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"The Death of Superman" is a
crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
story event featured in
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
'
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
-related publications. The crossover, which originated from editor
Mike Carlin Michael Carlin (born October 6, 1958) is an American comic book writer, editor, and executive. He has worked principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics since the 1970s. Early life Carlin attended the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan, ...
and writers
Dan Jurgens Dan Jurgens (; born June 27, 1959) is an American comic book writer and artist. He is known for his work on the DC comic book storyline "The Death of Superman" and for creating characters such as Doomsday, Hank Henshaw and Booster Gold. Jurgens ...
,
Roger Stern Roger Stern (born September 17, 1950) is an American comic book author and novelist. Biography Early career In the early 1970s, Stern and Bob Layton published the fanzine ''CPL'' (''Contemporary Pictorial Literature''), one of the first platfor ...
,
Louise Simonson Louise Simonson (née Mary Louise Alexander; born September 26, 1946) is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as ''Conan the Barbarian'', ''Power Pack'', ''X-Factor'', ''New Mutants'', ...
,
Jerry Ordway Jeremiah Ordway (born November 28, 1957) is an American writer, penciller, inker and painter of comic books. He is known for his inking work on a wide variety of DC Comics titles, including the continuity-redefining ''Crisis on Infinite Earths' ...
, and
Karl Kesel Karl Kesel (born January 7, 1959, Victor, New York) is an American comics writer and inker whose works have primarily been under contract for DC Comics. He is a member of Periscope Studio and is best known for his collaborations with fellow artis ...
, began in December 1992 and lasted until October 1993. It was published in ''
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
'', ''
Action Comics ''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/Comic anthology, magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as National Allied Publications, and later as National Comics ...
'', '' The Adventures of Superman'', '' Superman: The Man of Steel'', ''
Justice League America Justice League International (JLI) is a fictional DC comics superhero team that succeeded the original Justice League from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. The team enjoyed several comic books runs, the first being written by Keith Giffen and ...
'', and ''
Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...
''. Since its initial publication, "The Death of Superman" has been reprinted in various formats and editions. Development began after a planned story, in which
Clark Kent Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publish ...
(Superman) and
Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning journalist for ...
would be married, was postponed to coincide with a similar storyline in the television series '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman''. While pitching possible replacements, Ordway jokingly suggested that they should kill Superman. As Superman comic sales had declined in recent years, the writing teams felt the character had been taken for granted and decided to temporarily kill him to emphasize his importance. They wanted the crossover to surprise readers and show Superman is not invincible. "The Death of Superman" is divided into three
story arc A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, board games, vide ...
s: "Doomsday!", "Funeral for a Friend", and "Reign of the Supermen!". The first arc chronicles Superman's fight with the monster
Doomsday Doomsday may refer to: * Eschatology, a time period described in the eschatological writings in Abrahamic religions and in doomsday scenarios of non-Abrahamic religions. * Global catastrophic risk, a hypothetical event explored in science and fict ...
and concludes with his death. The second depicts Superman's fellow superheroes and the rest of the
DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lant ...
mourning his death, ending with his
adoptive Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...
father Jonathan Kent having a heart attack. The third sees the emergence of four Superman imposters before the original is resurrected. A number of characters in "The Death of Superman", such as Doomsday,
Superboy Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
, the
Cyborg Superman Cyborg Superman is a persona that has been used by two supervillains who appear in comic books published by DC Comics. Fictional character biographies Hank Henshaw Hank Henshaw is an astronaut at NASA until a solar flare hits his space shuttle d ...
,
Steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
, and The Eradicator would recur in later DC publications. When news broke that DC planned to kill Superman, a beloved
cultural icon A cultural icon is a person or an artifact that is identified by members of a culture as representative of that culture. The process of identification is subjective, and "icons" are judged by the extent to which they can be seen as an authentic ...
, "The Death of Superman" received unprecedented coverage from the
mainstream media In journalism, mainstream media (MSM) is a term and abbreviation used to refer collectively to the various large mass news media that influence many people and both reflect and shape prevailing currents of thought.Chomsky, Noam, ''"What makes mai ...
. ''Superman'' #75, which features Superman's death, sold over six million copies and became the top-selling comic of 1992. Retrospective reviewers are divided on the story, with some finding it ambitious and influential, while others dismiss it as a
publicity stunt In marketing, a publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause. Publicity stunts can be professionally organized, or set up by amateurs. Such events are frequently utilize ...
. The story has been adapted into various forms of media, including two novelizations in 1993 and a
beat 'em up The beat 'em up (also known as brawler and, in some markets, beat 'em all) is a video game genre featuring hand-to-hand combat against a large number of opponents. Traditional beat 'em ups take place in scrolling, two-dimensional (2D) levels, ...
video game, '' The Death and Return of Superman'', in 1994. A loose
animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anim ...
film adaptation, '' Superman: Doomsday'', was released in 2007. A second animated adaptation was released as a two-part film, ''
The Death of Superman "The Death of Superman" is a crossover story event featured in DC Comics' Superman-related publications. The crossover, which originated from editor Mike Carlin and writers Dan Jurgens, Roger Stern, Louise Simonson, Jerry Ordway, and Karl Kese ...
'' and ''
Reign of the Supermen "The Death of Superman" is a Crossover (fiction), crossover story event featured in DC Comics' Superman-related publications. The crossover, which originated from editor Mike Carlin and writers Dan Jurgens, Roger Stern, Louise Simonson, Jerry O ...
'', in 2018 and 2019, respectively.


