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* {{Cult}}: A cult of Superman worshippers make their prominence 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.
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* {{Cult}}: A cult of Superman worshippers make their prominence 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.
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* HeroicRROD: 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.
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* WhatTheHellHero: Steel gives one to Superboy after his showboating gets a helicopter pilot (and almost Lois) killed by a stray shot.
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* WhatTheHellHero: Steel gives was actually pretty good with this. He delivers his first one to Superboy after his showboating grandstanding gets a helicopter pilot (and almost Lois) killed by 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 stray shot. process server.
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* MagicalDefibrillator: In the first part of "Funeral For A Friend", 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.
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We\'ve agreed that he isn\'t the trope namer
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Later stories brought back Doomsday as well, who was revealed to have been [[spoiler: created as an experiment on Krypton]] and buried on Earth long ago. However he hasn't been quite as menacing since then, probably because he no longer has a [[PlotInducedStupidity story-backed reason to be]] (see also GenericDoomsdayVillain, a trope which he named).
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Later stories brought back Doomsday as well, who was revealed to have been [[spoiler: created as an experiment on Krypton]] and buried on Earth long ago. However he hasn't been quite as menacing since then, probably because he no longer has a [[PlotInducedStupidity story-backed reason to be]] (see also GenericDoomsdayVillain, a trope which he named).
be]].
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* GenericDoomsdayVillain: [[TropeNamer Who else?]] To be fair, Doomsday was given much more depth in subsequent appearances, which explain why he is the way he is.
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* GenericDoomsdayVillain: [[TropeNamer Who else?]] To be fair, Doomsday Doomsday, at least in this series. He was given much more depth in subsequent appearances, which explain why he is the way he is.
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* WritingForTheTrade: This series was not written for collection but the success of the collected version helped kickstart this trope.
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Namespacing
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* BreakoutCharacter: {{Superboy}} went on to become a prominent DC character. {{Steel}} didn't become as prominent, but did get ADayInTheLimelight for the year-long ''[[FiftyTwo 52]]'' series.
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* BreakoutCharacter: {{Superboy}} went on to become a prominent DC character. {{Steel}} didn't become as prominent, but did get ADayInTheLimelight for the year-long ''[[FiftyTwo 52]]'' ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'' series.
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Sliding Scale Of Antiheroes was redirected. Deleting wicks to it, Anti Hero Zero Context Examples and \"Type X\" junk
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* AntiHeroSubstitute: Three of the four Superman substitutes were [[SlidingScaleOfAntiHeroes varying degrees]] of this, with {{Superboy}} being a Type II, the Eradicator being a Type IV, and the Cyborg Superman being a Type III, [[spoiler:though he was actually a villain rather than any form of "hero"]].
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* 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.
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* BruceWayneHeldHostage: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]. Metropolis goes searching for Clark Kent, not knowing that, because Superman died, Clark died. Clark's {{Secret Keeper}}s (his adoptive parents, Lana Lang, and Lois) resolve to not tell the world his secret, and Metropolis just assumes that Clark was killed by being buried under the rubble in Superman and Doomsday's fight. Superman later resolves this issue by having him rescue [[{{Supergirl}} Matrix]]-shapeshifted-as-Clark (complete with that awful mullet), so that Metropolis assumes that Clark was just buried underneath the rubble for months.
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* BruceWayneHeldHostage: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]. Metropolis goes searching for Clark Kent, not knowing that, because Superman died, Clark died. Clark's {{Secret Keeper}}s (his adoptive parents, Lana Lang, and Lois) resolve to not tell the world his secret, and Metropolis just assumes that Clark was one of the several hundred people killed by being buried under the rubble in Superman and Doomsday's fight.rampage. Superman later resolves this issue by having him rescue [[{{Supergirl}} Matrix]]-shapeshifted-as-Clark (complete with that awful mullet), so that Metropolis assumes that Clark was just buried underneath the rubble for months.
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* GenericDoomsdayVillain: [[TropeNamer Who else?]] To be fair, Doomsday was given much more depth in subsequent appearances, which explain why he is the way he is.
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* ''{{Knightfall}}'', a Batman storyline that was an attempt to replicate the success of the Superman franchise.
