Some people are upset by the fact that Superman kills some of the Kryptonian villains in MAN OF STEEL. They are going on and on about how this violates the basic character of the icon. There are news reports about how comic book fans are 'up in arms' about this aspect of the film. Well, I'm a comic book fan, and I am not up in arms. Nor should any true comic book fan because Superman has killed several times in the comics, and in other media as well. The only people complaining about this are people who want to claim the authority of knowing the comic book literature, but really don't at all. It bothers me.
Superman hates to kill, but he will on occasion. The parameters under which he will kill are very tight. In the comics he has killed other Kryptonians that threatened earth, Darkseid, Doomsday, Hank Henshaw (ostensibly), and Solaris the Sun-Eater. Superman will (reluctantly) kill any being of evil intent that has powers equal to or greater than his own. It isn't out of some sense of self-preservation, but because of a basic characteristic of the icon, a REAL basic characteristic: his desire to see men free.
Superman self-limits his powers. He is literally godlike, but rarely displays just how godlike. That is because he doesn't want to infringe on the human right to self-determination. So great is this desire that he has at times put up mental blocks that literally keep him from using all his powers, blocks he's had to consciously work to take down when facing a threat equal to or greater than himself. When faced with such an adversary, he is faced with the loss of all he holds dear: this is a being whose very existence threatens to rob humanity of their freedom. In such cases, Superman will if he deems it necessary, kill. The deaths in the film are perfectly in line with this character trait.
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