| 1 | %% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1579279483027373500 |
| 2 | %% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread. |
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| 4 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_29799859_sy475.png]] |
| 5 | [[caption-width-right:300: "For this is the day -- that a Superman died."]] |
| 6 | |
| 7 | %% |
| 8 | For some reason, killing off ComicBook/{{Superman}} is a popular idea. It may be because, being the [[TheCape Ultimate Hero]], it is [[DyingMomentOfAwesome awesome]] to see him make the [[HeroicSacrifice ultimate sacrifice]]. Maybe it's because he's normally [[InvincibleHero invulnerable to nearly everything]] and so his death comes as a shock. Maybe it's a [[MessianicArchetype Christ]] [[FauxSymbolism allegory]]. Or maybe it's because some people can't stand the character and want to see him offed [[StatusQuoIsGod even if only for a short while]]. Whatever the case, this has been done several times in various media over the decades. |
| 9 | |
| 10 | The first occasions were as "imaginary stories" (that is, set outside of the official {{continuity}}) published during MediaNotes/{{the Silver Age of comic|books}}s. Notably, the first "[[ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman1961 Death of Superman]]" [[http://www.cbr.com/silver-age-september-the-first-death-of-superman/ story]] (''Superman #149'') was written by Creator/{{Jerry Siegel|AndJoeShuster}} in 1961. Originally an imaginary story, ''Absolute Crisis on Infinite Earths'' revealed that this story is in fact an alternate real universe: Earth-149. |
| 11 | |
| 12 | Another notable one was ''ComicBook/WhateverHappenedToTheManOfTomorrow'', which was about a theoretical end to the pre-Crisis Superman. |
| 13 | |
| 14 | The final episode of ''WesternAnimation/SuperFriends'' (aired in November 1985), was also titled "The Death of Superman", and opened with the funeral ceremony, featuring [[BurialInSpace the coffin being sent into the sun]]. [[DisneyDeath He gets better--]][[OnlyMostlyDead he was only mostly dead.]] An earlier story from ''Challenge of the Superfriends'' also featured Superman (and the rest of the League) being killed by the Legion of Doom using a Noxium crystal (except what really happened was the heroes [[FakingTheDead staging their demises using robot doubles]]). |
| 15 | |
| 16 | However, the most famous instance was the StoryArc called ''The Death of Superman'' in the canon comics during [[MediaNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks the 1990s]]. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | ''The Death of Superman'' arc happened by accident: originally, the then-current Superman writers were going to get Superman and Lois Lane married; however, ''[[Series/LoisAndClark Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman]]'' was already green-lit at ABC, and the producers of the show wanted the wedding to happen first on the show. Forced to come up with a new storyline to replace "The Wedding" arc, Jerry Ordway, the then-current writer for ''The Adventures of Superman'', jokingly said at the next meeting, "Let's just kill 'im!" Normally, the other writers would laugh it off, but this time, they would do the deed. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | The whole arc, sometimes called ''The Death and Return of Superman'' for obvious reasons, is split into three parts: |
| 21 | * ''Doomsday!'' (November, 1992-January, 1993), compiled as ''The Death of Superman'' |
| 22 | * ''Funeral for a Friend'' (January-June, 1993), initially compiled as ''World Without a Superman'', but later compilations would revert to the original title. |
| 23 | * ''Reign of the Supermen!'' (June-October, 1993), compiled as ''[[SpoilerTitle The Return of Superman]]'' |
| 24 | |
| 25 | In the first part, a monster named [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Doomsday]] comes out of nowhere and thrashes both Superman AND the ComicBook/JusticeLeagueInternational. This culminates in ''Superman'' vol. 2 #75, when the monster attacks Metropolis, and Superman is forced to [[IAmNotLeftHanded unleash all of his hidden power]] to stop it, killing Doomsday but also getting mortally wounded in the process. He dies in ComicBook/LoisLane's arms, and his ragged cape ended up hung on a pole as a sort of tragic flag in what's possibly the most effective visual ever seen in comic book history. |
| 26 | |
| 27 | Naturally, Creator/DCComics was [[LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt NOT]] planning on really killing off [[CashCowFranchise their flag-carrier]] permanently: it was a [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity publicity stunt]] to boost sales, and the plan was to soon bring him back. However, the general media picked up the story and ran with it, and a lot of people believed it. This is because, at the time, not only had this thing ''not'' been done to death (this story may have been the TropeCodifier for DeathIsCheap, whose former {{Trope Namer|s}} is "Comic Book Death"), but the idea of killing off such an iconic figure in pop culture came as a shock to many, with Superman's death [[https://youtu.be/ovqnWgRNmZ4?feature=shared even managing to make national news]] and inspiring a memorable ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' sketch depicting his funeral. |
| 28 | |
| 29 | A rapid series of FollowTheLeader events followed this: Superman hadn't even gotten back to life when ComicBook/{{Batman}} got his back broken in ''ComicBook/{{Knightfall}}''[[note]]Though DC constantly insisted that ''Knightfall'' was being planned ''long'' before [=TDoS=][[/note]]; ComicBook/WonderWoman got replaced by AntiHeroSubstitute Artemis in ''ComicBook/TheContest''[[note]]a story closely mirroring a Bronze Age story where she loses to a completely different red-headed Amazon[[/note]]; Oliver Queen was killed off and succeeded as ComicBook/GreenArrow by his son Connor Hawke; perhaps most infamously, Hal Jordan [[ComicBook/EmeraldTwilight went insane]] and [[FaceHeelTurn became a villain]], adopting the new name Parallax[[note]]afterwards becoming the main villain of ''ComicBook/ZeroHourCrisisInTime'', then [[RedemptionEqualsDeath sacrificing himself]] in ''ComicBook/FinalNight''[[/note]], and was replaced by the YoungerAndHipper Kyle Rayner. Meanwhile, over at Marvel, the ComicBook/SpiderMan moniker went back and forth between Peter Parker and his clone Ben Reilly during ''ComicBook/TheCloneSaga''. |
| 30 | |
| 31 | After the obligatory period of mourning, DC then decided to milk the story a bit more, and extended it to last nearly a year with the rather inventive idea of having not one but FOUR people showing up and claiming to ''be'' a resurrected Superman. Each of these characters was allowed to star in one of Superman's then-current titles for a few months. These were: |
| 32 | |
| 33 | * '''The Man of Tomorrow (Cyborg Superman):''' A [[HollywoodCyborg cyborg]] version of Superman, whose DNA was a match for the original's and whose mechanical parts were Kryptonian tech. He claimed amnesia about who repaired him, yet he could recall crucial details about Superman's past. Featured in ''Superman'' Vol. 2. |
| 34 | * '''The Last Son of Krypton (Eradicator):''' A vigilante with a personality similar to the one Superman had demonstrated in an earlier arc, where he (under the influence of a Kryptonian artifact called The Eradicator) became [[KnightTemplar ruthlessly logical]]. Featured in ''Action Comics''. |
| 35 | * '''The Metropolis Kid (ComicBook/{{Superboy|1994}}):''' A reckless, fame-seeking teenage (assumed) clone 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''. |
| 36 | * '''The Man of Steel (ComicBook/{{Steel}}):''' A [[AffirmativeActionLegacy black]] hero wearing a suit of PoweredArmor and [[CarryABigStick swinging a sledgehammer]]. He was the only one to both admit he was NOT Superman from the start ''and'' not actively claim the name for himself. [[MeaningfulName John Henry Irons]] merely wanted to keep the spirit of Superman alive (although there were hints that he may have been literally serving as an anchor for Superman's soul). Featured in ''Superman: The Man of Steel'', naturally. |
| 37 | |
| 38 | It was eventually revealed that the real Superman was... None of them. Kal-El's 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|1994}} and ComicBook/{{Steel}}) even getting their own series. Steel would also appear in ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' and ''[[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Justice League Unlimited]]'' and even gained enough notoriety to get [[Film/{{Steel}} his own movie]], while Superboy became a main character in ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010''. The ''Reign'' also debuted Kismet, who was the living embodiment of the DC Universe, similar to Eternity from Marvel Comics. |