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Too Soon is about self-censorship, not lack of self-censorship
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* ''Webcomic/{{Shortpacked}}'': Resident JerkAss Mike [[http://shortpacked.com/comic/book-1-brings-back-the-80s/03-customer-protection-rackets/a-35/ makes]] a TooSoon joke about the then-recent death of Pope John Paul II, referencing the Reign of the Supermen.
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* ''Webcomic/{{Shortpacked}}'': Resident JerkAss Mike [[http://shortpacked.com/comic/book-1-brings-back-the-80s/03-customer-protection-rackets/a-35/ makes]] a TooSoon a joke about the then-recent death of Pope John Paul II, referencing the Reign of the Supermen.
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Each of these characters was allowed to star in one of Superman's then current titles for a few months. It was eventually revealed that the real Superman was [[spoiler: none of them, he wasn't even dead but rather in SuspendedAnimation]]. The [[spoiler: Cyborg Superman]] was actually [[spoiler:Hank Henshaw]], an AntiVillain from a previous story, now [[NotSoHarmlessVillain a bona fide threat]] (with [[spoiler: 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 [[DorkAge four maddening years]]. The Superman [[LegacyHero legacy carriers]] stuck around for other stories, with two of them ({{Superboy}} and {{Steel}}) even getting their own series. Steel would also appear in ''SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' and ''JusticeLeagueUnlimited''.
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Each of these characters was allowed to star in one of Superman's then current titles for a few months. It was eventually revealed that the real Superman was [[spoiler: none of them, he wasn't even dead but rather in SuspendedAnimation]]. The [[spoiler: Cyborg Superman]] was actually [[spoiler:Hank Henshaw]], an AntiVillain from a previous story, now [[NotSoHarmlessVillain a bona fide threat]] (with [[spoiler: 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 [[DorkAge four maddening years]]. The Superman [[LegacyHero legacy carriers]] stuck around for other stories, with two of them ({{Superboy}} and {{Steel}}) even getting their own series. Steel would also appear in ''SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' and ''JusticeLeagueUnlimited''.''JusticeLeagueUnlimited'', and Superboy is a main character in ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice''.
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* {{BFG}}: Part of Steel's origin and initial battles involved a man-portable Plasma cannon he originally designed being sold to gangbangers.
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* WhatTheHellHero: Steel gives one to Superboy after his showboating gets a helicopter pilot (and almost Lois) killed by a stray shot.
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However, the most famous instance was the "Death of Superman" StoryArc in the Superman comics during the 1990s, and the animated movie (based on that story) titled ''SupermanDoomsday'' that came out in 2007.
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However, the most famous instance was the "Death of Superman" StoryArc in the Superman comics during the 1990s, and the animated movie (based on that story) titled ''SupermanDoomsday'' ''WesternAnimation/SupermanDoomsday'' that came out in 2007.
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* ShoutOut: The repeated scene of Doomsday pounding against his cell, complete with a "DOOM" sound-effect, is a reference to Walt Simonson's run on ''TheMightyThor''. Simonson's wife, Louise, was one of the writers of ''The Death of Superman''.
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* The Max Landis "educational parody film" ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PlwDbSYicM The Death and Return of Superman]]'', which summarizes the events of the series using several famous actors and singers (including Elijah Wood, Ron Howard and Mandy Moore), along with an overview of why the storyline failed.
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* The Max Landis Creator/MaxLandis "educational parody film" ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PlwDbSYicM The Death and Return of Superman]]'', which summarizes the events of the series using several famous actors and singers (including Elijah Wood, Ron Howard ElijahWood, RonHoward and Mandy Moore), MandyMoore), along with an overview of why the storyline failed.
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** [[RoguesGalleryTransplant Though nowadays he's one of]] Series/GreenLantern [[[[RoguesGalleryTransplant Hal Jordan's greatest foes]].
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** [[RoguesGalleryTransplant Though nowadays he's one of]] Series/GreenLantern [[[[RoguesGalleryTransplant Franchise/GreenLantern [[RoguesGalleryTransplant Hal Jordan's greatest foes]].
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* RoguesGalleryTransplant: The BigBad and TheDragon (or more precisely, [[LegacyCharacter The Dragon's Son]]) of ''Reign of the Superman'' would eventually become ''Series/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).
