العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
EspañolTHE DEATH OF SUPERMAN
(Redirected from Death of Superman)
"'The Death of Superman'" is a comic book storyline (culminating in ''Superman'' #75 in 1993) that served as the catalyst for DC Comics' crossover event of 1993. The completed multi-issue story arc was given the title '''The Death and Return of Superman'''.
The storyline's premise is as simple as its title: Superman engages in battle with a seemingly unstoppable killing machine named Doomsday in the streets of Metropolis. At the fight's conclusion, both combatants die from their wounds.
The crossover depicted the world's reaction to Superman's death in "Funeral For a Friend," the emergence of four individuals claiming to be the "new" Superman, and the eventual return of the original Superman in "Reign of the Supermen!"
The storyline, devised by editor Mike Carlin and the Superman writing team of Dan Jurgens, Roger Stern, Louise Simonson, Jerry Ordway, and Karl Kesel, met with enormous success: the Superman titles gained international exposure, reaching to the top of the comics sales charts and selling out overnight. The event was widely covered by national and international news media.
The story of ''The Death of Superman's conception goes back to the 1985 crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths. Following that event, DC Comics rebooted their continuity and relaunched the Superman character with the mini-series "The Man of Steel", written by John Byrne. However, due to disputes with DC, Byrne left the Superman books and was replaced by Roger Stern. While the stories continued from Byrne's revamp, sales slowly dropped. In an effort to attract female readers, the Lois Lane/Clark Kent/Superman love triangle, in place since 1938, would be changed. Thanks to John Byrne's revamp, Lois was already falling in love with Clark Kent, rather than with Superman. In a story arc titled "Krisis of Krimson Kryptonite", Clark proposes to Lois; she accepts. Although the road was set for the marriage of Lois and Clark, an unforeseen event would change these plans.
Warner Bros., the owner of DC Comics, had cancelled the'' Superboy'' television series produced by Alexander Salkind. (Salkind produced the first three Superman films starring Christopher Reeve, as well as the ''Supergirl'' movie.) Warner Bros. created their own Superman television series, '', premised upon a romantic relationship between Lois Lane and Clark Kent/Superman. One of the ideas that arose during production was the wedding of Lois Lane and Clark Kent/Superman. Warner Bros. learned that DC Comics was planning a similar plotline in the ''Superman'' comic books, and as a result DC, Warner Bros., and the ''Superman'' writing staff came together and reached an agreement: the Lois and Clark wedding arc in the comic book would be put on hold, to resume once the ''Lois & Clark'' TV show reached its wedding episode.
With the original storyline set aside in the comic, an original event was needed to replace it. ''Superman'' editor Mike Carlin came up with the idea of Superman's death. In the documentary film '' Carlin states: "the world was taking Superman for granted, so we literally said 'let's show what the world would be like without Superman'."
On the last page of several comics prior to ''Superman: the Man of Steel'' #18, a gloved fist was shown punching a steel wall, accompanied by the caption: "Doomsday is coming!". In that issue, Superman fights the Underworlders while a hulking figure in a green suit rampages through a pastoral field. This marks the first of seven issues in the Death of Superman story proper - it would continue through all four of the Superman books at that time, and one issue of Justice League America, before culminating in ''Superman'' #75.
The Justice League (Guy Gardner, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Maxima, Fire, Ice, and Bloodwynd) respond to a call from a smashed big-rig outside of Bucyrus, Ohio, and follow the trail of destruction which leads them to a confrontation with an unknown creature that destroys Blue Beetle's aircraft. The League attempts to stop the monster, but it systematically takes the team apart, finishing by punching Booster Gold into the stratosphere. Booster Gold is caught in mid-air by Superman, and declares "It's like Doomsday is here," thus providing the monster with a name.
The Man of Steel arrives on the scene, having cut a television interview short in ''Justice League America'' #69. He and the able-bodied League members follow the threat to the home of a single mother and her two children, where their battle with "Doomsday" destroys the house. The League attacks Doomsday with all their energy-projection powers, the only discernible effect being that much of his body covering is blasted or burned off. Doomsday again takes them out, causes the house to explode into flames, and then leaps away. Superman follows, having to ignore the son's cries for help if he is to stop Doomsday.
Superman throws Doomsday into the bottom of a lake, slowing him down long enough so that the Man of Steel can return and save the mother and her infant daughter. After Doomsday escapes from the silty lake bed, he and Superman tear up a city street, and then Maxima enters the fray. Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen are sent to cover the battle for television, while Lex Luthor II dissuades Supergirl from joining the fight. The fight continues at a gas station, where Maxima rips a light post from the ground; the sparks from the wiring meet the leaking gasoline and the station is destroyed in a huge explosion. Guardian arrives after Doomsday leaves, finding Superman and Maxima, and offers his aid.
Superman then follows Doomsday's trail of destruction, waiting for an opportunity to attack. With the monster's rampage drawing closer, Lex Jr. convinces Supergirl that she's needed in Metropolis while Superman is fighting elsewhere. While demolishing an appliance store, Doomsday sees a TV commercial for a wrestling show being held in Metropolis, and after seeing a road sign for Metropolis, heads in that direction. Superman engages him and throws him in the opposite direction, where he lands on the mountain housing Project Cadmus. They brawl throughout Habitat, bringing most of it down. When the superhero Guardian arrives, Doomsday knocks him down and leaps toward Metropolis.
Doomsday is driven below ground, where he ruptures gas and electrical mains, leveling Newtown, a large section of Metropolis. Supergirl goes to Superman's aid, but a single punch from Doomsday knocks her to the ground, her form destabilized. Professor Hamilton and Bibbo, Superman's allies fire a laser cannon at Doomsday, but it does not harm him. The local police open fire on Doomsday, but again, he is not harmed. Superman returns to the fight.
Superman and Doomsday lay into each other with everything they have. They strike each other so hard that the shockwaves from their punches shatter windows. At the struggle's culminating moment, each fighter lands a massive blow upon his opponent (Superman striking two-fisted). The two titans fall to the ground, having taken half of Metropolis down with them.
The event happened in Superman #75 (vol. 2). The issue only contains 22 panels, and every page was a single panel, which was a structure building on the previous issues—''Adventures of Superman'' #497 was done entirely with four-panel pages, ''Action Comics'' #684 with three, and ''Superman: The Man of Steel'' #19 with two. The entire story was immediately collected into a trade paperback and titled ''The Death of Superman''.