Publication history


Background

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
is a
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
created by
Jerry Siegel Jerome Siegel ( ; October 17, 1914 – January 28, 1996)Roger Stern. ''Superman: Sunday Classics: 1939–1943'' DC Comics/Kitchen Sink Press, Inc./ Sterling Publishing; 2006 was an American comic book writer. He is the co-creator of Superman, in ...
and
Joe Shuster Joseph Shuster (; July 10, 1914 – July 30, 1992), professionally known simply as Joe Shuster, was a Canadian-American comic book artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with Jerry Siegel, in ''Action Comics'' #1 (c ...
who appears in
American comic books An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'', ...
published by
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
. The character debuted in ''Action Comics'' #1 on April 18, 1938, to immediate success, and the following year became the first superhero to headline his own comic book, ''
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
''. Since his debut, Superman has been a
cultural icon A cultural icon is a person or an artifact that is identified by members of a culture as representative of that culture. The process of identification is subjective, and "icons" are judged by the extent to which they can be seen as an authentic ...
in the United States. In 1985, DC launched the
crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
event ''
Crisis on Infinite Earths "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to March ...
'', which took place in a variety of comics. Its conclusion resulted in the
DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lant ...
—the
shared universe A shared universe or shared world is a fictional universe from a set of creative works where more than one writer (or other artist) independently contributes a work that can stand alone but fits into the joint development of the storyline, chara ...
that the publisher's comics, including those related to Superman, take place in—being
rebooted ''Rebooted'' is the third season of the computer-animated television series '' Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu'' (titled ''Ninjago'' from the eleventh season onward). The series was created by Michael Hegner and Tommy Andreasen. The season aired f ...
. Writer/artist John Byrne re-envisioned Superman in his 1986
limited series Limited series may refer to: *Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series *Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered *Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
, '' The Man of Steel''. The following year, Byrne relaunched ''Superman'' with a new first issue and the original series was renamed ''The Adventures of Superman''. In the reboot, Byrne removed various elements of the Superman mythos, like
Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. The character made her fir ...
, to streamline the character for modern audiences, which also allowed him to reintroduce them in a new way later on. The relaunch was a major success for DC and ''The Man of Steel'' #1 became the bestselling comic book issue of 1986. Byrne also wrote and illustrated ''
Action Comics ''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/Comic anthology, magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as National Allied Publications, and later as National Comics ...
'', and scripted ''The Adventures of Superman'' with artist
Jerry Ordway Jeremiah Ordway (born November 28, 1957) is an American writer, penciller, inker and painter of comic books. He is known for his inking work on a wide variety of DC Comics titles, including the continuity-redefining ''Crisis on Infinite Earths' ...
. Under Byrne, a new Superman comic was released every week and each series maintained continuity with the others. He spent two years on the Superman comics before leaving in 1988, dissatisfied with DC's lack of "conscious support" for him and that the version of Superman licensed for merchandising did not reflect Byrne's stories. As a result of Byrne's departure, Superman group editor
Mike Carlin Michael Carlin (born October 6, 1958) is an American comic book writer, editor, and executive. He has worked principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics since the 1970s. Early life Carlin attended the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan, ...
had to assemble new creative teams to replace him. Ordway began to write ''The Adventures of Superman'', while
Roger Stern Roger Stern (born September 17, 1950) is an American comic book author and novelist. Biography Early career In the early 1970s, Stern and Bob Layton published the fanzine ''CPL'' (''Contemporary Pictorial Literature''), one of the first platfor ...
, who had recently finished a 12-year stint at rival publisher
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
, took over ''Action Comics''. Connecting stories also became harder due to the new, more diverse creative teams, whereas Byrne had managed most of them on his own. To control consistency in stories, the teams regularly attended a "Superman
Summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used ...
", which started in 1988. The summit was a unique method of making the writers work together, focusing their attention to the next year's worth of stories. These meetings were often dysfunctional, with ''Superman'' writer/penciler
Dan Jurgens Dan Jurgens (; born June 27, 1959) is an American comic book writer and artist. He is known for his work on the DC comic book storyline "The Death of Superman" and for creating characters such as Doomsday, Hank Henshaw and Booster Gold. Jurgens ...
noting they frequently disagreed when discussing story ideas and argued until one person was "left standing". Carlin recalled that he had to act like a "babysitter" for the 18 creators during summits, and the teams often compromised. When the writing teams were having trouble deciding stories, Ordway would jokingly suggest they kill Superman. DC editor
Paul Levitz Paul Levitz (; born October 21, 1956) is an American comic book writer, editor and executive. The president of DC Comics from 2002–2009, he worked for the company for over 35 years in a wide variety of roles. Along with publisher Jenette Kahn ...
liked the success of the three interconnected Superman comics, so a fourth, '' Superman: The Man of Steel'' (written by
Louise Simonson Louise Simonson (née Mary Louise Alexander; born September 26, 1946) is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as ''Conan the Barbarian'', ''Power Pack'', ''X-Factor'', ''New Mutants'', ...
and penciled by
Jon Bogdanove Jon Bogdanove is an American comics artist and writer. He is best known for his work on '' Power Pack'' and '' Superman: The Man of Steel'', as well as for creating the character Steel with writer Louise Simonson in 1993. Career Comics After at ...
), started. While the creative teams believed the quality of the comics increased because there were more people working on them, they experienced a decline in sales, primarily due to the popularity of violent
antihero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions ...
es like the
Punisher The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher made ...
,
Spawn Spawn or spawning may refer to: * Spawn (biology), the eggs and sperm of aquatic animals Arts, entertainment, and media * Spawn (character), a fictional character in the comic series of the same name and in the associated franchise ** '' Spawn: ...
, and
Wolverine The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for "gluttony, glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is ...
. A new Superman comic was released every week, each selling roughly 150,000 copies an issue—"a fraction" of the numbers bestselling comics like those featuring
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
enjoyed. The writing teams increased the romantic tension between
Clark Kent Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publish ...
(Superman's civilian identity) and
Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning journalist for ...
in an effort to make the comics more appealing. Eventually, they had Kent propose to Lane and reveal he was Superman, and began to plan a storyline about their marriage. According to Carlin, they developed the wedding arc between 1990 and 1991, and planned for it to conclude in ''The Adventures of Superman'' #500 (June 1993). They also considered a "Death of..." story, but did not work on it in depth.