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* RoguesGalleryTransplant: The BigBad and TheDragon (or more precisely, [[LegacyCharacter The Dragon's Son]]) of ''Reign of the Superman'' would eventually become ''Series/GreenLantern'' ''Franchise/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).
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* RoguesGalleryTransplant: The BigBad and TheDragon (or more precisely, [[LegacyCharacter The Dragon's Son]]) of ''Reign of the Superman'' would eventually become ''Series/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).
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* FromNobodyToNightmare: Dr. Hank Henshaw was actually a gag {{Expy}} of Reed Richards of the ''ComicBook/FantasticFour''. Who would have thought he'd become one of Superman's greatest foes.
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* FromNobodyToNightmare: Dr. Hank Henshaw was actually a gag {{Expy}} of Reed Richards of the ''ComicBook/FantasticFour''. ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'', appearing only in a single story arc. Who would have thought he'd become one of Superman's greatest foes.foes.
** [[RoguesGalleryTransplant Though nowadays he's one of]] Series/GreenLantern [[[[RoguesGalleryTransplant Hal Jordan's greatest foes]].
** [[RoguesGalleryTransplant Though nowadays he's one of]] Series/GreenLantern [[[[RoguesGalleryTransplant Hal Jordan's greatest foes]].
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* HijackedByGanon: The BigBad of the ''Reign of the Superman'' arc is revealed to be a character that appeared in a single story arc three years prior - and he wasn't even a real villain at the time. TheDragon is a more recognizable character, [[spoiler:having appeared in the classic Superman story ComicBook/ForTheManWhoHasEverything]]. And while he wasn't the BigBad, the [[spoiler: Last Son of Krypton]] is shown to be a minor recurring antagonist that last appeared two years before his reintroduction in this series.
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* FromNobodyToNightmare: Dr. Hank Henshaw was actually a gag {{Expy}} of Reed Richards of ''TheFantasticFour''. Who would have thought he'd become one of Superman's greatest foes.
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* FromNobodyToNightmare: Dr. Hank Henshaw was actually a gag {{Expy}} of Reed Richards of ''TheFantasticFour''.the ''ComicBook/FantasticFour''. Who would have thought he'd become one of Superman's greatest foes.
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* The Max Landis "educational parody film" ''The Death and Return of Superman'', which summarizes the events of the series using several famous actors and singers (including Elijah Wood, Ron Howard and Mandy Moore), along with an overview of why the storyline failed.
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* The Max Landis "educational parody film" ''The ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PlwDbSYicM The Death and Return of Superman'', Superman]]'', which summarizes the events of the series using several famous actors and singers (including Elijah Wood, Ron Howard and Mandy Moore), along with an overview of why the storyline failed.
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* An episode of ''Blossom'' has Joey talking to God. God offers to turn back time for Joey, who says "I thought only Superman could do that." God's response? "He stole it from me. That's why I killed him." Took place soon after Death of Superman made news.
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* An episode of ''Blossom'' ''Series/{{Blossom}}'' has Joey talking to God. God offers to turn back time for Joey, who says "I thought only Superman could do that." God's response? "He stole it from me. That's why I killed him." Took place soon after Death of Superman made news.
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* An episode of ''Blossom'' has Joey talking to God. God offers to turn back time for Joey, who says "I thought only Superman could do that." God's response? "He stole it from me. That's why I killed him." Took place soon after Death of Superman made news.
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The first occasions were as "imaginary stories" (that is, set outside of the official {{continuity}}) published during the SilverAge of comics.
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The first occasions were as "imaginary stories" (that is, set outside of the official {{continuity}}) published during the SilverAge of comics.
comics. One notable one was ''WhateverHappenedToTheManOfTomorrow'', which was about a theoretical end to the pre-Crisis Superman[[spoiler:, though he wasn't actually dead, just BroughtDownToNormal by choice.]]
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In this story, a monster named [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Doomsday]] comes out of nowhere and thrashes both Superman AND the JusticeLeagueOfAmerica. When it attacks Metropolis, Superman must [[WorldOfCardboardSpeech unleash all of his hidden power]] to stop it, killing Doomsday but also getting mortally wounded in the process. He dies in LoisLane's arms', while his ragged cape ended up hung on a pole as a sort of tragic flag: possibly the most effective visual ever seen in comic book history.