The funeral that followed featured many of Superman's fellow heroes and friends, including most of the Justice League of America, and a mausoleum was built in Metropolis in honor of the Man of Steel. During this time, every hero in the DC Universe sported a black arm band featuring the S-Shield logo. Some time later, Project Cadmus stole Superman's body from his mausoleum. It was hypothesized that they were attempting to clone him. The body was recovered by Lois Lane and Supergirl.
The stories after the funeral often dealt with the emotions felt by the general public as well as specific characters entwined within Superman's world, including Lois Lane, Clark Kent's parents, and even a number of supervillains. Also, the (then) President of the United States, Bill Clinton and wife Hillary were included in a scene during the funeral. With Superman gone, crime rises up again and the costumed heroes of Metropolis rise to fill in as protectors. Supergirl, Gangbuster, Thorn, and even Team Luthor, a Lexcorp-sponsored team, all tried but were not sufficient. Meanwhile, Jonathan Kent took the death of his adoptive son the hardest and as a result suffered a heart attack. At this point, all Superman comic titles went on a three-month hiatus.
The story was also collected into trade paperback form. Rather than using the banner title ''Funeral for a Friend'', the title used for the collection was ''World Without a Superman''.
Following hiatus on the Superman titles, they were all relaunched. Four new heroes emerged in Superman's place, one in each title, each claiming in some way to be Superman. In ''Adventures of Superman'' #500, we followed Jonathan Kent into the Afterlife. In a possible hallucination, he convinced Superman's soul to come back with him to the living. The only "evidence" that this was not a hallucination was the fact that shortly after Jonathan reawoke, 4 individuals arrived in Metropolis claiming to be Superman. This storyline was known as ''Reign of the Supermen!''
Each of the Supermen were designed with ideas taken from some of the monikers that Superman is often associated with. The four new heroes were:
★ The Man of Steel: John Henry Irons was an ironworker and ex-weapons designer for the military who wears a suit of armor and wields a hammer. He did not claim to actually be Superman, but rather to represent the spirit of Superman and continue his legacy. Steel appeared in '' starting with #22.
★ The Man of Tomorrow, also called the Cyborg Superman, arrived with augmented Kryptonian technology. He was scientifically proven to be Superman but claims amnesia in explanation to his part-mechanical nature. The Cyborg Superman appeared in ''Superman'' starting with #78.
★ The Metropolis Kid, who hated being called Superboy, is a reckless teenage clone of Superman. This Superman appeared in the ''Adventures of Superman'' starting with #501. He is the result of the brief time Cadmus attempted to clone Superman.
★ The Last Son of Krypton was a visored, energy-powered alien who dealt with criminals lethally. The Last Son of Krypton appeared in ''Action Comics'' starting with #687. He claims to have the memories of the original Superman, but his emotional distance makes Lois uncertain.
The first issue for each of the new heroes featured a cardstock cover and a poster of the new hero.
The first half of the Reign of the Supermen! story focuses on each of the Supermen “resuming” his duty as protector of Metropolis and gain acceptance from the public. The reader is teased with clues that provide each Superman the validity to being the real one, or at least a piece of the original Superman’s soul being in him. Of the four, the cyborg Man of Tomorrow and the merciless Last Son of Krypton were easily bought in by the people as the possible real Superman, this is most likely due to the fact that both of them are closest to the original in appearance. However, Lois could not approach any of them without risking the exposure of her fiancé’s secret.
In actuality, the Last Son of Krypton stole Superman's body and put it in a regeneration matrix in the Fortress of Solitude, drawing on his recovering energies to power himself, as bright light blinded him. It is revealed that the Last Son is the Eradicator, an ancient Kryptonian weapon, and the Cyborg is the deranged consciousness of Hank Henshaw, which used Superman's birthing matrix to create a physical duplicate of his body.
The regeneration matrix broke open, and the original Superman emerged, greatly depowered, but alive. Meanwhile, the Cyborg helped Mongul destroy Coast City, believing he killed the Last Son in the explosion, and captured Superboy, holding him in Engine City, a towering construct erected where Coast City once stood. Superboy escaped and flew back to Metropolis to get the Man of Steel to help him fight the Cyborg. Before he could tell the whole story, however, an overbearing Kryptonian Battlesuit rose out of the harbor, and the two heroes attacked it. After suffering heavy damage, the suit opened, revealing a still-weak Superman, who had used it to walk all the way back from the Fortress of Solitude. Despite his weakened state, he quickly joined the other Supermen in attacking Coast City. During the battle, the Cyborg launched a devastating missile at Metropolis, with the intent of destroying it and putting a second Engine City in its place. Superboy managed to grab onto the missile as it launched, riding it all the way to Metropolis, which he narrowly saved from destruction.
Green Lantern Hal Jordan had returned from space to find his hometown destroyed. He immediately attacked Engine City and fought Mongul, shattering the Man of Steel's hammer across his face. Meanwhile, the Last Son/Eradicator joined the fight after recovering in the Fortress, and blocked the Cyborg from dousing Superman with lethal Kryptonite gas. The gas interacted with the Eradicator as it passed through and into Superman, returning his powers rather than killing him. The Eradicator's body degenerated into a lifeless husk, and the Cyborg looked for Superman's body in the debris and Kryptonite mist. Superman blindsided him with an attack using his super-strength, and he punched a hole right through the Cyborg. He destroyed his body, but his consciousness survived. Supergirl used the remnants of the black Kryptonian suit to re-create Superman's traditional costume, and the group returned to Metropolis.
Again, like the previous two storylines, the collected edition of Reign of the Supermen did not use its original title, DC Comics instead chose to use ''The Return of Superman''.
Superman's hair growth between his awakening in the Fortress to his arrival in Metropolis was never explained. After his wedding with Lois, he finally cuts his hair.
Superboy (who turned out to be only a partial "clone" of Superman, with a human DNA belonging to The Man of Steel's greatest nemesis Lex Luthor) and The Man of Steel (whose name became simply "Steel") went on to become recurring characters in the DC Universe, each eventually getting his own monthly title. Superboy was a member of The Ravers, Young Justice, and the Teen Titans, before perishing in ''Infinite Crisis''. Steel appeared in some episodes of the animated series, as well as his own film, and became a member of the Justice League; he also briefly became a true superhuman, no longer relying on outside sources (i.e. the armor) to provide his powers. The Eradicator became leader of a new team of Outsiders and his status is currently unknown after the events of ''Infinite Crisis''. The Cyborg Superman became a recurring nemesis in the ''Superman'' and ''Green Lantern'' titles.
Main articles: Superman Red/Superman Blue
Superman developed odd powers after regaining his life, eventually briefly transforming into a new look and costume. It wasn't until after this episode that Superman was fully restored to his normal self.