Development

While the Superman comics struggled, DC's sister company
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
developed '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'', a television series for
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
centered around the relationship between Lane and Kent. One of the ideas that arose during production was the wedding of Lane and Kent. Although the series did not exist in the same continuity as the comics, Warner Bros. wanted the Superman brand to remain consistent across all forms of media. As a result, Carlin and DC president
Jenette Kahn Jenette Kahn (; born May 16, 1947) is an American comic book editor and executive. She joined DC Comics in 1976 as publisher, and five years later was promoted to president. In 1989, she stepped down as publisher and assumed the title of editor ...
decided to put the wedding in the comics on hold until ''Lois & Clark'' reached its wedding episode in order that the stories could coincide. With the original storyline set aside in the comics, the teams needed a new event to replace it. The postponement disappointed the writing teams, as they had to put aside a year's worth of story planning and, according to Simonson, essentially had to come up with something at the last minute. At the 1991 summit, Ordway again made his joke, but no one laughed. Simonson spoke up and said, based on her experience from editing
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
comics at Marvel, killing a major character "show just how much that character means – to his friends, family, enemies, to the whole world!" Carlin liked the idea, and in the documentary film '' Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman'' (2006), he recalled, "the world was taking Superman for granted, so we literally said 'let's show what the world would be like without Superman'". Jurgens formally pitched "The Death of Superman", and DC let the project move forward, which shocked Ordway. Prior to moving forward, Carlin asked Siegel if he had any concerns with the concept of killing Superman. Siegel felt it was "a good way to shake things up"; the teams felt better knowing he approved. Bogdanove recalled how the story "almost began to write itself, from the end backwards. It felt like a story that could make the readers care again, the way we had always cared about Superman". "The Death of Superman" forced DC to cancel a non-
canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...
, four-issue limited series
Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...
and
Matt Wagner Matt Wagner (born October 9, 1961) is an American comics artist and writer who is best known as the creator of the series ''Mage'' and ''Grendel (comics), Grendel''. Career Matt Wagner's first published comic book work was ''Comico Primer'' #2 ( ...
were working on, as it also featured the character's death. The initial plan called for Superman to be killed in ''Superman'' #75 (January 1993) and resurrected in ''The Adventures of Superman'' #500, as both were milestone issues. Jurgens created the concepts of a monster tearing apart
Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big c ...
and an issue dedicated to a single fight sometime before "The Death of Superman"; the teams combined these when developing the story. Carlin had previously rejected the fight idea whenever Jurgens brought it up, feeling it would not be effective without a good story. When deciding which villain should kill Superman, the writers determined that his existing foes relied too much on technology and intellect, and did not want to use one of them or his traditional
weakness Weakness is a symptom of a number of different conditions. The causes are many and can be divided into conditions that have true or perceived muscle weakness. True muscle weakness is a primary symptom of a variety of skeletal muscle diseases, i ...
,
Kryptonite Kryptonite is a fictional material that appears primarily in Superman stories published by DC Comics. In its best-known form, it is a green, crystalline material originating from Superman's home world of Krypton that emits a unique, poisonous r ...
. Thus, they concluded that a new villain had to take him on physically. They chose to name this villain "
Doomsday Doomsday may refer to: * Eschatology, a time period described in the eschatological writings in Abrahamic religions and in doomsday scenarios of non-Abrahamic religions. * Global catastrophic risk, a hypothetical event explored in science and fict ...
" after Carlin wrote the phrase "doomsday for Superman" on the whiteboard used for planning, and did not feel giving him an origin was important. The teams wanted Doomsday to have a distinctive look, so they gave all artists a few minutes to create designs and voted for the one they thought was best. Jurgens' design—a massive, muscular humanoid with bones ripping through his skin, inspired by the design style of
Image Comics Image Comics is an American comic book publisher and is the third largest comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry in both unit and market share. It was founded in 1992 by several high-profile illustrators as a venue for creator-ow ...
—won. The four issues showing Superman's fight with Doomsday feature a "countdown" of panels: the first has four per page, the second has three, the third has two, and the last simply comprises splash pages. Inker
Brett Breeding Brett Breeding (June 13, 1961) is an American comic book artist who was active in the industry in the 1980s and 1990s, primarily as an inker. He is most well known for his work on the DC Comics character Superman. A freelancer, Breeding worked ...
conceived this, as he thought it would increase the suspense and speed of the action. Furthermore, Jurgens wanted to make an issue told through splash pages and the fight seemed like the perfect fit. The story was partly an effort to show the ramifications of a superpowered fight in a city, because, as Ordway said, it "had to have consequences". The final page of issue #75—a triple-page spread depicting Lane mourning Superman—took considerable time to create. The writers wanted "The Death of Superman" to surprise readers, as they hoped to emphasize that Superman is not invincible and could be killed by something besides Kryptonite. Chronicling the fallout of Superman's death did not take long, according to Bogdanove. He thought, as "the real meat of the story", it allowed them to accomplish their goal: explaining why the character matters. Ordway recalled the most exciting part for him was exploring what the DC Universe would be like without Superman and had fun writing about other characters' reactions to his death. DC did not intend for Superman's death to be permanent and the teams kept this a secret; they signed
non-disclosure agreement A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a legal contract or part of a contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wish ...
s preventing them from revealing the character would return. Carlin expected fans to know the death would be temporary, and in 2018 said he still could not believe many did not. However, the teams delayed all Superman comics for three months to create the illusion that he had really been killed because DC's
solicitation Solicitation is the act of offering, or attempting to purchase, goods and/or services. Legal status may be specific to the time or place where it occurs. The crime of "solicitation to commit a crime" occurs when a person encourages, "solicits, r ...
cycle would have spoiled the resurrection. The media attention caused Carlin to delay Superman's resurrection beyond ''The Adventures of Superman'' #500. Furthermore, the teams knew bringing Superman back in that issue would be illogical and held an emergency summit at a hotel in Terrytown, New York, where they plotted the final parts of the story. The teams considered bringing Superman back harder than killing him, as they did not want to make fans feel like they had been cheated. They decided to introduce a new version of Superman before bringing back the original, but the writers each had different ideas. Simonson suggested that each writer create their own Superman, which not only solved the problem of what this new character should be like but also let the creative teams have independence after years of forced collaboration. These characters, known as the Supermen, were created using three existing characters ( Eradicator,
Superboy Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
, and
Hank Henshaw Henry "Hank" Henshaw is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, and normally goes by the name Cyborg Superman. While originally featured primarily as an enemy of Superman, he has in recent years also been an enemy ...
) and a new one (
John Henry Irons Steel is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He is a genius engineer who built a mechanized suit of armor that replicates Superman's powers and bears Superman's logo. Initially, he sought to replace Superman ...
). According to Bogdanove, they used the Supermen to reinforce "what makes Superman so super". Stern characterized Eradicator as an "
Old Testament The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...
" Superman who was more alien than human and compared his character to
Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He gr ...
's
Silver Surfer The Silver Surfer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character also appears in a number of movies, television, and video game adaptations. The character was created by Jack Kirby and first a ...
. He wanted the character to be introduced in a way that readers would not be able to tell he was Eradicator until revealed.
Karl Kesel Karl Kesel (born January 7, 1959, Victor, New York) is an American comics writer and inker whose works have primarily been under contract for DC Comics. He is a member of Periscope Studio and is best known for his collaborations with fellow artis ...
conceived Superboy for another series he pitched to editor
Karen Berger Karen Berger (; born February 26, 1958) is an American comic book editor. She is best known for her role in helping create DC Comics' Vertigo imprint in 1993 and serving as the line's Executive Editor until 2013. She currently oversees Berger B ...
beforehand and characterized him as "an
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
generation" Superman. Jurgens chose to reintroduce Henshaw, whom he created a few years earlier, with his Cyborg Superman. He hoped to trick readers into thinking Henshaw was the real Superman before revealing him as a villain. Simonson and Bogdanove based Irons (
Steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
), an "everyman as Superman", on the African American folk hero John Henry and the Marvel character
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...
. Additional replacements, including "Little-Boy Superman" and "Rock-Creature Superman" were created but never used. Even if their original idea was altered, each writer maintained a sense of individuality for their Superman. ''The Adventures of Superman'' #500 was Ordway's last issue on the title, as he wanted to spend time with his family. His contract was supposed to expire with issue #499 (February 1993) but he desired to end his run on a "historical" note. Ordway also hoped to use a character from ''
The Sandman The Sandman is a mythical character in European folklore who puts people to sleep and encourages and inspires beautiful dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto their eyes. Representation in traditional folklore The Sandman is a traditional charact ...
'',
Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
, in issue #500 but was unable to do so because of an editorial mandate barring characters from DC's mature comics line appearing in mainstream books like ''Superman''. Kesel replaced him afterward. Because Jurgens did not want to simply use Superman's classic design when he was revived, he gave him long hair. The teams also deepened the red and blue of Superman's costume to signify that things would not be entirely the same for him. Superman briefly wore a black suit after his revival; this design came from a sketch Bogdanove made at a meeting.


Publication

"The Death of Superman" was first alluded to in Simonson's ''Superman: The Man of Steel'' #17 (November 1992); after the issue's story, a
teaser Teaser may refer to: * One who teases * Teaser (animal), a male livestock animal (typically a bull) whose penis has been amputated, "''gomer''" Film exhibition, broadcasting, advertising * Teaser (trailer), a short film used to advertise an ...
panel shows Doomsday's fist repeatedly punching a wall. The crossover began the following issue, in which Doomsday is unleashed and begins to carve a brutal path of destruction across America. This leads to Superman's death in ''Superman'' #75, which DC published on November 18, 1992. There were several variants of issue #75: a standard newsstand edition; a
direct market The direct market is the dominant distribution and retail network for American comic books. The concept of the direct market was created in the 1970s by Phil Seuling. The network currently consists of: * four major comic distributors: ** Lunar ...
edition; and a collector's edition sold in a
polybag A plastic bag, poly bag, or pouch is a type of container made of thin, flexible, plastic film, nonwoven fabric, or plastic textile. Plastic bags are used for containing and transporting goods such as foods, produce, powders, ice, magazines, c ...
with a black armband, poster, stickers, and a trading card, which cost more than the standard edition. Following the in-comics funeral, all the Superman publications went on hiatus until the release of ''The Adventures of Superman'' #500. Like ''Superman'' #75, collector's editions of ''The Adventures of Superman'' #500 came in polybags. One version had a translucent white bag with the red
Superman logo Superman shield, also known as the Superman logo or the Superman symbol, is the iconic emblem for the fictional DC Comics superhero Superman. As a representation of one of the first superheroes, it served as a template for character design decad ...
, while another came in a black bag with a white logo. Each installment of the story received a second printing. According to ''
Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
''s Abraham Riesman, DC "aggressively" promoted "The Death of Superman" since it had financial incentives to do so, as comic book
speculation In finance, speculation is the purchase of an asset (a commodity, good (economics), goods, or real estate) with the hope that it will become more valuable shortly. (It can also refer to short sales in which the speculator hopes for a decline i ...
was at its peak. Publishers like DC would designate certain comic book issues as significant, causing
mint condition Mint condition is an expression used to denote the quality of a pre-owned good as displaying virtually no imperfections and being in pristine condition relative to its original production state. Originally, the phrase related to the way collect ...
copies to be sold for more money. For ''Superman'' #75, DC issued a
press kit A press kit, often referred to as a media kit in business environments, is a pre-packaged set of promotional materials that provide information about a person, company, organization or cause and which is distributed to members of the media for pr ...
to stores with a cardboard coffin, stickers, and a poster. At the height of the crossover, in May 1993 DC published a special issue, ''Newstime: The Life and Death of The Man of Steel''. It compiled fictional news stories about Superman's death, providing an in-universe look at the event.


