The Death of Superman

"The Death of Superman" was the title of the comic book issue Superman #75, and the catalyst for DC Comics' major universe crossover event of 1993, becoming a major media event. Its premise was as simple as its title: Superman engages in battle with Doomsday, a seemingly unstoppable killing machine, in the streets of Metropolis. In the end, both combatants were killed.

After Death, and "The Reign of the Supermen"

The following funeral featured many of Superman's fellow heroes and friends, including most of the Justice League of America, and a mausoleum was built in Metropolis in his honor. Furthermore, stories after the funeral often dealt with the emotions felt by the general public as well as specific characters entwined within Superman's world, including Lois Lane, Clark Kent's parents, and even a bevy of supervillains.

In the resulting storyline, "Reign of the Supermen," four new heroes emerged in Superman's place: The Man of Steel (later shortened to Steel), a man in an iron suit and wielding a hammer; The Cyborg Superman, a half-robot, half-Kryptonian with splintered memories; Superboy, a teenage clone of Superman; and The Eradicator, an energy-powered alien who often dealt with criminals lethally.

Superman's body later went missing from the mausoleum, and a fifth hero claiming to be the "real" Superman entered the arena. This was indeed the real hero, though lacking his powers. In a fight with the Cyborg, the Eradicator's powers were transferred into Superman, who, after a long bout of identity crisis, took up his heroic mantle and defended Metropolis again.

Audience/Media Response

"The Death of Superman" brought in millions of readers to DC Comics, despite the entirety of the story being intertwined through numerous different comic series, including Action Comics, Superman, Superman: The Man of Steel, and Adventures of Superman, among others. The cover of Superman #75 became a famous image: Superman's tattered cape wrapped around a pole, marking a makeshift grave.

Because of Superman's place as an American icon, his death became a multimedia event, covered by newspapers and televised reports. Certain prints of Superman #75 contained a black armband with the familiar "S" symbol adorning it. Many comics fans publicly wore the armband immediately following Superman's death, including, perhaps most famously, Jay Leno.

Some critics praised DC for boldly doing the unthinkable and innovatively drawing in more readers. However, many others were highly critical, citing the entire idea as a publicity stunt, with DC knowing full well that they would not eliminate their most popular character.