Superman's death set into motion a series of resurrections in the DC Universe. Green Arrow, Donna Troy, Elongated Man, Hal Jordan, Metamorpho, Jason Todd, and others have experienced comic book death and resurrections. These events have been attributed to the door between life and death being kept open since Superman died. (Kid Eternity said he would've closed it after going through because he "wasn't raised in a barn.") This phenomenon is also examined in the Deadman miniseries, in which Deadman visits several heroes who had shared Superman's experience.
Superman's return from death is explained by the Phantom Stranger in a stand-alone issue. As a Kryptonian, Superman's alien genetic material enables him to absorb sunlight and perform superhuman feats. Superman survived his death by entering into a hibernation-like state, and the Eradicator's use of him as a 'conduit' by which he could absorb solar energy 'restarted' Superman's body.
Superman has since come to realize that his death may never come. Several stories depict alternate futures in which he survives for hundreds of years due to his Kryptonian genetic make-up.
Even after Superman had returned to life, plans for Lois and Clark's wedding took some time to develop. The relationship between the two became rocky, and for a time they separated. Finally in 1996, tying into the wedding of Lois and Clark in the ''Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' television program, Lois returns to Metropolis and rekindles her romance with Clark. The two set into motion their plans for a wedding and are married in ''.
In the three issue mini-series ''Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey'' (1994), Superman journeys to Apokolips and Calaton to find Doomsday's body. Assisted by Waverider, he confronts Darkseid and Hank Henshaw, and finds that his killer is still alive and discovers the details of Doomsday's origin. In ''Superman: The Doomsday War'' (1998), Doomsday's mind is under the influence of Brainiac and Superman fights two of his most powerful enemies, in order to rescue Lana Lang's newborn child.
Writer/penciller Dan Jurgen, with inker Bill Sienkiewicz revisited Superman's battle with Doomsday in the 2003 mini-series ''Superman: Day of Doom'', exploring how the event affects those who knew the fallen hero, and introducing a new villain, Remnant. This dark tale is reprinted in trade paperback.
In the days before the anniversary of Superman's death, Ty Duffy, ''The Daily Planet's staff reporter, retraces Superman's cross-country battle with Doomsday; Duffy resents the assignment. During the investigation, a mysterious figure also follows Doomsday's cross-country path, and commits a series of murders along the way. Duffy discovers that many of Superman's rogues have claimed to have created Doomsday. He ultimately comes face-to-face with the Man of Steel himself and reveals to Superman that his father committed suicide because of losses suffered connected with the battle with Doomsday. Duffy reproaches Superman, telling him that thousands have died due to his battle with Doomsday. Although Superman disagrees, he carries considerable guilt over the deaths.
On his way home, Duffy is kidnapped by Remnant, who wishes to show the world that Superman is evil. He intends to stage terrorist acts at the locations where Doomsday rampaged. Superman rescues Duffy, along with Perry White, who was also captured by the villain. Despite the victory, flyers announce that Superman is not a messiah but rather the devil incarnate; the villain disappears. Superman approaches Duffy, and challenges him to not back off from the tough questions. The Man of Steel tells Duffy he will be waiting for the conclusion of his article, and also asks him another one; if Superman wasn't around, would there be fewer Doomsdays (monsters seeking to confront Superman) or more Coast Citys (a disaster that only happened because Superman wasn't there)? Within the shadows, Remnant stalks The Man of Steel.
After the Imperiex War, Doomsday has evolved intelligence, and intends to kill Lex Luthor. Without any aid from his allies, Superman defeats the monster on the anniversary of his original defeat of the creature at Washington DC.
The Golden Age Superman, Kal-L, fought and defeated Doomsday alongside the modern Superman during the Battle of Metropolis.
''The Death and Life of Superman'' storyline brought in millions of readers to DC Comics, despite the entirety of the story being intertwined through numerous different comic series, including ''Action Comics'', ''Superman,'' ''Superman: The Man of Steel,'' and ''Adventures of Superman'', among others. The cover of ''Superman'' #75 (shown above) became an iconic image: Superman's tattered cape wrapped around a pole, marking a makeshift grave.
Because of Superman's place as an American icon, his death became a multimedia event, covered by newspapers, television, and radio. Certain prints of ''Superman'' v2, #75 contained a black armband with the familiar "S" symbol adorning it. Many comics fans publicly wore the armband immediately following Superman's death, including, perhaps most famously, Jay Leno.
The death of Superman took place months before the breaking of Batman's back in the "" storyline. Some critics praised DC for boldly and innovatively drawing in more readers. However, others were critical, citing the two concurrent storylines as publicity stunts, since it was unlikely that DC would ever eliminate its most popular characters. Some years later, Chuck Rozanksi, owner of retailer Mile High Comics, would pen a
controversial essay in the ''Comics Buyer's Guide'' which blamed the Death of Superman promotion for playing a significant role in the collapse of the comic book industry in the late 1990s.
Roger Stern adapted the death of Superman storyline into a novel, entitled ''The Death and Life of Superman'', in the summer of 1993. It was released in hardcover form and then in paperback a year later. (Hardcover ISBN 0-553-09582-X, Paperback ISBN 0-553-56930-9) A young adult version book was written by Louise Simonson under the title ''Superman: Doomsday and Beyond'' and released at the same time as the hardcover of ''Death and Life''. It features cover art by Alex Ross, his first sale to DC.
Also in 1993, Dirk Maggs produced an audio dramatization of the story for BBC Radio 5, entitled ''Superman: Doomsday & Beyond'' (retitled ''Superman Lives!'' in the US), featuring Stuart Milligan as Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El & the Eradicator, William Hootkins as Lex Luthor, Lorelei King as Lois Lane, Vincent Marzello as Jimmy Olsen, Garrick Hagon as Jonathan Kent, Kerry Shale as Connor Kent/Kon-El/Superboy & Hank/ Henshaw/Cyborg Superman, Eric Meyers as Guy Gardner, Denica Fairman as Maggie Sawyer, Liza Ross as Supergirl, Burt Kwouk as Doctor Teng, and Leon Herbert as Dr. John Henry Irons/Steel. Original Music by Mark Russell.
A scrolling beat-em-up video game called ''The Death and Return of Superman'' was released by Blizzard Entertainment and Sunsoft for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Mega Drive.