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In this story, a monster named [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Doomsday]] comes out of nowhere and thrashes both Superman AND the JusticeLeagueOfAmerica.ComicBook/JusticeLeagueInternational. When it attacks Metropolis, Superman must [[WorldOfCardboardSpeech unleash all of his hidden power]] to stop it, killing Doomsday but also getting mortally wounded in the process. He dies in LoisLane's arms', while his ragged cape ended up hung on a pole as a sort of tragic flag: possibly the most effective visual ever seen in comic book history.
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* '''The Last Son of Krypton (The [[DarkAgeOfSupernames Kryptonian 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]].
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* '''The Last Son of Krypton (The [[spoiler:(The [[DarkAgeOfSupernames Kryptonian Eradicator]]):''' 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]].
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** Subverted by the CurbStompBattle inflicted by the Man of Tomorrow upon The Last Son of Krypton.
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** Subverted by the CurbStompBattle inflicted by The confrontation between the Man of Tomorrow upon The and the Last Son of Krypton.Krypton initially seems to be an example of this. It turns out that [[spoiler:The Man of Tomorrow]] is not a hero.
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* HeadbuttingHeroes: The Reign of the Superment arc contains a few examples:
** 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.
** 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.
** Subverted by the CurbStompBattle inflicted by the Man of Tomorrow upon The Last Son of Krypton.
** 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.
** 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.
** Subverted by the CurbStompBattle inflicted by the Man of Tomorrow upon The Last Son of Krypton.
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* CurbStompBattle: The Cyborg deals these to both the Last Son of Krypton and Superboy.
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* HowDoIShotWeb: {{Superboy}} does not know how his "metal disassembling power" works (explained later on as tactile [[MindOverMatter telekinesis]]).
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http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/capeflag.jpg
For some reason, killing off {{Superman}} is a popular idea. It may be because, being the [[TheCape Ultimate Hero]], it is [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome 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]] [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic 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.
The first occasions were as "imaginary stories" (that is, set outside of the official {{continuity}}) published during the SilverAge of comics.
The final episode of ''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 -- he was only mostly dead.]] An earlier story from ''Challenge of the Superfriends'' also featured Superman (and the rest of the League) being killed.
However, the most famous instance was the "Death of Superman" StoryArc in the Superman comics during the 1990s, and the animated movie (based on that story) titled ''SupermanDoomsday'' that came out in 2007.
''The Death of Superman'' is split into three parts:
* ''Doomsday!'' (November, 1992-January, 1993)
* ''Funeral for a Friend'' (January-June,1993)
* ''Reign of the Supermen!'' (June-October, 1993)
In this story, a monster named [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Doomsday]] comes out of nowhere and thrashes both Superman AND the JusticeLeagueOfAmerica. When it attacks Metropolis, Superman must [[WorldOfCardboardSpeech unleash all of his hidden power]] to stop it, killing Doomsday but also getting mortally wounded in the process. He dies in LoisLane's arms', while his ragged cape ended up hung on a pole as a sort of tragic flag: possibly the most effective visual ever seen in comic book history.
Naturally, DCComics was [[LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt NOT]] planning on really killing off one of their main [[CashCowFranchise most famous characters]] 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, this thing ''hadn't'' been done to death; this story may have been the TropeCodifier for the ComicBookDeath.
''The Death of Superman'' arc happened by accident: originally, the then-current Superman writing were going to get Superman and Lois Lane married; however, ''[[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.
!!!Reign of the Supermen
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. These were:
* '''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.
* '''The Last Son of Krypton (The [[DarkAgeOfSupernames Kryptonian 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]].
* '''The Metropolis Kid ({{Superboy}}):''' A reckless, fame-seeking teenage (assumed) [[CloningBlues 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]] {{Superboy}}.
* '''The Man of Steel ({{Steel}}):''' A [[RaceLift black]] hero wearing a suit of PoweredArmor. 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).
Each of these characters was allowed to star in one of Superman's then current titles for a few months. It was eventually revealed that the real Superman was [[spoiler: none of them, he wasn't even dead but rather in SuspendedAnimation]]. The [[spoiler: Cyborg Superman]] was actually [[spoiler:Hank Henshaw]], an AntiVillain from a previous story, now [[NotSoHarmlessVillain a bona fide threat]] (with [[spoiler: 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 [[DorkAge four maddening years]]. The Superman [[LegacyHero legacy carriers]] stuck around for other stories, with two of them ({{Superboy}} and {{Steel}}) even getting their own series. Steel would also appear in ''SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' and ''JusticeLeagueUnlimited''.