| 39 | |
| 40 | The storyline had the most lasting impact, surprisingly, on the ComicBook/GreenLantern. Henshaw and Mongul worked to prepare Earth to be converted into a Warworld (basically like a Death Star). And to start it off he annihilated [[ComicBook/GreenLantern Hal Jordan's]] home town of Coast City, building [[EternalEngine Engine City]] in its ruins[[note]]planning to later do the same to Metropolis[[/note]], while Jordan was in space. Jordan actually returned to Earth while the Supermen were fighting in Engine City, and understandably was not happy. This ultimately led to the aforementioned ''ComicBook/EmeraldTwilight'' storyline, where he destroyed the Green Lantern Corps and the Guardians, becoming Parallax. |
| 41 | |
| 42 | 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 {{rogues|Gallery}} 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, as well as the fact that since when he dies, he comes back evolved to be resistant to what killed him that time, it makes it tough for the writers to use him without major VillainDecay. |
| 43 | |
| 44 | With the ComicBook/New52, ''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]] |
| 45 | |
| 46 | In 2022, just in time for [[MilestoneCelebration the 30th anniversary]] of this story arc, it was revealed that a SpiritualSuccessor was in the works -- not only was Superman going to die (again) in this arc, but '''all of the [[ComicBook/JusticeLeagueInfiniteFrontier Justice League]]''' would be dying with him, including Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern (John Stewart), ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}, ComicBook/MartianManhunter, Green Arrow, ComicBook/BlackCanary, ComicBook/{{Hawkgirl}}, and ComicBook/{{Zatanna}}, along with every member of the Justice League Incarnate team -- with [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Black Adam]] as the SoleSurvivor. ''The Death of the Justice League'' is set TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture of the setting as of ''[[ComicBook/DCInfiniteFrontier Infinite Frontier]]'', with many of the allies of the fallen heroes being pushed into greater positions of power ahead of a massive conflict. The event also serves as a prelude to [[CrisisCrossover the next big crossover story arc]], ''ComicBook/DarkCrisisOnInfiniteEarths''. In contrast to ''The Death of Superman'', the ongoing titles featuring the aforementioned characters actually continued around the same time, showing their exploits prior to their untimely demises. As well, a 30th anniversary one-shot, reuniting the original creators that helmed the iconic storyline, was announced on July 27, featuring four new stories - three focusing on the point of views of the Guardian, John Henry Irons and the Kents and one story featuring a young [[Characters/SupermanJonathanSamuelKent Jonathan Kent]] learning of the events of his dad's death and facing a new threat called "Doombringer". |
| 47 | |
| 48 | A video game adaptation was made by Creator/BlizzardEntertainment and Creator/{{Sunsoft}} for the Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem in 1994, and for the Platform/SegaGenesis in 1995. An animated movie based on the storyline titled ''WesternAnimation/SupermanDoomsday'' came out in 2007 and started off the WesternAnimation/DCUniverseAnimatedOriginalMovies line. However, ''Doomsday'' took many liberties with the original arc to [[AdaptationDistillation condense it]] into one movie. The line later revisited the story with a relatively TruerToTheText adaptation, split into [[MovieMultipack two parts]], named ''WesternAnimation/TheDeathOfSuperman'' and ''WesternAnimation/ReignOfTheSupermen'', in 2018 and 2019 respectively. |
| 49 | |
| 50 | The Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse film ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'' takes some inspiration from this storyline. |
| 51 | |
| 52 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 53 | |
| 54 | ---- |
| 55 | !!This ComicBook provides examples of: |
| 56 | |
| 57 | [[folder:A - H]] |
| 58 | * NinetiesAntiHero: Both Cyborg Superman and the Eradicator are pastiches of this 90's trend. [[spoiler:Only the Eradicator plays this straight. Cyborg Superman (aka Hank Henshaw) is a villain. Superman himself plays with it a bit after coming back, wearing a black suit, mullet, and carrying guns in the battle at Engine City as he still doesn't have his powers back, but his personality is still firmly in "Big Blue Boyscout."]] |
| 59 | * AdaptedOut: |
| 60 | ** The adaptations of the story (such as the video game, the novelization, and the audio drama) don't include Green Lantern at all, even though they still feature Coast City being destroyed. |
| 61 | ** Mongul wasn't in the video game either, even though his minions (Warworlder, Destroyer, etc.) were. Supergirl is also removed from the video game. |
| 62 | ** The junior novelization ''Superman: Doomsday and Beyond'' is greatly reduced from the main storyline to start; among other changes, it leaves out the Justice League's role in the assault on Doomsday and [[spoiler: Henshaw's]] later manipulations to have them offworld before the plot with Warworld kicks off. |
| 63 | * ADayInTheLimelight: The one-shot ''The Legacy of Superman'' focuses on Metropolis's remaining heroes: Gangbuster, the Guardian, Sinbad, Waverider, and the Thorn. |
| 64 | * AntagonistInMourning: Zig-zagged. Toyman is shown to genuinely be mourning Superman's death, while Lex is only upset at being robbed of the chance to kill Superman himself. Parasite meanwhile has zero problems hearing the news and even makes a couple snide comments about never being able to feed on him again. The general prison population is shown to be similarly split, with some gleeful and others acknowledging the lives he saved, such as the mother of one of them. |
| 65 | * AffirmativeActionLegacy: |
| 66 | ** Sort of with the African American Steel. He didn't outright want to replace Superman, but just wanted to keep his spirit alive. |
| 67 | ** Ron Troupe essentially became Clark Kent's successor while the latter was missing and presumed dead. He even wrote Superman's obit. Fortunately, he's not shunted aside when Clark returns, and instead becomes another important voice at the Daily Planet. |
| 68 | * AGodAmI: The Last Son of Krypton nearly ran with this when a cult confronted him and praised him as the resurrected hero. |
| 69 | * AppropriatedAppellation: The name "Doomsday" was given to it by ComicBook/BoosterGold. |
| 70 | * ArcWords: "Doomsday is coming". |
| 71 | * AttemptedRape: It is heavily implied that, in their introductory issues, The Last Son and Superboy maintain the "attempted" qualifier when they separately interrupt attacks on two different attractive young women. |
| 72 | * {{BFG}}: Part of Steel's origin and initial battles involved a man-portable Plasma cannon he originally designed being sold to gangsters. |
| 73 | * BackFromTheDead: Superman, he can't stay dead forever. |
| 74 | * BaitAndSwitch: Superman's return involves this. [[spoiler: Action Comics #689 is the issue where he revives, but it's deliberately kept ambiguous as to who it is and plays it up like it's the Last Son of Krypton, and it's only later made clear to the reader that the person featured in that scene was the real Superman.]] |
| 75 | * BaitTheDog: Doomsday's EstablishingCharacterMoment has him [[EnemyToAllLivingThings crush a bird that he goaded to land in his hand. ]] |
| 76 | * BatmanGrabsAGun: The real Superman comes back armed with GunsAkimbo. Justified, in that he's depowered and needs help. He still maintains a ThouShaltNotKill and uses the guns only on robotic enemies. |
| 77 | * BattleTrophy: Superboy takes some shades from one of the criminals he stops, which become part of his signature look. |
| 78 | * BellyFlopCrushing: During the "Reign of the Supermen" arc, John Henry Irons (Steel) was attacked this way by a henchman of the White Rabbit who had the ability to expand his mass to great proportions. Fortunately, Steel wasn't harmed, and managed to get himself out by giving the henchman painful burns on his stomach with his foot rockets. |
| 79 | * BerserkButton: It's generally not a good idea to call Superboy anything other than Superman, prior to the real Superman's return. Destroying his jacket is also not recommended. |
| 80 | * BigBad: Doomsday for ''The Death of Superman'', Director Westfield and Project Cadmus for ''Funeral for a Friend'', and [[spoiler:Cyborg Superman]] for ''Reign of the Supermen''. |
