100 Greatest Superhero Stories Ever
By Steve Lam
Image Courtesy of DC Comics
#61. “The Death and Return of Superman” Story Arc
(a.k.a “The Death of Superman” Story Arc: “Doomsday!,” “Funeral for a Friend,” “Reign of the Supermen”)
Medium
Comic Book
Release Dates
Titles Affected: Action Comics, Justice League America, Green Lantern, Adventures of Superman, Superman, Superman: Man of Steel
October 1992–November 1992 (“Doomsday!”)
January 1993–June 1993 (“Funeral for a Friend”)
June 1993–October 1993 (“Reign of the Supermen”)
Credits
Writers: Dan Jurgens, Louise Simonson, Roger Stern, Jerry Ordway, Karl Kesel, William Messner-Loebs, Gerard Jones
Pencillers: Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett, Jackson Guice, Dan Jurgens, Dennis Janke, Denis Rodier, Walt Simonson, Curt Swan, M.D. Bright
Inkers: Brett Breeding, Doug Hazelwood, Dennis Janke, Denis Rodier, Rick Burchett, Mike Machian, Andre Parks, Josef Rubinstein, Trevor Scott, Walter Simonson, Romeo Tanghal
Editor Mike Carlin
The Reason It’s Great
In 1993, the unthinkable happened—The Man of Steel died. However, shortly after, he reemerged greater than ever. “The Death of Superman” was seen by many as a ploy to sell comics and it was also partly to blame for the downfall of the comics industry in the 1990s. However, the story is one of the best Superman stories out there. The reason it ranks at the top is due to its epic nature and the psychological aftermath of various characters in the DC universe.
Told in three arcs, the story started with “Doomsday!” which had the Ultimate—an abomination created on Krypton—reawakening deep below the earth. He soon goes on a rampage where various heroes are unable to stop him. Superman eventually faces off with the murderous behemoth and sacrifices himself to save everyone.
The second arc, “Funeral for a Friend,” showed the impact Superman’s death had on the population. There were perspectives from friends and family, and also Superman’s enemies. The third and final arc, “Reign of the Supermen!,” saw four individuals claiming to be the resurrected Man of Steel.
Eventually, a fifth individual, without powers, arrived. It was soon discovered that this final individual was the real Superman and that he had gone into a form of Kryptonian hibernation to heal after his fight with Doomsday.
The “Death of Superman” has had quite an impact on the DC universe. The storyline was the basis for Superman: Doomsday, an animated film adaptation. Most recently, elements of the storyline were used in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Superman’s death is now seen as a marker and milestone in DC’s colorful and diverse history.