8 Times Superman Died On Screen (And How Long It Took)

Superman is one of the most popular characters in the entire DC Universe, and the popular comic book The Death of Superman has served as inspiration for several projects over the years. In animation, live-action films, and even video games, the story of Superman’s death has become a popular theme for adaptation. involving Doomsday or even bigger villains. Although in some series the details are poorly adapted, including Justice League cartoon, where Superman did not actually die, but was sent into the future, others turned out to be much more faithful to the original source.

Superman’s darkest story has gotten even darker with the series’ recent episodes. Superman and Lois. Since its confrontation with Doomsday, the series has focused on the trauma of how it affected others, and it follows a long line of adaptations that have done the same. Seeing this iconic storyline adapted for a new series was a joy and shows how well this story can be told in different ways over the years. While another DCU adaptation of this story is likely on the horizon, there have been some great versions over the years.

8

Smallville Season 5 Episode 3 – “Hidden” (2005)

Clark is resurrected later in the same episode

Smallville was an incredible show that played fast and loose with established hero continuity. However, the series’ story, which focused on Superman’s death, was completely different from the comic story itself, and may not have even taken inspiration from it.. Although Doomsday later became part of the series, the hero’s actual death was due to Jor-El taking Clark’s powers. Smallville. Stripped of his powers, Clark still tried to be a hero, but was shot and killed in the process. He died from this wound.

Luckily, later in the same episode, Clark was revived in the Fortress of Solitude by his father in the body of Lionel Luthor. This is a remarkable look at the Death of Superman story, especially considering that Doomsday would appear later in the series. he was played by Sam Witwer, and he failed to kill the hero. Instead, this excellent episode of the popular series presents a different take on Superman’s death.

7

Superman Returns (2006)

The hero is declared dead, although he wakes up

During an emotional scene in Superman returnsit seems the hero is dying. Having raised the Kryptonian land from the sea, the hero falls into a comatose state and is considered dead by many. It is unclear whether the filmmakers intended Superman to die in this scene, although his vital signs remain stable. However, all of Metropolis reacts emotionally to this as if he did it, and Lois expresses her feelings towards Superman’s body as it lies in bed.

These words are enough to snap Superman out of this state, and seem to reflect the idea that this Superman may not be able to die. After this emotional scene, Superman eventually awakens from death. The world is saved and everyone can continue to live their lives. Although a sequel film was not made Superman returnsit’s a satisfying conclusion for this version of the hero, despite Brandon Routh’s later appearances in Arrowverse crossovers.

6

Superman: Doomsday (2007)

Superman recovers by the end of the film

The first animated film adaptation of The Death of Superman was made in a truncated version called Superman: Doomsdayfilm straight to video. The 77-minute film chronicles the thrilling battle between the Man of Steel and Doomsday, which ended with Superman’s death in the arms of Lois. The story continues this story with Lex Luthor, Superman clones, and the title character’s inevitable return by the end of the film.

The film begins with Superman’s death and ends with his return to life. Although his powers are not fully restored, Superman is able to defeat his clone used by Lex Luthor. In the end, the world celebrates Superman’s return and everything returns to normal. It’s not the most interesting adaptation of the story, although it is one of the first to cover this territory with the appearance of a DC character on screen. and as a result has some value.

5

Star Superman (2011)

Superman doesn’t return by the end of the film, but becomes something more

Star Supermanbased on the popular comic by Grant Morrison, took a completely different approach to the Man of Steel and gave him a death that had never been seen before. Weakened by the sun, the story tells the end of Superman’s life in a compelling and emotional way. The story ends with Superman’s body being converted into pure energy so that even in death he can continue to live like most of the universe.

This story is sad and emotional, but at the same time extremely exciting. Star Superman has been cited as one of James Gunn’s inspirations for the DCU’s take on the character, and the animated film does a good job of adapting the popular comic book story. It actually feels like Superman’s death has a weight and stakes that has never been seen before. While this death is painful, it is also rooted in a holistic view of the universe that allows Superman to return to the matter from which he came.

4

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

A hero comes back to life in Justice League

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and its continuation, Justice Leagueprovide a better look at the world after the loss of Superman. Although doubts had previously been sown regarding Kal-El’s place on Earth, humanity revered him after his battle with Doomsday in the film. It came in an incredible action thriller that saw Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman team up for the first time in a big budget live-action film. The climax of this film was Superman’s shocking death and funeral procession.

It was a little early for the DC Extended Universe to make The Death of Superman, but that doesn’t diminish its effectiveness. While the theatrical version Justice League gave the hero a disappointing return, re-edit Zack Snyder’s Justice League allowed Superman’s return to be slower and more effective. It’s interesting to see the hero appear in his black suit after being resurrected, and the detail used in The Death of Superman created some of the best scenes in the entire DCEU.

3

Death of Superman (2018)

Clark Kent was resurrected a year later during the reign of the Supermen

Using Justice League to tell the larger story of The Death of Superman, the animated film was well received by critics on Rotten Tomatoes, scoring 92%. The film uses most of the beats from the comics, including the introduction and fight against Doomsday, but the larger story revolves around the other heroes Superman works with in the Justice League. Batman, Green Lantern, Flash and many others appear here to fill the space of the universe after Superman’s death.

The film series took its time and allowed Superman to remain dead until the sequel was released a year later. Reign of the Supermen took influence from the comic book of the same name and saw several different figures try to take Superman’s place. This included clones from LexCorp and Steel, among others. In the film, Clark finally returned late in the show’s run to deal with the threat of Darkseid in a satisfying story.

2

Batwoman Season 1, Episode 9 – “Crisis on Infinite Earths. Part 2″ (2019)

Multiverse Supermen are not shown restored

While the huge Arrowverse event “Crisis on Infinite Earths” saw the return of a number of Supermen from the past, including iterations of Tom Welling and Brandon Routh, it also featured an episode that featured many additional options for the hero’s death. Throughout the multiverse Lex Luthor was able to steal the Book of Destiny from the Monitor, allowing him to travel to different universes to kill the various Supermen who inhabited them. This was shown in a sad scene where Lois could be seen crying over Clark’s body.

This dark sequence was only a brief part of this episode, but it was effective. Seeing even a small amount of footage of Superman being killed was unsettling and effective enough to anchor the emotion of the rest of the episode. By the end of the story, the team ultimately succeeded in destroying Lex and retrieving the book, but the brutal and disturbing consequences of Lex’s actions across the multiverse remained.

1

Superman & Lois Season 4, Episode 1 – “The End and the Beginning” (2024)

Superman hasn’t been brought back to life yet

The latest adaptation of The Death of Superman occurred during the season premiere of The Death of Superman. Superman and Lois. After the cliffhanger finale of season three, the new season began with a battle between Superman and Doomsday, who was formerly Bizarro. This brutal battle came to a devastating conclusion and Superman was killed. Superman’s family, including his two sons, were left to mourn him in several somber scenes that followed.

Many have wondered if this death is permanent in Superman and Loisbut this is unlikely to be the case. Although the series may continue without main character Tyler Hoechlin due to Lex Luthor’s strong performance and Jonathan Kent’s performance as Superboy. Based on the source material, it’s likely that Superman will return by the end of the season. Either way, whether the hero returns or not, this episode and death is one of the most powerful and emotional versions of this story ever shown on screen. Superman and Lois this might be Superman’s best death yet.

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