Superman & Lois' Doomsday Plot Secretly Teases DC's Hulk Origin
Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for Superman and Lois season 2, episode 2, "The Ties That Bind."
Superman and Lois season 2 seems to be setting up the origin story of the Hulk-like Rampage, at the same time it introduces the classic DC Comics villain Doomsday. There is a sense to this, as Rampage's power set and source in the comics are similar to those of Doomsday. However, it remains to be seen if the Arrowverse Rampage will be closer in personality to Jennifer Walters' She-Hulk or a more monstrous bruiser, like the original Hulk.
Superman and Lois season 2, episode 2, "The Ties That Bind," found Lois Lane interviewing Dr. Faulkner, who was overseeing the removal of volatile X-Kryptonite from Smallville's Shuster Mines. Described as having multiple degrees but having been hired because of her expertise in geology and mineralogy, there was something about Dr. Faulkner's glib answers to her questions that made Lois suspicious of her intentions and the company she works for, AmerTek. Her paranoia was born out by the episode's final scene, in which a gleeful Dr. Faulkner noted that "something came through and it's even more powerful than we hoped," in reference to a gigantic figure digging its way out of the mines. While the figure has yet to be named in the show, it would be readily identifiable by most Superman comic readers as the titanic villain called Doomsday.
While Dr. Faulkner has yet to be given a first name, she seems to have been inspired by Dr. Karen Lou "Kitty" Faulkner. Created by John Byrne and Karl Kesel and first appearing in 1987's Superman #7, Dr. Faulkner was an environmental scientist who developed a solar-powered, pollution-free energy generator. An accident with the generator transformed Dr. Faulkner, changing her into an orange-skinned giantess who became stronger the angrier she grew. Dubbed Rampage by the press, Dr. Faulkner proved to be a match for Superman until the Man of Steel managed to calm her down and help her figure out a way to manage her transformations. While she would occasionally be manipulated by various villains into going out of control, Dr. Faulkner generally used her new powers for good, becoming an ally to Will Payton's Starman and, eventually, the head of STAR Labs' offices in Metropolis.
While Rampage's status as the Hulk of DC Comics may seem obvious given her scientific background and accident-based origin, the character's initial personality was closer to that of Jennifer Walters' She-Hulk. Dr. Faulkner found new confidence in her Rampage form and debated living her whole life as the Amazonian heroine. This is not surprising, given that co-creator, John Bryne, was responsible for writing and drawing a fan-favorite Sensational She-Hulk series based around the same idea, before taking over Superman after Crisis on Infinite Earths. However, the Dr. Faulkner of the Arrowverse is a far more sinister character, based on her initial appearance.
Given the fact that the Rampage of the comics gained power by absorbing solar energy, much like Superman and Doomsday, it would be logical for Superman and Lois to tie the characters' origins together in the Arrowverse. Presuming that Dr. Faulkner is destined to be transformed by the X-Kryptonite she is mining, it will be interesting to see if she becomes a friend to Superman, like in the comics, or one more obstacle for him to overcome. In either case, a battle between Doomsday and Rampage would be an interesting spectacle.
New episodes of Superman & Lois drop Wednesdays on The CW.