Superman II's Zod Death Was Even Worse Than Man Of Steel's Divisive Kill
General Zod's death in Superman II is actually even worse than Man Of Steel's version. The latter film's moment has become one of the most heavily debated scenes in superhero movie history. However, the way it plays out in the other film (at least in the original Richard Lester cut,) is much more controversial.
Zack Snyder's Man Of Steel is one of the most polarizing superhero films in recent memory, largely in part due to Snyder's attempts to modernize Superman on a more grounded level. This takes the character in a direction that is deemed questionable by many, such as the parenting methods and death of Man Of Steel's Jonathan Kent. None of these changes, however, could come close to the reaction caused by Superman killing the film's villain, General Zod. Simply put, there was a clear divide between fans who thought it worked for this version of the character and those who thought it went completely against everything he stood for.
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Ultimately, whether Zod's death in Man Of Steel worked or not remains a raging debate. That being said, the moment does fit perfectly within the context of the film. The same cannot be said for Superman II, however, where Superman had far more reason not to kill him. In that film, Christopher Reeves' Superman defeats General Zod in the Fortress of Solitude, wherein a diversion he uses the Fortress' technology to strip the villain and his minions of their powers and render them human. At that point, Superman hurls Zod down a deep chasm, seemingly to his death, with his minions following suit. Although Zod was undoubtedly a formidable adversary throughout Superman II, this act is incredibly brutal for the Man of
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