Collected editions

DC published the story in three collected volumes from 1992 to 1993: ''The Death of Superman'', ''World Without a Superman'', and ''The Return of Superman''. ''The Death of Superman'' was released in time for the 1992
Christmas shopping season The Christmas season or the festive season (also known in some countries as the holiday season or the holidays) is an annually recurring period recognized in many Western and other countries that is generally considered to run from late Novembe ...
and, according to comics historian Matthew K. Manning, is the bestselling trade paperback of all time. Reprints of these collections were published in 2003, 1998, and 2004, respectively, while a recolored edition of ''The Death of Superman'' was released in 2013. In September 2007, DC released an
omnibus edition An omnibus edition or omnibus is a creative work containing one or more works by the same or, more rarely, different authors. Commonly two or more components have been previously published as books but a collection of shorter works, or shorter wor ...
of the story, ''The Death and Return of Superman Omnibus''. It features all the issues from previous collections along with 40 pages dedicated to promotional materials and interviews, for a total of 784 pages. Jurgens also contributed new cover art. A new version of the omnibus edition was published in 2013, while another reissue was released in 2019. An edition of ''The Death of Superman'' containing the
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
/
Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
versions of the 2007
film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
, '' Superman: Doomsday'', was released in 2015. DC reissued "The Death of Superman" in four "New Edition" volumes on April 5, 2016: ''Superman: The Death of Superman''; ''Superman: Funeral for a Friend''; ''Superman: Reign of the Supermen''; and ''Superman: The Return of Superman''. DC published another collection, ''Superman: Doomsday'', around the same time; it compiles comics that feature Doomsday's return.


Overview


Arcs

"The Death of Superman" is divided into a trilogy of
story arc A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, board games, vide ...
s; the first is known as "Doomsday!", which leads to Superman's death at the hands of Doomsday. The second story arc, "Funeral for a Friend", which focuses on the immediate aftermath of Superman's death, began with ''The Adventures of Superman'' #498 (January 1993). The final story arc, "Reign of the Supermen!", began with a prologue in ''The Adventures of Superman'' #500 and introduced the Supermen. The title of this arc references Siegel and Shuster's first Superman story, " The Reign of the Superman". It crosses into the larger DC Universe, with ''Green Lantern'' #46 (October 1993) featuring a tie-in story. Despite the gap between the releases of "Funeral for a Friend" and "Reign of the Supermen!", no time passed within the continuity of the comics. "The Death of Superman" concluded in October 1993 with ''The Adventures of Superman'' #505, in which Superman returns to Metropolis.


Characters

* Superman (Kal-El / Clark Kent) is a superhero with a strong sense of justice, morality, and righteousness. He is the last remaining resident from the planet
Krypton Krypton (from grc, κρυπτός, translit=kryptos 'the hidden one') is a chemical element with the symbol Kr and atomic number 36. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas that occurs in trace amounts in the atmosphere and is often ...
after his father,
Jor-El Jor-El, originally known as Jor-L, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, Jor-El first appeared in a newspaper comic strip in 1939 with Superman. ...
, sent him to Earth in a small spaceship before the planet exploded. He has the powers of flight,
x-ray vision In science fiction stories or superhero comics, X-ray vision is the supernatural ability to see through normally opaque physical objects at the discretion of the holder of this superpower. The most famous possessor of this ability is DC Comics' i ...
, and super-strength, among others. *
Jonathan and Martha Kent Jonathan Kent and Martha Kent, often referred to as "Pa" and "Ma" Kent (respectively), are fictional characters in American comic books published by DC Comics. They are the adoptive parents of Superman. They live in the rural town of Smallville, ...
are Superman's
adoptive Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...
parents who found him after his spaceship crash-landed on their farm. They raised him from his youth with a strong sense of morals and encourage him to use his powers for the betterment of humanity. * Lois Lane is a reporter for the ''
Daily Planet The ''Daily Planet'' is a fictional newspaper appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Superman. The newspaper was first mentioned in ''Action Comics'' #23 (April 1940). The ''Daily Planet'' build ...
'', a newspaper based in Metropolis. She is an ambitious woman who is strong and opinionated. As Clark's fiancée, she knows he is Superman. *
Jimmy Olsen Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Olsen is most often portrayed as a young photojournalist working for the ''Daily Planet''. He is close friends with Lois Lane and Clark Kent, and has ...
is a photographer for the ''Daily Planet''. Olsen is close friends with Superman and designed a watch which emits a high-pitched signal only he can hear. * The
Justice League International Justice League International (JLI) is a fictional DC comics superhero team that succeeded the original Justice League from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. The team enjoyed several comic books runs, the first being written by Keith Giffen and ...
(
Guy Gardner Guy Gardner may refer to: * Guy Gardner (astronaut) (born 1948), United States Air Force officer and former astronaut * Guy Gardner (character) Guy Gardner, one of the characters known as Green Lantern, is a superhero appearing in American comic ...
,
Blue Beetle Blue Beetle is the name of three fictional superheroes who appear in a number of American comic books published by a variety of companies since 1939. The most recent of the companies to own rights to Blue Beetle is DC Comics, which bought the ri ...
,
Booster Gold Booster Gold (Michael Jon Carter) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Dan Jurgens, the character first appeared in ''Booster Gold'' #1 (February 1986) and has been a member of the Justice League. ...
, Maxima,
Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...
,
Ice Ice is water frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius or Depending on the presence of impurities such as particles of soil or bubbles of air, it can appear transparent or a more or less opaq ...
, and
Bloodwynd Bloodwynd is a fictional necromancer published by DC Comics. He first appears in '' Justice League America'' #61 (April 1992) and was created by Dan Jurgens. Fictional character biography Bloodwynd is the descendant of a group of African-America ...
) is a team of superheroes who defend the world from catastrophic threats. *
Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. The character made her fir ...
is a being made from protoplasm who comes from an alternate reality in which Superman was killed. She possesses powers similar to his and can also
shapeshift In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shape-shifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through an inherently superhuman ability, divine intervention, demonic manipulation, sorcery, spells or having inherited the ...
. She attempts to help Superman when Doomsday attacks. *
Lex Luthor Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (cover dated: Apr ...
is a businessman with an " ends justify the means" approach to life. He is wealthy, powerful, intelligent, and Superman's
archenemy In literature, an archenemy (sometimes spelled as arch-enemy) is the main enemy of someone. In fiction, it is a character who is the protagonist's, commonly a hero's, most prominent and most-known enemy. Etymology The word ''archenemy'' sometim ...
, viewing him as a threat to humanity. *
Guardian Guardian usually refers to: * Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another * ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper (The) Guardian(s) may also refer to: Places * Guardian, West Virginia, Unite ...
is a skilled fighter with enhanced strength and reflexes. He is accomplished at gymnastics and deduction, and defends himself with a golden helmet and shield. *
Doomsday Doomsday may refer to: * Eschatology, a time period described in the eschatological writings in Abrahamic religions and in doomsday scenarios of non-Abrahamic religions. * Global catastrophic risk, a hypothetical event explored in science and fict ...
is an ancient Kryptonian monster who, after escaping from his ancient prison, carves a murderous path of destruction across America. He can easily heal from damage and develop resistance to injuries. The name "Doomsday" comes from Booster Gold comparing his rampage to
end times Eschatology (; ) concerns expectations of the end of the present age, human history, or of the world itself. The end of the world or end times is predicted by several world religions (both Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic), which teach that nega ...
. *
Professor Emil Hamilton Professor Emil Hamilton is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually as a supporting character in stories featuring Superman. The character was portrayed by Richard Schiff in ''Man of Steel (film), Man of ...
is a former employee of
S.T.A.R. Labs Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Laboratories (S.T.A.R. Labs) is a fictional scientific research facility and organization appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It first appeared in ''Superman'' #246 (December 1 ...
and Superman's scientific advisor. He has designed and built devices such as a force field generator. *
Bibbo Bibbowski Bo "Bibbo" Bibbowski is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is typically shown as a good friend and supportive advocate of Superman. Bibbo Bibbowski first appeared in '' The Adventures of Superman ...
is the owner of the Ace o' Clubs bar in Metropolis. He admires Superman and identifies himself as the hero's biggest fan. When Doomsday attacks, Bibbowski assists Hamilton and Superman in their efforts to stop him. * The "Supermen" are four individuals who claim to be Superman, each representing a different moniker or trait he is associated with taken to the extreme. **
Steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
represents Superman's nickname "the Man of Steel", wears a suit of armor, and wields a hammer. As a boy, he witnessed the death of his parents, while Superman later saved him during a construction site accident. ** The
Cyborg Superman Cyborg Superman is a persona that has been used by two supervillains who appear in comic books published by DC Comics. Fictional character biographies Hank Henshaw Hank Henshaw is an astronaut at NASA until a solar flare hits his space shuttle d ...
represents Superman's nickname "the Man of Tomorrow" and has a half-robotic body. A former astronaut, he holds a grudge against Superman, who saved him after a
solar flare A solar flare is an intense localized eruption of electromagnetic radiation in the Sun's atmosphere. Flares occur in active regions and are often, but not always, accompanied by coronal mass ejections, solar particle events, and other solar phe ...
killed everyone in his spaceship crew. **
Superboy Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
is a teenage clone of Superman created by the
genetic engineering Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including t ...
corporation
Project Cadmus Project Cadmus is a fictional genetic engineering project in the DC Comics Universe. Its notable creations included the Golden Guardian (a clone of the original Guardian), Auron, Superboy (Kon-El) (a clone from Superman's DNA), and Dubbilex (a D ...
. He represents the placeholder's heroing residence as "The Metropolis Kid". While he possesses many of Superman's abilities, Superboy is brash and impulsive. ** Eradicator represents Superman's status as "the Last Son of Krypton" and is a visored, energy-powered alien. He has little time for civilian life, instead focusing on delivering justice. *
Mongul Mongul () is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Writer Len Wein and artist Jim Starlin created the first version of the character, who debuted in ''DC Comics Presents'' #27 (November 1980). Jerry Ordway created the sec ...
is the ruler of Warworld, a space empire where citizens are entertained by
gladiator A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...
ial games. An enemy of Superman, Mongul is stronger than him, intelligent, and can use
telekinesis Psychokinesis (from grc, ψυχή, , soul and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), or telekinesis (from grc, τηλε, , far off and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), is a hypothetical psychic ability allowing a person ...
. *
Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...
(
Hal Jordan Harold "Hal" Jordan, one of the characters known as Green Lantern, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created in 1959 by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane, and first appeared in '' ...
) is a member of the
Green Lantern Corps Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic law enforcement organization appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residin ...
and a former fighter pilot. He gets his powers from a special ring that allows him to channel
will power William "Will" Steven Power (born 1 March 1981) is an Australian motorsports driver who currently competes in the IndyCar Series, driving for Team Penske. He is the 2014 and 2022 IndyCar Series champion and the 2018 Indianapolis 500 champion. ...
to create objects out of light.


