Superman is easily one of the most powerful characters in fiction, and DC Comics' Kryptonian powerhouse seems to be the main antagonist of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The Son of Krypton has a myriad of powers and abilities that dwarf not only the titular Suicide Squad's members, but most of the DC canon as well. Such a huge power imbalance may encourage the implementation of some sort of power loss or other hampering effect, but if Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is going to maximize the premise of an antagonistic Superman, he needs to be at his best.
It's been some time since fans have heard much about the upcoming Suicide Squad game, so a lot of speculation has been underway online. With the group at the forefront of DC's multimedia plans over the past several years, including the upcoming release of a new Suicide Squad movie, expectations for the game are mostly high. Coming from the same studio that produced the very well-received Batman: Arkham series, a precedent has been set for high-quality action. Suicide Squad stands apart from most other games by virtue of placing Superman as its central antagonist (unless something else is revealed down the line).
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It makes sense for Suicide Squad to explore the idea of a maddened or brainwashed Superman. The success of both the games and comic runs of Injustice, alongside other stories throughout DC's history, have shown that embracing Batman's greatest fear can produce compelling narratives and action. As one of the many properties adjacent to Batman, Suicide Squad's titular band of anti-heroes make for a potentially fun foil to an "evil" Superman. However, one thing that needs to shine through though is just that: Superman.
Superman is absolutely terrifying when he cuts loose. Strength enough to move planets, speed that matches (or exceeds depending on the story) the Flash, and a host of different long-range abilities makes the Kryptonian a monolithic threat. Batman wasn't the only one to develop contingencies to defeat him if necessary. Suicide Squad's Amanda Waller created Task Force X, the Suicide Squad, to battle world-threatening events with powerful but "expendable" agents. Keeping Superman at the height of his powers throughout the game will go a long way to letting Waller's scheming and Task Force X's eccentric methods shine.
Defeating Superman is obviously a difficult thing. A famous example of a creative way to do so was in Justice League: Doom. The DC animated feature focused on the immortal Vandal Savage having stolen Batman's contingency plans for if the Justice League went rogue, including that needed to defeat Superman. In Doom, Superman was lured into close-quarters and lowering his guard by a staged suicide attempt before the "victim" fired a Kryptonite bullet into the Man of Steel's heart. This stands as a prime example of the ingenuity needed by normal humans to contend with Superman, and it will be more engaging if Suicide Squad's Harley Quinn and company have to develop an equally clever plan.
Not much has been shown of Suicide Squad beyond its original trailer. That teaser showcased the apparent corpse of an enormous Brainiac and saw Superman cut down a soldier with his heat vision. In that instance it would be an easy narrative device to say that Brainiac is controlling the hero, and as such he doesn't have full access to his powers. Doing this would be a mistake though, as it robs the cast of their chance to shine. It would also lower the emotional stakes of a Superman gone mad, and take away from much of what's made Injustice successful. If Suicide Squad wants to really drive its story home, Superman needs to be as super as he can be.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is currently in development.
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