantDraftBoard Project Utopia]], the ostensible BigGood for baseline/nova peace, was secretly [[MugglePower sterilizing all of its nova recruits to ensure their numbers would stay manageable]]. This is especially a case of NiceJobBreakingItHero when you learn that Project Utopia was started by a timetraveller for the purpose of ''[[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong preventing the Aberrant War in the first place]]''. So, the Aberrant War is more a case of [[BullyingADragon Don't Deliberately Manipulate & Betray The Superman]].
** Even in Second Edition Aberrant, where time-travel shenanigans have resulted in a [[LighterAndSofter more optimistic setting]], The Aberrant War is still on track, as a break-away faction of The Teragen become this trope.

* Even though there are no actual super powers in the ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'' universe, at their worst, [=MechWarriors=] can exhibit much the same drunkenness off the power that comes with driving a 12-meter-tall war machine with enough firepower to potentially level a city block in one salvo. Apart from pirates or too-big-for-their-britches mercenaries, noble-born [=MechWarriors=] have also been known to grossly abuse their powers. Perhaps the most egregious example were the various "[=MechWarrior=] Brotherhoods" that sprang up where nobles began extorting or worse the residents of planets they were stationed on. Since said residents were not piloting 12-meter-tall war machines with enough firepower to potentially level a city block in one salvo, they really didn't have much choice but to acquiesce, at least until other groups of [=MechWarriors=] got fed up with their shenanigans and began opposing them.

* {{Discussed}} in the WebAnimation/OverlySarcasticProductions video "Satirizng Superman." Red and Blue generally don't like this trope, in part because it's actually the obvious answer to what a Nietzschean Ubermensch would be like--[[UnbuiltTrope superheroes are a subversion of that idea]], not the other way around. As a result, "in real life Superman would be evil" isn't a clever observation unless you add something more thoughtful to the story.

* In ''Webcomic/ErrantStory'', the elves decided [[HalfHumanHybrid breeding with the humans]] was a good idea because of the birthrate being much higher than elf-elf matings, and also to "uplift" humanity. Only half-elves tend to be a lot stronger magically than humans, and many also have either birth defects or a predisposition towards madness. After a lengthy civil war, only one elven city and one quarter of the population remained.

* In ''Webcomic/ToPreventWorldPeace'', Chronos predicts that at some point -- if they are not stopped -- the {{Magical Girl}}s will kill all the villains and decide to conquer the world, for its own good, of course. It’s thankfully averted when Chronos shows Kendra her visions, thus ridding this revolution of its future leader. This trope has already happened on a much smaller scale in Brazil, where magical girls led the creation of a separate country, Terra de Liberdade e Mágic, built around their magical system. WordOfGod claims that the world revolution is bound to happen sooner or later, because magical girls become more aware of their power and less content with the social pressure to let things go once they reach adulthood. It’s up to the heroes whether these changes will be peaceful or bloody.

* ''Webcomic/AmericanBarbarian'' author Tom Scioli made a surreal story called "Soldier", about a Superman pastiche going crazy and wreaking destruction on the world, universe, and eventually multiverse. What started out as him using lethal force against villains who trying to destroy his hometown developed into paranoia, sadism and full-on madness.
* In ''Webcomic/StrongFemaleProtagonist'', the heroine lives in a world where superheroes cause more harm than good. She retired from (full-time) super-heroics as a teenager when she realized this and instead enrolled in college so she can better find non-violent solutions to the worlds' problems. She struggles with trying to make the world a better place while accepting that she can't just use her incredible powers to force systemic change lest she become this trope.

** The obvious example is [[spoiler:Scion. Considered the saviour of humanity, he's a strange golden man with powers beyond any parahuman who almost never speaks, but instead flies around Earth endlessly helping people. It's later revealed that he's an alien who lost his purpose for living and only helped people because he thought it would fill the emptiness inside him. When he's convinced to start destroying things instead, he finds he likes the feeling, and goes with that instead.]]