The storyline had the most lasting impact on 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 [[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]].
Later stories brought back Doomsday as well, who was revealed to have been [[spoiler: created as an experiment on Krypton]] and buried on Earth long ago. However he hasn't been quite as menacing since then, probably because he no longer has a [[PlotInducedStupidity story-backed reason to be]] (see also GenericDoomsdayVillain, a trope which he named).
The entire arc including ''The Death'', ''Funeral'', and ''Reign'' are often referred to officially as ''The Death and Return of Superman'', taking into consideration his return after several months.
The animated movie is more or less the same as the comics arc (especially the death sequence) but with the exclusion of the Justice League and the Superman wannabes (except for an (adult) clone), probably to make the story simpler (or for licensing reasons.)
Prior to the ''Superman: Doomsday'' movie, the ''JusticeLeague'' animated series episode "Hereafter" did an homage to this story as well, in which Superman is (apparently) disintegrated by one of Toyman's weapons. The Man of Steel is mourned and buried (symbolically, they had no body to inter) by the other heroes, the people of Metropolis, and [[AntagonistInMourning even Lex Luthor]]. Then the episode takes a turn for the bizarre when [[NinetiesAntiHero Lobo]] shows up, demanding to fill Superman's place in the Justice League. Then the action skips forward 3000 years to reveal that Supes wasn't killed, but blasted forward in time. [[BadFuture Future Earth is a red-sunned wreck]], and a depowered Superman must team up with Vandal Savage--now the sole survivor of humanity--to rebuild a time machine to send Supes back.
Doomsday also showed up in this series, in the episodes "A Better World" and "The Doomsday Sanction", but was revealed to be an [[spoiler: altered clone of Superman]] and doesn't get to kill Superman.
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!!This ComicBook provides examples of:
* AffirmativeActionLegacy: Sort of with the African American Steel. He didn't outright want to replace Superman, but just wanted to keep his spirit alive.
* AntiHeroSubstitute: Three of the four Superman substitutes were [[SlidingScaleOfAntiHeroes varying degrees]] of this, with {{Superboy}} being a Type II, the Eradicator being a Type IV, and the Cyborg Superman being a Type III, [[spoiler:though he was actually a villain rather than any form of "hero"]].
* AppropriatedAppellation: The name "Doomsday" was given to it by BoosterGold.
* BackFromTheDead: Superman, he can't stay dead forever.
* BadassLongHair: Supes came back with [[FanNickname The Super-Mullet]] that he wore for a good portion of the nineties. He cut it back to his traditional spitcurl when he got married to Lois.
* 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.
* BigBad: Doomsday for ''The Death of Superman'', and [[spoiler:Cyborg Superman]] for ''Reign of the Supermen''.
* BreakoutCharacter: {{Superboy}} went on to become a prominent DC character. {{Steel}} didn't become as prominent, but did get ADayInTheLimelight for the year-long ''[[FiftyTwo 52]]'' series.
* BruceWayneHeldHostage: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]. Metropolis goes searching for Clark Kent, not knowing that, because Superman died, Clark died. Clark's {{Secret Keeper}}s (his adoptive parents, Lana Lang, and Lois) resolve to not tell the world his secret, and Metropolis just assumes that Clark was killed by being buried under the rubble in Superman and Doomsday's fight. Superman later resolves this issue by having him rescue [[{{Supergirl}} Matrix]]-shapeshifted-as-Clark (complete with that awful mullet), so that Metropolis assumes that Clark was just buried underneath the rubble for months.
* CashCowFranchise: The compiled first part of the arc, called "The Death of Superman", is the best-selling graphic novel of all time.
* {{Cult}}: A cult of Superman worshippers make their prominence 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.
* TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks
* DiedInYourArmsTonight: Superman in Lois' arms.
* DrivenToMadness: [[spoiler:Hank Henshaw, due to his TraumaCongaLine of losing his friends, body, and wife, so he becomes the Cyborg Superman.]]
