100 Greatest Superhero Stories Ever
By Steve Lam
Image Courtesy of DC Comics
#90. Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow
Medium
Comic Book
Release Dates
September 1986 (Part 1: Superman #423)
September 1986 (Part 2: Action Comics #583)
Credits
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciller: Curt Swan
Inkers: George Pérez, Kurt Schaffenberger
Letterer: Todd Klein
Colorist: Gene D’Angelo
Editor: Julius Schwartz
The Reason It’s Great
Leave it to Alan Moore—creator of a few more stories you’ll see on this list—to write a definitive conclusion about the Man of Steel. The two-part story was dark, but still retained everything fans loved about Superman.
The history behind the making of this crossover is an interesting one. After DC rebooted its universe with the Crisis on Infinite Earths event (another story that made it to our list), the publisher wanted to close out the Silver Age Superman with a final in-continuity story.
They originally tapped Superman creator Jerry Siegel to write it, but he couldn’t due to legal restrictions. That’s when they brought on Alan Moore—who took it upon himself to go through the whole history of the Man of Steel.
The result was a powerful tribute that respectfully honored the overall history of Superman. It’s set ten years after his disappearance and is told from the perspective of Lois Lane. The tale is heart-wrenching, but offers hope and optimism in the end.
Through the years, Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow has been revered as one of the greatest DC stories ever told. A very fitting tribute to one of the greatest superheroes the world has ever known.