Synopsis

Doomsday emerges from an underground bunker and encounters the Justice League International. He easily defeats them, but Superman arrives and the two fight across America. Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen are sent to cover the battle for television, while Lex Luthor dissuades Supergirl from joining the fight and convinces her that she is needed in Metropolis. Doomsday sees a commercial for a Metropolis wrestling competition and heads for the city. Superman throws Doomsday on the mountain housing Project Cadmus, but fails to stop him from reaching Metropolis. Supergirl rebels against Luthor and goes to Superman's aid, but a single punch from Doomsday knocks her to the ground. Professor Emil Hamilton and Bibbo Bibbowski fire a laser cannon at Doomsday, but it does not harm him. Doomsday and an exhausted and badly injured Superman fight and strike each other with so much force that the shockwaves from their punches shatter windows. At the struggle's culminating moment in front of the ''Daily Planet'' building, both lay a massive blow upon each other, killing Doomsday and mortally wounding Superman. In the arms of a frantic Lane, Superman succumbs to his wounds and dies. Olsen, Justice League members Ice and Bloodwynd, and Guardian are also present at the end, with Olsen bitterly photographing Superman's fall. Superman's death stuns and traumatizes the residents of the DC Universe. His funeral is attended by nearly every superhero, as well as some
supervillain A supervillain or supercriminal is a variant of the villainous stock character that is commonly found in American comic books, usually possessing superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero. Supervillains are oft ...
s,
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
, and
First Lady First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state fo ...
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
. Every hero wears a
black arm band Black Arm Band is an Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander music theatre organisation. History The organisation was founded in late 2005 by Steven Richardson and has produced seven large-scale productions since its debut performance a ...
featuring Superman's logo. After the funeral, Project Cadmus steals Superman's body from his mausoleum to clone him, but Lane and Supergirl recover it. With Superman gone, the crime rate rises; the costumed heroes of Metropolis, including a team funded by Luthor, rise to fill in as protectors but are insufficient. Jonathan Kent takes Superman's death the hardest. One night, while reading a newspaper story Lane wrote in Superman's honor, Jonathan begins to feel responsible for his son's death and has a heart attack in his wife Martha's arms. In a coma, Jonathan meets Superman in the afterlife and convinces him to come back, before reawakening. Meanwhile, four men claiming to be Superman—Steel, the Cyborg Superman, Superboy, and Eradicator—emerge, and Lane discovers his grave is empty. Steel and Superboy are disproven as the original Superman, but the Cyborg and Eradicator both seem to recall some of his memories. Hamilton tests the Cyborg and concludes he is the real Superman. In actuality, Eradicator stole Superman's body and placed it in a regeneration matrix in the
Fortress of Solitude The Fortress of Solitude is a fictional fortress appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Superman. It is the place where Superman first learned about his true identity, heritage, and purpose on Eart ...
, drawing on his recovering energies for power. A powerless Superman, wearing a black costume, escapes the matrix. The Cyborg helps Mongul destroy Coast City and, in its ruins, they begin to build Engine City in an effort to recreate Mongul's home planet, Warworld. Superboy asks Steel to help him fight the Cyborg, and Superman and Supergirl join the two. They travel to Engine City, where the Cyborg launches a missile at Metropolis with the intent of destroying it and building a second Engine City in its place. Superboy manages to stop the missile before it strikes. Hal Jordan returns from space to find Coast City destroyed. Devastated, Jordan attacks Engine City and defeats Mongul. Eradicator joins the fight and shields Superman from Kryptonite gas. The gas kills Eradicator but also evolves within him. It passes into Superman, allowing him to regain his powers and defeat the Cyborg. Supergirl uses her powers to reconstruct Superman's original costume and they return to Metropolis.


