The Man of Steel is not a guy to mess around with. Monikers like Faster than a speeding bullet and stronger than a charging train are serious understatements to his power. He is considered by many to be the strongest being in the universe. But Even the Superman has weaknesses. And those weaknesses have led to his downfall multiple times in the comics.
10. The Death of Superman
Widely considered by many as the most well known Superman issue in the comic book world, this 1992 issue helped fans realize the fact that even the Superman has an Achilles heel. The issue saw Superman fighting the alien warrior Doomsday – an unkillable creature whose sole purpose is destruction. Doomsday’s most definitive power is not staying dead for long. So when Clark goes toe to toe with a super-strong beast that cannot be killed, the result is the death of both the parties. Superman doesn’t stay dead for long though. Just like Doomsday, he too is revived by the writers after a massive backlash from DC fans worldwide.
9. The Phantom Stranger revives him
In a 1977 issue, a villain named Count Crystal is bestowed with immeasurable power by a demon called Azgore. Count Crystal then goes on a rampage leaving Superman dead in its wake. The time-traveling Phantom Stranger then assembles the Justice League of America for a dimension-hopping adventure. Turns out, Clark wasn’t dead but just transported to Azgore’s dimension where the demon was trying to consume his essence. When his plans are foiled, an enraged Agore kills the Count and the Phantom Stranger revives not only Superman but also Hawkman.
8. All Star Superman
The comic arc showed Superman dying and moving on to a higher plane of existence which looked pretty much like Krypton. There he meets his biological father Jor-El and they discuss about Superman’s destiny. Clark is given two choices – stay or go back to fulfill his destiny. Superman, the good guy he is, choose the latter and helps defeat Lex Luthor who had gained special abilities after consuming a unique serum.
7. Batman and his magic wand
When Doctor Light realizes he can’t possibly hope to defeat the unstoppable Man of Steel, he goes for the next best thing. He devises a plan where he hypnotizes Superman and uses a special magic wand to make Clark commit suicide. He succeeds. Only later does Batman arrives, defeats the villain Doctor Light and grabs hold of the magic and. He then proceeds to save Supes’ ass with the same said wand that killed him.
6. T.O Morrow kills the entire Justice League
In the Justice League of America #65, the villain and evil genius T.O Morrow manages to kill the entire Justice League by himself. He creates duplicate of the beloved loved ones of the superheroes like Wonder Woman, Atom, Aquaman, and Hawkman. Those he cannot entice with the heart, he manages to kill them with other deadly creatures he has created. Red Tornado, a renegade creation of the villain who later joins the Justice League get hold of his plans and manages to defeat T.O Morrow with his own creations and manages to resurrect the league – including Superman.
5. Red Son
In a popular Elseworlds story arc, Superman crash lands on Soviet Russia instead of the United States where he is raised as a Soviet Superhero and Champion of Communism. Lex Luthor is the son of the President of the USA and Batman is a rebel leader fighting a losing war against the Red Man of Steel. When Brainiac leads an invasion of the white house, Superman and Luthor manage to take him out only to realize the reactors powering Brainiac’s ship have reached critical mass and will soon explode. Superman then pushes the ship to space where the resulting explosion presumably kills him. He comes back in one piece a thousand years later to attend Luthor’s funeral (who somehow managed to survive that long).
4. Killed by He-Man
There have been several inter publisher crossovers but The DC Universe vs. The Masters of the Universe deserves a special mention. That is because when Skeletor, Evil-Lyn, and He-Man enter the DC universe, a certain Kryptonian seems to pay the ultimate price. Magic is Superman’s weakness. So when He-Man and his magic sword pierce through Superman’s heart all hope seems to be lost. That is until it is shown that the guy He-Man killed is actually a clone and the real Kryptonian is alive and kickin’ it.
3. Killed over and over again by Gog
The 1996 Kingdom Come issue is generally seen as the epitome of DC storytelling. But what many don’t know is that there was a sequel to it in the name of The Kingdom in 1999. The arc had one of the most impossible and twisted storylines to date. A villain named Gog is granted insane amounts of powers by an evil group called Quintessence. His powers allow him to absorb those of any superhero he kills. Gog kills Superman, absorbs his powers and goes back in time to do it again and again, making him the most powerful sentient being in the universe.
2. Android Clone helps save the Man of Steel
A group called the Galactic Crimeteers helps train assassins to kill the best of the best which also includes Superman. For the training, they use an android with similar powers and personality as a test dummy. A guy called the Murderman is the only one who manages to defeat the android and then proceeds to take on the real thing. Murderman somehow manages to kill Superman but the android doppelganger, who is programmed to emulate Clarkkent, activates itself to defeat Murderman and save Superman before he succumbs to the battle.
1. Rebirth Superman
The New 52 relaunch has drawn as much applause as controversies. When the reboot gave fans a Superman they absolutely loved to hate, the writers decide to undo their wrongs by killing off the present 52 era Clark Kent and bringing back the pre 52 era Superman before the Flashpoint fiasco. In Superman #52, the rebirth Superman is pointlessly killed via kryptonite poisoning while fighting Denny Swan aka Energy Superman. Then the classic hero from the past timeline manages to jump over to this one and become assume the role of the Man of Steel – Protector of Earth.
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