Warning: Spoilers for Superman (2023) #21 ahead!
Judgment Day is back in Metropolis, and no matter how hard he tries, Superman they cannot postpone the next confrontation forever. When a new DC Comics villain appears and demands Doomsday's arrest, his connection to Superman's killer has shocking implications for one of the most famous comic books of the 1990s.
In Superman (2023) #21 – written by Joshua Williamson and art by Dan Mora – Superman struggles to enjoy his nighttime rendezvous with Lois, knowing it's only a matter of time before Doomsday breaks his hold on Supercorp. Just as Superman manages to achieve some level of calm, a new villain calling himself Aftermath appears in Metropolis and demands that Doomsday be taken into his custody.
Although Aftermath states that his attire is traditional funeral attire, Knowledgeable readers of the story will notice that they wear the exact same containment suits that Doomsday wore in his debut.
Superman's Newest Enemies Have Shocking Ties to Doomsday's Origin, Changing Fans' Understanding of DC Lore
Superman #21 – Written by Joshua Williamson; Art by Dan Mora; Color by Alejandro Sánchez; Ariana Maher Lyrics
Judgment Day first appeared in Superman: Man of Steel (1991) #18 – written by Louise Simonson, with art by Jon Bogdanove and Dennis Janke – where he breaks through countless steel walls to invade the outside world. Doomsday's form is an enigma at first, as he wears a strange gray-green suit encased in strange alien technology; only after his suit is damaged in a fight with the Justice League do readers finally see the rocky monstrosity inside him. Although the reveal is dramatic, no explanation for the process is given throughout the rest of the film. Death of Superman bow.
Doomsday's origins were finally revealed in Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey (1994), written by Dan Jurgens with art by Brett Breeding). In the second issue, it was revealed that Doomsday is actually an ancient biological weapon known as “the Ultimate”, genetically engineered on Krypton. When the Ultimate broke free, he went on a galactic killing spree until he was finally stopped on the planet Calaton, where his body was tied up in his burial customs, before being ejected into space – and subsequently a forced landing on Earth. Judgment Day finally broke free after thousands of years, setting in motion the events of The Death of Superman.
A long-lost part of Doomsday's origin story returns to prominence, causing problems for Superman
The resurgence of the Calatonians has important implications for the lore
This confirms that the Aftermath are in fact the remains of Calatonjoined the descendants of the ancient Doomsday reign of destruction. This is a deep cut into DC cosmology, bringing the player back to the intergalactic stage lost for hundreds of thousands of years. Although The Aftermath is a major threat to Earth, its presence is potentially a major benefit: as the first civilization to successfully thwart Doomsday, its contribution could be vital in helping Superman and his family prevent Doomsday. Final once and for all.
The Aftermath is an important and profound story, connected to both The Death of Superman and the origin of Judgment Day, linking contemporary Superman to some of the greatest adventures of his past.
The Aftermath represents a major return to decades-old Superman lore, which is great to see: contemporary comics are often so concerned with creating their own stories that they reject or outright contradict what has come before. The fact that Superman (2023) can seamlessly weave these ancient stories meaningfully into modern issues, shows great appreciation and care for Superman tradition, and it's a good sign to move forward. The Aftermath is an important and profound story, connected to both The Death of Superman and Judgment Day origin, tying contemporary Superman for some of the greatest adventures of your past.
Superman (2023) #21 is now available from DC Comics.