History ComicBook / TheDeathOfSuperman

* SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale: The total death toll of Doomsday's attack? Well, concrete numbers are hard to come by, but from the ones we are given, it's ''less than one thousand''. Now, that might just be from the battle in Metropolis, the estimate from Doomsday's rampage from Ohio to Metropolis ([[WhereTheHellIsSpringfield explicitly in New York State, at least for this story]])?'' Just over one hundred.'' Apparently, Doomsday really sucks at being a mindless destroyer killing everything in its path. At least partially justified, however: The JLA and Superman worked hard at keeping Doomsday's attention focused on them, as well as protecting and rescuing people caught in the way. . . the JLA may have just been really good at it.

[[caption-width-right:350: “For this is the day - that a Superman died.”]]

* StartOfDarkness: The destruction of Coast City was the catalyst that caused [[ComicBook/GreenLantern Hal Jordon]] to go insane. At least until the {{Retcon}}.

* GenericDoomsdayVillain: The TropeNamer. Doomsday was just raw unstoppable rage on wheels with no agenda outside destruction and couldn't be reasoned with. Also, while [[BrainsEvilBrawnGood previous Superman villains were smart to counter the hero's strength]], Doomsday was also superstrong, [[DumbMuscle with all the lack of personality this implies.]] Most of his depth comes from the back story in later comics.

* '''The Metropolis Kid (ComicBook/{{Superboy}}):''' A reckless, fame-seeking teenage (assumed) {{clon|ingBlues}}e created by a secret government project. He cheerfully admits to being a clone, and plans to become [[LegacyCharacter Superman's successor]]. [[BerserkButton Don't ever call him]] ComicBook/{{Superboy}}. Featured in ''Adventures of Superman''.

It was eventually revealed that the real Superman was none of them; his corpse was turned into a HumanPopsicle to be used as a LivingBattery by The Last Son of Krypton (who turned out to actually ''be'' The Eradicator). The Cyborg Superman was actually Hank Henshaw, an AntiVillain from a previous story, now [[NotSoHarmlessVillain a bona fide threat]] (with Mongul as his [[TheDragon Dragon]]) whom the others had to team up to stop. Superman was soon BackFromTheDead afterwards, and (infamously) came back with a mullet, which lasted four years. The Superman [[LegacyHero legacy carriers]] stuck around for other stories, with two of them (ComicBook/{{Superboy}} and ComicBook/{{Steel}}) even getting their own series. Steel would also appear in ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' and ''[[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Justice League Unlimited]]'', and Superboy is a main character in ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice''. The ''Reign'' also debuted Kismet, who was the living embodiment of the DC Universe, similar to Eternity from Marvel Comics.

* BreakoutCharacter: ComicBook/{{Superboy}} went on to become a prominent DC character. ComicBook/{{Steel}} didn't become as prominent, but did get ADayInTheLimelight for the year-long ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'' series.

* HowDoIShotWeb: ComicBook/{{Superboy}} does not know how his "metal disassembling power" works (explained later on as tactile [[MindOverMatter telekinesis]]).

* YoungerAndHipper: ComicBook/{{Superboy}} is a pastiche of this type of trend.

** Even Guy Gardner reveals his relief he's dead, at least [[StepfordSmiler publically]].

* MagicalDefibrillator: In the first part of "Funeral For A Friend (a.k.a. World Without a Superman)", medics haul out normal defibrillators to try to revive Superman and doesn't do anything. So, Professor Hamilton hauls out a device that requires a massive energy charge for one use and forces the user to wear a personal force field to protect them from the shock. Bibbo is the first to try it. Bibbo gets blown across the street, out cold. Does jack to Superman.

** Even Guy Gardner reveals his relief he's dead.

** Even when Superman finally returns, it's with all the trappings of Darker and Edgier, but without their substance. He has a new black costume with no cape, his powers have been drained so he's no longer the InvincibleHero, which requires him to use [[{{BFG}} big honkin' energy guns]] against the villains at the climax, and his hair has grown out into a mullet. But he's still the [[AllLovingHero kind, good-hearted, complimentary]] [[TheCape cape]] we all know and love, who won't let anything get in the way of protecting people, won't let anything stop him from doing what's right. '''That's''' Superman, accept no substitutes.

* AffirmativeActionLegacy: Sort of with the African American Steel. He didn't outright want to replace Superman, but just wanted to keep his spirit alive.
** Ron Troupe essentially became Clark Kent's successor while the latter was missing and presumed dead. He even wrote Superman's obit.

It was eventually revealed that the real Superman was none of them; his corpse was turned into a HumanPopsicle to be used as a LivingBattery by The Last Son of Krypton (who turned out to actually ''be'' The Eradicator). The Cyborg Superman was actually Hank Henshaw, an AntiVillain from a previous story, now [[NotSoHarmlessVillain a bona fide threat]] (with Mongul as his [[TheDragon Dragon]]) whom the others had to team up to stop. Superman was soon BackFromTheDead afterwards, and (infamously) came back with a mullet, which lasted four years. The Superman [[LegacyHero legacy carriers]] stuck around for other stories, with two of them (ComicBook/{{Superboy}} and ComicBook/{{Steel}}) even getting their own series. Steel would also appear in ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' and ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'', and Superboy is a main character in ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice''. The ''Reign'' also debuted Kismet, who was the living embodiment of the DC Universe, similar to Eternity from Marvel Comics.