| 81 | * BigDamnKiss: Between Superman and Lois at the end of the story: |
| 82 | -->"There is no doubt in her mind. She's in his arms, faster than a speeding bullet." |
| 83 | * BigNo: Booster Gold roars this when Ice fears that Blue Beetle is dead. His accompanying RoaringRampageOfRevenge doesn't last very long, either. |
| 84 | * BloodlessCarnage: {{Averted|Trope}}. The ''Death'' portion is pretty brutal, from the first squished bird to the final blow. |
| 85 | * BombWhistle: Both Doomsday and Superman make the "cartoon sound" before they drop in on a rural sheriff's office. |
| 86 | * BoomHeadshot: This is how [[spoiler: the Cyborg Superman attempts to kill the Eradicator, shortly after blowing three holes in his chest. He later smashes his metallic stump into Superboy's head, but only knocks him out.]] |
| 87 | * BreakoutCharacter: ComicBook/{{Superboy|1994}} 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. |
| 88 | * BroughtDownToNormal: Booster Gold and Superman himself. Booster Gold's costume is damaged beyond repair thanks to Doomsday's romp and he spends a good decade+ wearing different costumes/armors. Superman loses his powers due to a combination of being away from sunlight and the Eradicator using Superman as a battery while he healed. |
| 89 | * TheCavalryArrivesLate: |
| 90 | ** A PlayedForDrama version, where Ice and Bloodwynd return to Metropolis to aid Superman, only to discover that the battle with Doomsday is now over and Superman is dying of his wounds. |
| 91 | ** Played again when Hal Jordan returns to Earth after Coast City's destruction, arriving just in time to take his revenge on Mongul and see the conclusion of Superman's battle with the Cyborg. |
| 92 | * CameBackStrong: [[spoiler:Superman in the finale. His repowering by the Eradicator's HeroicSacrifice bounced his powers to new heights, though, for a while, it almost leads to PowerIncontinence.]] |
| 93 | * CameBackWrong: In the least, Superman comes back looking different. Namely having a mullet. Cyborg Superman and The Last Son of Krypton both claim to be Superman reborn, and this trope would apply to either of them if they were telling the truth, [[spoiler:but they're not (though in his defense, the Last Son ''believes'' he is).]] |
| 94 | * ChekhovsGun: |
| 95 | ** Cyborg Superman places a sensor on Doomsday's body to alert him if the beast ever came back to life. [[spoiler:He also placed a portion of his digital existence in it, so when his body is destroyed at the end of ''Reign of the Supermen'', the Cyborg gets to hitch a ride on Doomsday and build himself a new body, which he does in the [=Superman/Doomsday=] mini-series ''[[ComicBook/SupermanDoomsdayHunterPrey [=Hunter/Prey=]]]''.]] |
| 96 | ** In Superman's LastStand with Doomsday, he's able to bring his foot down and snap off Doomsday's left knee bone spur, causing him harm. In the 30th Anniversary Special, this is what creates Doombringer as a construction worker took the bone spur as a souvenir, unwittingly causing him to transform. |
| 97 | * ClothingDamage: |
| 98 | ** As the battle against Doomsday grows more and more desperate, Superman's costume becomes more and more tattered, to the point he's completely bare-chested for the final blows. The comics were using the "invulnerability aura" explanation at the time, so Superman's costume no longer being invulnerable is a sign that Superman's invulnerability is failing. |
| 99 | ** Doomsday starts in a containment suit which held him bound in his vault; freeing one arm allowed him to escape the vault and start his rampage. Attacks by the Justice League steadily damage this suit, to the point their all-out combined TheWorfBarrage only succeeds in freeing Doomsday's ''other'' arm. Like Superman, Doomsday's "costume" is all but gone by the time the final blows are exchanged in Metropolis. |
| 100 | * CoolShades: The Eradicator cannot stand even low levels of light, so he dons a pair of yellow shades that take up somewhere between a third and half of his face. |
| 101 | * CoversAlwaysLie: |
| 102 | ** The ''Justice League of America'' tie-in features Doomsday with both arms free. However, it isn't until the next part of the story that Doomsday finally gets his right arm free. |
| 103 | ** Most of the covers of the last few issues of the ''Reign'' chapters featured Superman still with his usual short hair as opposed to the infamous mullet he was now sporting inside. The ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'' tie-in is also pretty guilty, as in addition to Hal fighting Mongul (which does happen in the issue), there's also the [[spoiler: Cyborg-Superman]] and the Eradicator fighting each other in the background (which doesn't happen at all in the issue). |
| 104 | * {{Cult}}: A cult of Superman worshipers become prominent after Superman's death, proclaiming that he will rise and save them all. The cult splits in four once the Superman replacements show up, each claiming that their chosen substitute was the real Superman reborn. Though we never learn what became of them, especially when it was revealed to the public that none of them are the real Superman, and one of them was a villain. |
| 105 | * CurbStompBattle: |
| 106 | ** The Cyborg deals these to both the Last Son of Krypton and Superboy. |
| 107 | ** Doomsday's fight with the Justice League was this as well. And this isn't counting Doomsday's encounter with Blue Beetle. |
| 108 | ** Supergirl's fight with Doomsday is even shorter than Blue Beetle's. |
| 109 | * MediaNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks: The quote in that page even highlights this series. Not only is it a dark comic featuring a classic hero dying, but two of his replacements are a NinetiesAntiHero (The Man of Tomorrow and Last Son of Krypton). And Doomsday, the ugly brute covered in SpikesOfVillainy, [[GenericDoomsdayVillain possessing no personality or motive beyond a mindless urge to destroy]], is almost the AnthropomorphicPersonification of The Dark Age of Comic Books. |
| 110 | * DarkerAndEdgier: {{Deconstructed|Trope}}. Arguably the whole point of the event (at least the "Reign of the Supermen" arc) was proving that "darker and edgier Superman" ''is not Superman''. |
| 111 | ** The first part of the story goes out of its way to highlight Superman's genuine, kind-hearted nature. Notably, in a television interview, he's his usual friendly self, [[HumbleHero downplaying his role as the Justice League's leader]] and his personality clash with Guy Gardner... then someone asks a question basically boiling down to "Do you agree Fire is a babe?" Superman rather coldly responds "Fire is good at her job and a terrific person. Next question." Watching this interview is a young man, Mitch Anderson, who thinks Superman is boring and lame, preferring edgy and "cool" Guy Gardner. Mitch learns to change his tune when Superman stalls his battle with Doomsday to rescue Mitch's family from the destruction that very battle caused. Though Superman does initially ignore Mitch's call for help because he can't allow Doomsday to escape... a decision more in-line with an "edgier" character, like, say, Guy Gardner. |
| 112 | ** Then the four replacements are all variations on Darker and Edgier versions of Superman: |
| 113 | *** The Last Son of Krypton is a lethal enforcer and NinetiesAntiHero with his costume being one-third black (it still has prominent light blue and red, with notable yellow). He doesn't particularly care about humans or humanity, and doesn't seem to have any real reason to want to stop crime, yet does so by vaporizing criminals with energy beams from his hands. |
| 114 | *** Cyborg Superman, the Man of Tomorrow, is similar in portrayal to the Last Son of Krypton, and adds the fact that he looks like Superman meets Franchise/TheTerminator. [[spoiler: He's also the villain of the arc.]] |
| 115 | *** Superboy ([[BerserkButton but don't call him that]]) is a YoungerAndHipper Superman without any morals to speak of, interested solely in fame, fortune, and getting the attention of hot chicks. At one point, Lex ''literally'' seduces Superboy away from the news station he'd agreed to work with just by tossing Supergirl in front of him. While he eventually finds the drive to be a legitimate hero, he's still shallow, narcissistic, and more interested in the accolades and benefits of heroism than in genuinely putting the good of others before his own. |
| 116 | *** Steel, effectively an AffirmativeActionLegacy, is the replacement who is ''morally'' most like Superman, but even he's got a DarkAndTroubledPast, and most of his arc is about undoing the damage that past continues to do. He's tempted to set aside his heroic efforts, and sometimes makes bad decisions when trying to do the right thing. He's also the only one to never claim to ''be'' Superman; he makes it clear from the start that he's a separate hero who only wears the "S" to uphold Superman's legacy. |