Reception


At release

As DC did not reveal that Superman would be revived at the end of the story, many fans believed "The Death of Superman" had permanently killed Superman, a beloved cultural icon. Thus, it attracted unprecedented coverage from the
mainstream media In journalism, mainstream media (MSM) is a term and abbreviation used to refer collectively to the various large mass news media that influence many people and both reflect and shape prevailing currents of thought.Chomsky, Noam, ''"What makes mai ...
;
NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
's
Glen Weldon Glen Weldon is an American writer, cultural critic, and podcaster. He has written for publications such as ''The Washington Post'', ''The New York Times'', '' Slate'', ''The Atlantic'', and ''McSweeney's''. Weldon currently writes for the NPR Arts ...
stated "news outlets like ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
'', ''
People A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...
'', and New York's ''
Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and f ...
'' pounced upon" the killing of Superman, and it made the front page of ''Newsday''. Details of "The Death of Superman" were covered by the media before DC wanted them to and the company's publicists were not ready to talk about the story when it appeared in ''Newsday''. Mark Potts of ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' speculated the death would not last, but nonetheless expressed interest in what a world without Superman would be like. ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' (''SNL'') parodied "The Death of Superman" in a sketch in the seventh episode of its eighteenth season. The sketch depicts the casts of DC and Marvel attending Superman's funeral.
Black Lightning Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character, created by writer Tony Isabella and artist Trevor Von Eeden, first appeared in ''Black Lightning'' #1 (April 1977), during ...
, portrayed by Sinbad, tries to enter, but no one knows him even though he claims to have taught Superman how to fly. ''
Den of Geek! ''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a bi-annual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ...
'' named this the best of ''SNL''s superhero-themed sketches. The attention caused "The Death of Superman" to become an unforeseen success. Comic book retailers ordered five million copies of ''Superman'' #75 in advance and many people who had never read comics bought the issue hoping it would become an expensive
collector's item A collectable (collectible or collector's item) is any object regarded as being of value or interest to a collector. Collectable items are not necessarily monetarily valuable or uncommon. There are numerous types of collectables and terms t ...
. Numerous former readers looking for nostalgia also purchased ''Superman'' #75. DC shipped between 2.5 and 3 million copies of the issue on the day of release and it sold out across America. Some stores had one-per-customer limits on the issue to avoid mobs and lines of customers longer than a
city block A city block, residential block, urban block, or simply block is a central element of urban planning and urban design. A city block is the smallest group of buildings that is surrounded by streets, not counting any type of thoroughfare within t ...
. The issue brought in a total of 30 million during its first day on sale and ultimately sold more than six million copies, making it the bestselling comic book issue of 1992. Sales from ''Superman'' #75 doubled DC's market share in November 1992. After the issue was released, Siegel met with Carlin to tell him that "The Death of Superman" impressed him. The success of the event turned Jurgens, who had been an average writer and penciller, into an industry star. The four bestselling issues of 1993 were ''The Adventures of Superman'' #500, ''Action Comics'' #687, ''Superman'' #78, and ''Superman: The Man of Steel'' #22. Additionally, the first installments of "Reign of the Supermen!" were among the top five bestselling comic books of June 1993.
Valiant Comics Valiant Comics is an American comic book publisher. The company was founded in 1989 by former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter along with lawyer and businessman Steven Massarsky. In 1994, the company was sold to Acclaim Entertainment ...
timed the release of '' Bloodshot'' #1 to the release of #75, and '' Turok: Dinosaur Hunter'' #1 to the release of ''The Adventures of Superman'' #500 to take advantage of the increased customers and boost sales. Both books included cover enhancements to attract customer attention. However, many retailers say ''The Adventures of Superman'' #500 was the beginning of a decline in the comic industry. Retailers and distributors were stuck with unsold copies, and thousands of stores closed. Additionally, those who bought ''Superman'' #75 could only sell first printings for cover price a few months after its release.


In later years

Some commentators have retrospectively dismissed "The Death of Superman" as little more than a
publicity stunt In marketing, a publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause. Publicity stunts can be professionally organized, or set up by amateurs. Such events are frequently utilize ...
to give the Superman comics a brief surge in sales. Indeed, each series' sales immediately declined following Superman's resurrection. While most fans figured the death was only temporary, those who did not felt deceived. "
Worst Episode Ever "Worst Episode Ever" is the eleventh episode of the twelfth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 4, 2001. In the episode, Bart and Milhous ...
" (2001), the eleventh episode of ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
'' twelfth season, mocks this frustration through a scene in which
Nelson Muntz Nelson Mandela Muntz is a fictional character and the lead school bully from the animated television series ''The Simpsons'', where he is best known for his signature mocking laugh "Ha-ha!". He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright. Nelson was first intro ...
holds the comic ''The Death of
Sad Sack ''Sad Sack'' is an American comic strip and comic book character created by Sgt. George Baker during World War II. Set in the United States Army, ''Sad Sack'' depicted an otherwise unnamed, lowly private experiencing some of the absurdities and ...
'' and declares "this better not be another fake-out". Scully, Mike. (2009). Commentary for "
Worst Episode Ever "Worst Episode Ever" is the eleventh episode of the twelfth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 4, 2001. In the episode, Bart and Milhous ...
", in ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
: The Complete Twelfth Season'' VD
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
.
'' Wizard'' compared the phenomenon to the
New Coke New Coke was the unofficial name of a reformulation of the soft drink Coca-Cola, introduced by The Coca-Cola Company in April 1985. It was renamed Coke II in 1990 and discontinued in July 2002. By 1985, Coca-Cola had been losing market share to ...
debacle, in which
The Coca-Cola Company The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation founded in 1892, best known as the producer of Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola Company also manufactures, sells, and markets other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, ...
updated the
formula In science, a formula is a concise way of expressing information symbolically, as in a mathematical formula or a ''chemical formula''. The informal use of the term ''formula'' in science refers to the general construct of a relationship betwee ...
to its
signature drink A Signature drink is any unique or original drink that expresses the nature of the person or establishment creating it. Signature drinks often incorporate local ingredients and culture. They can be fashioned or designed to represent a theme or c ...
before quickly changing it back after negative publicity, leading to rumors that the company simply did so in an effort to spike sales. ''
ComicsAlliance ComicsAlliance was an American website dedicated to covering the comic book industry as well as comic-related media, and is owned by Townsquare Media. The site has been nominated for multiple awards including a 2015 Eisner Award win in the catego ...
'' writer Chris Sims believed that most people bought ''Superman'' #75 just to see Superman's death, while Weldon speculated its sales were propelled by hopes it would become valuable.
Gerard Jones Gerard Jones (born July 10, 1957) is an American writer, known primarily for his non-fiction work about American entertainment media, and his comic book scripting, which includes co-creating the superhero Prime for Malibu Comics, and writing for ...
, who wrote the ''Green Lantern'' tie-in story, theorized that the phenomenon may have been due in part to the then-relatively recent poor ending of the ''Superman'' film franchise. Sims recalled that when he worked in a comic book store in 2009, some customers were shocked that DC was still publishing Superman comics, as they did not read the story's conclusion. Generally, DC writers have denied "The Death of Superman" was a publicity stunt. Jurgens, for instance, stated he did not anticipate the attention, while Stern believed the sensation was caused only because it was a good story. Levitz said DC had no reason to think the wider public would care because they killed Superman in stories before. Despite these accusations, many view "The Death of Superman" favorably. Sims called the crossover DC's greatest success of the 1990s and a definitive Superman story. He thought that while killing off an important comics character was not an original idea, "The Death of Superman" was more ambitious and had a greater legacy than other similar events. Steve Morris of ''
Comics Beat Heidi MacDonald (born November 15) is a writer and editor in the field of comic books based in New York City. She runs the comics industry news blog '' The Beat''. Career MacDonald is a former editor for DC Comics' Vertigo imprint and ''Disney A ...
'' also thought it had a major impact, with "strong storytelling and a simple, if well-done, central narrative". He said the main story was well planned, especially considering that it could have easily misfired. Brian Salvatore, writing for ''Multiversity Comics'', believed the story was effective and "present dsome pretty compelling arguments for why Superman is the greatest superhero of all time, without ever really coming out and saying that". He also praised the characterization, forcing Superman to rely on pure instinct. Conversely, '' The Escapist''s Bob Chipman described the event as a "dumb story full of crappy characters embodying almost all of the worst trends of dreadful
990s The 990s decade ran from January 1, 990, to December 31, 999. Significant people * Al-Qadir * Mahmud of Ghazni * Pope John XV * Pope Gregory V Pope Gregory V ( la, Gregorius V; c. 972 – 18 February 999), born Bruno of Carinthia, was the ...
comics", and lamented its influence on subsequent Superman films and comics in general. Chad Nevett of ''
Comic Book Resources ''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion. History Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' called the story boring and jumbled, comparing issue #75 to "trading cards that intend dto tell a story than an actual comic story". Morris did criticize its subplots as nonsensical and felt Doomsday was terribly designed, disagreeing with Sims that it was a definitive Superman story. Salvatore felt it had missed opportunities and criticized the Justice League's role in the story, comparing them to punching bags. Both Salvatore and Nevett thought Doomsday came out of nowhere, and Nevett joked he was a "walking plot device" rather than a true villain. Penciler
Curt Swan Douglas Curtis Swan (February 17, 1920 – June 17, 1996) was an American comics artist. The artist most associated with Superman during the period fans call the Bronze Age of Comic Books, Swan produced hundreds of covers and stories from the 195 ...
disliked the story because he thought it "came out of the blue. There was no build-up, no suspense developed. Superman had no foreboding of some force out there that would conquer him. It all occurred too quickly".