By the time ''The Death of Superman'' hit the newsstands, Warner Bros. had gained the rights to produce a fifth Superman film from Alexander Salkind. The studio selected Superman's death as the storyline for the film, and Jon Peters came in as producer, following the success of the Batman franchise, which he had also produced. From 1994 to 1998, projected film adaptations of the ''The Death of Superman'' storyline faced numerous problems with the script process. Writers proposed major changes to the character, including the absence of the Superman costume, and the lack of the power of flight. One of the writers, Kevin Smith, stated that after reading the script by Greg Poirier; ''"...the thing that bothered me about Greg Poirier’s draft: they were trying to give Superman angst. They had Clark Kent going to a psychiatrist at one point. Superman’s angst is not that he doesn’t want to be Superman. If he has any (angst), it’s that he can’t do it all; he can’t do enough and save everyone...Batman is about angst; Superman is about hope."
''Superman Reborn'', re-titled ''Superman Lives'', was slated for release on July 4, 1998, directed by Tim Burton and with Nicolas Cage to portray Superman. However, following the box office disappointment of ''Batman & Robin'', the project was scrapped.
For a more detailed look at ''Superman Lives'' and other cancelled films that led up to the release of ''Superman Returns'', see Canceled Superman films.
The Bruce Timm animated series ''Justice League'' has an episode entitled "A Better World, Part One", in which the Justice League was tricked and captured by the Justice Lords, who took their place. At the same time, Doomsday arrives from outer space in a meteor. In one scene, both the Justice Lord Superman and Doomsday punched each other out at the same time, resulting in a shockwave which destroyed several buildings. However, this did no damage to Doomsday and only nearly knocked out the alternate Superman. In the end, alternate Superman used his heat-vision to lobotomize him.
Later on in the series Dr. Milo releases Doomsday, who is revealed to be a Project Cadmus project designed to be better than Superman and bred to hold a vendetta against him. Doomsday kills Milo and then flies off to confront Superman; the two fight a battle that concludes with Superman banishing Doomsday to the phantom zone.
In the episode "Hereafter" (written by Dwayne McDuffie and directed by Butch Lukic), Superman is sent into the future by a device of Toyman's, only to wake up to a red-sunned Earth populated by giant bugs, mutant wolves, and Vandal Savage. This was, in all intents, an adaptation of the comic story "Under the Red Sun" (one of Timm's favorites). However, since Toyman's device looks like it disintegrates Superman into nothingness, the first half of the two-part episode deals with Superman's funeral, and it takes some direct elements from the Death of Superman storyline - the memorial statue, Batman watching Superman's coffin being pallborne from the rooftops, and so forth. It is not quite determinable whether this adaptation, loose though it may be, is intended seriously or in parody, as the episode balances moments of sincere emotion (Wonder Woman's almost-murder of Toyman, Batman's words to the memorial on his own) with moments that seem either deliberately exaggerated or blatantly irreverent (Lois' over-the-top outburst at Luthor, Kalibak's mockery of the old line "This looks like a job for Superman", and the inclusion of Lobo in the story).
At Comic-Con '06 Bruce Timm announced that he will produce the ''Death of Superman'' story as a Direct-To-DVD (or DTV) project, which will be titled ''.
During an interview with Newsarama.com, Timm explained that the story will cover the entire trilogy of ''The Death of Superman'', ''World Without a Superman'', & ''Reign of the Superman''. However, it will be necessarily simplified since the film will run only 75 minutes.
A trailer released in June 2007 showed a slightly altered animation style from that of the regular DCAU. Lois and Clark will have a relationship, but it's unclear whether they are married; Lex Luthor II and Supergirl are not in the film; present is the familiar Lex Luthor of the DCAU — the corrupt tycoon of LexCorp; the fight between Superman and Doomsday occurs at night (instead of during the day, as it did in the comic).
The film was screened twice at the San Diego Comic-Con '07 as a special sneak preview on Thursday, July 26th.
The DTV film will be released on September 18th, 2007.
The trade paperback ''The Death of Superman'' received the Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award for Favorite Reprint Graphic Novel or Album for 1992. The storyline of ''The Reign of the Supermen'' won the ''Comics Buyer's Guide'' Award Favorite Comic Book Story for 1992.
★ "Superman's Song" by the Canadian musical group the Crash Test Dummies anticipates the Death of Superman storyline.
★ Our Lady Peace wrote a song called "Superman's Dead", clearly referring to the storyline.
★ A September 1993 storyline in the comic strip ''FoxTrot'' had Jason drawing comic strips at Paige's expense, including one where she is shown to be responsible for Superman's death ("He saw me in a bathing suit"). A week later, Paige gets back at Jason by drawing the same cartoons with him as the butt of the jokes, including what killed Superman ("I told him we were related").
★ In ''Shortpacked!'', a strip made shortly after John Paul II's death, Mike sarcastically claims the Pope resurrected like Superman; Supermen parodies included [1].
★ Following Superman's death, ''MAD'' published a satirical poem claiming that Superman had been spiraling into depression when Doomsday struck.
★ In the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' comic mini-series, there was a top ten list of reasons to buy the comic, the #1 reason being that Sonic wasn't going to be killed off anytime soon. This was accompanied by a picture of Sally and Sonic acting out the final panel artwork of ''Superman'' #75.
★ ''Saturday Night Live'' parodied the funeral of Superman in a skit in Season 18. Episode 333 / November 21, 1992 with host Sinbad and music by Sade.
★ For April Fools' Day 2007, Spawn.com announced the "Death of Spawn" storyline, with several direct parallels and parodies of the Death of Superman.
★ In ''52'' #35 Lex Luthor deactivates many of his super powered everymen project recipients causing them to fall from the sky in an issue titled "Rain of the Supermen", an homage to the arc "Reign of the Supermen".
★ On an episode of ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' a contestant was asked who was responsible for the death of Superman in 1993 for 50,000 dollars; the contestant switched the question and got an alternate about FDR. (However, for the alternate question, Superman comics was one of the choices.)
★ ''Superman: Doomsday'' Official Website for Superman Doomsday DVD
★ ''Superman: Doomsday'' Official MySpace profile for Superman Doomsday movie
★ "Death of Superman" Promotion of 1992
★ Review and summary of every issue in sequence for the "Death of Superman" storyline (by Neal Bailey)
''Superman'' #75 (Jan. 1993). Cover art by Dan Jurgens.
"'The Death of Superman'" is a comic book storyline (culminating in ''Superman'' #75 in 1993) that served as the catalyst for DC Comics' crossover event of 1993. The completed multi-issue story arc was given the title '''The Death and Return of Superman'''.
The storyline's premise is as simple as its title: Superman engages in battle with a seemingly unstoppable killing machine named Doomsday in the streets of Metropolis. At the fight's conclusion, both combatants die from their wounds.