* FromNobodyToNightmare: Dr. Hank Henshaw was actually a gag {{Expy}} of Reed Richards of ''TheFantasticFour''. Who would have thought he'd become one of Superman's greatest foes.
* TheHeroDies: One of the most iconic examples ever.
* HeroicSacrifice: How Supes goes out.
* IAmNotLeftHanded: Superman kills Doomsday by not holding back against him.
* 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.
* LaserGuidedAmnesia: Cyborg Superman claimed to have this. [[spoiler:It's a ruse to cover his plan to TakeOverTheWorld.]]
* LegacyHero: Superman gets four of them.
* MutualKill: Supes and Doomsday
* 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.]]
* RedSkiesCrossover: The arc affected everyone on The DCUniverse's Earth, seeing as how their BigGood had just been killed. It got a nod in the lead-up to the Franchise/{{Batman}} arc ''{{Knightfall}}'', where Bats wears a black armband similar to TheMerch.
* SecondComing[=/=]{{Reincarnation}}: Some believed that {{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.
* TrueLovesKiss: How Superman is able to convince Lois that he's the real one.
* YoungerAndHipper: {{Superboy}} is a pastiche of this type of trend.
* YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame: Guy Gardner's enthusiastic endorsement of the Last Son of Krypton's methods caused him to reconsider them (at least temporarily).
!The Death of Superman has been referenced in:
* ''DragonBall'' (which borrowed heavily on the Superman mythos): Goku was killed off at the conclusion of the Cell Saga with the intention of ending the series there and implying a ChangingOfTheGuard. (ExecutiveMeddling resulted in a bringing the character back.)
* ''Webcomic/{{Shortpacked}}'': Resident JerkAss Mike [[http://shortpacked.com/comic/book-1-brings-back-the-80s/03-customer-protection-rackets/a-35/ makes]] a TooSoon joke about the then-recent death of Pope John Paul II, referencing the Reign of the Supermen.
* This ''{{Wonderella}}'' [[http://nonadventures.com/2007/06/16/the-death-of-wonderella/ comic]]
* ''FoxTrot'': Jason and Paige [[TakeThat draw mean comic strips about each other]], including strips saying the other caused Superman's death.
--->'''Paige in Jason's strip:''' He saw me in a bathing suit.
--->'''Jason in Paige's strip:''' I told him we were related.
* "Superman's Song", by the Crash Test Dummies, is essentially a eulogy to the fallen hero.
-->Superman never made any money\\
For savin' the world from Solomon Grundy\\
And sometimes I despair\\
The world will never see another man like him.
** Although the song was released a full year before the Death of Superman storyline even took place.
** So this is literally a TooSoon moment!
* Parodied in a ''{{Deadpool}}'' storyline called "Funeral for a Freak", some ten years after the event.
* The Max Landis "educational parody film" ''The Death and Return of Superman'', which summarizes the events of the series using several famous actors and singers (including Elijah Wood, Ron Howard and Mandy Moore), along with an overview of why the storyline failed.
----
<<|ComicBooks|>>
For some reason, killing off {{Superman}} is a popular idea. It may be because, being the [[TheCape Ultimate Hero]], it is [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome 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]] [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic 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.
The first occasions were as "imaginary stories" (that is, set outside of the official {{continuity}}) published during the SilverAge of comics.
The final episode of ''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 -- he was only mostly dead.]] An earlier story from ''Challenge of the Superfriends'' also featured Superman (and the rest of the League) being killed.
However, the most famous instance was the "Death of Superman" StoryArc in the Superman comics during the 1990s, and the animated movie (based on that story) titled ''SupermanDoomsday'' that came out in 2007.
''The Death of Superman'' is split into three parts:
* ''Doomsday!'' (November, 1992-January, 1993)
* ''Funeral for a Friend'' (January-June,1993)
* ''Reign of the Supermen!'' (June-October, 1993)
In this story, a monster named [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Doomsday]] comes out of nowhere and thrashes both Superman AND the JusticeLeagueOfAmerica. When it attacks Metropolis, Superman must [[WorldOfCardboardSpeech unleash all of his hidden power]] to stop it, killing Doomsday but also getting mortally wounded in the process. He dies in LoisLane's arms', while his ragged cape ended up hung on a pole as a sort of tragic flag: possibly the most effective visual ever seen in comic book history.