Later stories brought back Doomsday as well, who was revealed to have been created as an experiment on Krypton and buried on Earth long ago. Doomsday is now considered to be one of Superman's staple [[RoguesGallery rogues]] due to killing him, and as such has appeared both in the DC canon and in many adaptations afterwards. However he hasn't been quite as menacing since then, probably because he no longer has a story-backed reason to be.

With the Comicbook/{{New 52}}, ''The Death and Return'' was taken out of the DC continuity, along with many other stories. Doomsday, however, still existed in the new universe, and makes a full New 52 debut in the ''[[ComicBook/SupermanDoomed Doomed]]'' storyline, which itself was loosely based on ''The Death of Superman''. However, thanks to the events of ''ComicBook/SupermanReborn'', the storyline is restored to continuity, though the biggest major change was the continued absence of Superboy.[[note]]Who was later revealed in ComicBook/YoungJustice2019 to have been trapped in another dimension during the entire ''Flashpoint'' reboot. He returned to find himself a stranger in a world that had changed without him.[[/note]]

It was eventually revealed that the real Superman was none of them; his corpse was turned into a HumanPopsicle to be used as a LivingBattery by The Last Son of Krypton(who turned out to actually ''be'' The Eradicator). The Cyborg Superman was actually Hank Henshaw, an AntiVillain from a previous story, now [[NotSoHarmlessVillain a bona fide threat]] (with Mongul as his [[TheDragon Dragon]]) whom the others had to team up to stop. Superman was soon BackFromTheDead afterwards, and (infamously) came back with a mullet, which lasted four years. The Superman [[LegacyHero legacy carriers]] stuck around for other stories, with two of them (ComicBook/{{Superboy}} and ComicBook/{{Steel}}) even getting their own series. Steel would also appear in ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' and ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'', and Superboy is a main character in ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice''. The ''Reign'' also debuted Kismet, who was the living embodiment of the DC Universe, similar to Eternity from Marvel Comics.

The storyline had the most lasting impact on Franchise/GreenLantern. [[spoiler:Henshaw]] turned out to be a villain collaborating with [[spoiler: Mongul]] to prepare Earth to be converted into a Warworld (basically like a Death Star). He started by annihilating [[Franchise/GreenLantern Hal Jordan's]] home town of Coast City, while Jordan was in space. When Jordan returned, his grief drove him into his controversial turn as [[FaceHeelTurn Parallax]].

** Even when Superman finally returns, it's with all the trappings of Darker and Edgier, but without their substance. He has a new black costume with no cape, his powers have been drained so he's no longer the BoringInvincibleHero, which requires him to use [[{{BFG}} big honkin' energy guns]] against the villains at the climax, and his hair has grown out into a mullet. But he's still the [[AllLovingHero kind, good-hearted, complimentary]] [[TheCape cape]] we all know and love, who won't let anything get in the way of protecting people, won't let anything stop him from doing what's right. '''That's''' Superman, accept no substitutes.

With the Comicbook/{{New 52}}, ''The Death and Return'' was taken out of the DC continuity, along with many other stories. Doomsday, however, still existed in the new universe, and makes a full New 52 debut in the ''[[ComicBook/SupermanDoomed Doomed]]'' storyline, which itself was loosely based on ''The Death of Superman''. However, thanks to the events of ''ComicBook/SupermanReborn'', the storyline is restored to continuity, though the biggest major change is the removal of Superboy.

* EvilAlbino: The White Rabbit, who was Steel's nemesis from "Reign Of The Supermen".

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/capeflag.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350: ''Here lies Earth's greatest hero.'']]

* AttemptedRape: It is heavily implied that, in their introductory issues, The Last Son and Superbly maintain the "attempted" qualifier when they separately interrupt attacks on two different attractive young women.

* AttemptedRape: It is heavily implied that, in their introductory issues, The Last Son and Superbly maintain the "attempted" qualifier when they separately interrupt attacks on two different attractive young women.

* SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale: The total death toll of Doomsday's attack? Well, concrete numbers are hard to by, but from the ones we are given, it's ''less than one thousand''. Now, that might just be from the battle in Metropolis, the estimate from Doomsday's rampage from Ohio to Metropolis ([[WhereTheHellIsSpringfield explicitly in New York State, at least for this story]])?''Just over one hundred.'' Apparently, Doomsday really sucks at being a mindless destroyer killing everything in its path. At least partially justified, however: The JLA and Superman worked hard at keeping Doomsday's attention focused on them, as well as protecting and rescuing people caught in the way. . . the JLA may have just been really good at it.