The crossover depicted the world's reaction to Superman's death in "Funeral For a Friend," the emergence of four individuals claiming to be the "new" Superman, and the eventual return of the original Superman in "Reign of the Supermen!"
The storyline, devised by editor Mike Carlin and the Superman writing team of Dan Jurgens, Roger Stern, Louise Simonson, Jerry Ordway, and Karl Kesel, met with enormous success: the Superman titles gained international exposure, reaching to the top of the comics sales charts and selling out overnight. The event was widely covered by national and international news media.
Origins
The story of ''The Death of Superman's conception goes back to the 1985 crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths. Following that event, DC Comics rebooted their continuity and relaunched the Superman character with the mini-series "The Man of Steel", written by John Byrne. However, due to disputes with DC, Byrne left the Superman books and was replaced by Roger Stern. While the stories continued from Byrne's revamp, sales slowly dropped. In an effort to attract female readers, the Lois Lane/Clark Kent/Superman love triangle, in place since 1938, would be changed. Thanks to John Byrne's revamp, Lois was already falling in love with Clark Kent, rather than with Superman. In a story arc titled "Krisis of Krimson Kryptonite", Clark proposes to Lois; she accepts. Although the road was set for the marriage of Lois and Clark, an unforeseen event would change these plans.
Warner Bros., the owner of DC Comics, had cancelled the'' Superboy'' television series produced by Alexander Salkind. (Salkind produced the first three Superman films starring Christopher Reeve, as well as the ''Supergirl'' movie.) Warner Bros. created their own Superman television series, '', premised upon a romantic relationship between Lois Lane and Clark Kent/Superman. One of the ideas that arose during production was the wedding of Lois Lane and Clark Kent/Superman. Warner Bros. learned that DC Comics was planning a similar plotline in the ''Superman'' comic books, and as a result DC, Warner Bros., and the ''Superman'' writing staff came together and reached an agreement: the Lois and Clark wedding arc in the comic book would be put on hold, to resume once the ''Lois & Clark'' TV show reached its wedding episode.
With the original storyline set aside in the comic, an original event was needed to replace it. ''Superman'' editor Mike Carlin came up with the idea of Superman's death. In the documentary film '' Carlin states: "the world was taking Superman for granted, so we literally said 'let's show what the world would be like without Superman'."
Storyline
Superman vs. Doomsday in front of the Daily Planet building.
''Doomsday''
On the last page of several comics prior to ''Superman: the Man of Steel'' #18, a gloved fist was shown punching a steel wall, accompanied by the caption: "Doomsday is coming!". In that issue, Superman fights the Underworlders while a hulking figure in a green suit rampages through a pastoral field. This marks the first of seven issues in the Death of Superman story proper - it would continue through all four of the Superman books at that time, and one issue of Justice League America, before culminating in ''Superman'' #75.
The Justice League (Guy Gardner, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Maxima, Fire, Ice, and Bloodwynd) respond to a call from a smashed big-rig outside of Bucyrus, Ohio, and follow the trail of destruction which leads them to a confrontation with an unknown creature that destroys Blue Beetle's aircraft. The League attempts to stop the monster, but it systematically takes the team apart, finishing by punching Booster Gold into the stratosphere. Booster Gold is caught in mid-air by Superman, and declares "It's like Doomsday is here," thus providing the monster with a name.
The Man of Steel arrives on the scene, having cut a television interview short in ''Justice League America'' #69. He and the able-bodied League members follow the threat to the home of a single mother and her two children, where their battle with "Doomsday" destroys the house. The League attacks Doomsday with all their energy-projection powers, the only discernible effect being that much of his body covering is blasted or burned off. Doomsday again takes them out, causes the house to explode into flames, and then leaps away. Superman follows, having to ignore the son's cries for help if he is to stop Doomsday.
Superman throws Doomsday into the bottom of a lake, slowing him down long enough so that the Man of Steel can return and save the mother and her infant daughter. After Doomsday escapes from the silty lake bed, he and Superman tear up a city street, and then Maxima enters the fray. Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen are sent to cover the battle for television, while Lex Luthor II dissuades Supergirl from joining the fight. The fight continues at a gas station, where Maxima rips a light post from the ground; the sparks from the wiring meet the leaking gasoline and the station is destroyed in a huge explosion. Guardian arrives after Doomsday leaves, finding Superman and Maxima, and offers his aid.
Superman then follows Doomsday's trail of destruction, waiting for an opportunity to attack. With the monster's rampage drawing closer, Lex Jr. convinces Supergirl that she's needed in Metropolis while Superman is fighting elsewhere. While demolishing an appliance store, Doomsday sees a TV commercial for a wrestling show being held in Metropolis, and after seeing a road sign for Metropolis, heads in that direction. Superman engages him and throws him in the opposite direction, where he lands on the mountain housing Project Cadmus. They brawl throughout Habitat, bringing most of it down. When the superhero Guardian arrives, Doomsday knocks him down and leaps toward Metropolis.
Doomsday is driven below ground, where he ruptures gas and electrical mains, leveling Newtown, a large section of Metropolis. Supergirl goes to Superman's aid, but a single punch from Doomsday knocks her to the ground, her form destabilized. Professor Hamilton and Bibbo, Superman's allies fire a laser cannon at Doomsday, but it does not harm him. The local police open fire on Doomsday, but again, he is not harmed. Superman returns to the fight.
Superman dies in Lois Lane's arms.
Superman and Doomsday lay into each other with everything they have. They strike each other so hard that the shockwaves from their punches shatter windows. At the struggle's culminating moment, each fighter lands a massive blow upon his opponent (Superman striking two-fisted). The two titans fall to the ground, having taken half of Metropolis down with them.
The event happened in Superman #75 (vol. 2). The issue only contains 22 panels, and every page was a single panel, which was a structure building on the previous issues—''Adventures of Superman'' #497 was done entirely with four-panel pages, ''Action Comics'' #684 with three, and ''Superman: The Man of Steel'' #19 with two. The entire story was immediately collected into a trade paperback and titled ''The Death of Superman''.
''Funeral for a Friend''
The funeral that followed featured many of Superman's fellow heroes and friends, including most of the Justice League of America, and a mausoleum was built in Metropolis in honor of the Man of Steel. During this time, every hero in the DC Universe sported a black arm band featuring the S-Shield logo. Some time later, Project Cadmus stole Superman's body from his mausoleum. It was hypothesized that they were attempting to clone him. The body was recovered by Lois Lane and Supergirl.