| 117 | ** 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[[note]]he also regains his powers in the climax and gets his old costume back at the end[[/note]]. '''That's''' Superman, accept no substitutes, even if he kept the mullet for years afterward. |
| 118 | * DeathByAdaptation: The novel has [[spoiler:Mongul killed by the Eradicator instead of knocked out by Hal Jordan]]. |
| 119 | * DeusExitMachina: A reformed Justice League, comprised of previous members Guy Gardner and Maxima, along with Wonder Woman, the Ray, Green Lantern Alan Scott and Jade, are lured out into space [[spoiler: by a video made by the Cyborg Superman, purporting that the Eradicator had turned evil, obliterated Coast City, then bailed with the aliens who helped him.]] They come back after Superman returns and settles things. |
| 120 | * DiedInYourArmsTonight: Superman in Lois' arms. |
| 121 | * DisproportionateRetribution: Lex Luthor, in his clone body of Lex Luthor II, murdered his female training instructor Sasha Green because she beat him in one of their matches. Then he gloats at Superman's grave as proof that, with Superman gone, he can do whatever he wanted to. Too bad for him, a little while later, she came back and tried to kill him as part of the "Bloodlines" story arc. |
| 122 | * DistractedByTheSexy: Being a teenage boy, Superboy suffers from this three times. The first time, he bails on the Daily Planet to help a former intern, Tana Moon, land her a big scoop and become a full-fledged reporter... over at GBS. The second time, he's wowed by the Matrix Supergirl ("I was [[MaleGaze chest]] [[FreudianSlip choking!]]") and Lex Luthor II attempts to use this to bring him into Lexcorp's payroll. Ultimately, sleezoid Rex Leech uses his daughter Roxy to win Superboy over ''and'' get the rights to the S-Shield. |
| 123 | * DramaticIrony: A woman claiming to be Superman's wife prompts Lois to say "That charlatan is no more Mrs. Superman than I am!" What Lois knows and the people she's talking to don't, is that as Clark Kent's fiancee, she was a ''lot closer'' to being Mrs. Superman than the fraudster. |
| 124 | * DrivenToMadness: [[spoiler:Hank Henshaw, due to his TraumaCongaLine of losing his friends, body, and wife, so he becomes the Cyborg Superman. Even Mongul notes that Henshaw must be insane, as what he believes about Superman's actions cannot possibly be true.]] |
| 125 | * EarlyBirdCameo: Mitch Anderson would later become Outburst. |
| 126 | * EatTheBomb: Superman force-feeds Clawster a bomb and it explodes in his mouth, causing him to collapse and say "Good thing Clawster invulnerable." |
| 127 | * EternalEngine: Engine City, where the storyline concludes. |
| 128 | * EurekaMoment: Near the end of the story, Superman and Lois struggle to come up with an explanation as to where Clark has been all this time. Then Superman rescues a young boy and girl from a disused Civil Defense shelter where they've been trapped since the battle with Doomsday, living on the food and water supplies they found, and Jimmy mentions that the same thing could have happened to Clark, giving Superman the idea to pretend that Clark ''was'' trapped in a shelter as well. |
| 129 | * EvilLaugh: Doomsday. Especially in the video game, every time he hits the player. |
| 130 | * ExactWords: |
| 131 | ** Director Westfield of Project Cadmus has a standing order to claim and study all alien decedents. When he tries to claim Superman's body, he gets overruled by the President. Then he steals Superman's body from the tomb days later. When Guardian confronts him about this, he mentions that the President ordered Westfield to stop trying to claim Superman's body. Westfield replies that isn't strictly true: he was ordered to ''allow the funeral to proceed'', and once it was finished, took it upon himself to assume his standing order was once again in effect. |
| 132 | ** While searching the ruins of Coast City, the Man of Tomorrow comes upon a group of survivors. During a conversation, he points and says that the one who destroyed the city is right behind them. They turn to see, and ask where the villain is. [[spoiler: The Man of Tomorrow says "I told you, he's right behind you." and proceeds to vaporize them all from behind.]] |
| 133 | * FauxDeath: Many of the adaptations to this story transform Superman's death into this. The novel would claim that all Superman needed was time in the sun to fully recharge, but points out that if he had ran out of solar power, he really would have died. In the comics, [[spoiler:the Eradicator]] specifically tells Superman that he was absolutely dead, no ifs ands or buts. |
| 134 | * {{Foreshadowing}}: |
| 135 | ** A special issue styled as a ''Time''-like Magazine focusing on Superman's death opens with an ad for Carol Ferris' aeronautics company with the tagline: "Things are '''Booming''' in Coast City!" |
| 136 | ** When Cadmus get their hands on Superman's body, their scientists note that the wounds he suffered during his fight with Doomsday have all closed. |
| 137 | ** The final story of the one-shot issue ''The Legacy of Superman'' which came out in between the "Death" and "Funeral" chapters, seems to drop hints of Superman's eventual revival; said story features Waverider, one of the time travelers known as the Linear Men, who intends to alter time and prevent Kal-El's death, only to be talked out of it by Matt Ryder, another member of the group: |
| 138 | -->'''Waverider:''' ''(as events take their natural course and Superman dies)'' Enough. I can watch no longer.\ |
| 139 | '''Matt Ryder:''' Welcome to the curse of being a Linear Man, Waverider. The blessing, though, is that we already know what tomorrow will bring. |
| 140 | * FreudianSlip: In "The Reign of the Supermen" part of the storyline, Superboy meets Supergirl for the first time right in the middle of rescuing a car from almost driving off the bridge, and [[DistractedByTheSexy he gets distracted by her appearance]]. |
| 141 | -->'''Supergirl:''' Was that high school stunt really necessary, Superman, or were you trying to impress me?\ |
| 142 | '''Superboy:''' Aw, I was chest choking...ab, ah, I mean -- I was just joking! |
| 143 | * FriendOrIdolDecision: When Doomsday runs rampant across a family's house, smashing it and the Justice League, a gas explosion allows Doomsday to escape and Superman to chase after it. However, the League's knocked unconscious and one of the people there, a teen named Mitch, cries out for Superman's help. Supes decides to TakeAThirdOption by burying Doomsday in the mud inside a lake while he takes care of the trouble. Doesn't take long for Doomsday to escape and Mitch is hit really hard as he thinks this incident is the reason why Superman died. |
| 144 | * FriendlyTarget: While Superman and Doomsday are grappling, some troopers arrive with advanced weapons, but hesitate to open fire because they would very likely would hit Superman. Ultimately, they decide that Doomsday is so much a threat that they have no choice but help Superman by attacking and risk friendly fire. |
| 145 | ** Superman had that problem with Maxima, as well. However, this was because she wouldn't bother to stop, aim and realize what was around her, ripping a street light out of the ground to use as a weapon, causing sparks to ignite a destroyed gas station. |
| 146 | * FromNobodyToNightmare: Dr. Hank Henshaw was actually a gag {{Expy}} of Reed Richards of the ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'', appearing only in a single story arc. Who would have thought he'd become one of Superman's greatest foes. |
| 147 | ** [[RoguesGalleryTransplant Though nowadays he's one of]] ComicBook/GreenLantern [[RoguesGalleryTransplant Hal Jordan's greatest foes]], admittedly, equally unlikely. |
| 148 | * 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 or powerful enough to counter the hero's strength]], Doomsday was ''just'' superstrong, [[DumbMuscle with all the lack of personality this implies.]] Most of his depth comes from the backstory in later comics. |
| 149 | * HeadbuttingHeroes: The Reign of the Supermen arc contains a few examples: |
| 150 | ** A little ways into the Reign of the Supermen arc, Guy Gardner instigates a fight between himself and The Last Son of Krypton. It ends when the Last Son purposely tosses him into a building being used for an illicit arms and drug trade, upon which the two of them briefly team up and part ways relatively amicably. In fact, Guy likes him a lot better than Superman given both had NinetiesAntihero tendencies at the time. |
