Superman: Doomsday

Lex Luthor killed his loyal assistant Mercy Graves to eliminate any witness who could connect LexCorp to Doomsday's release. Since Lex had ordered the dig that uncovered Doomsday's spaceship, Mercy knew too much about the company's involvement and would have been a liability once the truth came to light. Lex made the ruthless decision to silence her permanently to protect his secret.

Superman was revived by a robot from the Fortress of Solitude. After Doomsday killed Superman and he was buried, the robot detected that Superman's Kryptonian biology was still maintaining faint life signs. The robot excavated the body from the grave and began a slow restoration process using Kryptonian technology, gradually pulling him back from death's grip and healing his injuries.

The Superman clone became unstable and turned evil primarily because of a lead-shielded kryptonite pellet embedded in his brain by Lex Luthor. This kryptonite was suppressing the clone's natural Kryptonian abilities and arguably his mind, making him more controllable and docile. Once the clone discovered and removed the pellet, he gained full autonomy but also became increasingly violent, especially after learning about Toyman's murder of a child, which pushed him over the edge.

The Superman clone killed Toyman in retaliation for the villain murdering a child during his hostage crisis. When the clone learned that Toyman had killed a young girl, he abducted Toyman and executed him publicly in front of the police station. This brutal act marked the clone's complete descent into moral corruption, as he decided to take the law into his own hands and impose his own version of justice.

Lois determines the real Superman through personal connection rather than physical appearance. At the end, after the clone dies, the real Superman shares a kiss with Lois, and she immediately recognizes him as the genuine article. This intimate moment confirms to her that the hero standing before her is the Superman she loved, distinguishing him from the clone whose behavior had always felt wrong to her.

Superman uses Kryptonite against the clone because the clone possesses all of Superman's powers, making him nearly impossible to defeat through conventional means. Since both have identical strength, speed, and heat vision, the only advantage Superman has is Kryptonite, which weakens Kryptonian physiology. He wields both a Kryptonite gun and later a Kryptonite canister attached to the clone's chest to level the playing field and ultimately destroy his counterpart.

Yes, Lex Luthor survives the events of the movie. After his cloning facility is destroyed and his army of Superman clones is eliminated, Lex is left battered and injured. However, he remains alive and, despite his defeat, smiles knowingly while muttering that there may still be a way to destroy Superman. This ominous final note suggests Lex will continue his vendetta against the Man of Steel in the future.

Lex Luthor's army of Supermen was a scheme to create multiple Superman clones for his own purposes. After obtaining Superman's DNA, Lex planned to grow an entire army of Supermen in cloning vats, likely to use as weapons or leverage. The clones were stored in a cloning facility until Lois and Jimmy discovered the files, and the original clone ultimately destroyed the facility along with the sleeping clones before they could be awakened.

Lois Lane was unsettled because Clark Kent refused to reveal his secret identity to her despite their romantic relationship. She felt that true trust between partners required honesty, and Clark's continued concealment created a barrier in their relationship. This tension about the secret identity is established at the beginning of the movie and adds emotional complexity to their relationship throughout the story.

Superman's friends each cope with his death in different ways. Jimmy Olsen takes a job at a sensational tabloid called The National Voyeur, seemingly abandoning his aspirations for serious journalism. Perry White, the Daily Planet editor, spirals into alcoholism as a way to deal with the loss. Lois Lane, now certain that Clark was Superman, seeks counsel from Martha Kent for strength and support during her grief.

The solar suit is a specialized outfit Superman wears during his final confrontation with the clone, enhanced with solar energy to boost his powers. Since the clone has identical abilities, Superman needed every advantage possible. The suit works by amplifying solar radiation absorption, giving Superman extra strength and energy to match the clone in their climactic battle over Metropolis.