The stories after the funeral often dealt with the emotions felt by the general public as well as specific characters entwined within Superman's world, including Lois Lane, Clark Kent's parents, and even a number of supervillains. Also, the (then) President of the United States, Bill Clinton and wife Hillary were included in a scene during the funeral. With Superman gone, crime rises up again and the costumed heroes of Metropolis rise to fill in as protectors. Supergirl, Gangbuster, Thorn, and even Team Luthor, a Lexcorp-sponsored team, all tried but were not sufficient. Meanwhile, Jonathan Kent took the death of his adoptive son the hardest and as a result suffered a heart attack. At this point, all Superman comic titles went on a three-month hiatus.
The story was also collected into trade paperback form. Rather than using the banner title ''Funeral for a Friend'', the title used for the collection was ''World Without a Superman''.
Cover to ''Superman'' #79. Art by Dan Jurgens.
''Reign of the Supermen!''
Following hiatus on the Superman titles, they were all relaunched. Four new heroes emerged in Superman's place, one in each title, each claiming in some way to be Superman. In ''Adventures of Superman'' #500, we followed Jonathan Kent into the Afterlife. In a possible hallucination, he convinced Superman's soul to come back with him to the living. The only "evidence" that this was not a hallucination was the fact that shortly after Jonathan reawoke, 4 individuals arrived in Metropolis claiming to be Superman. This storyline was known as ''Reign of the Supermen!''
Each of the Supermen were designed with ideas taken from some of the monikers that Superman is often associated with. The four new heroes were:
★ The Man of Steel: John Henry Irons was an ironworker and ex-weapons designer for the military who wears a suit of armor and wields a hammer. He did not claim to actually be Superman, but rather to represent the spirit of Superman and continue his legacy. Steel appeared in '' starting with #22.
★ The Man of Tomorrow, also called the Cyborg Superman, arrived with augmented Kryptonian technology. He was scientifically proven to be Superman but claims amnesia in explanation to his part-mechanical nature. The Cyborg Superman appeared in ''Superman'' starting with #78.
★ The Metropolis Kid, who hated being called Superboy, is a reckless teenage clone of Superman. This Superman appeared in the ''Adventures of Superman'' starting with #501. He is the result of the brief time Cadmus attempted to clone Superman.
★ The Last Son of Krypton was a visored, energy-powered alien who dealt with criminals lethally. The Last Son of Krypton appeared in ''Action Comics'' starting with #687. He claims to have the memories of the original Superman, but his emotional distance makes Lois uncertain.
The first issue for each of the new heroes featured a cardstock cover and a poster of the new hero.
First appearance in ''Adventures of Superman'' #500 (1993). Art by Tom Grummett.
The first half of the Reign of the Supermen! story focuses on each of the Supermen “resuming” his duty as protector of Metropolis and gain acceptance from the public. The reader is teased with clues that provide each Superman the validity to being the real one, or at least a piece of the original Superman’s soul being in him. Of the four, the cyborg Man of Tomorrow and the merciless Last Son of Krypton were easily bought in by the people as the possible real Superman, this is most likely due to the fact that both of them are closest to the original in appearance. However, Lois could not approach any of them without risking the exposure of her fiancé’s secret.
In actuality, the Last Son of Krypton stole Superman's body and put it in a regeneration matrix in the Fortress of Solitude, drawing on his recovering energies to power himself, as bright light blinded him. It is revealed that the Last Son is the Eradicator, an ancient Kryptonian weapon, and the Cyborg is the deranged consciousness of Hank Henshaw, which used Superman's birthing matrix to create a physical duplicate of his body.
Superman, Steel III (John Henry Irons), and Superboy from the "Reign of the Supermen" storyline, 1993. Cover to ''Adventures of Superman'' #504 by Tom Grummett.
The regeneration matrix broke open, and the original Superman emerged, greatly depowered, but alive. Meanwhile, the Cyborg helped Mongul destroy Coast City, believing he killed the Last Son in the explosion, and captured Superboy, holding him in Engine City, a towering construct erected where Coast City once stood. Superboy escaped and flew back to Metropolis to get the Man of Steel to help him fight the Cyborg. Before he could tell the whole story, however, an overbearing Kryptonian Battlesuit rose out of the harbor, and the two heroes attacked it. After suffering heavy damage, the suit opened, revealing a still-weak Superman, who had used it to walk all the way back from the Fortress of Solitude. Despite his weakened state, he quickly joined the other Supermen in attacking Coast City. During the battle, the Cyborg launched a devastating missile at Metropolis, with the intent of destroying it and putting a second Engine City in its place. Superboy managed to grab onto the missile as it launched, riding it all the way to Metropolis, which he narrowly saved from destruction.
Green Lantern Hal Jordan had returned from space to find his hometown destroyed. He immediately attacked Engine City and fought Mongul, shattering the Man of Steel's hammer across his face. Meanwhile, the Last Son/Eradicator joined the fight after recovering in the Fortress, and blocked the Cyborg from dousing Superman with lethal Kryptonite gas. The gas interacted with the Eradicator as it passed through and into Superman, returning his powers rather than killing him. The Eradicator's body degenerated into a lifeless husk, and the Cyborg looked for Superman's body in the debris and Kryptonite mist. Superman blindsided him with an attack using his super-strength, and he punched a hole right through the Cyborg. He destroyed his body, but his consciousness survived. Supergirl used the remnants of the black Kryptonian suit to re-create Superman's traditional costume, and the group returned to Metropolis.
Again, like the previous two storylines, the collected edition of Reign of the Supermen did not use its original title, DC Comics instead chose to use ''The Return of Superman''.
Aftermath
Superman
Superman's hair growth between his awakening in the Fortress to his arrival in Metropolis was never explained. After his wedding with Lois, he finally cuts his hair.
The Surviving Supermen
Superboy (who turned out to be only a partial "clone" of Superman, with a human DNA belonging to The Man of Steel's greatest nemesis Lex Luthor) and The Man of Steel (whose name became simply "Steel") went on to become recurring characters in the DC Universe, each eventually getting his own monthly title. Superboy was a member of The Ravers, Young Justice, and the Teen Titans, before perishing in ''Infinite Crisis''. Steel appeared in some episodes of the animated series, as well as his own film, and became a member of the Justice League; he also briefly became a true superhuman, no longer relying on outside sources (i.e. the armor) to provide his powers. The Eradicator became leader of a new team of Outsiders and his status is currently unknown after the events of ''Infinite Crisis''. The Cyborg Superman became a recurring nemesis in the ''Superman'' and ''Green Lantern'' titles.
Superman Red/Superman Blue
Main articles: Superman Red/Superman Blue
Superman developed odd powers after regaining his life, eventually briefly transforming into a new look and costume. It wasn't until after this episode that Superman was fully restored to his normal self.
