Summary

• DC's Future State series explores characters and their ultimate fates, and one of the most poignant deaths belongs to Future State Superman.
• Superman engages in a final battle with Darkseid, sacrificing himself to destroy Darkseid and save Wonder Woman, allowing her to create a new universe.
• Darkseid was not originally meant to be a villain for Superman to face, but their rivalry has developed across DC media over the decades.

DC's Future State titles brilliantly introduced several potential ways for the heroes and villains of the DC universe to explore the kind of growth and battles that they never could have in the modern day. That included Superman, who seemed fated to have a final battle with one of his greatest enemies, Darkseid, before going down once and for all.

Future State teased the eventual fate of various DC heroes and villains, ranging from Gotham's biggest players in the immediate future to the decades that pass for the depowered Green Lantern Corps. Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #2 revealed that at the end of the universe, Superman is fated to sacrifice himself to finally destroy Darkseid for good, with his final act giving Wonder Woman the chance to create an entirely new version of reality. It's a perfect ending, and it's one of the best fights between Darkseid and Superman.

Updated by Timothy Blake Donohoo on April 15, 2024: Superman vs. Darkseid is one of the most iconic DC matchups ever, with the Man of Steel's faceoff against the ultimate evil being as metaphorical as it is physical. Depicting the true battle between freedom and enslavement, this battle is something that fans have long speculated about. DC's Future State series finally showcased the final fight between Darkseid and Superman, and it was more than fitting for the Last Son of Krypton. It also cements Darkseid as a "Superman" enemy, when he was intended as something much different.

Superman's Climactic Fight With Darkseid

One of the most notable time jumps that took place in Future State was featured in Immortal Wonder Woman, set eons in the future. At the end of the universe, the darkness known as the Undoing enveloped practically everything, leaving only a handful of survivors. Arriving on the barren planet Earth ahead of the Undoing, Darkseid took on Superman and Wonder Woman in an epic final battle.

During the fight, Darkseid got the upper hand over the might of Wonder Woman and seemed poised to strike a final blow. But just in time, Superman managed to drag the New God off-world all the way into the dying sun, ending both their lives. Clark had nothing left to fight for, so he made sure his final battle at least saved Wonder Woman's life. ​​​​As the sole survivor of Earth, Diana traveled through the galaxy with only the memories of her loved ones to keep her company.

Future State Gave Superman a Perfect Ending

Superman's final fight was a fitting and bittersweet end for the Man of Steel, revealing that he will never relent in battle against the forces of evil. Even at the end of all things and in a weakened form, Superman was a beacon of hope, fighting until the very end. His death came with the knowledge that his mission was finally complete, doing everything he possibly could to protect the universe. By destroying Darkseid and saving Wonder Woman, he ensured that life continued.

Wonder Woman used her powers to trigger a big bang, creating a brand-new universe. It's a fantastic endnote for Superman, with the hero putting himself on the line one more time to give the entire cosmos a second chance at life. This ending worked so well because it directly contrasted the central theme behind Darkseid. The evil overlord of Apokolips was meant to embody fascism, with his goal being to conquer all life in the universe. To this end, he constantly searches for the Anti-Life Equation in a bid to become supreme ruler of the cosmos, making the only central guiding intelligence his own. By killing him off to rebirth the cosmos, Superman saved the world from such a fate once and for all, with Darkseid's death instead being a "Life Equation," of sorts.

Darkseid Is Not Meant to Be a Superman Villain

Darkseid first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134, which was a spinoff series that iconic writer/artist Jack Kirby took over. Though it was directly tied to the broader Superman mythos, Darkseid himself wasn't necessarily meant to be a Superman villain. Instead, he's one of the New Gods, who are a part of Kirby's Fourth World stable of characters. In many ways, these were a take on Jack Kirby's previous cosmic creations at rival publisher Marvel Comics, with many also seeing parallels between the New Gods and Jack Kirby's later Marvel creation, the Eternals.

Much as the Eternals are independent of the Avengers and any other Marvel brand/group, the New Gods were their own thing, as well. They weren't necessarily spinoffs of any existing brand, including Superman and his comic books. Though Darkseid and other Fourth World characters debuted by rubbing shoulders with Jimmy Olsen, the New Gods' mythos otherwise has no ties to the Man of Steel. Strangely enough, it's also unrelated to the cosmic Green Lantern Corps and the mythological godhood of the Wonder Woman comics. This allowed the denizens of New Genesis and Apokolips to develop their own ties and rivalries, and this included Darkseid.

The intention was for Darkseid to have a fated defeat at the hands of his own son, Orion. Known as the "Dog of War," Orion has a more humanoid appearance, though he bears a much stronger resemblance to his father than many realize. Several stories have played with the idea of his defeating his father, with the Kingdom Come timeline having Orion kill Darkseid and take over Apokolips. The idea of a father and son being destined to battle each other enhances the mythological leanings of the New Gods, but it's a concept that DC hasn't focused on much. Instead, Darkseid has been made out to be the ultimate enemy that Superman will ever face.

The interactions between Superman's supporting cast and the New Gods originated from comic books in the early Bronze Age of Comics. These connections to the Man of Steel, his side characters and his monthly comic books were still fairly prominent after Crisis on Infinite Earths, however, with the continuity reboot not being enough to stop the direction that DC was taking Darkseid in. Even though Darkseid was portrayed as much more powerful than Superman, he was still positioned as a sort of ultimate threat for him. Thus, a Darkseid vs. Superman face was always inevitable in some way. Many times, these bouts against Darkseid dealt more with the villain's power level, and they existed as physical tests for Superman's limits.

Such was the case in the DC Animated Universe cartoon Justice League Unlimited. The best Superman vs. Darkseid battles are a bit deeper, however, delving into what both of the characters represent and contrasting them in some way. Through this, Darkseid might perhaps be the best Superman enemy, as he has the thematic contrast of Lex Luthor and the raw power of Doomsday. Thus, even if he wasn't meant to be a Superman foe, Darkseid is his greatest challenge ever, which DC's Future State proved.