What would be the minimum conditions that would compel Superman or Batman respectively to kill?

Question

We all know that thanks to the legacy of the CCA, Superman and Batman are both staunchly against killing.  Superman is willing to let Lex Luthor or BRANIAC endanger millions with each of their hair-brained schemes.  Batman is fine with Joker trying to kill half of Gotham in each of his gambits.

In these cases, Superman and Batman know from experience that these psychopaths WILL escape to endanger and kill again.  But they don't kill because that's not their role.  I can respect that.

But what circumstances WOULD they kill in?

1) Would they kill a bad guy who was about to act to kill a good person?
2) Would they kill a bad guy who was NOT about to act, but where killing them 100% guaranteed to save one good person?
3) Would they kill a good person to save 5 good people?  Effectively the Trolley Problem?
4) Would they kill one person in cold blood to save the entire planet?  7.5 billion people?

Assume each scenario that they could be absolutely convinced that the act is the only way to save the people and there is no wiggle room...unlike the scene in Man of Steel when Superman had about 20 other viable choices beyond snapping Zod's neck.  I should say that I am talking about the COMICS Superman and Batman.

Rebel With A Cause · Accepted Answer

Technically, the CCA was established years after the comics gave Batman and Superman their no killing rules.

Batman did deal with variations of Scenarios 2 and 4.

During the Hush storyline, when it appeared that Joker killed Bruce's friend Thomas Elliott, Batman was ready to kill the Joker because of that murder as well as Jason Todd's murder and Barbara Gordon's paralysis. And he would have if not for Jim Gordon's intervention.

During Final Crisis, Darkseid was about to control the muliverse. Batman decided to break his no gun rule and his no killing rule and fired a New God killing bullet at Darkseid.

Superman, in the main continuity, has shown strong restraint from killing. In the Ending Battle storyline, he resisted Manchester Black's attempts in forcing him to kill, which broke Black mentally.

In the Injustice games, though, he did kill the Joker after Joker nuked Metropolis and tricked Superman into killing his wife.

Anonymous · Answer

I don't think it's possible unless it was possible to kill them then they might in self defence - but it's impossible to kill them. They always want crooks to live, just not do any harm any more.

What would be the minimum conditions that would compel Superman or Batman respectively to kill?

2 Answers