Legacy in comics

"The Death of Superman" had an immediate effect on DC's comics. DC timed a similar event featuring
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
, "
Knightfall "Knightfall" is a 1993–1994 Batman story arc published by DC Comics. It consists of a trilogy of storylines that ran from 1993 to 1994, consisting of "Knightfall", "Knightquest", and "KnightsEnd".On the comic book covers, only the third part ...
", to happen shortly after "The Death of Superman", followed by the deaths of
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
,
Green Arrow Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 in November 1941. His secret identity, real name is Olive ...
, and the
Flash Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional aliases * Flash (DC Comics character), several DC Comics superheroes with super speed: ** Flash (Barry Allen) ** Flash (Jay Garrick) ** Wally West, the first Kid ...
. Green Lantern's event, "
Emerald Twilight "Emerald Twilight" is a 1994 comic book story told in ''Green Lantern'' (vol. 3) #48–50, written by Ron Marz, drawn by Darryl Banks and published by DC Comics. The story introduced a new Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner, who gained a significant fan f ...
", in which he turned into the villain
Parallax Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight and is measured by the angle or semi-angle of inclination between those two lines. Due to foreshortening, nearby objects ...
, ties to events that occur during "The Death of Superman". Marvel published the Spider-Man "
Clone Saga The "Clone Saga" is an extended comic-book storyline published by Marvel Comics, revolving around the superhero Spider-Man and clones of him, as well as of other characters. The second and best-known story arc of this name ran from October 1994 t ...
" as a response to the media attention "The Death of Superman" garnered. It featured Spider-Man having a baby, which Marvel believed would appeal to news outlets. Despite these similar story attempts, Weldon commented that the industry "was in freefall" and "death/disabling stunts offered only brief sales spikes". Some characters established during "The Death of Superman" became recurring characters in DC's comics. Superboy and Steel received
ongoing series In comics, an ongoing series is a series that runs indefinitely. This is in contrast to limited series (a series intended to end after a certain number of issues thus limited), a one shot (a comic book which is not a part of an ongoing series), ...
after the story's conclusion and Steel appears in a self-titled film (1997), portrayed by basketball player and Superman fan
Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), known commonly as "Shaq" ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. O'Neal is regarded as one of the greates ...
. Eradicator received a limited series, Superboy remained a fixture of the DC Universe until he was killed in ''
Infinite Crisis "Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, a ...
'' (2005–2006), and the Cyborg Superman became a recurring enemy of Superman and Green Lantern. Later comics featuring Doomsday included '' Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey'' (1995), which explores his origin, and " Reign of Doomsday" (2011), which heavily references "The Death of Superman" and features him hunting down the Supermen. In 2011, DC relaunched its entire comics line in an initiative called
The New 52 The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new serie ...
, which revamped the DC Universe and erased certain events. The relaunch altered Superman considerably, characterizing him as shorter-tempered and no longer in love with Lois Lane. However, "The Death of Superman" remained intact in the new DC Universe. To coincide with the release of the animated film adaptation of the crossover in 2018, a 12-part ''Death of Superman''
webcomic Webcomics (also known as online comics or Internet comics) are comics published on a website or mobile app. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers, or comic books. Webcomics can be co ...
series began, written by Simonson and illustrated by Cat Staggs, Joel Ojeda, and Laura Braga, among others. The first parts chronicle Superman's actions hours before Doomsday kills him; later parts follow Jimmy Olsen during the confrontation and the aftermath of Superman's death. The 2019
one-shot One shot may refer to: Film and television * One-shot film, a feature film shot in one long take with no edits, or manufactured to look like so * ''One Shot'' (2005 film), a Sri Lankan action film directed by Ranjan Ramanayake * ''One Shot'' (2 ...
''
Tales from the Dark Multiverse ''Tales from the Dark Multiverse'' is an American superhero/anthology comic book limited series published by DC Comics, beginning on October 16, 2019. The series takes some of the most famous events in the DC Universe and puts a twist on them. Pl ...
: The Death of Superman'' imagines a reality where Superman's death causes Lois Lane to have a psychological breakdown. Lois goes to the Fortress of Solitude and learns the Eradicator failed to restore Superman. Lois merges with the Eradicator and uses her new abilities to force the world to accept Superman's ideals. Her murder of criminals leads other heroes to oppose her, including the Cyborg Superman, Steel, and Superboy. Convinced she is correct, Lois fully adopts the identity of the Eradicator.