Death in comics
Superman's death set into motion a series of resurrections in the DC Universe. Green Arrow, Donna Troy, Elongated Man, Hal Jordan, Metamorpho, Jason Todd, and others have experienced comic book death and resurrections. These events have been attributed to the door between life and death being kept open since Superman died. (Kid Eternity said he would've closed it after going through because he "wasn't raised in a barn.") This phenomenon is also examined in the Deadman miniseries, in which Deadman visits several heroes who had shared Superman's experience.
Superman's return from death is explained by the Phantom Stranger in a stand-alone issue. As a Kryptonian, Superman's alien genetic material enables him to absorb sunlight and perform superhuman feats. Superman survived his death by entering into a hibernation-like state, and the Eradicator's use of him as a 'conduit' by which he could absorb solar energy 'restarted' Superman's body.
Superman has since come to realize that his death may never come. Several stories depict alternate futures in which he survives for hundreds of years due to his Kryptonian genetic make-up.
The Wedding
Even after Superman had returned to life, plans for Lois and Clark's wedding took some time to develop. The relationship between the two became rocky, and for a time they separated. Finally in 1996, tying into the wedding of Lois and Clark in the ''Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' television program, Lois returns to Metropolis and rekindles her romance with Clark. The two set into motion their plans for a wedding and are married in ''.
Superman: Doomsday
In the three issue mini-series ''Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey'' (1994), Superman journeys to Apokolips and Calaton to find Doomsday's body. Assisted by Waverider, he confronts Darkseid and Hank Henshaw, and finds that his killer is still alive and discovers the details of Doomsday's origin. In ''Superman: The Doomsday War'' (1998), Doomsday's mind is under the influence of Brainiac and Superman fights two of his most powerful enemies, in order to rescue Lana Lang's newborn child.
"Day of Doom"
Writer/penciller Dan Jurgen, with inker Bill Sienkiewicz revisited Superman's battle with Doomsday in the 2003 mini-series ''Superman: Day of Doom'', exploring how the event affects those who knew the fallen hero, and introducing a new villain, Remnant. This dark tale is reprinted in trade paperback.
In the days before the anniversary of Superman's death, Ty Duffy, ''The Daily Planet's staff reporter, retraces Superman's cross-country battle with Doomsday; Duffy resents the assignment. During the investigation, a mysterious figure also follows Doomsday's cross-country path, and commits a series of murders along the way. Duffy discovers that many of Superman's rogues have claimed to have created Doomsday. He ultimately comes face-to-face with the Man of Steel himself and reveals to Superman that his father committed suicide because of losses suffered connected with the battle with Doomsday. Duffy reproaches Superman, telling him that thousands have died due to his battle with Doomsday. Although Superman disagrees, he carries considerable guilt over the deaths.
On his way home, Duffy is kidnapped by Remnant, who wishes to show the world that Superman is evil. He intends to stage terrorist acts at the locations where Doomsday rampaged. Superman rescues Duffy, along with Perry White, who was also captured by the villain. Despite the victory, flyers announce that Superman is not a messiah but rather the devil incarnate; the villain disappears. Superman approaches Duffy, and challenges him to not back off from the tough questions. The Man of Steel tells Duffy he will be waiting for the conclusion of his article, and also asks him another one; if Superman wasn't around, would there be fewer Doomsdays (monsters seeking to confront Superman) or more Coast Citys (a disaster that only happened because Superman wasn't there)? Within the shadows, Remnant stalks The Man of Steel.
''Superman'' #175
After the Imperiex War, Doomsday has evolved intelligence, and intends to kill Lex Luthor. Without any aid from his allies, Superman defeats the monster on the anniversary of his original defeat of the creature at Washington DC.
''Infinite Crisis''
The Golden Age Superman, Kal-L, fought and defeated Doomsday alongside the modern Superman during the Battle of Metropolis.
Audience and media response
''The Death and Life of Superman'' storyline brought in millions of readers to DC Comics, despite the entirety of the story being intertwined through numerous different comic series, including ''Action Comics'', ''Superman,'' ''Superman: The Man of Steel,'' and ''Adventures of Superman'', among others. The cover of ''Superman'' #75 (shown above) became an iconic image: Superman's tattered cape wrapped around a pole, marking a makeshift grave.
Because of Superman's place as an American icon, his death became a multimedia event, covered by newspapers, television, and radio. Certain prints of ''Superman'' v2, #75 contained a black armband with the familiar "S" symbol adorning it. Many comics fans publicly wore the armband immediately following Superman's death, including, perhaps most famously, Jay Leno.
The death of Superman took place months before the breaking of Batman's back in the "" storyline. Some critics praised DC for boldly and innovatively drawing in more readers. However, others were critical, citing the two concurrent storylines as publicity stunts, since it was unlikely that DC would ever eliminate its most popular characters. Some years later, Chuck Rozanksi, owner of retailer Mile High Comics, would pen a
controversial essay in the ''Comics Buyer's Guide'' which blamed the Death of Superman promotion for playing a significant role in the collapse of the comic book industry in the late 1990s.
Adaptations
Roger Stern adapted the death of Superman storyline into a novel, entitled ''The Death and Life of Superman'', in the summer of 1993. It was released in hardcover form and then in paperback a year later. (Hardcover ISBN 0-553-09582-X, Paperback ISBN 0-553-56930-9) A young adult version book was written by Louise Simonson under the title ''Superman: Doomsday and Beyond'' and released at the same time as the hardcover of ''Death and Life''. It features cover art by Alex Ross, his first sale to DC.
Also in 1993, Dirk Maggs produced an audio dramatization of the story for BBC Radio 5, entitled ''Superman: Doomsday & Beyond'' (retitled ''Superman Lives!'' in the US), featuring Stuart Milligan as Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El & the Eradicator, William Hootkins as Lex Luthor, Lorelei King as Lois Lane, Vincent Marzello as Jimmy Olsen, Garrick Hagon as Jonathan Kent, Kerry Shale as Connor Kent/Kon-El/Superboy & Hank/ Henshaw/Cyborg Superman, Eric Meyers as Guy Gardner, Denica Fairman as Maggie Sawyer, Liza Ross as Supergirl, Burt Kwouk as Doctor Teng, and Leon Herbert as Dr. John Henry Irons/Steel. Original Music by Mark Russell.
A scrolling beat-em-up video game called ''The Death and Return of Superman'' was released by Blizzard Entertainment and Sunsoft for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Mega Drive.