| 151 | ** Later on, after The Last Son of Krypton doesn't take too kindly to the Man of Steel calling him a fraud (for killing a thug who he felt posed no threat to him), the two start brawling in Metropolis. After the two are [[WhatTheHellHero chewed out by Lois Lane]], the Last Son almost murders a process server and their fight resumes, taking them into space and back down on the other side of the country in Coast City. |
| 152 | ** The confrontation between the Man of Tomorrow and the Last Son of Krypton initially seems to be an example of this. It turns out that [[spoiler:The Man of Tomorrow]] is not a hero. |
| 153 | * HesBack: Every fan still gets chills when the ''real'' Supes emerges from the mech in a black suit with a silver emblem, stating that he's the original and he's back. |
| 154 | -->'''Superman:''' Don't let the costume fool you. I'm Superman - and I'm ''back''. |
| 155 | ** Superman is so badass he actually gets ''two'' "He's Back" moments. First when he physically returns from the dead, but still weak and without his full Superman power set. Then later, during the climactic battle, he gets supercharged and all his normal Superman power returns. Then a CurbStompBattle ensues. |
| 156 | * HeelRealization: The Last Son of Krypton starts to realize at different points that being Superman isn't about going around and flash-frying everyone he sees. [[spoiler:Sadly, the Man of Tomorrow's FaceHeelTurn puts a squash to that.]] |
| 157 | * TheHeroDies: One of the most iconic examples ever. |
| 158 | * HeroicSacrifice: How Supes goes out. |
| 159 | ** Also how [[spoiler:The Eradicator goes out.]] |
| 160 | * HeroicSecondWind: When Hal Jordan's fighting [[spoiler:Mongul, Mongul]] has him on the ropes because his skin is yellow and Hal couldn't use pieces of Engine City lest its Kryptonite fuel kill Superman again. Hal finds Steel's discarded hammer and attempts to lift it despite his injuries and donning Ring-powered exoskeleton. As he tries, [[spoiler:Mongul]] makes the mistake of assuming he broke Hal's spirit. This pisses off Hal so much that he creates a set of PoweredArmor that allows him to lift the hammer and proceeds to ''smash the weapon across [[spoiler:Mongul's]] face, knocking him out.'' |
| 161 | * HeroicRROD: |
| 162 | ** Steel's fight with the Last Son of Krypton pushes him to his limits, wrecking a lot of his armor and leading him to pass out in an airplane heading back to Metropolis. |
| 163 | *** He does it ''again'' when stopping Engine City, to the point where his armor's scrap. |
| 164 | ** There's also Superman's fight with Doomsday. The comic explains it as out-and-out exhaustion and blood loss. The novel explains that Superman's fight with Doomsday was draining all of his solar energy stores. |
| 165 | * HeyYouHaymaker: Subverted. While in a supermarket, Doomsday hears someone shout to him "hey you!". He turns, and instead of another hero ready to do battle, sees a large screen TV showing a wrester promoting a wrestling event in Metropolis, which intrigues the beast. |
| 166 | -->"MHH-TRR-PLSS?" |
| 167 | ** Double subverted when Superman then yells "Doomsday!" and starts clobbering him again. |
| 168 | * HijackedByGanon: The series did this with its final storyline ''Reign of the Supermen'', the story starts out normally with the first two issues of each title attempting to endear us to the four Supermen. Then come the halfway point of the third month when [[spoiler:the Cyborg Superman decides to ventilate the Eradicator and allow Coast City to be destroyed by Mongul. Then, it turns out the Cyborg Superman was actually a very minor character who was an {{expy}} of [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Reed Richards]]!]] |
| 169 | * HisNameIs: Downplayed. A gang member is able to give Steel the name of who is selling the Toastmasters, White Rabbit, but she blasts him in the head before he gives out anything else. |
| 170 | * HoistByHisOwnPetard: |
| 171 | ** [[spoiler:How the Cyborg Superman is defeated: in a last-ditch effort to kill Superman again, the Cyborg grabs a fuel line and attempts to douse Superman in Kryptonite. The Eradicator, living up to his programming to protect Kryptonian life, throws himself in front of the shot and his energies re-power Superman, allowing him to finish off the Cyborg Superman.]] |
| 172 | ** Earlier in the "Reign of the Supermen" storyline, White Rabbit lures Steel into an old factory with the intent on killing him using its reactivated machinery. However, Steel, even with his damaged armor, is able to overpower the machinery and send the ceiling collapsing on her. If that didn't kill her, then the bomb she intended on finishing him off certainly did. |
| 173 | * HowDareYouDieOnMe: Lex was anguish that Superman died defeating Doomsday, since he believes he's [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou The Only One Allowed to Defeat Superman]]. |
| 174 | -->"I WAS ROBBED!!!" |
| 175 | * HowDoIShotWeb: ComicBook/{{Superboy|1994}} does not know how his "metal disassembling power" works (explained later on as tactile [[MindOverMatter telekinesis]]). |
| 176 | [[/folder]] |
| 177 | |
| 178 | [[folder:I - N]] |
| 179 | * IAmNotLeftHanded: Superman kills Doomsday by not holding back against him. |
| 180 | * IdiotBall: |
| 181 | ** Doomsday may be really tough, but he also presented absolutely no threat if he couldn't get within arm's reach of anything. Despite the ComicBook/{{Justice League|of America}} having multiple telekinetics at the time, nobody thought of simply picking him up. Granted it probably wouldn't have worked since Doomsday was made unstoppable but points for trying. When Ice has to solo Doomsday, she explicitly states her intention to fight smart and keep her distance. Next we see her, her unconscious body is being hurled by Doomsday through Mitch Anderson's living room, so that obviously didn't work, but we're still not shown exactly why. |
| 182 | ** It's been pointed out in general that Doomsday and Superman's confrontation devolving into who can punch the other hardest (As Creator/MaxLandis calls it in his famous video [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PlwDbSYicM on the comic]], "Fratboy logic") is a case of this. In particular because no one really ever tries anything ''but'' overpowering Doomsday. It even reflects kind of badly on Superman himself who seems devoid of his own usual smarts for the sake of this turning into a punching match. In ''ComicBook/SupermanDoomsdayHunterPrey'', Superman lampshades this, mentioning that going the slugfest way was what got him killed and he should have softened him up. |
| 183 | ** The few times the military engages Doomsday, they indulge in pure HollywoodTactics and pay dearly. The worst offender is the pilot of an attack helicopter, ''after being warned Doomsday's already downed one chopper and confirming the warning'', flying low enough on his attack run that Doomsday is able to skewer the chopper and bring it down with a street sign. Not by throwing it, mind, by ''wielding it like a spear and stabbing the helicopter''. What kind of idiot thinks they need to get within 20 feet to attack a target with vehicular miniguns? |
| 184 | * ImposterForgotOneDetail: This is what pings Lois into realizing the Cyborg Superman ''isn't'' the real Superman - he casually mentions to Superboy that he wished he had better control of his powers when he was his age. Lois remembers that Superman didn't get his powers until he was an adult (a bit of a MythologyGag to a Post-Crisis {{Retcon}}). |
| 185 | * InterruptedCooldownHug: When Steel and the Last Son of Krypton are [[WhatTheHellHero chewed out by Lois for fighting in the streets]], the Last Son is shaken by this and stands down. However, a process server shows up, demanding that they stop using the S-Shield (as Superboy had given the rights away). The Last Son takes this as a threat and forces Steel to pull him away. |
| 186 | * IOweYouMyLife: John Henry Irons' life was saved by Superman, who told him to "make it a life worth saving". Becoming the "Man of Steel" was his way of doing just that. |
| 187 | * ItsAllMyFault: Mitch Anderson feels this way during "Funeral for a Friend" -- him and his family were caught in the crossfire between Doomsday and the League and he begged Superman to come back and save everyone at a stage where he could have potentially put down the beast cleanly. |