Adaptations

Stern wrote a novelization of "The Death of Superman", ''The Death and Life of Superman'', in 1993. Additionally, Simonson wrote another adaptation, '' Superman: Doomsday & Beyond'', around the same time. It features cover art by
Alex Ross Nelson Alexander Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an American comic book writer and artist known primarily for his painted interiors, covers, and design work. He first became known with the 1994 miniseries ''Marvels'', on which he collaborated wi ...
.
Blizzard Entertainment Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, the company was founded on February 8, 1991, under the name Silicon & Synapse, Inc. by three graduat ...
and
Sunsoft , stylized as SUNSOFT, is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. Sunsoft is the video games division of Japanese electronics manufacturer Sun Corporation. Its U.S. subsidiary operated under the name Sun Corporation of America, though, a ...
developed a video game based on the story, '' The Death and Return of Superman'', which was released in 1994 for the
Super Nintendo Entertainment System The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Eur ...
and in 1995 for the
Sega Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Syst ...
. ''The Death and Return of Superman'' is a
beat 'em up The beat 'em up (also known as brawler and, in some markets, beat 'em all) is a video game genre featuring hand-to-hand combat against a large number of opponents. Traditional beat 'em ups take place in scrolling, two-dimensional (2D) levels, ...
in which the player controls Superman and the Supermen as they attempt to save Metropolis. Retrospectively, ''
Nintendo Life Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British mass media company based in Brighton. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and other ...
''s Dave Cook considered it the game that "finally
ave ''Alta Velocidad Española'' (''AVE'') is a service of high-speed rail in Spain operated by Renfe, the Spanish national railway company, at speeds of up to . As of December 2021, the Spanish high-speed rail network, on part of which the AVE s ...
Superman the video game justice he deserves in what is undoubtedly one of his most celebrated stories" and ''
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
''s Greg Miller called it one of his favorite games and said it was what inspired him to become a video game journalist. In the wake of "The Death of Superman", Warner Bros. acquired the rights to produce Superman films, and hired
Jon Peters John Peters (born June 2, 1945) is an American film producer and former hairdresser. Early life Peters was born on June 2, 1945 in Van Nuys, California. Peters is of Cherokee (father) and Italian (mother) descent. While growing up in a rough ne ...
to write a script for a sequel to '' Superman IV: The Quest for Peace'' (1987). The script, called ''Superman Reborn'', borrowed liberally from "The Death of Superman", including the fight between Superman and Doomsday. However, Warner Bros. disliked it due to its similar themes to ''
Batman Forever ''Batman Forever'' (on-screen title is simply ''Forever'') is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton, based on the DC Comics character Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The third installment of W ...
'' (1995). Later rewrites altered the story considerably and the film ultimately never came to fruition. '' Superman Lives'', another canceled Superman film that would have been directed by
Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), ''Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993), ...
, started as an adaptation of "The Death of Superman"; Warner Bros. executives believed the story was "the key" to revive the ''Superman'' franchise. Warner Bros. released an animated
direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy was p ...
film adaptation, '' Superman: Doomsday'', in 2007. ''Superman: Doomsday'' is loosely based on "The Death of Superman"; to fit within a 75-minute runtime, the story was condensed and greatly altered. For example, the Justice League is not present and most aspects of "Reign of the Supermen!" were removed. The film was a commercial success and started the
DC Universe Animated Original Movies The DC Universe Animated Original Movies (DCUAOM; also known as DC Universe Original Movies or DC Universe Movies or DC Animated Movies) are a series of American direct-to-video superhero animated films based on the DC Comics characters and sto ...
line of direct-to-video releases. The
DC Extended Universe The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films and television series produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that ...
series of films contains references to "The Death of Superman", beginning with the appearance of Superman's black suit in '' Man of Steel'' (2013). The climax of '' Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'' (2016) draws narrative elements from "Doomsday!". In the film, Lex Luthor uses forbidden Kryptonian genetic engineering projects to combine
General Zod General Zod is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly known as an List of Superman enemies, adversary of the superhero Superman. The character, who first appeared in ''Adventure Comics'' #283 (April 1961 ...
's corpse with his own DNA, creating Doomsday. During their fight, Superman and Doomsday deliver killing blows, respectively, and both die. Jurgens received a "Special Thanks" credit at the end of the film. In ''
Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...
'' (2017), the black suit reappears as an
Easter egg Easter eggs, also called Paschal eggs, are eggs that are decorated for the Christian feast of Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. As such, Easter eggs are common during the season of Eastertide (Easter season). The oldest tr ...
in a deleted scene. Costume designer Michael Wilkinson explained that director
Zack Snyder Zachary Edward Snyder (born March 1, 1966) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and cinematographer. He made his feature film debut in 2004 with '' Dawn of the Dead'', a remake of the 1978 horror film of the same name. Since t ...
planned to have Superman wear the suit when he was resurrected in the film, but scrapped the idea in pre-production. Superman wore the black suit in Snyder's 2021
director's cut A director's cut is an edited version of a film (or video game, television episode, music video, or commercial) that is supposed to represent the director's own approved edit in contrast to the theatrical release. "Cut" explicitly refers to the ...
of the film, ''
Zack Snyder's Justice League ''Zack Snyder's Justice League'' (colloquially referred to as the Snyder Cut) is the 2021 director's cut of the 2017 American superhero film ''Justice League'', the fifth film set within the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) based on the team of ...
''. A second animated film adaptation was made in two parts: ''
The Death of Superman "The Death of Superman" is a crossover story event featured in DC Comics' Superman-related publications. The crossover, which originated from editor Mike Carlin and writers Dan Jurgens, Roger Stern, Louise Simonson, Jerry Ordway, and Karl Kese ...
'' (2018) and ''
Reign of the Supermen "The Death of Superman" is a Crossover (fiction), crossover story event featured in DC Comics' Superman-related publications. The crossover, which originated from editor Mike Carlin and writers Dan Jurgens, Roger Stern, Louise Simonson, Jerry O ...
'' (2019), part of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line and of
DC Animated Movie Universe DC, D.C., D/C, Dc, or dc may refer to: Places * Washington, D.C. (District of Columbia), the capital and the federal territory of the United States * Bogotá, Distrito Capital, the capital city of Colombia * Dubai City, as distinct from th ...
. Compared to ''Superman: Doomsday'', the new adaptation is more faithful to the comic story. DC's Tim Beedle considered the films "much less condensed" and said they "include many of the fan-favorite moments from the story that were left out of ''Doomsday''". Elements of ''The Death of Superman'', and ''Reign of the Supermen!'' appear in television series set in the
Arrowverse The Arrowverse is an American superhero media franchise and a shared universe that is centered on various interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters, primarily airing on The CW as well as web series on CW Seed. ...
: * During the 2019-2020 crossover "
Crisis on Infinite Earths "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to March ...
", a scene set on Earth-75 depicting their Earth's Lois Lane (
Elizabeth Tulloch Elizabeth Tulloch (born January 19, 1981) known as Bitsie Tulloch, is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Juliette Silverton / Eve in the NBC television series '' Grimm'' and as Lois Lane in The CW superhero television series ''S ...
) mourning a dead Superman (
Tyler Hoechlin Tyler Lee Hoechlin (; born September 11, 1987) is an American actor. Initially earning recognition for starring as Michael Sullivan Jr. in the 2002 film ''Road to Perdition'', Hoechlin went on to star as Martin Brewer on '' 7th Heaven'' between ...
) can be shown on the news after being killed by Earth-38's
Lex Luthor Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (cover dated: Apr ...
(
Jon Cryer Jonathan Niven Cryer (born April 16, 1965) is an American actor, writer, director and producer. Born into a show business family, he made his motion picture debut as a teenage photographer in the 1984 romantic comedy ''No Small Affair''; his bre ...
). * The character John Henry Irons appears in ''
Superman & Lois ''Superman & Lois'' is an American superhero drama television series developed for The CW by Todd Helbing and Greg Berlanti, based on the DC Comics characters Superman and Lois Lane, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Tyler Hoechlin and E ...
'', portrayed by Wole Parks. This version is from a pre-Crisis Earth, before it was anti-mattered, and was married to his Earth's Lois Lane and together had a daughter named Natalie. One day, their Earth is suddenly invaded by an army of evil Kryptonians unleashed by Morgan Edge/Tal-Rho and led by a rogue Kal-El, bearing a black suit. John and Nat build a Steel made suit equipped with a kinetic heavy hammer and an A.I which is set for Lex Luthor. After finding Kal-El, Irons goes after him promising Nat he will return after he'd kill Kal. However, when plans don't go as they seem, Kal kills Lois during a news broadcast and Irons flees in a ship that is being attacked by Kal. Just before Irons escapes, a wave of anti-matter destroys his Earth and crash lands on Earth-Prime. Sometime later, Irons discovers Earth-Prime's Superman is alive. Fearing what would happen on this Earth like what happened on his Earth, Irons swears to kill Superman. In his Steel armor, Iron grabs Superman's attention by attacking several oil rigs due to them containing lead, one of Superman's weaknesses. Irons manages to stab Superman with Kryptonite, weakening Superman. Returning to his base somewhere in the pole, Irons is notified by his A.I, who has recognized Irons as "Captain Luthor", that he has no Kryptonite left, prompting Irons to search for more around the globe while also building a new ship. Later, Irons introduces himself as Marcus Bridgewater to Lois and offers his help on her investigation on Earth-Prime's Edge. However, when Lois becomes suspicious of Marcus, she deduces that she is actually John Henry Irons, who on Earth-Prime died six years ago in 2015 during a tour in Afghanistan. Superman then confronts Irons, who brutally injures Superman with his hammer. Superman is saved by his son Jordan and is taken into custody at the D.O.D. to be interrogated. Irons reveals to Superman what happened on his Earth and his plans to kill him. While being taken back to his cell, the facility is attacked by one of Edge's X-Kryptonians who attacks Irons but is saved by Superman. Irons is released by the D.O.D. and makes amends with Superman, who wants to team up with Irons in a potential war on Earth-Prime before Irons drives off in the distance in his R.V. He then properly authorizes the A.I. to call him by his real name and erase the Luthor protocol.


Notes


References


External links

*
The Death of Superman
on DC Database, a DC Comics
wiki A wiki ( ) is an online hypertext publication collaboratively edited and managed by its own audience, using a web browser. A typical wiki contains multiple pages for the subjects or scope of the project, and could be either open to the pu ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Death of Superman 1993 in comics Comics by Dan Jurgens Comics by Louise Simonson Comics by Roger Stern DC Comics adapted into films Mass murder in fiction Steel (John Henry Irons) Fiction about resurrection Identity theft in popular culture Comics about death