The Superman Lives Film Adapation
By the time ''The Death of Superman'' hit the newsstands, Warner Bros. had gained the rights to produce a fifth Superman film from Alexander Salkind. The studio selected Superman's death as the storyline for the film, and Jon Peters came in as producer, following the success of the Batman franchise, which he had also produced. From 1994 to 1998, projected film adaptations of the ''The Death of Superman'' storyline faced numerous problems with the script process. Writers proposed major changes to the character, including the absence of the Superman costume, and the lack of the power of flight. One of the writers, Kevin Smith, stated that after reading the script by Greg Poirier; ''"...the thing that bothered me about Greg Poirier’s draft: they were trying to give Superman angst. They had Clark Kent going to a psychiatrist at one point. Superman’s angst is not that he doesn’t want to be Superman. If he has any (angst), it’s that he can’t do it all; he can’t do enough and save everyone...Batman is about angst; Superman is about hope."
''Superman Reborn'', re-titled ''Superman Lives'', was slated for release on July 4, 1998, directed by Tim Burton and with Nicolas Cage to portray Superman. However, following the box office disappointment of ''Batman & Robin'', the project was scrapped.
For a more detailed look at ''Superman Lives'' and other cancelled films that led up to the release of ''Superman Returns'', see Canceled Superman films.
Justice League Adaptations
In this Justice League episode ("A Better World"), the Justice Lord Superman and Doomsday are about to trade their final punches.
The Bruce Timm animated series ''Justice League'' has an episode entitled "A Better World, Part One", in which the Justice League was tricked and captured by the Justice Lords, who took their place. At the same time, Doomsday arrives from outer space in a meteor. In one scene, both the Justice Lord Superman and Doomsday punched each other out at the same time, resulting in a shockwave which destroyed several buildings. However, this did no damage to Doomsday and only nearly knocked out the alternate Superman. In the end, alternate Superman used his heat-vision to lobotomize him.
Later on in the series Dr. Milo releases Doomsday, who is revealed to be a Project Cadmus project designed to be better than Superman and bred to hold a vendetta against him. Doomsday kills Milo and then flies off to confront Superman; the two fight a battle that concludes with Superman banishing Doomsday to the phantom zone.
In the episode "Hereafter" (written by Dwayne McDuffie and directed by Butch Lukic), Superman is sent into the future by a device of Toyman's, only to wake up to a red-sunned Earth populated by giant bugs, mutant wolves, and Vandal Savage. This was, in all intents, an adaptation of the comic story "Under the Red Sun" (one of Timm's favorites). However, since Toyman's device looks like it disintegrates Superman into nothingness, the first half of the two-part episode deals with Superman's funeral, and it takes some direct elements from the Death of Superman storyline - the memorial statue, Batman watching Superman's coffin being pallborne from the rooftops, and so forth. It is not quite determinable whether this adaptation, loose though it may be, is intended seriously or in parody, as the episode balances moments of sincere emotion (Wonder Woman's almost-murder of Toyman, Batman's words to the memorial on his own) with moments that seem either deliberately exaggerated or blatantly irreverent (Lois' over-the-top outburst at Luthor, Kalibak's mockery of the old line "This looks like a job for Superman", and the inclusion of Lobo in the story).
Superman: Doomsday
Superman vs. Doomsday as it will look like on the DVD.
At Comic-Con '06 Bruce Timm announced that he will produce the ''Death of Superman'' story as a Direct-To-DVD (or DTV) project, which will be titled ''.
During an interview with Newsarama.com, Timm explained that the story will cover the entire trilogy of ''The Death of Superman'', ''World Without a Superman'', & ''Reign of the Superman''. However, it will be necessarily simplified since the film will run only 75 minutes.
A trailer released in June 2007 showed a slightly altered animation style from that of the regular DCAU. Lois and Clark will have a relationship, but it's unclear whether they are married; Lex Luthor II and Supergirl are not in the film; present is the familiar Lex Luthor of the DCAU — the corrupt tycoon of LexCorp; the fight between Superman and Doomsday occurs at night (instead of during the day, as it did in the comic).
The film was screened twice at the San Diego Comic-Con '07 as a special sneak preview on Thursday, July 26th.
The DTV film will be released on September 18th, 2007.
Awards
The trade paperback ''The Death of Superman'' received the Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award for Favorite Reprint Graphic Novel or Album for 1992. The storyline of ''The Reign of the Supermen'' won the ''Comics Buyer's Guide'' Award Favorite Comic Book Story for 1992.
Popular Culture
★ "Superman's Song" by the Canadian musical group the Crash Test Dummies anticipates the Death of Superman storyline.
★ Our Lady Peace wrote a song called "Superman's Dead", clearly referring to the storyline.
★ A September 1993 storyline in the comic strip ''FoxTrot'' had Jason drawing comic strips at Paige's expense, including one where she is shown to be responsible for Superman's death ("He saw me in a bathing suit"). A week later, Paige gets back at Jason by drawing the same cartoons with him as the butt of the jokes, including what killed Superman ("I told him we were related").
★ In ''Shortpacked!'', a strip made shortly after John Paul II's death, Mike sarcastically claims the Pope resurrected like Superman; Supermen parodies included [1].
★ Following Superman's death, ''MAD'' published a satirical poem claiming that Superman had been spiraling into depression when Doomsday struck.
★ In the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' comic mini-series, there was a top ten list of reasons to buy the comic, the #1 reason being that Sonic wasn't going to be killed off anytime soon. This was accompanied by a picture of Sally and Sonic acting out the final panel artwork of ''Superman'' #75.
★ ''Saturday Night Live'' parodied the funeral of Superman in a skit in Season 18. Episode 333 / November 21, 1992 with host Sinbad and music by Sade.
★ For April Fools' Day 2007, Spawn.com announced the "Death of Spawn" storyline, with several direct parallels and parodies of the Death of Superman.
★ In ''52'' #35 Lex Luthor deactivates many of his super powered everymen project recipients causing them to fall from the sky in an issue titled "Rain of the Supermen", an homage to the arc "Reign of the Supermen".
★ On an episode of ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' a contestant was asked who was responsible for the death of Superman in 1993 for 50,000 dollars; the contestant switched the question and got an alternate about FDR. (However, for the alternate question, Superman comics was one of the choices.)
External links
★ ''Superman: Doomsday'' Official Website for Superman Doomsday DVD
★ ''Superman: Doomsday'' Official MySpace profile for Superman Doomsday movie
★ "Death of Superman" Promotion of 1992
★ Review and summary of every issue in sequence for the "Death of Superman" storyline (by Neal Bailey)
This article provided by Wikipedia. To edit the contents of this article, click here for original source.
psst.. try this: add to faves