| 188 | * ItOnlyWorksOnce: During one of the epilogue issues, Dr. Occult drops in for a visit and gives Superman and Lois the low down on how he came back to life through mystic technobabble which boils down to the fact that he can only do this once. The graphic novel briefly features the Eradicator and Superman discussing the circumstances of his resurrection during their meeting in the former Coast City, where the Eradicator affirms that this method of restoring Superman to life almost certainly won't work a second time. By contrast, ''WesternAnimation/SupermanDoomsday'' does the "suspended animation" bit, and the novel does a plausible technobabble explanation about how all Superman needed was just a good few hours in the sun to snap him back to life, using the analogy of drowning victims in cold water reviving if they're allowed to warm up at a suitably gradual rate. (But since the world thought he was dead, they kept him in a morgue and then buried him. Oops.) |
| 189 | * KilledMidSentence: Or rather, "Nearly Killed Mid-Sentence" - Blue Beetle goes to rescue Bloodwynd from a fire and when he finds him, the state he's in makes him realize who Bloodwynd really is. Doomsday grabs Beetle before he can say the name of his true identity. [[spoiler: A mind-controlled ComicBook/MartianManhunter under control of a demon named Rott.]] |
| 190 | ** Played straight a little later in the story when Doomsday, imitating a commercial he saw for a pro wrestling event at Metropolis, raids a construction site: |
| 191 | --> '''Doomsday:''' MUH-TRP-PLIS!\ |
| 192 | '''Construction worker:''' Metropolis? It said Metropolis! It said--*neck snap* |
| 193 | * KillerRobot: The Warbot enemies in the video game. |
| 194 | * KnightOfCerebus: ''Justice League International'' #69 opens with the group treating the situation with the same irreverent attitude they had in their comic up until that point... until Doomsday goes to town on them. |
| 195 | * KnowWhenToFoldThem: Lois begs Supes to fall back as Doomsday is tearing through Metropolis, but he refuses as he believes he's the only one to stand up to Doomsday and opts to go for a LastStand. |
| 196 | * KungFuSonicBoom: The narration describes the final blow between Superman and Doomsday as setting off a shockwave that created a crater in the ground and shattered every window for blocks. |
| 197 | * LaserGuidedAmnesia: Cyborg-Superman claimed to have this. [[spoiler:It's a ruse to cover his plan to TakeOverTheWorld.]] |
| 198 | * LastDisrespects: A brawl breaks out at the funeral after a botched attempt at purchasing the rights to the last Superman photo leads to Rex Leech and his entourage on their backs thanks to Jimmy Olsen and ComicBook/{{Robin}}. |
| 199 | * LastStand: After failing to stop Doomsday elsewhere and watching the body count rise, Superman decides to ground his feet in Metropolis. |
| 200 | * LegacyHero: Superman gets four of them. |
| 201 | * LogicalWeakness: |
| 202 | ** Doomsday cannot fly, which gives Superman some small advantage over him in the air. |
| 203 | ** Doomsday's SpikesOfVillainy are made out of bone. Superman is able to inflict pain on him by snapping one of his knee spikes. |
| 204 | * LookBehindYou: A sickening version of this trope. The Cyborg Superman discovers a family that survived the Coast City shockwave that ravaged nearby areas. As they're talking, the Cyborg says that the one who did this was right behind them. [[spoiler:As they turn and look, he changes his arm to its arm cannon form and obliterates them.]] |
| 205 | * 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. [[spoiler:Or so it seemed. According to Dr. Occult, this actually did restart Clark's heart, albeit ''very'' slowly and requiring a lot of solar energy to fully revive.]] |
| 206 | * MeaningfulEcho: Right before he takes off for Engine City to go after [[spoiler:the Cyborg Superman]], the real Superman tells Lois the exact same thing he told her right before fighting Doomsday for the final time. It ends up serving as the biggest indicator to Lois that he's the genuine article. |
| 207 | -->'''Superman:''' Just remember... no matter what happens... I'll always love you. '''Always'''. |
| 208 | * TheMerch: |
| 209 | ** InUniverse, Bibbo comes across a man selling the "Death of Superman" issue of the ''Daily Planet'' along with a black armband. Outraged at someone profiting off his dead friend, Bibbo yells at him and buys every copy so he's out of business. When the man explains that he lost his job in the Doomsday disaster, [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Bibbo calms down and offers him a job]]. |
| 210 | ** And can't forget GBS, Lex Jr., and Rex Leech treating Superboy like a piece of property to be acquired. Leech also gets a trademark on the "S" shield logo. |
| 211 | ** Rex Leech and a couple of big goons also tried to intimidate Jimmy Olsen into selling him the licensing rights to the picture of Superman's torn cape. |
| 212 | ** Superboy is playing a video game called ''The Death of Superman'', where he's playing as Superman and Roxy is playing as Doomsday. There was also a video game in real life based on the comic, but it was called ''The Death and Return of Superman'' and it was for one player only. |
| 213 | * MoralityChainBeyondTheGrave: Batman catches a terrorist trying to assassinate one of the visiting dignitaries at Superman's funeral. Out of respect for the deceased, he forgoes his usual [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique harsh approach]]. |
| 214 | * MsFanservice: |
| 215 | ** It seemed like a lot of Ice's appearances had her costume's odd tanktop yanked over her chest after being thrown around. |
| 216 | ** Matrix Supergirl had a short skirt on top of the MostCommonSuperpower. |
| 217 | * MutualKill: Supes and Doomsday. |
| 218 | * MyGodWhatHaveIDone: |
| 219 | ** Steel's backstory. He was a weapons designer and quit once he found out his high tech weaponry was being sold to terrorists. Later, the same weapons found their way to his neighborhood and it is one of the things that makes him into a superhero. |
| 220 | ** Mitch Anderson has this sort of reaction as he fought with his divorced mother and thought Superman was so lame in comparison to Guy Gardner. Then Doomsday showed up and his mother protected his baby sister from the beast and Superman saved everyone while Gardner was laid out. Needless to say, his views changed tremendously. |
| 221 | * MythologyGag: |
| 222 | ** During his rampage, Doomsday came upon Midvale (Silver Age Supergirl's hometown). |
| 223 | ** In the attack on Engine City, the Man of Steel brags that his armor can easily tank a "bursting shell", but admits a second one might give him trouble. |
| 224 | * NearDeathExperience: At the end of the ''Funeral For A Friend'' arc, Jonathan Kent has one while suffering a heart attack. He appears to share it with Clark, and Jonathan's determination and love for his adopted son may have played a crucial role in bringing Superman back from the dead. |
| 225 | * NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead: As the news of Superman's death spreads, someone in one of the prisons begins to rejoice, but he's quickly shut up by others, [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes claiming Superman had saved some of their family members.]] |
| 226 | * NiceJobBreakingItHero: Superman's death would have long-reaching consequences long after his revival. In ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'', Kal-L points out that Superman's death was the point where the post-Crisis Earth went beyond saving in his mind and in ''ComicBook/BlackestNight'', Nekron used Superman's revival as part of a scheme to conquer the universe. |
| 227 | ** A lesser instance sees the League firing all their energy attacks at Doomsday, who at this point still has one arm bound behind his back. At the end of the barrage, all the League manages to do is destroy the restraint and free Doomsday's arm. |
| 228 | * NotHelpingYourCase: Jose Delgado (Gangbuster), while in a relationship with Cat Grant, didn't get along with her son Adam. It didn't help when Jose yelled at him for disrespecting Superman after he died. Adam ran to his room crying and hating Jose more. |
| 229 | -->'''Jose:''' Adam, wait. I didn't mean to snap--\ |
| 230 | '''Adam:''' You're ''not'' my father, just one of mom's boyfriends!\ |
| 231 | '''Jose:''' "One of"? |
| 232 | * {{Novelization}}: Two of them -- the junior novelization ''Superman: Doomsday and Beyond'' by Louise Simonson, and the adult novelization ''The Death and Life of Superman'' by Roger Stern, both released in 1993. |
| 233 | * NumerologicalMotif: In the last five issues, each comic had each page with a decreasing number of panels, until the penultimate issue had two panels per page and ''Superman'' #75 was nothing but splash pages. |
| 234 | [[/folder]] |
| 235 | |
| 236 | [[folder:O - Z]] |
| 237 | * OhCrap: |
