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Supertrivia: - This wasn't the first time that Superman 'died' - the Man of Steel succumbed to kryptonite poisoning in an episode of the 1980's cartoon Super Powers: Galactic Guardians. In that episode, he was saved by initiating a yoga-like trance that only resembled death. - Excluding the first issues of ongoing series, Superman #75 would become the highest-selling comic of the century. - The editors' first choice was to marry Lois and Clark, but it was eventually decided to hold off on that in order to tie it in with a possible upcoming wedding on the then-popular Lois & Clark television show. - The same spirit of shaking things up also infected Batman's editorial team; in 1993, the 'Knightfall' storyline saw Batman mentally and physically broken by the new super-villain known as Bane. After his handpicked successor goes too far in meting out justice, Bruce Wayne rebuilds his body to reassume his role. See also: Superman More of the Greatest Comics Ever Made: - Superman Vs. Spider-Man - Amazing Fantasy #15 - Fantastic Four #1 - Fantastic Four #48 - Incredible Hulk #181 - Mad #1 - Sandman #1 - Star Wars #1 - Swamp Thing #21 - Tales Of Suspense #39 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 - Watchmen #1 - X-Men #1 - Zap Comix #0 |
 Superman is dead. Not a joke, not a hoax, not one of those 'imaginary' stories that comic writers like to spring on readers. This was the real thing. In Superman #75, the Man of Steel fights an unstoppable killing machine in the heart of Metropolis. He ends the creature's threat to his city, but only at a great cost. Superman - the strongest, most recognized superhero on the planet - was deader than deadwood. Deceased. Gone. Finito. He had ceased to be.Well, not quite. But it sure seemed like it at the time. The storyline that would become one of DC's biggest sellers of the century started out as a joke. Every so often, Superman's creators would get together to throw out ideas on what to do next with the Man of Tomorrow, and inevitably someone would shout out "Let's kill him!" from the back of the room. It was all fun and games, of course - until the editors shouted back, "Hey, why not?" By the early 1990s, DC's main man was starring in no less than four different ongoing titles: Superman, The Adventures of Superman, Action Comics, and Superman: The Man of Steel (a fifth title, Superman: The Man of Tomorrow, would join the lineup in 1995). All four titles were also interconnected, meaning that fans had to buy all of them in order to follow the story. While it was a bonanza for true-blue fans, there was always the risk of wearing out Superman's welcome by maintaining the status quo. Killing him off was seen as one way of shaking things up. The Man of Steel's murderer was created especially for the task. Dubbed 'Doomsday' by the media, the massive and powerful creature cuts a wide swath of destruction across the United States, defeating the entire Justice League of America lineup along the way. He eventually ends up in Metropolis, where he proceeds to destroy the city until Superman arrives on the scene. The two battle to the death, and the entire DC Universe mourns the loss of its greatest hero. When the issue hit the stands in late 1992, many people in this universe went nuts, as well. Longtime fans used to the constant superhero resurrections that comic writers employ knew Superman would be back, but people less familiar with comics thought this was the real thing. Newspapers, magazines, and TV news broadcasts informed the public of Superman's death, often as if an actual person had died. Millions who hadn't bought a comic book in years checked out this issue, which came in two versions: the regular newsstand version (as pictured here) and a special, comic-shop version that came wrapped in plastic and included a poster and a black armband with Superman's insignia on it. A prose paperback version of the entire death and rebirth of Superman went on to sell six million copies. Naturally, this would not be the end of the Man of Steel; after a number of stories in which Superman's friends and family deal with their feelings, it's discovered that his body is missing from his mausoleum, driving speculation that he might still be alive. Adding to the mystery are four new characters who each claim to be a new incarnation of Superman: a young, cocky kid with Superman's powers; a steel-suited African-American construction worker; a cold and vengeful hero who had taken over Superman's Fortress of Solitude; and a cyborg who half-resembled Superman and half-resembled the robots from the Terminator movies. After months of stories in which all four new Supermen worked and fought with each other, the one true Superman returns to claim his rightful place in the DC pantheon. Considering the publicity and high sales generated from this storyline, there's little doubt that the issue that started it was an important one in comic-book history. But there's plenty of room for debate on whether it was a good thing or a bad thing for the industry as a whole. Superman's death occurred at a time when gimmicks were commonly used to boost comic book sales, often at the expense of the stories inside. Hologram covers, die-cast covers, prebagged 'collectible' books, double-sized 'anniversary' issues celebrating nothing more than 25 issues of publication - the early 1990's saw a growing number of devices used to justify higher costs or to encourage collectors to buy several copies of each issue. Superman's titles were no different; indeed, the fact that he was starring in no less than four regular, interconnected titles (not to mention numerous mini-series and one-shots) was a marketing gimmick in itself, since fans had to buy one issue a week just to keep up with the storyline. Depending on how you look at it, Superman's death signaled one of two things: it was either a bold and innovative way of using a classic comic character to bring people back to comics, or it was merely more evidence that, in the 1990s, marketing and selling books mattered more to publishers than providing enduring stories of quality for the fans. The story of Superman's death and rebirth was certainly a momentous one, but to many it only suggested that DC had officially 'storied out' its main meal ticket. By the end of the century, it was too soon to tell if that was the case, but it was hard for fans to deny that the Man of Steel did look a little, well, dented. Unstoppable killing machines, it seems, have nothing on ambitious marketing departments. |