Reign of the Supermen was the final chapter in The Death of Superman storyline. This massive crossover event would not only resurrect the Man of Steel, but it would also drastically alter the status quo of the DC universe for the following decades. Created by Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonson, Roger Stern, Karl Kesel, Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett, Jackson Guice, and Dan Jurgens, among many others, this was a universe shaking event, one whose influence is still felt to this day.
So let's break down the Reign of the Supermen event, in this complete guide to Superman's rebirth. We'll look at the buildup, the event itself, and the consequences of the event.
WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE REIGN OF THE SUPERMEN?
It all began with The Death of Superman. Helmed by the same creative team, this was the story that pitted Superman against Doomsday and ended with his death. Following his death, the DC universe was in a state of flux. As the world mourned the loss of Superman, soon there were rumors of his return, most doubting the authenticity of these sightings. Before long though the world became aware of the four beings claiming to be the true Superman and the Reign of the Supermen would begin.
WHAT HAPPENED IN REIGN OF THE SUPERMEN
Each of the Supermen would be featured in one of the four Superman titles running at the time. The Last Son of Krypton, also known as the Eradicator, was featured in Action Comics by Roger Stern and Jackson Guice. Although he was a physical copy of Superman, he was a heartless, and purely logical being, lacking the humanity of Kal-El. John Henry Irons as the Man of Steel was the focus of his eponymous title by Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove.
With no power of his own, he would construct a suit of armor and wield a hammer to protect his community. The Cyborg Superman was the feature of Superman by Dan Jurgens. Claiming to have been resurrected with Kryptonian science, of all the Supermen, only he possessed the personality of the original. The last Superman was the Superboy, featured in Karl Kesel and Tom Grummett's The Adventures of Superman. A genetic clone of Superman, this was an adolescent version of Clark without the moral upbringing of Ma and Pa Kent. Throughout this event, Lois Lane would interact with each of the Supermen hoping that one of them would be her lost love. Although each possessed some aspect of Superman, she was sure that none of them was the true Superman. Regardless, each would work to prove themselves as true heroes, battling evil and saving the day.
Things shifted gear, however, when the true Superman emerged, reborn from the regeneration matrix in the Fortress of Solitude. Still recovering from his injuries from Doomsday, this depowered Superman observed the actions of these new Supermen and decided to put a stop to it. Donning a special suit, Superman made his way to Metropolis traveling across the ocean floor. Meanwhile, the Cyborg Superman was revealed as the villain. His true name was Hank Henshaw, an astronaut whose body was affected by a solar flare caused by one of Superman's battles. The flare also lead to his wife's death which drove him to madness. Eventually, he used NASA's technology to hijack Kryptonian science, placing his consciousness in a new body. When the warlord Mongul arrived on Earth, The Eradicator attempted to stop him, but he was gravely injured by Cyborg Superman, which allowed Mongul to destroy Coast City.
On the city's remains, the two constructed an engine that when turned on would propel Earth from its orbit, making it a massive ship, and converting the planet into a new War World. The next target was Metropolis but Superboy, the Man of Steel, Supergirl, Green Lantern, and the original Superman himself joined forces to save the city and defeat Mongul and Cyborg Superman. After destroying Henshaw and taking Mongul into the Green Lantern Corps' custody, Superman was finally reunited with Lois and the world regained it's true Superman.
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER REIGN OF THE SUPERMEN
John Henry Irons would shorten his superhero name to just Steel and would be a longtime ally to Superman as well as a member of the Justice League. Steel was the first black Superman and he would not be the last. His presence as Steel placed him among the unfortunately small ranks of black superheroes. Superboy would also become a staple of DC comics joining the superteam Young Justice before becoming a member of the Teen Titans. It would also be later revealed that he was also the clone of Lex Luthor, something that would change his entire worldview. This character has become a fan favorite through the years, featuring across DC media, and recently made his return in DC universe after an absence following the New 52. The greatest impact was the tragedy of Coast City. It would also serve as a catalyst to Hal Jordan's fall into the Paralax identity which lead to the destruction of the Green Lantern Corps, Hal's own eventual death and rebirth. The Eradicator even made a recent return in the pages of Justice League, battling the heroes.
Reign of the Supermen was even recently adapted for the screen in a 2019 animated feature. This story is a pivotal aspect of Superman history and has long managed to hold a place in the zeitgeist even if people don't realize it.