| 238 | ** When the entire Justice League is fighting Doomsday, they pour all of their energy attacks into the beast. When the smoke clears, they learn that all they did was tear his outfit... and freed his other hand as he raises ''both'' of them into the air. |
| 239 | ** There is also that moment when, thanks to a wrestling TV ad, Doomsday learns that there will be a "war bash" in Metropolis. Superman instantly realizes that for an unstoppable monster that only seeks to destroy everything in his path, getting such an idea into his head is BAD NEWS for the city. (Though it's stated Doomsday was moving in a straight line, smashing through anything in his path, and was already headed in the direction of Metropolis.) |
| 240 | -->'''Doomsday''': MUUH-TROP-LISS! |
| 241 | * OutlivingOnesOffspring: Ma and Pa Kent experienced this as they watched helplessly as their son was beaten to a bloody pulp and then died on national television. To make matters worse, they weren't even allowed to attend his funeral. The stress and grief gave Pa Kent a heart attack. He got better. |
| 242 | * PaletteSwap: Some of the enemies in the video game. The Underworlder Tick was recolored as the alien Razorback. The Cadmus troops Defender and Elite were recolored as Mongul's Destroyer and Warworlder respectively. |
| 243 | * PinnedToTheWall: Steel does this to one of the gang members using the Toastmasters, pinning him with rivets fired from his arm blaster. He tries to get information out of the gang member, only for him to be soon killed by the White Rabbit. |
| 244 | * PragmaticAdaptation: The novel version of the saga, ''The Death and Life of Superman'', made a number of alterations to the "Funeral for a Friend" and "Reign of the Supermen" storylines, due to the fact it was being done while the series was being written. Most of the DC Universe don't make an appearance, outside of the Justice League, Wonder Woman and Batman (which is very odd since they obliterate Coast City, yet Hal Jordan doesn't show up at all!), the entire fourth chapter of "Funeral" is omitted (where the other DC heroes answer the Christmas mail Superman usually gets), Steel's story is greatly compressed and the final chapters, due to the lack of Hal Jordan, is heavily altered. As well, anything to do with the Underworlders and Keith, the young orphan, is omitted and the Newsboy Legion takes their place. |
| 245 | * PreferJailToTheProtagonist: Batman catches a terrorist who was going to use Superman's funeral as an opportunity to assassinate a world leader. Batman caught him and said that in Superman's honor, he'd do things Superman's way. The assassin is left tied to a flagpole begging to be arrested because "Batman might come back!" |
| 246 | * PutOnABus: Superman supporting cast members Gangbuster, Sinbad, and Thorn made their final appearances in the "Legacy of Superman" one-shot that was released in-between "Doomsday!" and "Funeral For A Friend" (although [[TheBusCameBack Thorn would later return elsewhere in the DCU]]). Gangbuster made one more appearance in ''Adventures of Superman'' #500, but he'd return much later in Kurt Busiek's weekly series ''Trinity''. |
| 247 | * TheQuincyPunk: Chainsaw and Molotov in the video game. |
| 248 | * RedSkiesCrossover: The arc affected everyone on The Franchise/DCUniverse's Earth, seeing as how their BigGood had just been killed. It got a nod in the lead-up to the ComicBook/{{Batman}} arc ''ComicBook/{{Knightfall}}'', where Bats wears a black armband similar to TheMerch. |
| 249 | * ReentryScare: Steel goes through this when his battle with the Eradicator sends the two of them into space. Steel is forced to let go of the Eradicator and attempts to use his boots to slow his descent so he doesn't burn up. However, the Eradicator comes back around and tackles Steel, causing the two to crash in Coast City. |
| 250 | * TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: The Cyborg Superman monolouges this, stating how Green Lantern and the Martian Manhunter[[note]]to be fair, the latter was having a bit of an identity crisis at the time[[/note]] could have stopped Doomsday with ease as he's taking away the creature. Later stories revealed that wouldn't be the case. |
| 251 | * TheReveal: ''Superman'' #81 and that [[spoiler:The Man of Tomorrow wasn't entirely good.]] |
| 252 | * RoguesGalleryTransplant: The BigBad and TheDragon (or more precisely, [[LegacyCharacter The Dragon's Son]]) of ''Reign of the Superman'' would eventually become ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'' villains due to the fact that they destroyed the hometown of Green Lantern Hal Jordan. (It actually took a while, since the destruction of Coast City caused Hal's FaceHeelTurn and replacement by Kyle Rayner). |
| 253 | * {{Retcon}}: |
| 254 | ** The 30th Anniversary Special completely changed up John Henry Irons' introduction - in ''Adventures'' #500 and ''Man of Steel'' #23, it's said that Irons was buried in a building under construction before he could even try to get to Superman and didn't get out for some time after, still thinking Doomsday was active. The 30th Anniversary Special instead disregards that and shows Irons active the entire time and getting to Superman as he dies. |
| 255 | ** Lex Luthor is shocked to find out that Cadmus managed to clone Superman. [[spoiler:It would later be revealed that Luthor was aware enough of the project to ensure his own DNA was part of the clone's genetic makeup.]] |
| 256 | * 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. Also, normal people didn't stick around to watch Doomsday's rampage. |
| 257 | * SecondComing[=/=]{{Reincarnation}}: Some believed that ComicBook/{{Steel}} was this of sorts for Superman (at least being a vessel for his soul), since he was the only one to uphold Supes' [[TheCape Cape]] ideals. |
| 258 | * SeriesContinuityError: |
| 259 | ** The damage caused to Doomsday's containment suit varies wildly depending on which comic he features in. |
| 260 | ** ''Superman: The Man of Steel'' #19 does this throughout its entire issue. One panel, Superman has his cape, but tattered, another it's gone, a third it's back but in a different state. And this was done by the same artist! |
| 261 | ** ''AdventuresOfSuperman'' #497 does the same thing. Near the end of the issue, Maxima accidentally causes an explosion while ripping an electrical light pole out to use as a weapon against Doomsday causing both her and Superman to be caught in it. When this happens, the panel clearly shows Superman's cape being ripped to shreds from the explosion, but one page later and it's shown to still be in one piece. Again, the same artist was drawing the entire issue. |
| 262 | ** When the Cyborg locates Doomsday's body, his inner monolgue notes that it still has his blood on it. It would later be revealed that [[spoiler:the Cyborg was only pretending to be Superman all along, making it seem odd that he would make that claim in his own mind]]. |
| 263 | ** From ''Reign''; The real Superman emerges from a kryptonian energy matrix within the Fortress of Solitude (that the Eradicator had been using to "recharge"), sees the chaos the four pretenders are causing, and makes his way to Metropolis in a giant battle robot, and it's implied that the trip takes only a few hours. When he emerges from the robot, Superman has that mullet. However, from the time he emerges from the energy matrix until when he first gets into the robot, he doesn't. |
| 264 | ** Also in ''Reign'', for most of the first half of the story, one of Luthor's legs is in a cast, referencing how [[ContinuityNod it was broken during the events of the "Supergirl and Team Luthor" special.]] By the time Superman arrives in Metropolis inside the Kryptonian Battle Suit, Luthor's leg is fine now, which could be attributed to it healing - except that the last time we saw him when it was still broken was only a few hours in-universe, right around the time Superman left the Fortress. |
| 265 | ** In ''The Man of Steel'' #25 Steel refers to Coast City by its new transformed name of Engine City. Except that he did it before anyone aside from Superboy knew that it had been transformed into [[spoiler:the Cyborg-Superman and Mongul's]] base. Editorial outright admitted they screwed up in the letters page talking about the issue, to the point that they gave out a Baldy (their equivalent to Marvel's No-Prize) to anyone who wrote about the mistake. |