Naturally, DCComics was [[LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt NOT]] planning on really killing off one of their main [[CashCowFranchise most famous characters]] 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, this thing ''hadn't'' been done to death; this story may have been the TropeCodifier for the ComicBookDeath.
''The Death of Superman'' arc happened by accident: originally, the then-current Superman writing were going to get Superman and Lois Lane married; however, ''[[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.
!!!Reign of the Supermen
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. These were:
* '''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.
* '''The Last Son of Krypton (The [[DarkAgeOfSupernames Kryptonian 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]].
* '''The Metropolis Kid ({{Superboy}}):''' A reckless, fame-seeking teenage (assumed) [[CloningBlues 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]] {{Superboy}}.
* '''The Man of Steel ({{Steel}}):''' A [[RaceLift black]] hero wearing a suit of PoweredArmor. 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).
Each of these characters was allowed to star in one of Superman's then current titles for a few months. It was eventually revealed that the real Superman was [[spoiler: none of them, he wasn't even dead but rather in SuspendedAnimation]]. The [[spoiler: Cyborg Superman]] was actually [[spoiler:Hank Henshaw]], an AntiVillain from a previous story, now [[NotSoHarmlessVillain a bona fide threat]] (with [[spoiler: 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 [[DorkAge four maddening years]]. The Superman [[LegacyHero legacy carriers]] stuck around for other stories, with two of them ({{Superboy}} and {{Steel}}) even getting their own series. Steel would also appear in ''SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' and ''JusticeLeagueUnlimited''.
The storyline had the most lasting impact on 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 [[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]].
Later stories brought back Doomsday as well, who was revealed to have been [[spoiler: created as an experiment on Krypton]] and buried on Earth long ago. However he hasn't been quite as menacing since then, probably because he no longer has a [[PlotInducedStupidity story-backed reason to be]] (see also GenericDoomsdayVillain, a trope which he named).
The entire arc including ''The Death'', ''Funeral'', and ''Reign'' are often referred to officially as ''The Death and Return of Superman'', taking into consideration his return after several months.
The animated movie is more or less the same as the comics arc (especially the death sequence) but with the exclusion of the Justice League and the Superman wannabes (except for an (adult) clone), probably to make the story simpler (or for licensing reasons.)
Prior to the ''Superman: Doomsday'' movie, the ''JusticeLeague'' animated series episode "Hereafter" did an homage to this story as well, in which Superman is (apparently) disintegrated by one of Toyman's weapons. The Man of Steel is mourned and buried (symbolically, they had no body to inter) by the other heroes, the people of Metropolis, and [[AntagonistInMourning even Lex Luthor]]. Then the episode takes a turn for the bizarre when [[NinetiesAntiHero Lobo]] shows up, demanding to fill Superman's place in the Justice League. Then the action skips forward 3000 years to reveal that Supes wasn't killed, but blasted forward in time. [[BadFuture Future Earth is a red-sunned wreck]], and a depowered Superman must team up with Vandal Savage--now the sole survivor of humanity--to rebuild a time machine to send Supes back.
Doomsday also showed up in this series, in the episodes "A Better World" and "The Doomsday Sanction", but was revealed to be an [[spoiler: altered clone of Superman]] and doesn't get to kill Superman.
----
!!This ComicBook provides examples of:
* AffirmativeActionLegacy: Sort of with the African American Steel. He didn't outright want to replace Superman, but just wanted to keep his spirit alive.
* AntiHeroSubstitute: Three of the four Superman substitutes were [[SlidingScaleOfAntiHeroes varying degrees]] of this, with {{Superboy}} being a Type II, the Eradicator being a Type IV, and the Cyborg Superman being a Type III, [[spoiler:though he was actually a villain rather than any form of "hero"]].
* AppropriatedAppellation: The name "Doomsday" was given to it by BoosterGold.
* BackFromTheDead: Superman, he can't stay dead forever.
* BadassLongHair: Supes came back with [[FanNickname The Super-Mullet]] that he wore for a good portion of the nineties. He cut it back to his traditional spitcurl when he got married to Lois.
* 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.
* BigBad: Doomsday for ''The Death of Superman'', and [[spoiler:Cyborg Superman]] for ''Reign of the Supermen''.