** When Stygian, intent on SuicideByCop, confronts Tennyo with the (literal) ghosts of the Star Stalker's past, she is horrified to learn the being she's bound to has destroyed entire star systems as casually as one might swat a fly - over her eight billion year existence, whole ''galaxies'' have fallen to the Destroyer, and the only emotion she seems to have experienced was a mild frustration. Rather than driving her into a murderous rage, Billie goes [[HeroicBSOD catatonic]]. She still doesn't know the full truth, however: that the Star Stalker's primary purpose was to [[ApocalypseHow destroy the entire multiverse]] in case the [[EldritchAbomination Great Old Ones]] couldn't be stopped [[TakingYouWithMe by any other means]].

* ''Podcast/RedPandaAdventures'' supervillain the Crimson Death was given ComboPlatterPowers in a project that experimented on low level supervillains to pass their powers to him. While his creation is stated to be intended as a check against lone wolves like the Red Panda who answer to no one, the Crimson Death himself states his creators really just wanted a superhero ''they'' controlled. This backfires as the Crimson Death's debut episode features him killing everyone who knew his identity.

* [[{{Reconstruction}} Reconstructed]] in Teen titans fanfic [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6263444/1/Transition Transition]] out of four metahumans affected by the SwirlyEnergyThingy only Beastboy plays it straight when his attempts to find Raven result in SlowlySlippingIntoEvil. By contrast Terra starts blaming herself for Ravens disappearance and becomes suicidal, but ultimately stays good while Raven and Jinx develop EnlightenmentSuperpowers (which was what the SwirlyEnergyThingy was supposed to do) but people's paranoia that they'll play it straight (mostly the police and Batman) inadvertently make them wreak havoc before the situation is cleared up and they can fix everything.

[[caption-width-right:350:Fighting for [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans his truth]], [[KnightTemplar his justice]], and [[{{Ubermensch}} his way]]. ONLY!!]]

* ''Webcomic/MountainTime's'' Surf Rat, though a powerful force against evil, is strongly implied to amass lots of collateral damage. [[https://web.archive.org/web/20110305134214/http://mountaincomics.com/2011/01/03/mountain-time-23five/ For example...]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Fighting for [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans his truth]], [[KnightTemplar his justice]], and [[{{Ubermensch}} his way]].]]

** Magneto is TheDreaded to almost everyone who has ever heard of him, despite being thoroughly reformed and repentant of his SuperSupremacist ways, to the point where he shrugs off a potential alliance with Namor in response to FantasticRacism... but if someone starts the fight, he'll finish it as brutally as necessary. Given that he is most certainly [[ReformedNotTamed not tamed]], entirely willing to let his inner monster off the leash, and well into the PhysicalGod weight-class, capable of crumpling vibranium helicarriers like tinfoil and once stealthily conquered an entire country (Madripoor) with nothing more than his Brotherhood before crushing a Soviet battlegroup and an American nuclear sub as statements of intent, this is a valid fear.

A milder version of this trope is SmugSuper, in which the superpowered being in question isn't exactly malevolent or evil, but is still something of a jerk. If both Beware the Superman and FantasticRacism toward metahumans are prevalent in a 'verse, expect things to get ''very'' ugly.

* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' is broadly optimistic about heroes who, even if they are sometimes ruthless, keep to the ThouShaltNotKill rule whilst acting as superheroes, fight selflessly and inspire hope. However, there is a consistent fear that Harry might finally snap and become this, thanks to [[TraumaCongaLine all that he endures throughout the story]] (''dying'' is a relatively mild example), the vast amount of poorly-controlled power dumped on him, and the fact that he's connected to [[spoiler: the Phoenix]], which makes him a potential ApocalypseMaiden. He veers very close on a couple of occasions, but ends up emerging more heroic than before (eventually). Yet even still, the concerns of the likes Victor von Doom that the Avengers might just decide to depose him one day because they don't like him (which they have done before InUniverse) are treated as at least logical, and Peter Wisdom [[spoiler: a.k.a. Regulus Black]] is depicted as a WellIntentionedExtremist (if leaning towards TokenEvilTeammate territory) rather than simply a ruthless HunterOfHisOwnKind when leading [=MI13=] with the intent of usurping the Ministry.