| 266 | ** During the last few chapters of ''Reign'' most of Steel's armor is completely destroyed. Much of it is demolished except for around his legs, his gloves, and his helmet after he damages one of [[spoiler:the Cyborg-Superman's]] fusion reactors in ''Superman: The Man of Steel'' #26, and his helmet and gloves are destroyed by Superboy in ''Superman'' #82 after [[spoiler:the Cyborg]] takes control of his remaining armor. So naturally, in ''Adventures of Superman'' #505 when we next see him mere moments after the last comic, his armor is now in one piece again and only missing the cape. This one was given a HandWave, with the response in a letters column stating that Supergirl merely telekinetically pulled a new set of armor together for Steel behind the scenes, much like how she transformed Superman's tattered outfit into a new version of his red and blue uniform. |
| 267 | * SeriesFauxnale: Deliberately invoked, with "Funeral For a Friend" initially appearing to be the finale for the Superman books with all four titles going on hiatus a few months after the final chapter, concluding with an apparent DownerEnding with Jonathan Kent passing away to [[TogetherInDeath join his son]]. The only titles released during this hiatus were two specials, "Supergirl and Team Luthor" and "Legacy of Superman," before things finally resumed in the summer of 1993 with ''Adventures of Superman'' #500. |
| 268 | * ShoutOut: |
| 269 | ** There's an ad early on for Fleischer Paint. (Fleischer Studios produced Superman cartoons back in the 40's). |
| 270 | ** One of the mortuaries courting Lex to build Superman's final resting place is called Wm. Gaines Crypts. William Gaines was the well-respected comics publisher and editor of, among other titles, ''ComicBook/TalesFromTheCrypt''. |
| 271 | * SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay: How the real Superman convinces Lois he's the original: he mentions Clark Kent's favorite movie: ''Film/ToKillAMockingbird''. |
| 272 | * SpeakIllOfTheDead: Multiple times during "Funeral for a Friend": |
| 273 | ** Cat Grant's bratty son Adam, tired of all the talk about Superman's death, snags the TV remote and changes it to cartoons. Jose Delgato is quite incensed and Adam reveals that he and his friends always thought Superman was lame. |
| 274 | ** A reporter talking about Superman's death chuckles and says that he guesses "he wasn't so super after all". |
| 275 | ** Even Guy Gardner reveals his relief he's dead, at least [[StepfordSmiler publicly]]. |
| 276 | * StartOfDarkness: The destruction of Coast City was the catalyst that caused [[ComicBook/GreenLantern Hal Jordan]] to go insane. At least until the {{Retcon}}. |
| 277 | * StarterVillain: The Underworld Warworlders in the first part of the "Death of Superman" arc, continuing a subplot that had been going on in the previous issues of ''Superman: The Man of Steel''. They have no relation to Doomsday and Superman defeats them before they can invade the surface without much difficulty. |
| 278 | * TakingTheBullet: The Eradicator leaps in front of a massive energy attack from [[spoiler: The Cyborg and is seemingly vaporized. But the interaction of the blast with the Eradicator's energy form supercharges Superman, restoring his powers.]] |
| 279 | * ThatManIsDead: When Lois first confronts the Last Son after he saves an airplane from crashing, he tells her this in regards to Superman's secret identity of Clark Kent and flies away. |
| 280 | * ThereIsAGod: Luthor quips that he may believe in a benevolent God after all in light of Superman's death and Project Cadmus' seeming failure to harvest Superman's genetic code to create a clone. |
| 281 | * ToylessToylineCharacter: Among others, Cyborg-Superman and [[spoiler: Mongul]] didn't get figures in the Hasbro line. |
| 282 | * TrueLovesKiss: How Superman is able to convince Lois that he's the real one. |
| 283 | * TrustPassword / SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay: When Lois demands that the real Superman prove who he is, he answers, "Film/ToKillAMockingbird", the name of Clark Kent's favorite movie. |
| 284 | * UnreliableNarrator: In his introductory issue, [[spoiler:the Man of Tomorrow goes to retrieve Doomsday's corpse from S.T.A.R. Labs,]] all the while making first-person references to the battle with Doomsday. This narration is solely for the benefit (and deception) of the reader. |
| 285 | ** Notably, much of this narration is InnerMonologue, making this cross over into LyingCreator. |
| 286 | * TheUnReveal: Blue Beetle races into a fire to save Bloodwynd, who was knocked into it by Doomsday. When he spots the hero, Blue Beetle realizes why Bloodwynd is acting the way he does and is about to say who he really is until Doomsday grabs him by the neck and beats him within an inch of his life. It wouldn't be until after this storyline that it would be revealed that [[spoiler:he's J'onn J'onnzz ... but that there's also [[TheRealRemingtonSteele a real Bloodwynd]].]] |
| 287 | * WhatHappenedToTheMouse: After [[spoiler:Cyborg Superman tosses him into space]], Doomsday wakes up and starts laughing. This plot twist has no impact on the remainder of the story... not until several years later, in ''ComicBook/SupermanDoomsdayHunterPrey''. |
| 288 | * WhatTheHellHero: Steel was actually pretty good with this. He delivers his first one to Superboy after his grandstanding gets a helicopter pilot killed and nearly takes Lois with him. He delivers another to the Last Son of Krypton after he's forced to pull him away from Metropolis for trying to kill a process server. |
| 289 | ** Lois delivers one to both Steel and the Last Son of Krypton when they start brawling in Metropolis. Steel is genuinely upset that they ''had'' went through it and the Last Son is shaken (more by Lois than what she said), then comes the process server... |
| 290 | ** Ice delivers one to Maxima when the latter was willing to let Blue Beetle die "a warrior's death" in order to go after Doomsday. |
| 291 | * WhamEpisode: The storyline was filled with them. Outside of ''Superman'' #75, there was: |
| 292 | ** ''Justice League America'' #69 and ''Superman #74'': Doomsday's CurbStompBattle against the League |
| 293 | ** ''Adventures of Superman'' #500: Superman's apparent revival and the appearance of the four Supermen. |
| 294 | ** ''Adventures of Superman'' #502 and ''Action Comics'' #689: A battle between Superboy, Supergirl and a BadassNormal terrorist leads to the destruction of the Hobsneck Bridge, something that wouldn't be fixed for a few years IRL. Also, the issue Superman is revived. |
| 295 | ** ''Superman'' #80: After a number of different hints, we learn that everything isn't as they seem as Coast City is obliterated. The culprit? [[spoiler:Mongul, lead by the Cyborg Superman, who has also apparently killed the Last Son of Krypton!]] |
| 296 | * WhamLine: |
| 297 | -->'''Doomsday: Meeeee-troooo-po-lis!''' |
| 298 | * WhamShot: [[spoiler:Mongul, of all villains, kneeling and ''kissing the hand'' of Cyborg Superman.]] |
| 299 | * WithMyHandsTied: Doomsday wreaks massive damage with one hand tied. [[FromBadToWorse It gets worse]] once the other is freed. |
| 300 | * TheWorfEffect: The entire Justice League, who not only sported Superman, but also three people at Superman-like levels (Maxima, Bloodwynd and ComicBook/BoosterGold) and a Green Lantern-type (Guy Gardner), gets hit with this when Doomsday prances up. |
| 301 | ** Given that Doomsday at the time had no ranged abilities, and both Maxima and Guy Gardner could have simply picked him up off the ground to neutralize him, this comes off as {{jobb|er}}ing. However, seeing as Maxima was a ProudWarriorRaceGuy, Guy was a HotBlooded meathead, and Bloodwynd was explicitly avoiding revealing his true power level, them not doing this makes sense. |
| 302 | ** TheWorfBarrage: When the entire League is gathered, Superman orders the projectile-firing Leaguers to fire everything that got at Doomsday. At the end, Fire's drained of her powers, Booster Gold's suit is depleted of energy and Guy's exhausted. All they do? ''Release Doomsday's other arm''. |
| 303 | * WorfHadTheFlu: When Superman is revived and returns to Metropolis, he initially has only limited powers, requiring him to use weapons taken from Mongul's forces and rely on Steel and Superboy for protection until the Eradicator's sacrifice helps to restore his full powers. |
| 304 | * WreckedWeapon: The Man of Steel loses his hammer when [[spoiler: Hal Jordan shatters it with Mongul's face]]. |
| 305 | * WritingForTheTrade: This series was not written for collection but the success of the collected version helped kickstart this trope. |
| 306 | * YoungerAndHipper: ComicBook/{{Superboy|1994}} is a pastiche of this type of trend. |
| 307 | * YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame: Guy Gardner's enthusiastic endorsement of the Last Son of Krypton's methods caused him to reconsider them (at least temporarily). |
| 308 | [[/folder]] |
| 309 |
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FollowingContext ComicBook / TheDeathOfSuperman
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