* BreakoutCharacter: {{Superboy}} went on to become a prominent DC character. {{Steel}} didn't become as prominent, but did get ADayInTheLimelight for the year-long ''[[FiftyTwo 52]]'' series.
* BruceWayneHeldHostage: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]. Metropolis goes searching for Clark Kent, not knowing that, because Superman died, Clark died. Clark's {{Secret Keeper}}s (his adoptive parents, Lana Lang, and Lois) resolve to not tell the world his secret, and Metropolis just assumes that Clark was killed by being buried under the rubble in Superman and Doomsday's fight. Superman later resolves this issue by having him rescue [[{{Supergirl}} Matrix]]-shapeshifted-as-Clark (complete with that awful mullet), so that Metropolis assumes that Clark was just buried underneath the rubble for months.
* CashCowFranchise: The compiled first part of the arc, called "The Death of Superman", is the best-selling graphic novel of all time.
* {{Cult}}: A cult of Superman worshippers make their prominence 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.
* TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks
* DiedInYourArmsTonight: Superman in Lois' arms.
* DrivenToMadness: [[spoiler:Hank Henshaw, due to his TraumaCongaLine of losing his friends, body, and wife, so he becomes the Cyborg Superman.]]
* FromNobodyToNightmare: Dr. Hank Henshaw was actually a gag {{Expy}} of Reed Richards of ''TheFantasticFour''. Who would have thought he'd become one of Superman's greatest foes.
* TheHeroDies: One of the most iconic examples ever.
* HeroicSacrifice: How Supes goes out.
* IAmNotLeftHanded: Superman kills Doomsday by not holding back against him.
* 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.
* LaserGuidedAmnesia: Cyborg Superman claimed to have this. [[spoiler:It's a ruse to cover his plan to TakeOverTheWorld.]]
* LegacyHero: Superman gets four of them.
* MutualKill: Supes and Doomsday
* 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.]]
* RedSkiesCrossover: The arc affected everyone on The DCUniverse's Earth, seeing as how their BigGood had just been killed. It got a nod in the lead-up to the Franchise/{{Batman}} arc ''{{Knightfall}}'', where Bats wears a black armband similar to TheMerch.
* SecondComing[=/=]{{Reincarnation}}: Some believed that {{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.
* TrueLovesKiss: How Superman is able to convince Lois that he's the real one.
* YoungerAndHipper: {{Superboy}} is a pastiche of this type of trend.
* YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame: Guy Gardner's enthusiastic endorsement of the Last Son of Krypton's methods caused him to reconsider them (at least temporarily).
!The Death of Superman has been referenced in:
* ''DragonBall'' (which borrowed heavily on the Superman mythos): Goku was killed off at the conclusion of the Cell Saga with the intention of ending the series there and implying a ChangingOfTheGuard. (ExecutiveMeddling resulted in a bringing the character back.)
* ''Webcomic/{{Shortpacked}}'': Resident JerkAss Mike [[http://shortpacked.com/comic/book-1-brings-back-the-80s/03-customer-protection-rackets/a-35/ makes]] a TooSoon joke about the then-recent death of Pope John Paul II, referencing the Reign of the Supermen.
* This ''{{Wonderella}}'' [[http://nonadventures.com/2007/06/16/the-death-of-wonderella/ comic]]
* ''FoxTrot'': Jason and Paige [[TakeThat draw mean comic strips about each other]], including strips saying the other caused Superman's death.
--->'''Paige in Jason's strip:''' He saw me in a bathing suit.
--->'''Jason in Paige's strip:''' I told him we were related.
* "Superman's Song", by the Crash Test Dummies, is essentially a eulogy to the fallen hero.
-->Superman never made any money\\
For savin' the world from Solomon Grundy\\
And sometimes I despair\\
The world will never see another man like him.
** Although the song was released a full year before the Death of Superman storyline even took place.
** So this is literally a TooSoon moment!
* Parodied in a ''{{Deadpool}}'' storyline called "Funeral for a Freak", some ten years after the event.
* The Max Landis "educational parody film" ''The Death and Return of Superman'', which summarizes the events of the series using several famous actors and singers (including Elijah Wood, Ron Howard and Mandy Moore), along with an overview of why the storyline failed.
----
<<|ComicBooks|>>
